Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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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 give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
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Item THE DEI SIGNALING THRESHOLD: WHEN AND WHY MORE MESSAGING IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER(2024) Holmes, Tara; Derfler-Rozin, Rellie; Business and Management: Management & Organization; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)When it comes to messaging diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts to employees, organizations take great care in considering the content of the signals they create. However, despite carefully designed communications, they continue to struggle to garner employee support and participation for these initiatives. Counter to the prevailing assumption that more DEI signaling is better (Roberson, 2006; Plaut et al., 2011; Nishii, 2013; Richard et al., 2013; Leslie, 2019; Hunt et al., 2020; Shuman et al., 2023), I argue that positive effects of organizational DEI signaling do not persist with increased exposure to DEI-related stimuli. Leveraging exposure effect research, I instead propose that employee attitudes shift from positive to negative as exposure to signaling increases, thereby decreasing their desire to engage with DEI at work. Specifically, I hypothesize that low and moderate levels of signaling are associated with employees feeling more engagement towards DEI, but at higher DEI fatigue and cynicism are more likely to develop, negatively impacting employees’ DEI effort. I further posit that because managers play a central role in shaping employee attitudes and behaviors, a manager’s consistency with organizational DEI signaling is the key to minimizing negative employee attitudes that emerge because of overexposure. I test these hypotheses in an experiment and a field study with implications for the literatures on DEI in organizations, issue fatigue, and behavioral integrity.Item AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CO-TEACHING AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT(2022) Clancy, Erin; Wexler, Jade A; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Federal law mandates that students with disabilities (SWDs) receive specially designed instruction (SDI), which includes the adaptation of the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to meet SWDs’ unique needs, to ensure access to the general education curriculum (Rodgers et al., 2021; Ten Napel, 2017) within the least restrictive environment (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004). One common service delivery model for the many SWDs in the general setting education is co-teaching, wherein a content-area teacher (CAT) and a special education teacher (SET) share instructional responsibilities. The CAT and SET can use a variety of models (e.g., team teaching) to implement co-teaching. Although research showing the effectiveness of co-teaching for improving student achievement is limited (Clancy & Wexler, see Chapter 2; Murawski & Swanson, 2001), co-teaching has the potential to increase student engagement due to the defining features of certain co-teaching models that may benefit SWDs. Increasing student engagement is important as engagement is positively correlated with student outcomes, such as retaining information, graduating from high school, and pursuing postsecondary education (Finn, 1993).To better understand the extent to which different co-teaching models are implemented and which teacher (i.e., CAT or SET) leads instruction during the implementation of certain co-teaching models, it is necessary to extend previous research (e.g., Wexler et al., 2018). Additionally, given the importance of engagement and the potential relationship between co-teaching and engagement, it is necessary to explore whether specific co-teaching models are associated with higher levels of student engagement. Thus, there are two goals of the current dissertation. The first goal is to investigate the frequency of use of each co-teaching model and the extent to which each co-teacher leads instruction during the implementation of certain models. The second goal is to explore the relationship between each observed co-teaching model and student engagement. The current manuscript includes a statement of the problem, theoretical framework, literature synthesis, research questions, methodological approach, results, and discussion for the study. I provide this information sequentially over five chapters. Chapter 1 introduces the problem the current dissertation seeks to address. This chapter provides an overview of current service delivery models for SWDs in the general education setting, including co-teaching, and includes extended descriptions of each of the six co-teaching models. Chapter 1 also provides an overview of the research on student engagement. The chapter closes by providing a statement of the problem and the theoretical framework. Chapter 2 of the dissertation presents a literature synthesis of experimental studies investigating the effect of co-teaching on student achievement. The purpose of the synthesis is to extend a previous synthesis (Murawski & Swanson, 2001) and provide updated knowledge on the impact co-teaching has on student outcomes. While co-teaching has been a commonly used service delivery model, information about its effectiveness is limited. This synthesis contributes a new understanding of co-teaching as more than 20 years have passed since Murawski and Swanson’s initial synthesis. In Chapter 3, I describe the methodological approach of the empirical study. I used archival observation data to determine which co-teaching models were used most often and which teacher led instructional delivery for specific models (i.e., one-teach-one observe, one teach-one assist, one teach-one monitor). I then investigated the relationships between student engagement and the observed co-teaching models. Chapter 4 provides the results of the empirical study. Results from the observation data showed that team teaching and one teach-one assist were the most relied upon co-teaching models. Additionally, the CAT typically led instruction during implementation of one teach-one assist and other independently driven models. Furthermore, there was a moderate significant relationship between engagement and the co-teaching models. Then, Chapter 5 contextualizes the findings within similar research and the theoretical framework. The findings of the first research question on observed co-teaching models align with similar recent research. The investigation into the relationship between co-teaching models and student engagement aligned with the theoretical framework. Specifically, student engagement was observed more frequently in models where both teachers drove instruction (i.e., alternative, station, and team teaching). In closing, I provide implications for practice as well as recommendations for additional research and present the conclusion.Item Executive Function, Engagement, and Attention: Effects on Comprehension(2021) Mohan, Svetha; Bolger, Donald J; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Cognitive control/executive function (EF) and attention deficits are prevalent among students and impact comprehension performance. While EF and attention impairments are well-studied, the interaction between cognitive control/EF, attention, arousal/engagement, and comprehension has yet to be explored. Undergraduates’ ADHD symptoms, cognitive abilities, and cognitive control were assessed prior to listening to passages of varying degrees of emotional valence and responding to comprehension questions. Exploratory EEG data were also collected to examine patterns of cognitive engagement/emotional arousal. Results showed that comprehension for participants with high numbers of ADHD symptoms and/or proactive cognitive control types were influenced by the emotional valence of the context. In emotional contexts, those with high ADHD symptoms showed better comprehension overall and deep levels of processing, and those with proactive cognitive control types showed better deep processing. These findings indicate the need for further research to tease apart the interaction of EF, attention, and arousal on comprehension across different contexts.Item Uncovering the Relations Among College Students’ Expectancies, Task Values, Engagement, and STEM Course Outcomes(2020) Gladstone, Jessica R.; Wigfield, Allan; Human Development; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)In the last thirty years, student engagement has received much attention as an important contributor to students’ school success. One major limitation of the research on student engagement is that there is not a widely accepted theory regarding what constitutes it and how it relates to motivation. In the present study I examined relations of college students’ motivational beliefs and task values (as defined in Eccles and colleagues’ expectancy-value theory, EVT) to proposed dimensions of their engagement: behavioral, cognitive, social, agentic, and behavioral and emotional disaffection. In particular, I examined: (1) empirical overlap among certain dimensions of engagement and task value constructs; (2) which EVT constructs are associated with which dimensions of engagement; (3) how motivational beliefs, values, and engagement dimensions relate over time; and (4) whether engagement dimensions mediate the relationship between motivational beliefs, values, and math and science grades. Students (Ntime1 = 486, Ntime2 = 516) were recruited from a large public university and then completed surveys about their motivation and engagement in their introductory math or science course twice, at the beginning of the semester and again after mid-terms examinations. Findings indicated that although there were strong associations among certain engagement dimensions and task value constructs, structural equation model fit indices indicated that these should be treated as separate constructs. Regression analyses showed that in general, students’ competence beliefs and values were associated with behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement and behavioral and emotional disaffection dimensions. However, the relations between the motivational variables and social and agentic engagement were weak or non-significant. Cross-lagged panel analyses indicated that some relations among task values and engagement dimensions were reciprocal over time, but more often motivation predicted engagement rather than the reverse. Students’ behavioral and cognitive engagement were strong mediators of the relations between their task values and domain-specific grades in math and science. I conclude from these results that (at least for college-aged students) certain engagement constructs should be integrated more fully into the well-established expectancy-value model; however, future research is needed to ensure that these relations hold across different domains.Item INVESTIGATIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE UNDERLYING BRAIN PROCESSES WHICH ENHANCE COGNITIVE-MOTOR LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE(2018) Jaquess, Kyle James; Hatfield, Bradley D; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The ability to effectively and efficiently process task-relevant information is a critical element to a wide range of cognitive-motor activities. Indeed, various studies have illustrated that elite performers exhibit more refined neuro-cognitive processes than novices. However, it is unclear how these neuro-cognitive information processing abilities develop as skill is acquired. In this dissertation, I provide some evidence to address this gap in the literature. Study 1, entitled “Empirical evidence for the relationship between cognitive workload and attentional reserve” (Jaquess et al., 2017), provided evidence illustrating the relationship between mental workload and attentional reserve. Study 2, entitled “Changes in mental workload and motor performance throughout multiple practice sessions under various levels of task difficulty”, builds from the knowledge gained from Study 1 and extends it to a cognitive-motor learning/practice context over the course of four days. Finally, Study 3, entitled “How engaged are you? An investigation of the neurocognitive mechanisms of self-controlled practice during cognitive-motor learning”, was built upon the knowledge gained from Study 2 to further investigate how aspects of the practice environment, specifically the aspect of control, impact cognitive load and learning outcomes. Broadly, these studies illustrate how some of the neuro-cognitive processes related to information processing in cognitive-motor skills, specifically elements of the electroencephalogram (EEG), change with learning and the acquisition of skill.Item Examining the Multidimensional Nature of Engagement: The Development of the Multidimensional Engagement Rubric (MER)(2018) Smith, Patricia; Taboada Barber, Ana M.; Special Education; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The current literature on the construct of engagement lacks clarity in how it defined, the dimensions associated with engagement, and the way it has been measured. Establishing agreement on how engagement is conceptualized and operationalized will inform the development of instruments that measure this construct accurately. Engagement is an important topic of study given its relationship to students’ reading achievement. Understanding the engagement needs of growing populations of students in K-12 schools, such as English Learners (ELs), is vital to their academic success. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to clarify the conceptual and operational problems with the construct of engagement, assess the content validity of a newly developed engagement instrument through experts’ judgements, and test the reliability and criterion-related validity of this instrument with a small sample of ELs. Chapter 2 is a research synthesis that examined the discrepancies surrounding the construct of engagement using instruments that measure engagement for upper elementary and middle school students. Two empirical studies comprise Chapters 3 and 4 of this dissertation. Study 1 assessed the content validity of the items included in the Multidimensional Engagement Rubric (MER) through expert opinion. Study 2 explored the reliability and validity of this instrument when used to measure the engagement of 6th grade English Learners (ELs) participating in literacy instruction. The results from these three papers have uncovered several findings. First, the instruments used to measure student engagement have been constructed using a confounded body of literature which may, in turn, have led to the development of measures that may not have assessed this construct with precision. Next, the MER was developed after synthesizing the engagement literature and eliciting feedback from experts on engagement and motivation, which revealed a need for revising indicators included in the MER. Evidence of high reliability was revealed through weighted Kappa analysis, while criterion-related validity of the MER, when correlated with time on task scores, revealed moderate positive correlations. Finally, correlations between engagement and participants’ ages revealed mostly weak relations despite the small sample size.Item STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT EMOTIONS IN CHINESE CHEMISTRY CLASSROOMS(2017) Gong, Xiaoyang; Ketelhut, Diane Jass; Education Policy, and Leadership; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Achievement emotions are critical for students’ academic performance and career choices. The previous literature has focused on one specific type of achievement emotions – test anxiety – in Western contexts and neglected other various emotions experienced in different occasions such as attending classes. The present study aims to address the research gap by examining students’ achievement emotions in a specific cultural and subject context – Chinese high school chemistry classrooms. Subjects were 103 16 or 17-year-old eleventh-grade students (45 female and 58 male) from two chemistry classes in the same high school in China. The qualitative and quantitative data was collected from four sources: pre- and post- surveys, open-response questions, classroom observations and teacher/student interviews. This dissertation examined Chinese students’ achievement emotions from both theoretical and practical perspectives. First, it theoretically investigated the dimensions of Chinese students’ achievement emotions in traditional chemistry classrooms and how these dimensions were related to its antecedent (i.e., chemistry self-efficacy) and effect (i.e., classroom engagement). The factor analysis indicated two distinct factors emerged from Chinese students’ emotions: positive emotions and shame (one specific type of negative emotions). The structural equation modeling showed that both chemistry self-efficacy and positive emotions were significant and positive predictors of students’ classroom engagement. Chemistry self-efficacy also significantly and positively predicted students’ positive emotions while predicting students’ perceptions of shame negatively. However, the path from shame to classroom engagement was not significant after controlling for positive emotions. Second, it practically explored how one specific pedagogical strategy of integrating the computer simulation – a visualization tool to review content knowledge – influenced students’ perceptions of achievement emotions and related affective variables (i.e., chemistry self-efficacy and engagement). Independent sample t-tests showed that the computer simulation significantly increased students’ chemistry self-efficacy beliefs and positive emotions. In contrast, its effects on negative emotions and classroom engagement were not significant. By scrutinizing qualitative data from different sources, I provided explanations for the computer simulation’s role in influencing the above four affective variables.Item Can grit fix the achievement gap? An investigation of grit's conceptual uniqueness and predictive value in diverse student achievement(2016) Riley, Lynsey W; O'Neal, Colleen R; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Grit, defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals,” is considered an important noncognitive factor for promoting academic achievement and closing the racial achievement gap. School-based policy and intervention work, however, is getting ahead of the grit research. Specifically, it is unclear to what extent grit overlaps with existing noncognitive variables as a construct and measure. It is also unclear whether grit predicts later achievement when accounting for other noncognitive variables, and if grit and other noncognitive variables predict achievement differently for students from different demographic backgrounds. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis within a self-regulation framework, I evaluated grit’s conceptual and operational overlap with similar noncognitive factors of engagement, emotion regulation, and growth mindset in an ethnically diverse 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade student sample (N = 192). Using structural equation modeling, I tested if grit predicted literacy achievement 1-3 months later, in a model also adjusting for similar noncognitive factors and for previous (Time 1) literacy achievement. Finally, I compared the predictive model by age, ethnic group, and bilingual status to determine which noncognitive factors predicted literacy outcomes for which groups of students. Results indicated that, among diverse elementary school students, grit and other noncognitive constructs are not lower-order factors of an overarching self-regulation construct. Grit was moderately related to, yet distinct from, growth mindset and emotion regulation, while it overlapped excessively with engagement. Grit and engagement as a joint construct did predict later literacy achievement, but not after controlling for previous literacy achievement. Relations among grit, engagement, and literacy achievement were different for ethnic and linguistic groups, but again these differences were eliminated after controlling for previous literacy achievement. Research lacks compelling evidence that grit, at least as it is currently measured, is a relevant predictor of diverse students’ short-term literacy outcomes. Researchers and educators are thus cautioned against focusing on grit as an assessment or academic intervention tool for improving ethnic minority or bilingual students’ reading; a focus on previous achievement and building literacy skills continues to be best practice for promoting future literacy achievement.Item A Replication and Extension of Psychometric Research on the Grit Scale(2014) Weston, Lynsey Carlene; O'Neal, Colleen R; Counseling and Personnel Services; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Grit, a "perseverance and passion for long-term goals" (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007, p. 1087), is important for academic success, but the field has not fully explored how grit functions as a distinct construct within the motivational literature or across ethnically and socioeconomically diverse samples. This pilot study replicated and extended Duckworth's seminal grit studies (e.g., Duckworth et al., 2007; Duckworth & Quinn, 2009) by examining grit's psychometric properties, its relation to other predictors of achievement, and its predictive validity, above related constructs and demographics, for literacy achievement among 33 low-income, ethnic minority high school students. Participants completed online questionnaires assessing their grit, engagement, stress, conscientiousness, and self-control, and took a brief reading assessment. Results suggest that grit may function differently in low-income minority students facing barriers to long-term academic achievement, and that grit's relation to student achievement may not be as clear-cut as what has previously been claimed.Item PSYCHOTHERAPY ENGAGERS VERSUS NON-ENGAGERS: ATTACHMENT STYLE, OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS, NEED FOR THERAPY, SESSION DURATION, AND THERAPIST HELPING SKILLS IN INTAKE SESSIONS(2011) Huang, Teresa Chen-Chieh; Hill, Clara E; Psychology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The present study investigated client attachment style, outcome expectations, need for therapy, intake duration and therapist helping skills associated with psychotherapy engagement. Intake sessions of 16 adults (8 non-engagers, i.e., post-intake dropouts; 8 engagers, i.e., clients who attended at least 8 sessions) in individual long-term therapy were divided into thirds (beginning, middle, and end of session). Statistical controls for therapist verbal activity level and clients nested within therapists were employed for helping skills analyses. With non-engagers, compared to engagers, therapists used more approval-reassurance in the beginning third of intake sessions, but marginally more reflections of feeling and marginally less information about the helping process in the last third of intakes. Non-engagers had higher pre-therapy anxious attachment and pre-therapy self-rated need for therapy than engagers. In sum, non-engagers versus engagers differed with therapist helping skills, client attachment style, and client need for therapy, but not intake duration or client outcome expectations.