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Supplemental Instruction And The Promotion Of Construction Of Knowledge, Ruth C. Chambers-Turner Jan 2017

Supplemental Instruction And The Promotion Of Construction Of Knowledge, Ruth C. Chambers-Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supplemental instruction (SI), a peer assisted learning model, improves course performance, retention, and graduation rates of post-secondary education students. Researchers have questioned if the success of SI is due to students becoming more aware of assessment demands or if SI also promotes construction of new knowledge. The purposes of this case study were to describe techniques utilized by SI peer leaders, explore how sociocognitive learning techniques are implemented, and explore the perceptions of supplemental instruction program stakeholders regarding sociocognitive learning techniques. The research questions focused on what techniques peer leaders are trained to implement and what peer leaders' perceptions of …


College Faculty Members' Perceptions Of Students' Writing Abilities, Deborah Bellamy Jan 2017

College Faculty Members' Perceptions Of Students' Writing Abilities, Deborah Bellamy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The college open door policy initiated in the 1960s made access to higher education available for more students in the United States. People who were once excluded from enrolling in college now have an opportunity to earn a college degree. Some first-time students, significantly underprepared in writing, have been required to enroll in developmental or remedial writing courses before entering college-level English despite research indicating that taking noncredit courses increases the time for college completion and the cost of college, while also reducing the likelihood of completion. This illustrative case study, guided by the constructivist approach to instruction, was designed …


Relationships Among Student Type, Gpa, And Retention Within A Proprietary Career College, Steven Charles Parker-Young Jan 2017

Relationships Among Student Type, Gpa, And Retention Within A Proprietary Career College, Steven Charles Parker-Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that the college student population in the United States is evolving and the number of nontraditional students is rising. New student retention and academic success were ongoing concerns at a college in the southern United States and the association of those outcomes with instructional delivery model and student type was not known. In an effort to improve new student outcomes, this study examined differences in first-quarter student retention and academic success, as measured by GPA, for courses taught strictly online or on campus, and for traditional versus nontraditional students. Guided by Bean and Metzner's conceptual model of …


Instructional Strategies That Promote Cultural Competence In Nutrition And Dietetics Education, Cecile Adkins Jan 2017

Instructional Strategies That Promote Cultural Competence In Nutrition And Dietetics Education, Cecile Adkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Changing demographics in the United States to a minority-majority culture require health care professionals who are culturally competent to provide appropriate care to patients. In a university in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, a gap existed between student education and the culturally competent professional practice of entry-level registered dietitians. Using Freire's notion of social justice and Vygotsky's constructivist theory as the conceptual frameworks, the purpose of this study was to explore educators' instructional strategies that promoted cultural competence in nutrition and dietetics education. The research questions examined how educators described the instructional practices they employed to promote cultural …


Faculty Perspectives On Effective Integration Of Simulation Into A Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum, Linda Jane Howell Jan 2017

Faculty Perspectives On Effective Integration Of Simulation Into A Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum, Linda Jane Howell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that use of high fidelity simulation (HFS) as a teaching strategy requires extensive amounts of faculty time and financial resources for faculty development and equipment. This project study addressed the challenges encountered in the integration of HFS into a Midwestern metropolitan baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceptions of nursing faculty about best practice elements for successful integration of HFS into undergraduate nursing programs. Guiding questions were developed using Donabedian's structure-process-outcome model and focused on faculty perceptions related to successful implementation of simulation in their programs. Purposeful sampling was used to …


Pre-College Program Students' Academic Engagement And Persistence In Higher Education Studies, Deborah Ann Bers Jan 2017

Pre-College Program Students' Academic Engagement And Persistence In Higher Education Studies, Deborah Ann Bers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Caribbean University's Pre-College Program (PCP) served as the conduit for the nation's academically underprepared high school graduates to matriculate to university and earn a degree. The PCP student enrollment increased annually since 2010; however, less than 70% of the total PCP students matriculated to an associate degree. Without a formal program evaluation, the empirical evidence into the factors that influenced PCP students' progress remained unknown. The purpose of this participatory-summative logic outcomes program evaluation was to measure stakeholders' perspectives of the ways in which the PCP's purpose, structure, and outcomes were manifested in the practices at the Caribbean University. …


Exploring Part-Time Teacher Professional Development And Best Practices On Adult Learners' Outcomes, Sandra Kay Brown Jan 2017

Exploring Part-Time Teacher Professional Development And Best Practices On Adult Learners' Outcomes, Sandra Kay Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The issue of limited part-time teacher professional development and its effect on adult learners' success at an adult education center in the northeast United States was addressed in this study. At the research site, almost 50% of the teaching staff are adjuncts. Professional development opportunities have been limited, with only 1 opportunity recorded during the 2014-2015 school year. When teachers are provided appropriate and relevant support for the curriculum and student needs, they realize their own craft growth, with measureable student achievement as a result. Knowles's adult learning theory served as the conceptual framework and provided structure for exploring and …


Bridge Program Participants' Satisfaction, Retention, Grade Point Average, And Credits Earned, Chip Palmer Jan 2017

Bridge Program Participants' Satisfaction, Retention, Grade Point Average, And Credits Earned, Chip Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of first-generation college students enroll in college each year. However, according to national statistics, as many as 900,000 first-generation college students drop out each year. Colleges have developed summer bridge programs to help first-generation students succeed; participants have shown an increase in grade point average (GPA) and retention. There is limited research focusing specifically on private nonprofit university bridge programs, and national statistics show 34% of first-generation college students electing private universities. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to evaluate a private nonprofit university bridge program called the Pfeiffer Readiness Education Program. Using the …


University Professors' And Department Directors' Perceptions Regarding Support For Freshman Academic Performance, Karen Sauer Jan 2017

University Professors' And Department Directors' Perceptions Regarding Support For Freshman Academic Performance, Karen Sauer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Chile, 50% of students who enroll in Chilean colleges do not graduate, negatively impacting their families' economic situations as well as national development. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to gain a deeper understanding of the perceptions held by math, English, and general education professors regarding the support provided to freshman students in a program at 1 campus of a private Chilean university. Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory emphasizing internal and external motivations and social constructivism theory emphasizing development as a process comprised the conceptual framework. Both theories provide meaningful understanding of the drivers that support …


Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder, College Students, And Identity, Jeanne Vandenberg Jan 2017

Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder, College Students, And Identity, Jeanne Vandenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing societal problem that has been increasing among college students. Previous research on this population is limited and even fewer studies focus on women. The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the developmental task of ego identity status for female college students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD based on Erikson's psychosocial theory. The study used the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OMEIS) to measure identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement status as a means to assess identity status in female college students. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent …


High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett Jan 2017

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …


Understanding Planned Change Among Remote Nonfaculty Employees In Higher Education, Erin Lubin Jan 2017

Understanding Planned Change Among Remote Nonfaculty Employees In Higher Education, Erin Lubin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementing planned change in online university divisions with remote nonfaculty employees is a unique challenge. The problem that compelled this study was the need to understand the challenges of implementing planned change for a group of geographically remote nonfaculty employees who served as field team members (FTM) in an online university's support division. The purpose of this research was to explore change from the perspectives of remote FTM, their managers, and the division's Vice President to better understand and suggest research-derived strategies to make change initiatives more meaningful and inclusive. The qualitative ethnographic design was informed by systems theory, Tuckman …


Classroom Approaches And Japanese College Students' Intercultural Competence, Joan Elizabeth Gilbert Jan 2017

Classroom Approaches And Japanese College Students' Intercultural Competence, Joan Elizabeth Gilbert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preparing college students to be contributing members of local and global societies requires educators to analyze the capabilities and needs of their students and to adjust instructional content and practice. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was twofold: (a) to explore how classroom approaches designed to facilitate students' questioning of assumptions and beliefs regarding different cultural beliefs, social structures, and practices might influence Japanese college students' self-reported development of intercultural competence, and (b) to investigate whether or not the students developed their potential for intercultural competence. Mezirow's transformative learning theory informed this study. Archival qualitative data were from 137 Japanese …


The Effects Of Structured Health Policy Education On Connecticut Registered Nurses' Clinical Documentation, Rosale Lobo Jan 2017

The Effects Of Structured Health Policy Education On Connecticut Registered Nurses' Clinical Documentation, Rosale Lobo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Registered Nurses use clinical documentation to describe care planning processes, measure quality outcomes, support reimbursement, and defend litigation. The Connecticut Department of Health, guided by federal Conditions of Participation, defines state-level healthcare policy to include required care planning processes. Nurses are educated in care planning process standards, however no policy-required competency verification processes in academia or employers exists. Guided by the advocacy coalition framework, the purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine if the quality of nurse coalition actors’ clinical documentation, a relatively stable parameter, would increase after attending policy-centered structured education. Data were extracted from 272 electronic medical …


Elementary Teachers' Perceptions On Writing Proficiency Of Military-Connected Students, Kerrin Weatherwax Jan 2017

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions On Writing Proficiency Of Military-Connected Students, Kerrin Weatherwax

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At Base Elementary School (BES) in the Southwest United States school administrators were concerned that writing proficiency levels for 2014-2015 were below district and state standards and there was not a clear understanding of teachers' perceptions on writing proficiency of military-connected (MC) students at the target site. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions on writing proficiency of MC students at BES. Using Lave and Wenger's communities of practice framework, a qualitative instrumental case study was used to discern perceptions of elementary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers regarding the writing proficiency of MC students. …


Persistence Of First-Generation Graduates Of A Community College Healthcare Program, Tennie Rene Sanders-Mcbryde Jan 2017

Persistence Of First-Generation Graduates Of A Community College Healthcare Program, Tennie Rene Sanders-Mcbryde

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many first-generation students (FGS) succumb to challenges and barriers and ultimately give up on their educational goals. Little is known about FGS who graduate and are successful in their discipline. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors that influenced the persistence of FGS who graduated and are employed in the healthcare field. The theoretical framework consisted of experiential learning, identity development and environmental influence, and social cognitive career theories. The research questions focused on how FGS made decisions to graduate, interpreted their academic learning experiences, and perceived academic support received in the college environment. Data was collected …


A Case Study Of Student Success In Physical Therapist Assistant Programs: A Systems Approach, Penelope Lescher Jan 2017

A Case Study Of Student Success In Physical Therapist Assistant Programs: A Systems Approach, Penelope Lescher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Graduating sufficient numbers of healthcare providers to fill the needs of an aging population in the United States is a major social concern. To address this problem physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs need to improve their graduation rates to keep up with the demand for qualified personnel. Applying Senge's theory of effective systems, 1 medium-sized community college with an average pass rate of over 90% on the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE) was selected to address the research question: What are the systems factors and how do they operate together to support student success in an associate degree PTA …


A Summative Program Evaluation Of Online And Hybrid Military Professional Development Courses, Leah Flores Goerke Jan 2017

A Summative Program Evaluation Of Online And Hybrid Military Professional Development Courses, Leah Flores Goerke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructors at a U.S. Military School transitioned traditional courses used for professional development (PD) of military and civilian personnel to fully online and hybrid formats that combine online and face-to-face instruction. No evaluation of student satisfaction or instructor experiences during the transition has been conducted. The purpose of this sequential mixed methods summative program evaluation was to evaluate hybrid and online delivery of 2 PD courses by analyzing student satisfaction data and instructor experiences. This study was grounded in Knowles, Holton, and Swanson's adult learning theory and Anderson's and Salmon's online learning theories. Data from 96 course evaluations from students …


Expatriate Students' Perceptions Of Attendance And Persistence At A Private Malaysian Institution, Jin Deng Jan 2017

Expatriate Students' Perceptions Of Attendance And Persistence At A Private Malaysian Institution, Jin Deng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although Malaysia primarily relies on expatriates to develop its economy, a private Malaysian institution had not examined the retention of expatriate students who might contribute toward the country's future economy. The problem that prompted this study was the institution showed low graduation rates for expatriate students and had not assessed the perceptions of key factors that impacted their attendance and persistence. The purpose of this study was to provide insights about expatriate students' perceptions of key factors about attendance and persistence at the institution. Tinto's longitudinal model of dropping out and the conceptual model guided this study. With a guiding …


Faculty Roles In Student Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dorothy Langley Jan 2017

Faculty Roles In Student Retention At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Dorothy Langley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implications for student dropouts include fewer career options and lower earning potential. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of their roles in the student retention process at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Southeast United States. Guiding the phenomenological study was Lewin's theory of change model. Data were collected using a questionnaire, interviews, and faculty-student intervention logs. The questionnaire was completed by 32 full-time faculty at the study site. Interviews with 5 participants were conducted after the completion of the questionnaire, and 5 participants provided information via a faculty-student intervention log about strategies …


Differentiating Successful And Unsuccessful Nursing Students, Trilla Mays Jan 2017

Differentiating Successful And Unsuccessful Nursing Students, Trilla Mays

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators of nursing programs in community colleges are aware of the need to retain and to graduate students to meet the growing demand for licensed practical nurses (LPNs). High attrition in a 2-year nursing program in South Carolina affected the number of students either graduating as a LPN after completing the third semester, or continuing in the program to become a registered nurse (RN). Guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model, this causal comparative study investigated the differences between students who were and were not successful in the initial 3 semesters of the program. Archival student records for …


The Predictive Relationship Between Naturopathic Basic Science Curriculum And Nplex I Performance, Tammy Marie Aragon Jan 2017

The Predictive Relationship Between Naturopathic Basic Science Curriculum And Nplex I Performance, Tammy Marie Aragon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Naturopathic medical schools are concerned with low first-time pass rates on the Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam Part I (NPLEX I) that may impact schools' accreditation with the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). At a North American school of naturopathic medicine first-time pass rates have been a concern for 3 of the last 5 years. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether students' naturopathic basic science content area scores predict NPLEX I scores at this this school. Grounded in general systems theory, a predictive correlational research design utilizing multiple logistic regression analyses was used. Archival data were …


Nursing Student's Breast Cancer Knowledge And Breast- Self Examination Technique Confidence, Lydia E. Gaud Jan 2017

Nursing Student's Breast Cancer Knowledge And Breast- Self Examination Technique Confidence, Lydia E. Gaud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the United States. Several factors have been identified that interfere with women's breast cancer screening practices, including lack of knowledge and confidence in the breast self-examination (BSE) technique, and lack of information provided by health care provider. One of the reasons nurses do not teach breast cancer detection could be the little emphasis given to breast cancer examination in nursing schools. The BSE is a measure of significant value in detecting cancer of the breast. However, less than half of the women in the United States are …


Factors Related To Nursing Student Persistence In An Associate Degree Program, Patricia Ann Farley Jan 2017

Factors Related To Nursing Student Persistence In An Associate Degree Program, Patricia Ann Farley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of nursing students remains a challenge in higher education, and the need for nurses in the United States is projected to increase. The purpose of this study was to investigate nursing student persistence in an associate degree program by examining differences in the presence of key social, environmental, and academic factors across 2 types of students: completers and non-completers of the 1st course in a registered nursing program. The study framework was based on Tinto's Student Integration Model and the Nursing Undergraduate Retention and Success Model, which identify key social, environmental, and academic factors as critical to student …


The Effects Of Organizational Restructuring And Acceptance Of Change On Employees' Motivation, Eve Maria Fleming Jan 2017

The Effects Of Organizational Restructuring And Acceptance Of Change On Employees' Motivation, Eve Maria Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous internal and external factors drive decisions to undertake organizational restructuring; according to senior management, restructuring is part of a strategic change. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory, case study was to examine the effects of organizational restructuring on university employees' behavior towards restructuring and change in the effectiveness of the institution. The conceptual framework drew on the social change theory, a primary triad model, and a congruence model for organization problems to frame the guiding questions: how does restructuring impact employees' motivation and acceptance of change and how does the employees' acceptance of change affect the institution's effectiveness? From …


Faculty Self-Efficacy Instructing In A Hybrid Learning Environment At A Career College, Donna Gosselin Gosselin Jan 2017

Faculty Self-Efficacy Instructing In A Hybrid Learning Environment At A Career College, Donna Gosselin Gosselin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the inception of the hybrid instruction model at a career college in the western United States, there has not been an exploration of faculty members' understanding of hybrid instruction. Therefore, campus administrators do not have a clear understanding of the faculty perception of teaching in a hybrid learning environment. Using Bandura's social cognitive theory, this qualitative narrative inquiry study was conducted to explore faculty self-efficacy instructing in a hybrid learning environment at the career college. A purposeful sampling method was used to select 9 faculty who have taught less than 2 hybrid learning courses and attended the college professional …


Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope Jan 2017

Faculty Perceptions Of Instructional Strategies That Foster Student Engagement In Online Courses, Sharon M. Hope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Developing online instructional strategies for increasing student engagement and success is significant locally and nationally due to growth in the online field, advances in technology, and the need for colleges to maximize student success. This study stemmed from the desire of administrators at an upstate New York private college to discover additional ways to design and deliver effective online instruction. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to discover faculty perceptions of and experiences with instructional strategies that they used to foster student engagement in online learning. Kearsley and Shneiderman's engagement theory formed the study's conceptual framework. Ten …


The Effectiveness Of Course-Based Health Education Interventions Towards Increased Physical Activity Among College Students, Jay Morris Martin Jan 2017

The Effectiveness Of Course-Based Health Education Interventions Towards Increased Physical Activity Among College Students, Jay Morris Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the many health benefits, physical activity participation among those between 18 to 24 years is in significant decline during the college-age years. Postsecondary education has been identified as an ideal environment where young adults should be targeted for physical activity participation. However, a limited number of studies have assessed the effectiveness of college-level health education and physical education program interventions to increase physical activity levels among college students. The purpose of this study was to examine current physical activity levels of college age students who have completed a college-level health education course and laboratory to gain a better understanding …


Faculty Perspectives Of Academic Preparedness Of Nontraditional Students Who Earned Prior Learning Assessment Credits, Kerri Moseley-Hobbs Jan 2017

Faculty Perspectives Of Academic Preparedness Of Nontraditional Students Who Earned Prior Learning Assessment Credits, Kerri Moseley-Hobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through prior learning assessment (PLA) programs, students' professional and life experiences are evaluated to determine if they equate to college program courses-removing the need for the student to complete traditional college courses to earn a postsecondary degree. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of faculty at the study site on the academic preparedness of nontraditional students. Knowles' andragogy theory guided the research questions on the academic preparedness of students earning prior learning credits and what characteristics of PLA programs faculty believe contribute to the academic success of these students. Thirty-six participants completed a survey where they …


Relationships Between Early Academic Indicators And Accelerated-Baccalaureate Student Nurse Success, Bonnie J. White Jan 2017

Relationships Between Early Academic Indicators And Accelerated-Baccalaureate Student Nurse Success, Bonnie J. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2013, the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses' (NCLEX-RN) passing standard was increased, leading to a decrease in NCLEX-RN pass rates. The passing standard increase was prompted by an advisory panel's determination that a gap in safe, competent practice existed among new graduate nurses. New graduates' success on NCLEX-RN is critical to meet workplace demand for new nurses. The purpose of this study was to examine whether cumulative grade point average at completion of 200-level nursing courses and scores on the standardized final exam in the 200-level fundamentals course were related to on-time nursing program completion and a …