<p> Using a two phased mixed method this researcher sought to investigate the relationship between student success and online orientation quiz scores as well as to describe the characteristics of successful students in an online learning environment. The findings of the quantitative phase indicated that the quiz scores differed between the successful versus non-successful students. Although the relationship was statistically significant it was considered weak due to the confidence interval. However, it did provide a basis for determining the qualitative sample. During the qualitative phase student interviews brought a deeper understanding to the concept of success, where locus of control emerged as the most important underlying motivator in the students' concept of achievement. The findings corroborated prior research indicating that students with internal locus of control have better success in their personal and professional lives, though not always academically. The current research was important because prior research on locus of control and online education was inadequate. The relationship between locus of control and leadership was also explored, though prior research was limited there as well. Recommendations for leadership in higher education or businesses to increase an awareness of locus of control during orientations may increase overall performance, satisfaction and retention of students and employees. </p><p> <i>Keywords:</i> online education, locus of control, leadership, orientation, online orientation, Mindsets, retention, persistence, motivation, resilience, mixed methods</p>

<p> The Ironman Triathlon is an epic endurance event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. There is paucity in the literature relating to how athletes learn how to negotiate this event. This qualitative study was conducted over a 9 month period, to align with the 2013 Ironman training and racing season. Seven athletes were selected for participation in the study. Utilizing a case study approach, the Ironman athletes' learning pathways were examined through in-depth interviews and audio and video content personally captured by the participants. </p><p> The learning pathways revealed the athletes initially learned through cognitive means, i.e. social interaction, reading, Internet sources, and the observation of others. As athletes traversed the learning pathway, they subsequently operationalized the knowledge they learned and constructively made it meaningful to their respective personal training and racing situations. At the terminal end of the learning pathway, the athletes operationalized the learned content in an experiential learning cycle. During the entire learning pathway, the athletes practiced the learned content, which is best characterized as behavioral learning. The audio and video content provided by the athletes empirically validated the interviews. </p><p> The interviews with the athletes were coded. Some unifying themes emerged from the data independent of cognitive, constructivist, behavioral, or experiential learning theories; e.g. the importance of mental toughness, the understanding of pain during the training and racing process, how success is measured, the importance of training with a power meter, and motivating factors.</p>

<p> Violence among America's youth, both in schools and in their surrounding communities, has become a serious concern as a public health issue with physical, economic, social, and psychological consequences (Cooper, Faccia, Hepworth, &amp; Lutenbacher, 2003). School districts are now required to provide safe learning environments under the guidelines of the NCLB (Greenberg, 2004). The programs available to assist school districts in combating this aggressive behavior can be costly and often times ineffective for long term results. </p><p> The purpose of this qualitative mega-analysis is threefold. The first purpose is to identify the intervention methods used most often as prevention and/or repair strategies for aggressive behavior among school-age students by analyzing prior quantitative research on the topic. The second purpose is to create a qualitative mega-analysis of behavior intervention strategies that is easier to understand for teachers and school districts while adding to current research in the field. The third and final purpose is to help schools minimize costs and give them the tools needed to identify their greatest school and/or district need, detect common situations, and solve their own problems.</p>

<p> Throughout human history, music has served as a coping mechanism when people have endured extreme hardships in life. Music and songs in prisons have been written and sung to express the pain of the incarceration. Research has suggested that songwriting is a powerful educational and therapeutic catalyst, and that songwriting may facilitate the processing of difficult emotions. </p><p> The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the emotions expressed in the songs of incarcerated men, and how songwriting as an outlet for emotional expression influenced the writers. Data collected for this study included 47 songs written by 17 incarcerated men, written observations and reflections by participants and three facilitators, transcriptions of four workshop sessions, and sound recordings/transcriptions of 16 spoken introductions and 13 songwriter-performed pieces. An additional 32 songs were collected from a case-study participant for examination. All data were collected using ethnographic methods. Modified grounded theory techniques, including initial coding, focused coding, and memo writing were used to analyze the data. </p><p> Findings revealed that although the lyric themes categorized expressed more happy than sad emotions, the most frequently expressed emotion was desperation, and desperation was usually expressed in songs with a context of incarceration. In addition, songs that expressed humor were often a way to cope with incarceration, and songwriting was also a way express the pain of addiction. Examining the songs of the case-study participant revealed that his writing changed over time. His most frequently expressed emotion in 2008 was fear, and song concepts usually involved sinister, otherworldly figures. In 2011, his most frequently expressed emotion was closeness, and song concepts focused on determination to build a better life. </p><p> Throughout the workshop sessions, the men experienced feelings of psychological comfort in routines established over time. Data analyses indicated that group interactions and opportunities to perform were primary motivators in participants' decisions to participate in the Songwriters' Workshop. For most men, group response processes generated new ideas for songs, and greater song quality. Some of the men further stated that participating in the Songwriters' Workshop helped them to foster better relationships, and re-envision their futures. Difficulties that occasionally arose were both pedagogical and social in nature. </p><p> Based upon these findings, I suggest that aspects of Cohen's Theory of Interactional Choral Singing Pedagogy pertains to songwriting contexts. I propose a theory of the expressive community, in which the community influences individuals, and individuals influence the community. I further suggest collective-actualization, in which individuals in a group realize their collective potentials, capabilities, and talents, and seek the achievement of these potentialities.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-02, Section: A, page: 0540. Adviser: Jeffrey Douglas. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-63) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1990. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-07, Section: B, page: 3612. Chair: Karl J. Mueller.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1990. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-09, Section: B, page: 4638.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1990. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-10, Section: B, page: 5030.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1992. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-11, Section: B, page: 5975. Chair: Debra Gordon.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Pacific Graduate School of Psychology, 1993. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: B, page: 2206.