National University System Repository
The National University System Repository exists to increase public access to research and other materials created by students and faculty of the affiliate institutions of National University System. Most items in the repository are open access, freely available to everyone.
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Item type:Item, IMPACT OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES ON STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT WITHIN THE PACIFIC UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (PUSD): A STUDY OF SELECTED URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS.(2026-06)As districts nationwide seek alternatives to exclusionary discipline disproportionately affecting marginalized students, restorative justice has emerged as a promising approach emphasizing relationship-building and community repair. However, empirical evidence regarding its academic impact remains limited in urban high schools serving predominantly Hispanic and African American populations. This study investigated how restorative justice implementation in five Pacific Unified School District high schools impacted academic achievement, student-teacher relationships, and school climate. Using a quantitative longitudinal comparative design, the study analyzed archival data from 2017–2019 (pre-restorative justice) and 2021–2023 (post restorative justice), excluding 2020 due to COVID-19. Data sources included California Assessment for Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) scores, cumulative grade point averages, graduation rates, School Experience Surveys, attendance records, suspension rates, and discipline data from over 11,000 students. Findings revealed substantial improvements in student-teacher relationships (17.6% increases) and school climate, with suspension rates dropping 63.6%. Academic outcomes showed mixed results: graduation rates increased significantly (9.1%), grade point averages rose modestly (8.7%), English Language Arts (ELA) scores improved (10.9%), but mathematics showed minimal change (1.9%). Chronic absenteeism increased 19.6%, likely reflecting pandemic impacts. This study provides empirical evidence that RJ produces meaningful improvements in relational dynamics and school climate while advancing educational equity, though it must be complemented with strong instructional practices to maximize academic gains.Item type:Item, MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO LEARN HIGH SCHOOL MATHEMATICS(2026-07)U.S. math scores trail those of other developed nations, underscoring the need to review the current math education system to maintain the country’s technological leadership. This study investigated factors affecting high school math learning through a 23-question survey and teacher interviews, addressing the following research questions: 1) What factors are causing math test scores to drop? 2) What other countries are doing in math education that the U.S. is not, and 3) What new technologies and teaching strategies might improve the student learning of high school mathematics? Findings revealed that insufficient instructional time led to a lack of mastery of math skills and ineffective spiral teaching, while many students entered high school without mastering foundational skills due to social promotion and K-8 teachers who were not properly skilled to teach the requisite math standards. Other barriers—including math anxiety, a lack of grit, and fixed mindsets among parents and educators—further impeded learning. Additionally, AI was recognized as a tool that can either assist or hinder student learning, depending on how it is used. The study concluded with recommendations for implementation and further research to address these systemic challenges.Item type:Item, Artificial intelligence in project management: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study(2026-06)The integration of AI into PM offers substantial potential to improve decision-making, efficiency, and risk management, yet practical frameworks for adopting these tools into PM workflows remain underdeveloped. This gap leaves project managers and organizations unable to fully realize the benefits of the technology, resulting in inefficiencies, increased costs, and missed opportunities for innovation. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and identify practical, user-friendly frameworks for integrating AI driven monitoring and control mechanisms into PM workflows. The study was guided by the technology acceptance model (TAM), with particular attention to perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU), situated alongside established PM practices. Two research questions guided the inquiry: the key challenges application users face when integrating those tools into their workflows, and the frameworks that have proven effective in overcoming those challenges. Data were collected through 10 semi-structured interviews with experienced application users across diverse industries within a United States metropolitan region and analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis process supported by qualitative analysis software. The analysis produced 11 themes describing adoption challenges and 10 themes describing effective frameworks. Three findings stood out as the most significant: adoption was driven almost entirely by individual initiative rather than organizational support; practitioners independently developed a consistent practice of validating outputs before relying on them; and crafting effective prompts emerged as a distinct, learnable barrier to ease of use. The study supported the model’s core constructs in this context while extending it in two ways, positioning prompt engineering competency as a distinct antecedent of PEOU and introducing trust calibration as a dynamic, validation-driven dimension of adoption not captured by the original model. The study offers actionable recommendations for project managers, organizational leaders, and technology developers and identifies directions for future research, including the long-term outcomes of self-directed adoption and the ethical dimensions of these technologies. These contributions advance both the practical and theoretical understanding of how AI is adopted in PM.Item type:Item, Supply Chain Disruption and Prevention Methodologies(2026-07)The problem addressed in this study is the slow adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Blockchain technologies within aerospace supply chains despite their potential to enhance supply chain resilience and improve project outcomes. Supply chain disruptions jeopardize project delivery timelines, inflate program costs, and compromise contractual compliance. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the barriers to AI and Blockchain adoption in aerospace supply chains and how their integration could enhance resilience and positively impact project outcomes. Two research questions guided the study: how integrating AI and Blockchain can enhance supply chain resilience and improve project outcomes, and what barriers prevent implementation, and how they can be overcome. Quantitative data were collected through a survey with 10 participants, while qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 participants. The survey data were analyzed using frequencies in Microsoft Excel, while interview transcripts were thematically analyzed in NVivo 15. Five themes emerged: technology familiarity without operational application, perceived benefits of AI and Blockchain, barriers to adoption, human oversight and AI as a decision-support tool, and current tools and incremental adoption. AI familiarity was moderate to high, yet only three participants reported active use. Documented AI deployments produced measurable project outcomes including a workforce reduction from thirty to three on a defense program and resolution of a logistics challenge that threatened project delivery. Blockchain awareness was unevenly distributed, with five interview participants validating the AI-Blockchain integration framework. Eight systemic barrier categories were identified; knowledge gaps and perceived risk were each cited by nine of ten survey respondents. Three sector-specific barriers emerged: data governance restrictions, supplier accountability gaps, and geopolitical supply risk. The overarching conclusion is that the aerospace faces an adoption problem, not a technology problem. Recommendations include AI literacy programs, phased integration strategies, governance frameworks, Blockchain education, and technology-policy responses to geopolitical risk.Item type:Item, Leadership Style Impact on Employee Retention in the United States Postal Service(2026-04)The United States Postal Service faces a severe retention problem among pre-career employees, whose turnover rates of 36.4% to 42.8% far exceed those of career employees and the broader government workforce. Exit surveys point to poor supervisory treatment and a lack of respect as major reasons employees leave, resulting in significant financial costs. This quantitative, nonexperimental correlational study investigated how transformational and transactional leadership styles affect job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and perceptions of organizational culture among pre-career USPS employees. Using the Full Range Leadership Model, the researcher examined which leadership behaviors are most effective in a high-turnover public-sector setting with limited resources. A convenience sample of 130 pre-career employees from all four USPS regions and varied job roles completed established instruments measuring leadership style, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational culture. Data were analyzed through Pearson correlations and hierarchical multiple regression while controlling for demographic and workload factors. Results showed that transformational leadership significantly predicted organizational commitment and had a small positive association with job satisfaction. Transactional leadership showed no significant relationship with any outcome, and neither leadership style significantly predicted perceptions of organizational culture. The findings suggest that transformational behaviors, including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, are most useful for improving employee commitment and satisfaction. The study recommends prioritizing transformational leadership development for frontline supervisors and centering retention efforts on organizational commitment rather than broad cultural change.
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