An exploratory case study design and a mixed-methods approach was used to discover the impact of the Activity Bursts in the Classroom (ABC) Fitness Program on students in special education classroom settings, elementary and middle school. Both classrooms were comprised of students with the primary disability of emotional disturbance. Special education intervention teachers’ perceptions of their students engagement and behavior were collected before and during the implementation of the ABC for Fitness Program intervention. Special education intervention teachers completed the Teacher Assessment of Student Engagement, participated in an ABC for Fitness training session, a question and answer session, completed daily written behavior incident logs, a mid-point check-in, and a semi-structured interview. There were four themes found throughout the research. Intervention teachers perceptions’ of student engagement increased as the students enjoyed the ABC for Fitness Program activities. The classroom environment was improved through improving the student to teacher relationship, the ABC for Fitness Program intervention required adaptations for student success to the timing (e.g. length and number of times the exercises and cool down were implemented) ), structure, and the additional of visual cue cards (e.g. Fit Deck cards). The special education intervention teachers faced specific challenges unique to their setting such as structure and focus. Results indicated three main findings: 1) Special education intervention teachers’ perceptions of student engagement during the intervention improved; 2) Special education teachers needed to be able to adapt program to suit their students’ specific needs; and, 3) The ABC for Fitness Program was beneficial to participating special education intervention teachers’ classrooms environment in promoting positive interactions between students and staff.

The focus of this study will be on how the stigma attached to mental illness impedes adolescent’s experiencing suicidal ideation & depression, willingness to seek out mental health services. The purpose of the study is to determine what action needs to be taken to address these issues to facilitate adolescent’s willingness to seek services. The study was qualitative and was conducted utilizing the constructivism approach with a theoretical orientation emphasized on the labeling and empowerment theory. The literature reviews focus on labeling of mental disorders and stigma, preventing factors and interventions that influence help seeking and mental health services utilization, and willingness of seeking services. The major themes identified include the following barriers: parental stigma, cultural beliefs, lack of understanding, mental health as a last resort, and accessibility of services. Recommendations made to encourage utilization of mental health services amongst adolescents include parental involvement/engagement and mental health education.

The pursuit of higher education has become a highly desirable aspiration for many children in the United States, yet majority of these children are not provided the opportunity to make this a reality. Research reveal Students of Color and lower socio-economic status are largely under-represented in institutions of postsecondary education (Camacho Liu, 2011; Choy, 2001; U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Latina/o students, in particular, continue to experience some of the lowest levels of educational attainment in this country. Education scholars contend that a college-going culture can help counteract the educational limitations experienced by working-class, Students of Color, and especially first-generation college students. Using a participatory action research approach, this study shows how an inclusive parental engagement framework can push research forward in understanding the experiences of an educational leader and Latina/o parents. As they collaborate to co-develop strategies to support college-going practices within an elementary school, parental engagement is key. Data collected from two focus group interviews were analyzed for salient themes and findings pertaining to parental engagement and practices supporting higher educational attainment for Latina/o students. These findings indicate Latina/o parents experience an increase of knowledge regarding higher educational opportunities for their children. Furthermore, when parents gained important knowledge about postsecondary education, this resulted in additional collaborative efforts. For example, the collaborative development of a survey instrument aimed to determine the varying levels of college knowledge needs experienced by parents of elementary school aged children. The objective is to critically understand the intent of developing and implementing college-going practices by an (1) educational administrator and Latina/o parents within an elementary school.

Current data reports approximately 46% of children ages 13-18 are affected by a mental health issue. Of those, 21% will experience a serious mental health disorder throughout their life. Due to the high percentage of school aged children that are affected by mental health disorders, school based mental health services have grown in popularity. Despite the positive attributes associated with providing mental health treatment in a school setting, various factors including race and levels of parental engagement have been identified as barriers to successful implementation. This study sought to identify the effects of parental engagement on the treatment, academic, and behavioral outcomes of Latino students receiving school based mental health services. Furthermore, the study utilized a quantitative approach by reviewing available archival and survey data. Findings were analyzed and themes were drawn for the purpose of identifying additional areas of research and ultimately improving the delivery of services.

This study aims to describe the relationship between religion and mental health utilization as perceived through Hispanic (Spanish speaking) individuals in religious communities. Previous studies have conducted research on the relationship between utilization of mental health services and religiosity, however there is limited research that describes the relationship between the two variables within the Hispanic population. This study seeks to find what the perception of mental health utilization is within the Hispanic community. Research has been conducted through a qualitative approach by interviews with individuals who have consented to be audio recorded. The data was then transcribed, for the purposes of the research.

Au départ, l’art dramatique algérien, politisé, s’est orienté vers des thèmes appelant au soulèvement et à la lutte contre l’occupation coloniale. Qu’il s’agisse du théâtre d’expression dialectale, arabe littéraire ou française, le dénominateur commun a été l’engagement. Après l’indépendance cet art connaîtra un autre engagement : il contribuera, à sa façon, à la construction des institutions de l’État et de la société nouvelle. À partir de 1968, il sera traversé par des mouvements de contestation, malgré l’omnipotence de l’État et de la censure. [...] / Initially, the Algerian dramatic art was politicized, then moved towards themes calling for a revolt and fight against colonial occupation. Whether the dialectal expression theater, Arabic or French literary, the common denominator was the commitment. After independence, this art experience another commitment: it will contribute in its own way, to building the institutions of the state and of the new society. From 1968 it will be crossed by protest movements, despite the omnipotence of the state and censorship. [...]

The purpose of this study was to compare the flipped and traditional classroom pedagogies in relation to retention, critical thinking skills, and student engagement as measured by the multiple choice and short answer questions on the final exams, course evaluations, and CUCEI scores. Radiologic technologists, nuclear medicine technologists, and radiation therapists play vital roles in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications in patient care. Employers today are seeking graduates who know more, are better able to apply this knowledge, and solve more challenging problems (McLean, et al., 2016). This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the flipped and traditional classroom pedagogies at increasing retention and critical thinking skills, as measured by final exams, and student engagement, as measured by course evaluations. The model was delivered and assessed for 61 radiation science students at Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions Radiation Science program. Based on numerical results for the final exam and College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI), no significant difference in critical thinking skills, retention, or student engagement was observed between the flipped and traditional pedagogies for radiation science students. For the purpose of this study, pedagogy referred to the application of a method of teaching, the flipped or traditional classroom, in relation to constructs of the Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT). For this study retention is defined as the amount of information that a student can retain for the length of a semester, 15 weeks. Critical thinking is defined as the students’ successful ability to take several concepts and put them together to make an analysis of a given situation. Student engagement for this study was defined as the level of attention and interest for the material being taught. Further analysis of the results indicated that the demographics (gender, age, years in college, and race) did not affect preference for flipped or traditional pedagogy. Statistically significant results on the CUCEI subcategories of satisfaction and innovation indicate that students found the flipped classroom more enjoyable and innovative than the traditional classroom. These results support professor exploration of different teaching pedagogies that they are comfortable with. Further studies are needed to ensure model validity and generalizability of findings.

Lack of engagement in public service awareness education programs, coupled with reduced funding to implement a diversion system such as 311 systems or 10-digit phone numbers, contribute to 911 misuse. Many local governments have invested in alternative systems, but research regarding community members' use of 911 or alternatives relative to civic engagement is lacking. Guided by Gordon's conceptualization of civic engagement, this phenomenological study bridged the gap in knowledge by exploring community members' civic involvement and their use of 911 between 2012 and 2015 in a county in the state of Georgia. A snowball sampling strategy was used to select 5 community members who had used 911 to call for service. Data were collected through semistructured interviews. These data were inductively coded and then subjected to thematic analysis. Findings indicated that participants were not aware of the problems associated with 911 misuse, and they had limited knowledge of 911 call system practices and procedures from an operational standpoint. Participants believed that more awareness and education is necessary to educate and make community members aware of problems associated to 911 misuse and to inform community members of the nonemergency number. Positive social change may be achieved through local governments implementing public awareness campaigns about appropriate 911 use. These efforts may result in improvements to public safety through better response to critical emergency events.

More than 50% of the workforce in the United States is disengaged, costing U.S. organizations almost $355 billion annually. Engaged employees improve customer satisfaction, perform effectively, and are committed to organizational goals. Guided by Kahn's personal engagement theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies business leaders in the hospitality industry used to improve employee engagement for increased productivity. A purposive sample of 1 business leader each from 6 organizations in South Korea shared their experiences with the phenomenon of employee engagement. Data were collected through face-to-face semi structured interviews and by reviewing company position descriptions and human resource policies. Yin's data analysis method revealed prevalent themes of communication, recognition and rewards, and work environment. Leaders influence employee engagement through open communication, providing rewards or recognition as performance incentives, and creating a psychologically safe work environment. Implications of this study for social change include decreased physical and mental health costs for employees and organizations. Improving employee engagement in the hospitality industry can reduce absenteeism and increase organizational profitability, sustainability, and participation in community and social programs.

Withdrawal behaviors such as absenteeism, tardiness, turnover intention, and employee disengagement adversely affect organizations, costing billions of dollars annually. However, there is limited research on the best practices for minimizing the effects of employee withdrawal. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore best practices leaders need to mitigate the effects of withdrawal behaviors on organizations. The social learning theory (SLT) served as the conceptual framework for this study. Ten participants were interviewed, including 4 healthcare leaders and 6 health service workers from a correctional facility nursing department in the Southeastern United States. Scholars have indicated that correctional healthcare personnel exhibit high levels of employee withdrawal including absenteeism and turnover. Data from semistructured interviews were analyzed and compared with training and disciplinary policy statements for methodological triangulation. Several themes emerged including a need for leadership engagement, staff accountability, and an organizational culture that discourages withdrawal behaviors. The findings may contribute to the body of knowledge regarding best practices that leaders can utilize to diminish adverse effects withdrawal behaviors have on organizations. Information derived from this study might contribute to social change by decreasing the expense of employee withdrawal behaviors on citizens and reallocate taxpayer resources to appropriations necessary for public inpatient mental health treatment facilities.