EL Theses and Dissertations
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Item A narrative inquiry: Black girls’ intersectional experiences in advanced placement courses(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Curry-Royal, Christy L.; Sherif, VictoriaFor over six decades, the Advanced Placement program has offered colleges and universities an effective and dependable rigorous curriculum and assessment for senior high school students. During this time, the program has grown from 104 to over 21,000 participating public high schools across the country that offer students the opportunity to enroll and participate in rigorous college preparation courses (The College Board, 2016). Although Advanced Placement has experienced exponential growth over the years, there remains a dearth of knowledge about the Black girls’ experiences in Advanced Placement, especially challenges related to their intersecting identities of race, gender, and class. This study utilized Intersectionality, as a theoretical framework, and a Narrative Inquiry qualitative methodology. Both allowed me to explore of the experiences of Black girls in Advanced Placement with race, gender, and class, the meanings they assign to the experiences, and understand how these social identities overlap. This study’s findings highlighted that the study participants had experiential and non-experiential similarities. Their reasoning for selecting, enrolling, and participating in Advanced Placement differed, along with their selected path to earn college credit. The girls preferred classes with more diversity or diverse teachers and students. Their narratives revealed that race and gender played a role in their Advanced Placement experiences. The study conclusions were that the Black girls experienced intersectional microaggressions and exhibited self-determination. Additionally, the participants had support systems that impacted their ability to select, enroll, and participate in Advanced Placement, which seemed to aid them in being academically successful. By displaying the Black girls’ experiential realities, their experiences inform and help improve Advanced Placement programming and participation.Item The attitudes and beliefs of medical residents and fellows toward obesity(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Zayat, Janane Fuad Haddad; Herron, Jason P.The attitudes and beliefs of physicians predict the physician’s intent to treat obese patients. This study examined medical residents’ and fellows' attitudes toward obesity. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the attitudes of medical fellows or examined the attitudes and beliefs of the various specialties of medical residents specializing in various toward obesity. Moreover, no study has researched the medical residents or fellows’ weight and their attitudes or beliefs toward obesity. Participants (n=314) completed the “Physician” and “Obesity” survey. A descriptive analysis, the correlation between the participants’ formal obesity education and their competency in treating obesity, and an ANOVA to assess the statistical significance of the participant’s weights and their attitudes towards obesity were explored. Our findings suggest that even though the participants agree that obesity can be treated successfully, they are unsure of their ability to treat it. Moreover, results revealed that heavier physicians perceived an increased need for obesity training and were more empathetic. Statistics showed a stronger correlation between the inclusion of obesity education and the physicians’ ability to treat mild versus severe obesity. These results suggest the need for adequate comprehensive obesity training during medical residency and fellowship. Most participants omitted answering whether their obesity training was adequate, indicating further investigation and a need for future research on the adequacy of obesity training. Future research on the components of obesity in the curriculum during medical residency and fellowship, based on a shortened survey, is warranted.Item Influence of race and gender on job satisfaction of black female central office public school administrators(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Nyaronge, Felicity MThe study examines the impact of race and gender on the job satisfaction of Black female administrators in central office positions within public schools. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews to capture the detailed, personal experiences of seven Black female administrators. Set within urban school districts in a Midwestern state, the study explores the lived experiences these administrators who share their perceptions and narratives regarding job satisfaction within the contexts of their unique professional landscapes. The research integrates Black Feminist Thought and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to form its theoretical framework. Black Feminist Thought acts as the macro-structure, offering a lens to examine how race, gender, culture, and other factors distinctly and collectively influence the experiences of Black female administrators. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, serving as the micro-structure, aids in identifying and defining the variables related to job satisfaction. By synthesizing these theories, the study gains a robust structure that both supports and guides the investigation. The findings reveals that the intersection of race and gender identities play significant roles, profoundly influencing job satisfaction among Black female administrators. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of intersectional factors on job satisfaction, highlighting their broad implications for educational settings and policy development. The study challenges existing frameworks and suggests that a reevaluation of job satisfaction through the lens of Black feminist thought can provide more meaningful and empowering experiences for Black female administrators, ultimately leading to greater job satisfaction and professional fulfillment.Item Can you see me now? Burnout and the experiences of overly involved undergraduate students of color(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Fonseca-Medina, Gabriel A; Thompson, Valerie J.This dissertation delves into the nuanced experiences of undergraduate student leaders of color who navigate the complexities of being overly involved in extracurricular activities at predominantly White institutions. Overly involved is a student who participates in twelve or more hours per week in their activities. Despite the increasing diversity within campuses, the voices of student leaders of color often remain marginalized within academic discourse. This general qualitative study seeks to illuminate their experiences, shedding light on their unique challenges and opportunities. Drawing upon Astin’s Theory of Involvement, Astin’s IEO Model, Maslach’s multidimensional Theory of Burnout, and Goodman’s Tapestry Model, this research employed general qualitative inquiry methodology, utilizing semi-structured interviews and focus groups to gather rich narratives from ten overly involved (twelve or more hours) undergraduate student leaders of color throughout the United States. Through analysis, the study identifies common themes and patterns within their experiences, examining the intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and other social identities. The findings of this study reveal the multifaceted nature of being overly involved as a student leader of color, highlighting the tensions between academic responsibilities, extracurricular commitments, and personal wellbeing. Participants articulate feelings of tokenization, impostor syndrome, and the burden of representation while expressing a sense of empowerment, community building, and identity affirmation through their involvement.Item Burnout in school counselors: A comparison of race and gender of counselor experiences(Wichita State University, 2024-05) Le, Diana; Herron, Jason P.This quantitative study aims to identify burnout among various groups of school counselors. The research examines whether there are statistical differences in burnout between school counselors of minoritized ethnicity compared to that of white school counselors. Specifically, this study explored the experiences of cisgender male school counselors compared to cisgender female school counselors. Lastly, it compared very experienced school counselors to less experienced ones in years. With the use of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), licensed school counselors in the United States will be measured. Using a criterion sample with a snowball sampling technique, the study yielded 437 acceptable responses to the CBI. There were 365 submissions by school counselors who identified as white or Caucasian. In comparison, there were 72 submissions from those of various ethnic groups, which were grouped together to form a minoritized group. Regarding analyzing gender differences, there were a staggering 410 or nearly 94% female submissions and 26 (5.95%) male submissions. Although the minoritized participants averaged a mean score higher than the white participants' scores, using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), there was no statistically significant difference in the burnout scores for both groups regarding personal-related and work-related burnout. However, for client-related burnout, there was a statistical difference in minoritized school counselors’ burnout being higher than that of white school counselors. This is also seen in female school counselors having statistically higher burnout as compared to male school counselors in the category of client-related burnout. Before this study's introduction, there was little knowledge about the subject of burnout among minoritized school counselors. The findings may bridge the gap regarding improving the United States educational system.