Digital Commons Network^™

Instructional Design And Facilitation Approaches That Promote Critical Thinking In Asynchronous Online Discussions: A Review Of The Literature, Laura Schindler, Gary J. Burkholder Jr

Center for Research Quality Publications

Asynchronous online discussions (AODs) are often used to promote critical thinking in online courses; however, recent research suggests that levels of critical thinking in discussions remain low. Furthermore, there is a lack of consensus in the literature about the definition of critical thinking and many of the existing studies focus on one specific cognitive construct. Therefore, it is unknown which instructional approaches have the strongest empirical support for promoting critical thinking across multiple cognitive constructs. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature related to instructional design and facilitation approaches that promote critical thinking in …

Parents' And Children's Emotions Spanning The Hiv Disclosure Process In Kenya, Grace Gachanja, Gary J. Burkholder Jr, Aimee Ferraro

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

2014 APHA Annual Conference Tuesday, November 18, 2014 New Orleans, LA

HIV disclosure from parent to child is challenging. While disclosure is expected to be emotion for parents and children, the total disclosure experience has not been described. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of HIV - positive parents and their children in Kenya during the disclosure process.

Common Boundaries: Moving Toward Coordinated And Sustainable Planning On The Oneida Reservation, Rebecca M. Webster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Comprehensive planning can help communities engage in purposeful and sustainable land use development. Previous research has indicated that Indian reservations in the United States often face unique roadblocks to these planning efforts: checkerboard patterns of tribal and nontribal ownership, and the presence of both tribal and local governments exercising land use authority within the same shared space. These roadblocks can lead to uncooperative, uncoordinated, or unsustainable development. Despite these noted problems, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding solutions to overcome these roadblocks. The purpose of this study was to address that gap. Guided by Forester's critical …

The Influence Of Religion On Attitudes Toward Alcohol Use In Jewish Adolescents, Toby R. Levin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, the Jewish faith has used alcohol in rituals and religious holidays in which adolescents are permitted to fully participate and this exposure to alcohol may influence attitudes and beliefs about underage drinking among Jewish adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between the Jewish religion and attitudes toward alcohol among Jewish adolescents. The theoretical frameworks, on which this study was based, were the social bond theory and the social development theory. Each of these theories indicates that community is important to the individual. Using a cross sectional study design, 160 adolescents participated …

Tackle Prostate Cancer: A Doctoral Student’S Response, Luis E. Lacourt

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This first hand reflection as a doctoral counseling student narrates mthe author' s social action response after learning of his diagnosis with prostate cancer. The author discusses his experience, reviews facts about prostate cancer, and applies Bandura’s (1977) Social Cognitive Theory, a SWOT analysis, and Eriksen’s (1997) social action stages to mhisactivities. These illustrate how he used his story and unique community resources to create awareness and raise funds through an event at a high school football game. Possibilities for additional advocacy events are also discussed.

Differences Between Students With And Without Adhd On Task Vigilance Under Conditions Of Distraction, Peter Ross, Justus Randolph

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Distraction is a typical component of any classroom environment. For effective instruction and learning to take place, it is critical for students to eventually return to task and maintain task vigilance (i.e., returning to the task at hand) when a distraction occurs. Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by definition, are more distractible than students without ADHD. However, studies showing specific variability of task vigilance between students with and without ADHD are limited. This correlational study examined the differences in distractibility on task vigilance between students with and without ADHD under conditions of distraction. Two groups of participants, ranging …

A Resilient Warrior: Coping Positively With Combat Stress Exposure, William Stallard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to explore and examine coping with combat stress exposure in a homogeneous group of 132 U.S. Marines who served in Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom, and who self-reported that they were coping positively. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation strategy was employed with positive psychology as the quantitative theoretical base and Husserlian transcendental phenomenology as the qualitative conceptual framework. Quantitatively, hardiness, hope, social support, personality, and coping strategies were assessed in the participants to examine how these variables may moderate or mediate the relationship between combat stress exposure and subjective well-being. Five hypotheses were …

Does The Perception Of Psychosocial Factors Increase The Risk Of Pesticide Exposure Among Seasonal Hispanic Farmworkers?, Donna L. Levesque, Ahmed A. Arif

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

BACKGROUND:

Migrant farmworkers are prone to several psychosocial stressors.

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate the effect of perceived psychosocial factors on pesticide exposure among seasonal migrant Hispanic farmworkers in North Carolina, USA.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional interview survey of 187 seasonal migrant farmworkers of Mexican descent, identified from labor camps located in rural counties in North Carolina, was conducted using nonprobability purposive sampling approach. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between perceived control over the harmful effects of pesticide exposure, lack of social support, and the impact of anxiety on perception of pesticide exposure.

RESULTS:

More than 20% …

The Virtual Research Lab: Research Outcomes Expectations, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, Amy Sickel

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This paper examines the complexities of working with student researchers in a virtual lab setting, logistics, and methods to resolve issues. To demonstrate the feasibility of a virtual lab, a mixed method study consisting of quantitative surveys and qualitative data, examined changes in doctoral students’ confidence as measured by research outcome expectations and changes in a self-assessment of research knowledge and skills test in a three quarter virtual psychology research lab. In the lab, 10 doctoral students conducted a faculty-designed project, analyzed data, and co-wrote a literature review. Findings indicate lab students’ research knowledge and research outcome expectations improved significantly …

Employees’ Perceptions Of Supervisor Communication And Job Stress In The Work Environment, Ee’A Jones

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Employees experience supervisor communication problems potentially resulting in job stress in the work environment. Person environment fit theory was the framework for the study with six questions used to flesh out participants’ real life experiences. Findings indicated participants’ stress levels were affected but not fit in the work environment.

A Case Study Of The United States Veterans’ Disability Compensation Policy Subsystem, Tanya Rosemary Brinkley

2010-2016 Archived Posters

In public policy literature, there is a lack of research that integrates social construction theory within the advocacy coalition framework. Far less is known about how these theories address policy change and processes related to programs for disabled veterans (DVs).

A Q-Methodology Study Evaluating The Emergence Of Complex Adaptive Systems In Organizations, Scott Willette

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The purpose of this study was to explore whether conditions within military organizations create a level of adaptive tension that leads to self-organization and the emergence of complex adaptive systems (CAS). The study’s findings suggest that there is a considerable amount of tension between the requirements and acquisition systems.

Self-Efficacy, Self-Determination, And Self-Regulation: The Role Of The Fitness Professional In Social Change Agency, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Current epidemiological data reported by governing health authorities reveal the biopsychosocial complexity of health maintenance in the 21st century. As statistics reflect the insidious, worldwide impact of chronic disease and psychosocial stress, the medical domain continues to endorse multidisciplinary approaches to support the myriad systems that underpin health and well-being. With their scope of practice continually expanding to accommodate such needs, fitness professionals (FPs) have become a mainstay on the front lines of health behavior management in recent years. Beyond their role in facilitating physical health gains, contemporary FPs undertake the challenge of instilling health self-efficacy beliefs, reinforcing autonomy and …

The Will To Lead: The Dynamic Integration Of Intrinsic Motivation And Social Change Leadership, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

Discourse on the psychosocial substrates of human motivation reflects a hot-button theme in contemporary leadership research circles. For many aspiring leaders, role models and social support provide an undercurrent for instilling leadership attributes. Yet for others, the drive to optimize leadership potentials is a naturally occurring, internally guided event that is continually reinforced through self-regulatory processes. As such, questions remain as to which intrinsic motives underpin the leadership potentials that have implications for social change agency. To date, the extant literature fails to offer a comprehensive model that highlights (a) the self-motives that have preeminent applicability to intrinsic motivation, (b) …

The Power Of Workplace Wellness: A Theoretical Model For Social Change Agency, Joshua M. Garrin

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

As millions of individuals face the complex challenge of adopting prohealth behavior as a core lifestyle attribute, there is an ever-increasing need to take an opportunistic approach to practicing and internalizing such behavior. Time constraints, prioritization, and time mismanagement widely contribute to the perceived inability of individuals to adhere to prohealth behavior. Given vocation as a demand that constitutes approximately one third of daily life activity, the organizational setting has emerged as a context that can potentially offer a vast array of viable workplace wellness (WW) opportunities. Such initiatives go beyond framing organizations as vehicles for health behavior promotion—instead, the …

The Taiwanese Student Happiness Initiative: Fulfilling Lives And Success In The Future, David R. Pendery

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

This research examines happiness levels in a group of Taiwanese students and extrapolates what the data may mean for government and educational policy. I conducted this research by allowing students at universities in Taiwan to access the Seattle-based Happiness Alliance Gross National Happiness Index Survey, which measures happiness. I examine happiness levels in the students, compare them with global happiness survey results, and then recommend policy developments that can be taken by Taiwanese government and educational institutions. This data and the recommendations may have far-reaching implications in Taiwanese society. I focus my recommendations on areas where the students scored lower …

Book Review: New Age Globalization: Meaning And Metaphor By Aqueil Ahmad, Susan H. Jespersen

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

New Age Globalization examines interdependent and interconnected global society in terms of its structure, including both functional and process characteristics, with an underlying concern for global consciousness resulting in global social change for human welfare. The theoretical framework provides for analysis of history, culture, economics, demographics, political systems, conflicts, knowledge, and religions of regions throughout the world. This is a well-researched book with information on complex topics for the global researcher, corporate planning executive, human resource manager, and educator, among others seeking to understand social and organizational systems in our global world.

Big Five Personality Traits And Proenvironmental Attitudes And Behaviors, Tara Rae Wuertz

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The big five is the most widely used model of individual personality trait differences. This quantitative research study is being completed to discern if the big five personality traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism are correlated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors

The Human-Animal Bond And Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress, Melissa White

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study explored the lived experiences of Operational Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) service members with combatrelated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms who had a companion animal postdeployment. Twelve OEF and OIF veterans participated in semi-structured interviews analyzed using Moustakas’ phenomenological approach. Four themes emerged: (a) rich descriptions of deployment events, (b) the experiences of returning from a deployment, (c) participants’ perceptions on their pets’ influence on posttraumatic stress symptoms, and (d) other comments and opinions related to participants’ experiences. These findings illuminate the experience of combat-related posttraumatic stress and the importance of animals in the therapeutic …

Domestic Violence Prevention In Gauteng, South Africa, Christina Spoons, Mark Gordon

2010-2016 Archived Posters

A review of literature revealed a gap in research on effective ways to promote domestic violence prevention strategies in the region on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa, where unofficial settlements are being built near established communities and contributing to the problem. This case study used purposeful sampling of eight key informants in a prevention program designed to both implement strategies to prevent domestic violence and assist those who have experienced violent acts.

Counseling Canadian Aboriginal Peoples: Alliance, Outcome, And Counselor Training Level, Sidney Shaw

2010-2016 Archived Posters

This study evaluated predictors of outcome in counseling with Canadian Aboriginal peoples. The therapeutic alliance and counselor training level were predictor variables analyzed in relationship to client outcome. The client’s rating of the alliance was correlated with outcome and counselor training level was not significantly correlated with outcome.

Organizational Climate And The Theory Of Human Caring In Hospitals, Vivienne C. Meanger

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Patient care in hospitals has become perfunctory, task focused, and void of a personalized human connection, which has become an area of concern among scholars since the 1970s. This experimental, post-test only, control-group study with a purposive patient and clinical staff sample explored the relationship between human caring and patient satisfaction; and the role of leadership in transforming the organizational culture in an long term acute care hospital (LTACH) setting implanting the Magnet initiatives.

Second-Parent Adoption: North Carolina Same-Sex Couples And Foster Care Adoptions, Mark Maxwell

2010-2016 Archived Posters

A qualitative phenomenological study about the experiences of same-sex couples with children adopted from foster care in a southeastern U.S. state. Interview data from 8 couples were coded and analyzed. Emerging themes included legal, social, and financial struggles and the couple􀀂s trailblazing experiences to become their children􀀂s legal parents. Implications for positive social change included informing same-sex parents, policy makers and social workers about the families􀀂 experiences and needs.

Understanding Violent Adolescent Males: Implications For Post Release Recidivism, Michael O. Johnston Ph.D.

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Simple assault is common among mid-adolescent males in Iowa and throughout the United States. The barriers and supports that exist for mid-adolescents when choosing nonviolence is well-documented in past research. Little is known about the choice of nonviolence for mid-adolescent males who have been labeled delinquent by juvenile courts.

The Positive Deviance Phenomenon Of Leading Successful Strategic Change, Gail Johnson Morris

2010-2016 Archived Posters

The focus of this phenomenological study was to explore how the positive deviance phenomenon and strategies manifest through the lived experience of successful Canadian financial services strategic change leaders. The 4 leadership dimensions culminate in the Leading Successful Strategic Change: The 4 Factor Formula.

Stress: The Development And Influence On Self-Identity, Earl Grey

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Using a grounded theory methodology and constantcomparative analysis, the investigator sought to develop an empirical understanding of the experience of stress and its influence on identity development. The 23 participants, who did not meet criteria for a DSM-IV-TR diagnoses, received 10 - 60 minutes sessions of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment (EMDR). EMDR treatment targets stressful memories and elicits recall of thoughts, imagery, emotions, and physical body sensations related to the stressful experience. The data from video recorded sessions provided holistic information regarding each participant’s experience and recall of stressful events. The results yielded thematic developmental patterns of thoughts, …

The Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Styles Of African American Law Enforcement Executives, B. Bernard Ferguson

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Ineffective leadership within police organizations has resulted in worker disengagement, absenteeism, and high turnover. This quantitative study examined the relationship between ethnicity, emotional intelligence (EI) and leadership styles of African American law enforcement executives. Hypotheses were tested using data collected from 130 members of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and comparing results to data from a prior similar study using Caucasian law enforcement executives. Results indicated that ethnicity had a statistically significant relationship with EI and leadership style factors.

Examining The Effect Of Medical-Surgical Nurse Manager Leadership On Employee Organizational Citizenship, Cheryl B. Cullen

2010-2016 Archived Posters

An intriguing question in a hospital is “What makes one medical-surgical nursing unit more desirable to nurses, physicians, and patients than another?” This quantitative, correlational research study identified a moderately positive correlation (r = .35, p = .000 between the leadership and communication behaviors of the nurse manager and the organizational citizenship of the nurses and nursing assistants who worked on the medical-surgical nursing units studied. The social impact of this positive correlation is better patient care outcomes.

Self-Regulation Efforts And Cognitive Load Concerns Within A Developmental Learning Environment, Caroline M. Crawford, Richard A. Smith

2010-2016 Archived Posters

People new to the higher education learning environment, and without posessing the abilities sometimes described as ”learning how to learn”, delve into either gateway courses or developmental courses. In this case study, a developmental course instructor integrates self-regulation tools and cognitive load sensitivity into her developmental course, with positive outcomes.

Effects Of Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Teaching Anxiety, Jill Van Parys Couet

2010-2016 Archived Posters

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), for improving behavior and achievement is well established. The impact PBIS has on teaching anxiety and self-efficacy levels is unknown. Research indicates that both attributes affect students’ performance. This study examined how the implementation of PBIS affects teachers’ levels of teaching anxiety and self-efficacy.