NU Masters and Dissertations (Open Access)
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This collection contains open access National University student dissertations and master's culminating work, including work by students who graduated from National University, Northcentral University, and John F. Kennedy University. To learn more about this collection, please visit the NU Institutional Repository webpage for students and alumni.
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Item Faculty Attitudes Toward Online Graduate Students with Disabilities and the Accommodations Needed by Those Students(2025-07) Murphy, ZoannGuided by the critical disability theory framework, this dissertation explores the attitudes of faculty members towards online graduate students with disabilities, the appropriateness of accommodations for those students, and faculty members’ personal approach to providing or withholding support. A review of the literature found that graduate students with disabilities may not receive appropriate support to complete their online degree programs because they often have to deal with faculty members who have negative attitudes towards them, accommodations provided by the university which may not be appropriate, and faculty members being unaware of accommodations or not being trained in best practices to support their students. These factors may have a negative impact on their ability to complete their online graduate degree programs. Archival data from a survey done at an online university in the United States in response to a literature review which called for additional studies on faculty perceptions of working with graduate students in the online environment. Using a secondary data source gives the researcher the opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of the data in ways which are different from the original study. Using manual coding methods to perform qualitative content analysis on the 130 responses to the original survey questions, the researcher discovered faculty attitudes towards working with their students were generally positive. But when it came to the faculty attitudes towards providing accommodations, the prevalent academic culture of resistance and skepticism towards students with disabilities belonging in higher education was corroborated. Noting that faculty believed there was more that the institution should be doing to support both students with disabilities and the faculty working with them, the researcher also discovered faculty members who not only were transforming the way they interacted with their online graduate students with disabilities but who also desired changes to the university policies and procedures to increase graduation rates for those students.Item Sexed Differences for Student-Parents Pursuing Higher Education(2025-07) Adams, AprilThis study uses newly collected data identifying students who are parents of dependent children (student-parents) as they pursue post-secondary education in Texas to explore the choices student-parents make in pursuit of their higher education goals. Prior research on student-parents have focused on their needs and have relied on population estimates or small or homogenous populations, limiting researchers’ ability to generalize about the relationship between a student parent’s sex and their educational choices. This led to calls for additional research using more diverse and larger populations. This quantitative, non-experimental, archival study seeks to determine whether sex-based differences are observable in the enrollment choices of student-parents in Texas public colleges and universities, using a gendered social control theoretical framework. With a sample of more than 7,000 student records, this study found statistically significant associations between sex and institution type and sex and enrollment modality for student-parents, using chi-square tests of independence. Two-sample proportions tests were then used to provide additional insights into the relationship between student-parents’ sex and their enrollment choices. Student-parents in this study overwhelmingly attended community colleges, rather than universities. While a larger number of mothers were enrolled, a statistically significantly larger proportion of fathers enrolled in community colleges, which may indicate fathers may benefit from more attention from community college recruitment teams and student affairs staff. While just over a third of fathers took all of their classes in fully online formats, nearly half of mothers enrolled in fully online courses, which was a statistically significant result. This study provides new insights for college administrators about how and where student-parents pursue post-secondary educationItem Lingering Effects of Toxic Leadership on Marines: A Qualitative Study(2025-06) Velez Rivera, AbrahamToxic leadership poses a significant challenge within the U.S. Marine Corps, affecting Marines’ well-being and organizational effectiveness. This study aimed to explore the impact of toxic leadership on Marines assigned to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, focusing on its lingering effects and implications for the unit’s productivity and morale. Grounded in the conceptual framework theory of toxic leadership proposed by Semedo et al. (2022) that integrates key concepts such as toxic leadership, organizational culture, and organizational productivity, the study sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue. Through the examination of experiences and perceptions of Marines, this research aims to contribute to the body of knowledge on toxic leadership in the U.S. military and inform strategies for its mitigation. A qualitative research approach was used, involving semi-structured interviews with Marines who have directly experienced toxic leadership. Findings revealed recurring toxic behaviors, including micromanagement, lack of accountability, and deflection of blame, contributing to diminished trust, morale, and unit cohesion. Marines employed various coping strategies such as avoidance, emotional withdrawal, and informal peer support to navigate these challenges. Recommendations emerging from the findings highlight the need for systematic changes in leader evaluation, mentorship programs, and proactive senior leadership engagement. This study emphasizes the importance of reinforcing core values and ethical leadership practices, ultimately aiming to enhance organizational climate, Marine well-being, and operational effectiveness within the Marine CorpsItem Examining the Impact of AI-Assisted Language Learning Tools on Second Language Production(2025-02) Sarraf Caldwell, NeguinSecond-language learners frequently encounter challenges in speaking proficiency, including pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, cognitive fluency, anxiety, and cultural nuances. Some students at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) face challenges with confidence and motivation when speaking the target language, which can hinder their development of speaking skills and overall language proficiency. While traditional methods might fall short, emerging technologies like AI-assisted language learning tools offer promising solutions to encourage spontaneous language use. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the impact of AI-assisted language learning tools on DLI students' motivation and confidence in speaking the target language. It drew on theories such as flow theory, mindset Theory, and the Communicative Language Teaching approach. The study surveyed students at the Language Center (LC) School of Language, located in the southeastern region of the United States, during the 19-week language course iteration. The participants were purposefully sampled, consisting of eight DLI linguists who were also language class students. The research method involved surveys and observation sessions where participants individually interacted with the TalkPal AI tool for speaking the Farsi language. The data analysis utilized an inductive and thematic data analysis method without any analysis software. Surveys and observation methods revealed that AI tools can reduce communication apprehension and boost learner confidence, especially for anxious learners. Future studies could investigate the effectiveness of these tools in various settings, utilize advancements in artificial intelligence, and assess their broader influence on language learning to incorporate them into the educational framework better. However, these tools must evolve to facilitate increasingly natural conversations, thus enhancing learner engagement and motivation. Therefore, realistic interaction and tool performance limitations currently suggest that AI tools are best used to supplement traditional methods, not replacements.Item DACA: Deferred Actions For Childhood Arrivals: A Life Changing Experience For Undocumented Immigrants(2022-04-30) Donat, BrandonCurrent immigration policies that reflect the United States ideals of a safe and secure nation also bring continued political battles amongst the government and their political struggles to safely battle the influx of immigrants that flood our borders. Hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants have made the treacherous journey to leave their past of political corruption, the uncertainty of job stability, and in some cases poverty stricken and gang controlled neighborhoods in order to gain entrance into the United States in hopes of a new beginning. The Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a federal government assistance program that offers undocumented immigrants the opportunity to apply for healthcare and educational benefits while gaining a temporary residential status and not be targeted for detainee or deportation operations. The educational and healthcare benefits that are afforded under different immigration policies towards immigrants in comparison to DACA portrays a much different view, such as a façade, and a displacement of position the federal government conveys to its nation. With the survey conducted in this research project the results were expected and varied as well. It adds to the ideal that DACA does give undocumented immigrants hope and the possibility of a better life.