UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
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Item ASSOCIATIONS OF HEALTH MARKERS, PERCEPTIONS, AND LIFESTYLE BEHAVIORS WITH DIET QUALITY INDICES AND TYPE 2 DIABETES STATUS IN U.S. ADULTS(2018) Al-Ibrahim, Afnan Abdul Hamid; Jackson, Robert T; Nutrition; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)There is growing evidence that adherence to healthful dietary patterns reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010) and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010) are recognized as assessment tools for measuring dietary quality. This research had three main objectives: 1) Determine whether the AHEI-2010 provides a more accurate assessment of dietary quality than the HEI-2010 in relation to diabetes status; 2) Examine the relationship between diabetes status and discrepancies between perceived diet quality (PDQ) and measured diet quality (MDQ) (using total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores, respectively); 3) Examine the relationships between selected lifestyle behaviors independently, and in combination with other lifestyle behaviors, and dietary quality (using total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores) by diabetes status. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2010 were used to analyze participants age 20 years and older (n = 4097). Overall, the total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores for the sample indicate that U.S. adults need dietary improvement (mean total HEI-2010 score = 47.3 ± 0.4; mean total AHEI-2010 score = 38.2 ± 0.4). Diabetics had higher total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores compared to prediabetics and non diabetics, but did not have better health markers. Results indicate no predictive value of total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores (OR = 1.00, p > 0.05) in relation to diabetes status. In addition, the associations between diabetes status and discrepancy scores (for both HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010) were not significant after adjusting for perceived health status (p > 0.05). However, there were significant associations between individual lifestyle behaviors and total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores by diabetes status (p < 0.05). In addition, the combined Lifestyle Behaviors score was a significant predictor of total HEI-2010 and AHEI-2010 scores (p < 0.05) by diabetes status. In conclusion, these findings suggest that dietary quality, measured with HEI-2010 or AHEI-2010 is associated with health markers, perceptions, and lifestyle behaviors, all of which can influence the development of T2DM. Findings of this research have implications for developing more successful strategies to improve compliance with dietary guidelines and evidence-based recommendations for disease management and prevention.Item Teachers' and Principals' Perceptions of School Practices Related to a Professional Learning Community(2014) Palmer, Karen Yvonne; Kivlighan, Dennis; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This quantitative study involved principals, lead teachers, and classroom teachers from 27 elementary schools and measured their perceptions on six characteristics of a PLC through the lens of the Professional Learning Community Assessment--Revised (PLCA-R) survey instrument developed by researchers at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL).Item Biology Teachers' Perceptions of Satisfaction:The Mediating Effects of Workplace Conditions and Epistemological Beliefs(2014) Daniels, Elizabeth; Parham, Carol S; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)National policy discourses have placed biology at the heart of the Nation's goal to achieve a global knowledge-based economy. However, researchers are finding educational trends of increasing biology teacher shortfalls which may undermine the achievement of that goal (National Science Board [NSB], 2012). Indeed, researchers have found science teacher shortages have been inexorably tied to many U. S. educational and societal problems, such as the goal of maintaining global economic competitiveness with other nations (National Academy of Sciences [NAS], 2007). On the other hand, in addition to research findings of the large science teacher shortfalls, researchers have found biology teachers' perceptions of satisfaction have a high correlation with retention. As a result, it appears critical to maximize the needed retention of biology teachers by increasing teachers' perceived levels of job satisfaction. Over the years, educational researchers have investigated science teacher perceptions of satisfaction as discrete units of workplace conditions or ii epistemological views. Researchers have given little attention to the relationship between school workplace conditions and the epistemological belief system of biology teachers regarding their views on the nature of teaching and learning, which may contribute to high levels of perceived satisfaction and commitment to their schools. The purpose of this study is to examine the dynamic interactions between these factors to identify the positive and negative influences on biology teachers' perceptions of satisfaction, thusly impacting teachers' practice behaviors, motivation, and commitment to the profession. School systems share many features with large organizations; therefore the design of this study utilized prior research from industry on stress affecting employee perceptions of satisfaction in the workplace. From organizational literature, Kristof-Brown et al.'s (2005) organizational model of person to environmental fit is adapted to illustrate the interactive flow between teachers' personally held epistemic beliefs systems with extant school workplace conditions. A review of literature suggested there are four workplace conditions most salient to biology teachers' perceptions of satisfaction; administrative support, student discipline, collegiality, and accountability along with three predominant epistemological beliefs of realism, contextualism, and relativism which formed the basis of the study. For this qualitative case study a semi-structured interview developed by Luft and Roehrig (2007) is utilized. The Teacher Belief Interview (2007) questions are designed to capture the epistemological beliefs of biology teachers.Item High School Choral Students' Perceptions of Choral Music Experience(2011) Hairston, Amy Theodosia; Montgomery, Janet M.; Carter, Bruce A.; Music; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study is to explore high school students' perceptions of their choral experiences, providing an understanding of students' ongoing perspectives of choral experience. Specifically, how have these experiences influenced the formation of their musical identities as members of a choral ensemble? The researcher collected data from the three participants during a full school year. The participants were current students in the researcher's advanced choral ensemble. Through axial coding, three themes emerged: musical interpretation, attitude, and group efficacy. The study revealed that experienced choral students have well-informed musical perspectives that influence their choral experiences. Implications for music education include using students' perspectives for creating rehearsal strategies, planning and programming performances, and fostering a nurturing learning atmosphere. Suggestions for further research include comparing experienced students to non-experienced students, comparing ensembles with student-chosen repertoire to those with director-chosen repertoire, and further examining the impact of choral experience on musical identity.Item Secondary Transition Experiences: Analyzing Perceptions, Academic Self-Efficacy, Academic Adjustment, and Overall Impact on College Students' with LD Success in Postsecondary Education(2011) Butler, Allison Lynette; Fabian, Ellen; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The National Center for Special Education Research at the Institute of Education Sciences under the United States Department of Education funded the National Longitudinal Transition Study - 2 to provide the first national overview of the characteristics and experiences of youth with disabilities which includes self-representations of themselves, their schooling, their personal relationships, and their future aspirations. The study was initiated in 2001 and data collection ended in 2010. The NLTS2 provided insight to youth's perceptions of secondary experiences and expectations for the future which was an area with limited research. The current study draws from college students with learning disabilities in an attempt to analyze their perceptions through experience. Exploratory and descriptive, this investigation examines the relationship between students' perceptions of their secondary transition experiences, academic self-efficacy, academic adjustment, and cumulative semester grade point average (GPA). The purpose of this study was to analyze participants' experiences to generate information regarding how students perceive the effectiveness of their secondary transition programs in pursuit of postsecondary success. In addition, this study examined self-efficacy issues and academic adjustment. Through online survey administration the following instruments were used: a demographic questionnaire, National Longitudinal Transition Study - 2 (NLTS2) Youth Continuation Interview (YCI) containing questions asking participants to rate their perceptions, the Academic Self-Efficacy scale (CASES; Owen and Froman, 1988), and the academic adjustment subscale of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ; Baker & Siryk, 1989). Data was analyzed using a one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Pearson's product moment correlations. In addition a step-wise multiple regression was performed in order to identify the most influential factors associated with postsecondary academic success (GPA). Academic self-efficacy was the primary determinant of student success. Variables found to have significant relationships with academic self-efficacy were perceptions of secondary transition experiences, academic adjustment, self-reported cumulative grade point average, and number of semesters completed. An inverse relationship was discovered to exist between academic self-efficacy and type of institution as well as being African American and Latino students.Item Asian Parents' Perceptions of Child Disability and School Contact for Services(2010) Kim, Nayoung; Gottfredson, Gary D.; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined Asian parents' perceptions of children's disability and factors influencing their utilization of school services. Using the parent questionnaires from a large national sample of high school sophomores (the ELS:2002 data), survey results from Asian American (n=810) and European American parents (n=7710) were analyzed to examine cultural differences between the two ethnic groups as well as between immigrant vs. non-immigrant Asians. This study also assessed the extent to which parental characteristics (Belief About Learning, Recency of Immigration, English Proficiency, Socio-Economic Status, and whether they indicate their child is disabled) predict contacting the school for services. Results indicated that Asians were less likely than Europeans to believe that their child has a disability and also were less likely to contact the school for help. Nevertheless, immigrant parents sought help when they perceived that their child had a disability. Neither immigrant parent's length of stay in the U.S. nor English proficiency predicted the school contact behaviors. Implications for introducing school-based services and outreach for Asian American parents are suggested, particularly for recent immigrants.Item The Relationship Between Neighborhood Environment and Walking Behavior: The Influence of Perceptions(2008-07-28) Smith, Andrea; Clifton, Kelly; Urban and Regional Planning and Design; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Perceptions are key to fully understanding walking. Theorists and designers in the urban planning field have long held that people internalize their environment in very complex ways, but these efforts have rarely been translated into empirical travel behavior research. As a result, there is a lack of understanding of how perceptions are shaped by the environment and the contribution of those relationships in the explanation of walking behavior. This study investigates the relationships between residents' perceptions of their neighborhood environment and corresponding objective measures of the same attributes and tests their associations with walking behavior. The methodology includes a cross-sectional, disaggregate research design that incorporates three major categories of data: (1) objective (micro and macro) measures of the environment, (2) residents' perceptions of the environment, and (3) walking behavior. Five areas in Montgomery County, MD are chosen as the study locations because of the variation in social and transportation factors. Six constructs representing major features of the environment (land use/density, pedestrian network, road network, safety from traffic, cleanliness, tree cover) are elaborated in both the objective and perceptual assessments of the environment. Models of perceptions show that objective measures of the environment and socio-demographic measures are generally not good predictors of perceptions. Perceptions have slightly higher explanatory power than objective measures in models of walking behavior. Different measures of the environment are significant from the objective and perceptual angles: only land use and street network are associated with walking both when measured objectively and through perceptions. The other measures are only significant when measured from one perspective: pedestrian network and cleanliness are significantly associated with walking when measured objectively, while tree cover is significant when measured perceptually. The results indicate that the traditional methods of assessing the pedestrian environment with regard to walking might not be the most effective way of capturing environmental variables. They underscore the value of trying to understand the impact of perceptions on the relationship between the built environment and walking, which entails more targeted environmental interventions that can better change and improve walkability.