SPARK Bethel University
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Restorative Practices Lead to Turnaround: Presbyterian Churches in Nebraska
Get PDFThis thesis project examines the Gospel of Luke for restorative practices Jesus used when ministry was hard. Jesus is projected in this study as a self-differentiated leader who was victorious in His ministry because He relied on the Holy Spirit, Scripture, and Prayer as restorative practices when He was faced challenges. It also includes an evaluation of current literature on declining/failing churches and turnaround churches. Qualitative research was conducted using research instruments comprised of interviews with three Nebraskan Presbyterian pastors and a survey of members of a Nebraskan Presbyterian congregation. This research was designed so that it may encourage churches across the globe to remain hopeful despite adversity in efforts to reach a successful turnaround for the church
Teacher Burnout and Mitigation
Get PDFBurnout in the American Education System is a major concern, with impacts connected to student achievement, teacher turnover, as well as the physical and mental health of teachers. Tools, such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Areas of Worklife Survey can be used to track, measure, and predict burnout in educators. This investigation summarizes available research on the causes of, and effects of burnout in schools as well as recommendations in the research to mitigate burnout. Burnout thrives in schools where teachers lack autonomy, unresolved disagreements linger, promotion decisions are made based on whim rather than merit, accomplishments go unacknowledged, pay is lower than expected, and daily work takes more than one workday to complete. Conversely, burnout diminishes in workplaces where the opposite is true: teachers are rewarded for their successes, the community is collaborative, deadlines are reasonable, and teachers and administrators mutually trust each other to perform their jobs professionally
Divorcing Your OPM: Moving from an Outsourced Online Program Management Model to a New Online Program Management Model: A Qualitative Descriptive Case Study
Get PDFThe demand for flexible online learning models, fueled by technological advancements and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has necessitated creative solutions to support millions of students enrolled in online programs. Higher Education leaders, faced with this growing demand and lacking expertise in online learning, have turned to outsourced business models, such as for-profit online program management partnerships (OPM), to attract, retain, and support new non-traditional student populations. The decision to outsource has been driven by competitive pressures, a desire for speed to market, a lack of initial capital, the desire to shift risk, and a lack of internal expertise). Institutions that understand online support practices may consider transitioning from OPM contracts to build internal capacity and capabilities. However, limited research examples of institutions that have left OPM partnerships to build new models hinder institutional leaders\u27 ability to learn from others’ experiences. Research uncovered three themes related to leaving the OPM partnership: Assessment and Decision Making – why the university left the OPM. Managing change and planning for the future – How PFBU (the pseudonym for the institution) built a new model. The impact of divorcing the OPM. Theme 1: Assessment and Decision Making – Why the University Left the OPM. Theme 2: Managing Change and Planning for the Future – How PFBU Built a New Model, Theme 3: The Impact of Divorcing the OPM. The study\u27s recommendations suggest that an investment will be needed to build a new model; new models may build on institutional strengths while outsourcing areas in which they lack expertise and strong leadership and change management expertise are essential. This study offers insights to aid higher education practitioners in navigating OPM partnerships and building new service models for a viable future
A Qualitative Case Study: Teacher Perceptions of the Support Received When Working With English Learners
No full textEnglish Learners (ELs) are one of the fastest-growing student populations in K-12 schools, and attention must be given to the academic achievement gap between ELs and their native English language speaking counterparts. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), passed in 2015, required every state to adopt English proficiency standards aligned with state academic standards to meet these content and language standards. To shrink the achievement gap, educators must look at how content teachers should teach the essential content standards while providing language instruction and scaffolding for ELs in their classrooms. The rapid growth of the EL population has not been met with sufficient growth in teachers’ understanding of how to provide all students access to academic standards in content classrooms. This qualitative case study examined teacher perceptions of the support received during teacher preparation programs (TPPs) including school level professional development and at the classroom level on instructing ELs in content-focused classrooms. Study findings reveal how each level of support and training aligns and/or diverges from each other and identify potential gaps. The findings can be used to improve support for content teachers who instruct ELs in content-focused classrooms and improve the achievement of ELs in content-focused classrooms
Synthesis of disubstituted β-hydroxy acids for the enzymatic synthesis of chiral β-lactones
No full textBeta-lactone synthetases are a class of enzymes which produce chiral beta-lactones, four-membered cyclic esters, from racemic beta-hydroxy acid substrates. Chiral beta-lactones are used as chemical synthons and as bioactive compounds, such as the FDA-approved drug, Orlistat. However, substrate specificity of stand-alone beta-lactone synthetases are poorly understood, and their use in chemoenzymatic synthesis of chiral bioactive compounds remains unexplored. This research focused on the organic synthesis of beta-hydroxy acids to probe the substrate specificity of this class of enzymes and to generate potentially bioactive compounds against essential tuberculosis enzymes. The beta-hydroxy acid 2-[(5-chlorofuran-2-yl)(hydroxy) methyl]hexanoic acid was synthesized from lithiated hexanoate and 5-chloro-2-furaldehyde under nitrogen gas, purified via liquid-liquid extraction, then characterized via 1H and 13C NMR
The Influence of Music Tempo on Bench Press Power Production in College-Aged Males
No full textPrevious research suggests that music with a tempo exceeding resting heart rate may stimulate the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), releasing catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine). These hormones have physiological effects such as increased heart rate and muscle strength in cardiovascular exercise. This study aims to see if the effect of music in cardiovascular exercise is also present in strength training. This will be done by examining whether pre- and intra-exercise music listening at different tempos affects power output during bench press repetitions in young adult males. It is hypothesized that music at a higher tempo will stimulate the SNS and result in the same effects as in cardiovascular exercise. Research has proven that music stimulates the SNS in cardiovascular exercise, which releases catecholamines that increase heart rate and muscle strength, the results were not replicated in this study. An increase in tempo of music has no significance in power when performing bench press
Exploring the Current Reality of Supporting Multilingual Learners in Greater Minnesota: Bridging Practice and Policy to Plan Forward
No full textThe purpose of this study was to understand the current reality of multilingual learner supports in schools in Greater Minnesota and align that current reality with the Minnesota Learning English for Academic Proficiency and Success (LEAPS) Act in order to make recommendations at the local level and advocate at a greater scale. This was an exploratory case study of a school district in Greater Minnesota that included semi-structured interviews, district documents, and publicly available student data. The Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) was used as the theoretical framework to understand the current reality of the district which was then aligned with the Minnesota LEAPS Act. Based on this alignment, some potential local shifts were explored including creating district policies, building cultural proficiency, and implementing bilingual seals. Furthermore, it was recommended to be helpful to shift perspectives on English Language (EL) instruction toward integration of language and content as well as to create structures for strategic collaboration between EL and classroom teachers. The study suggested that districts may also consider expanding the use of EL student profiles and expanding the Language Instruction Education Program (LIEP) to include early learners. Additionally, it was recommended that the district create an initiative around family and community engagement, including multilingual families, and intentionally gather feedback annually. Finally, exploration of the current system of support and teacher perspectives brought to light themes for which to advocate on a greater scale including resources, time, and training. These were explored in more detail within the study
Health Endorsement Culminating Projects: The Future of Health
No full textJoin the graduating Health Endorsement students as they talk about their experiences on the non-clinical side of healthcare and their thoughts on the future of healthcare.https://spark.bethel.edu/primetime-presentations/1009/thumbnail.jp
Lack of Parental Involvement in Special Education: Knocking Down the Barriers
No full textParental involvement in the education of students has long been a topic of interest. Numerous federal mandates have been established to push parental inclusion in education. Numerous studies have also been conducted on the benefits of parental involvement. However, little research has focused on how parental involvement is beneficial to children with special needs. Although parental involvement is often lacking in special education, it is unclear what barriers prevent parents of special needs students from becoming involved. It is critical to understand how to address these barriers. This literature review examines the barriers presented in research that may be preventing parental involvement in school for parents of special needs students. The barriers included in the research are as follows: laws and systematic barriers, lack of knowledge and support, unequal partners, and cultural barriers. A fifth barrier, societal factors, is also addressed but limited research was found. Thus, it is mentioned in the limitations section of this thesis. Each of these barriers is discussed along with several sub-themes to highlight the research that has been conducted on each of the four main barrier themes. Results of the literature review indicate that the barriers are often related to systematic problems of the special education system, including lack of training and funding for federal laws that push for parental involvement, barriers in the nuanced jargon that is used to attempt to communicate with parents about their parental rights and the IEP process in special education. As a result, unequal partnerships are being formed due to a lack of trust, diverse views of parents’ and teachers’ roles, and minimal collaboration. Lastly, barriers are impacted by the stigma of disabilities, racism, and language barriers in schools
Restorative Justice Practices Within a School
No full textThis literature review looks into restorative justice practices within schools, guided by the main research question: How is a restorative justice model best implemented, and what are the associated challenges? Restorative justice is presented as a non-exclusionary approach to school discipline, prioritizing communication, accountability, and community building over traditional punitive measures like suspension and expulsion. Research studies and literature indicate that restorative practices can solve some of the issues surrounding the inequality prevalent in traditional punitive discipline, especially among marginalized and disadvantaged students. Additionally, this literature review explores implementation tools such as professional development and pedagogy. It also discusses the challenges of transitioning from punitive to restorative practices and examines the potential benefits of employing restorative justice in schools