Middle Tennessee State University
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Weekend recovery’s effect on Monday morning exhaustion and engagement: The role of workaholism
No full textWork recovery is the process by which employees rebuild their lost resources and acquire new resources, such as energy or time (Barber et al., 2019; Ginoux et al., 2021; Sonnentag, 2001; Sonnentag et al., 2012). This accumulation of resources helps employees to be productive during their next work period (Casper et al., 2018; Sonnentag et al., 2012). To better understand the recovery process, the current study examined each of the four main recovery experiences (psychological detachment, relaxation, mastery, and control) as they occur over the weekend and their relationships with Monday morning exhaustion and engagement. Additionally, this study examined how workaholism moderates the relationships between weekend recovery experiences and their relationship with Monday morning exhaustion and engagement. Data were analyzed from 209 participants. The results suggest that mastery and control experiences over the weekend are most beneficial for recovery and led to reduced exhaustion and increased engagement levels on Monday morning. Moreover, the results indicate that the positive relationship between weekend control experiences and Monday morning engagement is moderated by workaholism. These findings demonstrate the restorative power of control experiences over the weekend when workaholic tendencies are high.M.A
A Comparison of Ageist Lyrics in Country and Pop Music Genres: An Important Difference
No full textThis study examined the lyrics of American country and pop music for an understanding of the perceptions and implied truths related to the concept of aging. A review was made of the limited prior research available regarding ageist lyrics as well as prior research exposing the consequences of the use of ageist stereotypes. Songs for this study were selected from the Billboard Top 100 lists for the past 10 years with a total of 33 songs containing either an implicit or explicit reference to aging: 16 country and 17 pop songs. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, song lyrics in each genre were evaluated in terms of positive and negative attitudes related to aging. Recurring themes of optimism, pessimism, acceptance, fear, vitality, loss, respect, and love expectations were found. Conclusions drawn from this research study indicate the majority of country song lyrics present images of aging in a positive light, whereas pop song lyrics continue to focus on negative stereotypes. Based on this observation and research provided on the negative consequences of reinforced stereotypes, my research demonstrates the potential victimization of us all as we age if negative stereotypes with respect to aging are perpetuated in music, especially in the pop genre.M.A
ATHLETIC STUDENT INVOLVEMENT AND THE SENSE OF BELONGING THAT LEADS TO HIGHER GRADUATION RATES
No full textAlthough there is a growing body of research on retention of higher education students, there is a constant need for more because of ever-changing variables that affect attrition. With dynamic retention issues changing, new empirical research such as this study can be used to keep up with higher education attrition. The specific purpose of this study is to investigate how factors of belongingness included with being a scholarly Division I athlete can lead to higher graduation rates compared to non-athletes.
The positive descriptive analysis of graduation success for student athletes will be measured by using retrospective public survey and interview results comparing them to students that do not participate in scholarly sports. Both quantitative and qualitative data are used in this study to formulate a Grounded Convergent Mixed Methods analysis study that leads to useful empirical data.
It was found that the graduation rates were overall equal despite the scholarly athletes engaging in many characteristics of belongingness. However, there are certain subgroups of student athletes found to have higher graduation rates than those not involved. One example is the fact that female athletes are more likely to graduate than females included in the general student body, particularly reflected by the characteristics of well-being. While minority athletes also seem mor likely to graduate than other minority students not involved.Ed.D
The Positive Effects of Implementing a Variety of Teaching Approaches in the Classroom
No full textImplementing critically important learning pedagogies in the classroom improves students’ academic performance. For decades, teachers and educational faculty have tried many different strategies to make schools as inclusive as possible. However, some students struggle academically and end up falling behind the rest of their peers. Students have different academic strengths and learning preferences, but the traditional classroom setup does not always address each strength or learning preference. Concepts such as differentiated instruction, Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and growth mindset argue for the positive effects those pedagogical processes have on academic achievement in the elementary school classroom. Specific examples of ways to implement differentiated instruction, multiple intelligences, and growth mindset in the classroom are presented to show their efficacy.
Differentiated learning, multiple intelligences, and a growth mindset are incorporated into a five-day unit. The unit consists of five lesson plans that meet the fifth-grade academic science standards of heredity. Each lesson plan involves each learning style by including a variety of activities and resources, from books to videos to hands-on activities, and each of these activities involves at least one of Howard Gardner’s eight known intelligences: verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. It also follows Rodger Bybee’s 5E learning model, which consists of the following steps: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. While growth mindset practices are not prominent in the lesson plans, it is subtly mentioned in the Evaluate subsection under the Closure section of each lesson plan. After each assessment that follows the lesson closure, the students are encouraged to correct their answers to learn from their mistakes and grow. By implementing each of these student-centered learning strategies into lesson plans, teachers can ensure that each student, no matter what their background, succeeds academically and develops a positive attitude towards learning
Females in STEM: A qualitative study on the impacts of professional learning communities
No full textUnderrepresentation of females in college science, technology, engineering, and math impacts college graduation rates, pay disparity of females, and the local and global workforce. Research offers one concept, sense of belonging, as vital to motivation of and persistence in major. To
address a sense of belonging for this population, some universities offer professional and living learning communities to increase feelings of welcoming and inclusion. This qualitative study examined three learning communities, Women in STEM, computer science, and aerospace and their impacts on student sense of belonging and persistence in major as revealed by the
participants’ survey responses. This study sought to add to current literature by uncovering
components of the learning communities cited as most important in impacting feeling welcomed and included and the decision to remain in the major. Persistence in major was reported by all
but one respondent, and an inductive approach to themes across the board fell in these categories: faculty, clubs, peers, research and internship opportunities, and curriculum. WISTEM and
Computer Science shared the theme of clubs/socials as relevant to feeling welcomed and
included in the program. Peers and professors were themes among all 3 PLCs as they pertain to feeling welcomed, and Computer Science listed professors for both impacting sense of belonging and remaining in the major.Ed.D
Detecting Estrogen Pollution of the Stones River Waterways using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES)
No full textEstrogen is a steroid hormone, commonly associated with the female reproductive
system. Estrogen is also used in the dairy and livestock industry as a muscle enhancer and
to increase growth rates. Once in the environment, estrogen enters the estrogen
transmission chain, and the effects have been connected to disruptions in waterway
ecosystems. To gain a better understanding of local estrogen pollution, this study
identified estrogen pollution levels for each of eleven sites in the Stones River Watershed
using the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES). Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered to
carry one DNA (ERα) sequence, and five estrogen-responsive sequences (ERE). The
ERE controls for the reporter gene, LacZ, which encodes for the enzyme β-galactosidase.
The lysis buffer contains chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside (CPRG). When
cleaved by β-galactosidase, it produces a colorimetric product. Through colorimetric and
spectroscopic determination, samples that were collected either had no estrogen or low
levels of estrogenic ligands present. Those that contained low levels of estrogen, Manson
Pike Greenway Trailhead and Goochie Ford, need to be studied furthe
Creativity in pairs: investigating the association between team member creativity and overall team creativity in dyads
No full textMany organizations are utilizing teams to complete tasks and innovate in today’s rapid-changing world. This study aimed to identify how individual members of a team interact to generate ideas together. Previous literature identified two main models to represent the bridge between individual and team creativity. The compensatory model claims that the average individual creativity of team members predicts team creativity, while the disjunctive model puts emphasis on the most creative team member. This study investigated these models and explored a new multiplicative model. 58 undergraduate and graduate participants completed creativity tasks derived from Guilford’s Consequences tasks individually and then in dyads (n=29). These tasks were completed across three days with additional collection of demographic, affective, cognitive, and personality data. The existing dataset was extended using multivariate normal distribution to create a simulated dataset of 200 dyads. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to analyze the predictive value of the compensatory, disjunctive, and multiplicative models. The results showed strong support for the compensatory model and in some cases the disjunctive model. However, there was a lack of support for the multiplicative model. Other variables that played a role in team creativity included average positive affect, difference in negative affect, and emotional stability. This study included a limited sample and explored only the idea generation side of creativity. Future research should use larger and more diverse sample to study multiple aspects of creativity such as convergent thinking.M.A
Exploring Grief through Dance
No full textDance has historically been used as an outlet for both individuals and communities to explore complex concepts, and in many cultures, dance has been used as an outlet to celebrate the lives and mourn the deaths of people held dear to the community. However, it is possible to grieve things that are unrelated to the death of another individual, like marriage or health. Because the process and stages of grief are not always linear or predictable, thorough discussions about grief can become unnecessarily convoluted. The purpose of this project is to provide an example of how dance can be used as a method to explore grief, while also considering that grief is a fluctuating process that varies from person to person
THREE ESSAYS ON THE ECONOMICS OF INSTITUTIONS
No full textThis Dissertation applies the tools of Economic analysis to explore historical institutions of the 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. Chapters one and two emerged as part of a research project to explore neglected aspects of the economics of slavery. Chapter one explores the economics of slave hiring in the Antebellum South. The market for slave-hiring was characterized by a double principal-agent problem. Slave-owners did not want to hire their enslaved workers to hirers who would harm their slaves. Therefore, slave-owners were more likely to hire out their slaves to industries which were more likely to rely on reward incentives (carrots) to motivate their slaves, i.e. the crafts and service industries. Chapter two explores the regulation of manumission in the Antebellum South. State legislatures passed laws which restricted or prohibited a slave-owner’s ability to free his/her slave. Why would it matter to a legislature how a slave-owner treated his/her slave? Allowing the increase in the Freedman population would impose strong negative externalities on the state legislators who often were large-scale slave holders (those who owned fifteen or more slaves). Chapter three examines the political economy of barber’s licensure. In the 19th century, some states passed laws requiring barbers to be licensed through a state board. The justification used was fears of a communicable disease known as Barber’s Itch. This regulation licensed benefited barber shops by eliminated competition from Barber’s Colleges and journeyman barbers.Ph.D