Welcome to Vtext at Valdosta State University
Vtext is Valdosta State University's institutional repository, providing open access to the scholarly, creative, and administrative works of the University community. It also houses digitized materials from the VSU Archives and Special Collections.
Faculty, students, and staff can register and deposit their work directly into Vtext, ensuring that it is securely preserved, permanently accessible, and discoverable worldwide. Each item receives a stable, citable URL designed for long-term reliability—supporting both academic visibility and digital preservation for years to come. Please contact the VSU Archives and Special Collections for more information.
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Recent Submissions
Item How the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program Impacted Teen Pregnancy Rates in GA Counties: A Quantitative Study(Valdosta State University, 2026-01-01)This quantitative correlational study examined whether participation in the federally funded Morehouse School of Medicine Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) affected teen birth rates in selected counties compared to demographically matched comparison counties. This research was guided by the Public Health Model, with a focus on the following three research questions: What has been the impact of the federally funded Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) Program on teen pregnancy rates in targeted Georgia counties?, What other contributing factors or social determinants of health influence teen pregnancy rates in targeted counties in Georgia?, and How does the political climate impact the programs and services available to address teen pregnancy? To effectively address these questions, secondary data were obtained from the Georgia Department of Public Health’s OASIS system and U.S. Census QuickFacts. For reliable and statistically sound analyses, both descriptive statistics and chi-square tests of association were conducted. The analyses showed that teen birth rates declined across all counties from 2010 to 2024. Although TPPI counties began with higher baseline rates, they experienced steeper declines during program implementation and sustained reductions afterward. Education, socioeconomic status, and race were all significant predictors of teen birth rates, and political affiliation patterns differed between TPPI and comparison counties. These findings have important implications for the allocation of fiscal and human resources, the design of programs and services, and the development of policies aimed at reducing teen pregnancy and improving adolescent health.Item Hahira Goldleaf, January 11, 1973(1973-01-11)The Hahira Gold Leaf, January 11, 1973, Hahira Goldleaf newspaper records, Hahira Historical Society Community Archives; digital surrogate in VTextItem The Hahira Gold Leaf, January 4, 1973.(Patton Publications, 1973-01-04)Gold Leaf (Hahira, Ga.), 1976-03-11, Hahira Goldleaf newspaper records, Hahira Historical Society Community Archives. Digital surrogate in VTextItem Effects of Alternative Work Schedule Preferences on Job Performance, Satisfaction and Morale: Evidence from Community Colleges(2026-01-23)Amid the government-mandated shutdowns and work-from-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have been forced to scramble to find ways to immediately cut costs and sustain productivity while being denied access to their facilities. Many industries, including education, were forced into alternative work schedules (AWS; telecommuting and compressed time) to prevent in-person contact and the potential spreading of the virus. Other businesses and organizations were forced into AWS to immediately cut operation costs to save the business. However, there is little research on the benefits and drawbacks of the shift to AWS. This study aimed to fill that gap in understanding the effects of an unanticipated forced shift to specific AWS: teleworking and flextime within the community college setting as employees bring with them their unique perceptions of and preferences for AWS. The population comprised employees and supervisors at three State of Alabama community colleges. The basic research design for the study was a cross-sectional survey of employees and supervisors about their experience with the benefits and drawbacks of alternative work schedules. Multiple linear regression and factor analysis were used for the data analysis. This research specifically examined the effect of a forced shift to AWS and employees’ preferences for AWS on employee job satisfaction, performance, and morale. Using data collected from employee surveys, each variable (job, satisfaction, performance, and morale) was measured individually and collectively to determine the impact on each resulting from the AWS shift. The results of this research will be beneficial to any community college system and may help to provide leaders of other organizations, government agencies, private businesses, or educational institutions with knowledge and insights into potential outcomes for their own institutions if they realize a need to use AWS to immediately cut cost or are faced with another government-mandated shutdown.Item Parental Stress and Parents' Perceptions of Preschoolers' Behaviors Across Home and School(2026-01-20)This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the relationship between parental stress and preschoolers’ externalizing behaviors across home and school contexts. Phase I employed quantitative methods to investigate the extent to which parental stress predicted parental satisfaction and perceived loss of control using the Parental Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995). Participants included 153 parents of preschool-aged children enrolled in early learning programs in South Georgia. Regression analyses revealed that higher levels of parental stress were significantly associated with lower satisfaction (R² = .32) and greater loss of control (R² = .50). The most frequently reported stressors included balancing work and parenting (33.8%), lack of time for self-care (30.5%), and managing child behavior (30.7%). Phase II utilized semi-structured interviews with nine parents to explore how stress and coping are experienced in daily life. Thematic analysis produced three overarching themes: navigating caregiver overwhelm, behavioral duality (home as a safe haven), and conscious parenting evolution. Parents described the interplay between emotional regulation, environmental context, and support systems in shaping stress and parenting responses. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative findings demonstrated that stress operates as a dynamic process influenced by family systems and coping resources. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, and Bandura’s social learning theory, this study highlights the importance of parental self-regulation, support networks, and intentional coping in promoting family well-being and healthy child development.