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 Potential Barriers to Non-Traditional Forms of Secondary School Professional Development: The Teachers' Perspectives(2026)Teacher professional development (TPD) has long been a component of school improvement. The design and delivery of TPD have been entrenched in a traditional, didactic format and rarely involve active, ongoing, job-embedded practices with individually relevant content; characteristics which better align with current adult learning theories. Teacher-centered professional development (TCPD), which applies adult learning theory, has shown promise in creating effective professional learning. Despite evidence of TCPD's effectiveness across all levels of education, its use within public education in most Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations has not become mainstream (OECD, 2021). This study aimed to deepen educators' understanding of the mechanisms that hindered a move towards TCPD within the public secondary school environment. Interviews were conducted with secondary school teachers in the Vancouver, B.C., metropolitan area, with the goal of collecting data on teachers' perceptions of barriers to their and others' participation in professional learning, aligned with the principles of adult learning theory and TCPD. With such information, educators will be in a better position to answer the question of why there has been a hesitancy to adopt TCPD. Open coding was used to analyze transcripts of teachers' interviews, followed by more specific axial coding, to identify potential themes in teachers' experiences of participating in, or attempting to participate in, various forms of TCPD. Findings from the data analysis showed that teachers' trust and vulnerability, the busyness of the job and the lack of time, and leadership support and encouragement were amongst the most prevalent factors preventing the adoption of TCPD models. The implications of this study are many. For those who design and implement TPD at the secondary school level, findings suggested that they play a critical role in the trust and support needed for TCPD, and that the transition to TCPD cannot be rushed without first establishing the organization and trust necessary for success. For teachers potentially participating in TCPD, findings indicated that their own fears, uncertainties, and historical apathy towards professional development play significant roles in any attempt to re-imagine and re-structure teacher professional development.Item From Fragmented to Integrated: A Multidimensional Review of Menstrual Cycle Effects on Performance, Injury, and Recovery in Female Athletes, Unifying Hormonal, Psychological, and Cultural Perspectives in Sport Science(2026-02-17)This literature review examines the menstrual cycle in female athletes, synthesizing biological, psychological, and sociocultural evidence on performance, injury risk, and recovery. Findings are fragmented. Some studies suggest increased neuromuscular vulnerability in the luteal phase, meta-analyses show minimal group-level performance differences, with individual hormone sensitivity more influential than universal cycle phases. Methodological limitations, including inconsistent phase classification, small samples, and lack of hormonal verification, constrain causal claims. Psychosocial gaps persist, as emotional distress, cultural stigma, and limited coach education hinder support during injury recovery and return-to-sport, and resource disparities exacerbate inequities for marginalized athletes. This capstone identifies an urgent need for integrated biopsychosocial frameworks and proposes the Menstrual Cycle Informed Integrated Support Framework (MC ISF), a three component model (coach education, menstrual informed assessment protocols, and athlete psychoeducation) to guide individualized monitoring and advance equity centered support for female athletes.Item Enhancing Employee Engagement in a Healthcare Organization: A Key Strategy to Reduce Turnover and Enhance Patient Care Quality(2026-04)Employee turnover in healthcare organizations is a significant issue that hinders patient care and undermines workforce stability. This qualitative phenomenological research paper examined the lived experiences of medical workers regarding their professional interactions with high turnover and the subsequent consequences for the quality of patient care. The present study was theoretically grounded in the job demand-resources model, social exchange theory, conservation of resources theory, and self-determination theory, which informed the interpretation of engagement and turnover among medical professionals in their organizations. Data collection involved 21 healthcare professionals selected through purposive criterion sampling, with open-ended questionnaires as the primary instrument. The sample consisted of nurses, physicians, administrators, and allied health workers. The findings indicated a self-reinforcing cycle of resource depletion: high turnover functioned as a job demand, eroding employee morale and increasing workload. This strain, compounded by resource deficits such as low recognition and poor promotion prospects, fostered burnout and disengagement. Ultimately, these factors compromised patient care—manifesting as a loss of clinical vigilance—and triggered the decision to exist, illustrating the "loss spiral" predicted by conservation of resources theory. These findings underscore the critical link between the professional's level of engagement and the clinical risks identified in contemporary literature, including patient safety breaches and medical errors. The results provide a strategic roadmap for administrators to mitigate turnover and elevate the standard of care by reinvesting in workplace culture and transformational leadership.Item The Stigma of Engaging and Seeking Mental Health Treatment for African American Males in Higher Education: A Qualitative Exploratory Case Study(2026-03)The problem addressed in this qualitative exploratory case study is that African American males participate in mental health services at disproportionately low rates. Despite increasing mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, and suicidality among this population, participation in campus services has remained disproportionately low. This study focused on understanding how cultural norms, masculinity beliefs, stigma, and institutional factors shaped help seeking behaviors. The purpose of the study was to explore the perspectives of African American male college students to better understand the barriers that influenced their mental health service utilization. Critical race theory served as the conceptual framework, guiding the interpretation of experiences related to race, institutional trust, and systemic inequities in higher education and mental health support systems. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used with purposive sampling to recruit African American males residing in California’s Central Valley. Thirty participants completed a background questionnaire, and 12 participated in semi structured interviews conducted via Zoom. The questionnaires provided descriptive context only; all qualitative data were generated through the interviews. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo software, was used to code and interpret the data. The findings revealed four central themes: limited awareness of available services; stigma and masculinity based expectations that discouraged help seeking; reliance on self directed coping strategies; and the influence of faith, spirituality, and representation on willingness to seek support. Participants emphasized mistrust of campus mental health systems and a need for culturally responsive services. Implications for practice include improving communication about services, expanding culturally relevant programming, and strengthening outreach efforts tailored to African American male students.Item Secondary Traumatic Stress and the Lived Experiences of Secondary Victims(2026-04)The problem addressed in this study was the negative impact of secondary traumatic stress on interpersonal relationships and the lack of perceived support for victims of STS post-trauma. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of STS victims, the perceived effects of secondary traumatic stress on relationships, and the victims’ perceptions of available support. Bowen’s family systems theory was used as the framework to examine how traumatic stress impacts the entire family unit. The study was guided by 3 research questions: 1. What are the lived experiences of those suffering from STS after learning of a primary victim’s trauma? 2. How do those who suffer from STS experience changes in interpersonal relationships? and 3. How do those suffering from STS feel about specific barriers to seeking the appropriate support post-trauma? Ten participants who experienced STS symptoms, had a close family member that was a primary victim of trauma, had no primary trauma in the last five years and no experience in the mental healthcare field were recruited using purposeful sampling. Those qualifying participation in semi-structured, open ended interviews, giving the researcher the opportunity to get the best possible understanding of their lived experiences. Utilizing Moustaka’s transcendental analysis approach, results revealed 7 codes that were grouped into 8 themes supporting current research on STS and relationships. Findings showed the majority of participants experienced a deterioration in their personal relationships as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, participants reported a lack of perceived support post-trauma. This study implies the important role perception plays in the lives and family relationships of the SVs post-trauma. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations for practice include promoting support for secondary victims in addition to the primary victims. Additionally, support sessions should also focus on the entire family unit in addition to the PV. Future research should narrow the scope on the SVs relationships outside the family unit as well as focus on the differences gender or sexual orientation play in changes in relationships post-trauma.
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