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 Understanding Morale in a Southern State’s Law Enforcement Agency in Times of Ongoing National Anti-Police Sentiments(2026-02)The prevailing negative perceptions of the police have notably affected the morale of law enforcement officers. Beginning with the death of Michael Brown in the summer of 2014 and later the death of George Floyd in the spring of 2020, interactions between officers and people within their communities have significantly changed (Stirling, 2022). The problem of a nationwide decline in the morale of law enforcement officers (PERF, 2021) was framed using General Strain Theory (GST) and provided a distinctive explanation of morale. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how national ongoing anti-police sentiment shaped the morale of law enforcement officers in a southern state that did not experience issues of defunding and riots that many areas of the country experienced. This study engaged 34 participants in interviews about their perceived morale surrounding national ongoing anti-police sentiment. Thematic analysis identified three themes: Having a reliable support system helped officers sustain morale through emotional encouragement and shared coping strategies; officers perceived that national ongoing anti-police sentiment and public criticism lowered morale by creating feelings of frustration, diminished public support and reduced professional pride, particularly as they faced scrutiny over excessive and lethal use of force amid calls for police reform and accountability; and officers experience declining morale as they balance the emotional toll of daily duties with the added strain of public distrust and national ongoing anti-police sentiment while striving to uphold their oath to protect and serve. The research showed that public criticism and negative sentiment may diminish an officer’s morale. To improve morale, officers need a leadership style that prioritizes open communication, positive reinforcement, and fosters a culture of support. Future research on declining morale should focus on a holistic approach that evaluates intervention strategies.Item Learning to See Otherwise: Building Your Research Avatar Through Qualitative Awareness(2026-02-11)Qualitative research methodology is not confined to data collection or analysis. Instead, it shapes how we define research problems, frame questions, select designs, and interpret findings. This guide cultivates a qualitative research sensibility that makes inquiry rigorous, reflective, and defensible from inception to conclusion. It is intended for doctoral researchers seeking to explore the potential and nuances of qualitative research and to those adopting a qualitative lens to their research problem. The first section unpacks common conceptions of reality and knowledge through accessible illustrations of foundational philosophical concepts. The second section illustrates how a research problem can be framed and examined differently depending on the paradigms – of positivism, critical realism, and interpretivism – that determine how we view the social world we seek to examine. The final section presents a toolkit for querying and examining the literature and data by exploring the inductive, deductive, abductive, categorical, patterned, and causational facets of the knowledge we discover and create critically, reflexively, and more crucially, qualitatively. The guide further includes discipline-specific examples to illustrate how these concepts can be applied to a research problem.Item No Teacher Left Behind. Integrating Technology in Urban P-12 Classrooms Using the SAMR Model: A Qualitative Case Study of Urban Public Schools(2026-02)Abstract In this study, I investigated the integration of technology in urban P–12 classrooms using the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model as a framework. The research explored how urban teachers employ technology to enhance instruction and the impact of these practices on student outcomes. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 20 urban educators, focusing on their experiences with technology integration. The findings revealed that substitution of traditional methods with digital tools is most common, with teachers using learning management systems and interactive tools to streamline tasks. Augmentation occurred when technology enhanced the learning experience, providing real-time feedback and collaboration. Modification was observed in lessons redesigned through technology, where students created multimedia projects and engaged in simulations. The results highlight the importance of teacher preparedness, infrastructure, and professional development in advancing technology use, suggesting that while substitution is prevalent, progress toward more transformative technology integration is contingent on systemic support. The study's insights are crucial for developing strategies to optimize technology integration in urban educational settings. Keywords: technology integration, SAMR Model, urban education, P-12 classrooms, educational technology, qualitative case study. Abstract In this study, I investigated the integration of technology in urban P–12 classrooms using the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model as a framework. The research explored how urban teachers employ technology to enhance instruction and the impact of these practices on student outcomes. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 20 urban educators, focusing on their experiences with technology integration. The findings revealed that substitution of traditional methods with digital tools is most common, with teachers using learning management systems and interactive tools to streamline tasks. Augmentation occurred when technology enhanced the learning experience, providing real-time feedback and collaboration. Modification was observed in lessons redesigned through technology, where students created multimedia projects and engaged in simulations. The results highlight the importance of teacher preparedness, infrastructure, and professional development in advancing technology use, suggesting that while substitution is prevalent, progress toward more transformative technology integration is contingent on systemic support. The study's insights are crucial for developing strategies to optimize technology integration in urban educational settings. Keywords: technology integration, SAMR Model, urban education, P-12 classrooms, educational technology, qualitative case study. Abstract In this study, I investigated the integration of technology in urban P–12 classrooms using the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model as a framework. The research explored how urban teachers employ technology to enhance instruction and the impact of these practices on student outcomes. Using a qualitative case study design, the study involved semi-structured interviews with 20 urban educators, focusing on their experiences with technology integration. The findings revealed that substitution of traditional methods with digital tools is most common, with teachers using learning management systems and interactive tools to streamline tasks. Augmentation occurred when technology enhanced the learning experience, providing real-time feedback and collaboration. Modification was observed in lessons redesigned through technology, where students created multimedia projects and engaged in simulations. The results highlight the importance of teacher preparedness, infrastructure, and professional development in advancing technology use, suggesting that while substitution is prevalent, progress towardItem Exploring the Views of White Therapists on Confronting Racism in Therapy with White Clients(2026-02)A gap exists in the marriage and family counseling literature regarding how White therapists address racism and engage in social justice efforts when working with White clients. When these conversations occur in therapy, it is unclear what strategies, and ethical considerations guide therapists’ responses. This qualitative study addressed the following research problem: there is a gap in literature examining White therapists’ experiences of addressing race related topics with White clients in therapy, leaving White therapists potentially unprepared to manage harmful attitudes and systemic inequities in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to explore White therapists’ experiences of addressing racism with White clients, the interventions they employ, and the ethical concerns they navigate. The study’s conceptual framework, critical race theory (CRT), was used to examine systemic power dynamics and the ethical responsibility of therapists to promote racial awareness. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) informed, inductive thematic analytic process was employed. A purposive sample of licensed White therapists in the United States, including marriage and family therapists, licensed counselors, and social workers, was recruited through an anonymous online questionnaire shared via Facebook. The final sample consisted of 12 participants who completed an open-ended questionnaire exploring their experiences of confronting racism in therapy. Patterns of meaning were identified inductively through sustained, interpretive engagement with participants’ responses. Three main themes emerged: (1) confronting racism with White clients, highlighting therapist discomfort and client defensiveness; (2) interventions and microskills, including psychoeducation and cognitive-behavioral strategies; and (3) ethical considerations, emphasizing the tension between client autonomy and challenging harmful beliefs. The findings revealed the complexity of addressing racism in therapy and the sustained emotional and ethical engagement required of White therapists as they navigate power, privilege, and accountability within therapeutic relationships. Recommendations for practice include integrating anti-racist training into counselor education, promoting therapist self-reflection, and using therapy as a platform for racial awareness. Recommendations for future research include examining the effectiveness of anti-racist interventions, exploring diverse therapist populations, and investigating client outcomes when racism is addressed in therapy. This study contributes to counseling theory, ethics, and education by positioning anti-racism as essential to competent and ethical clinical practice.Item The Role of Social Connectivity for South Asian Women Survivors of Sexual Trauma(2026-02-20)For many South Asian women, recovery from sexual violence is shaped not only by trauma-related impacts but also by cultural, relational, and systemic barriers, including collectivistic values, honour-based expectations, shame, and limited access to culturally appropriate services. Despite this complexity, much of the existing trauma literature is grounded in individualistic, western perspectives that overlook the social context of healing from sexual violence for South Asian women. This review explored how social connectivity hinders and supports recovery among South Asian women survivors of sexual violence, and how this knowledge can inform culturally responsive interventions.The thematic integrative literature review synthesized the results of qualitative studies (which included phenomenological studies and interview studies) and quantitative studies (which included population and cross-sectional survey studies) and mixed-methods studies and systematic/narrative reviews and conceptual studies and grey literature. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems model guided the organization and interpretation of data to capture the influence of social connections across multiple ecological levels. Findings indicated that social connectivity plays a central role in sexual trauma recovery; with family, peer, community, and institutional relationships acting as sources of either support or stigma, silence, and exclusion. Culturally relevant relational support was associated with increased service utilization and improved psychological outcomes, whereas engagement with culturally incongruent systems often hindered healing. Overall, the findings highlighted the need for clinicians to integrate relational, cultural, and ecological considerations into trauma-informed practice.
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