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Articles 181 - 208 of 208
Full-Text Articles in Education
Soft Skills Perceived By Students And Employers As Relevant Employability Skills, Ann-Marie Claudia Williams
Soft Skills Perceived By Students And Employers As Relevant Employability Skills, Ann-Marie Claudia Williams
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Local employers believe the lack of prerequisite soft skills is inhibiting the graduates from a local community college from securing employment. The rationale of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions of students and employers related to the soft skills needed to be successful in future employment. The theoretical framework was based on Mezirow's transformational and Daloz's mentorship theories. Individual face-to-face, semistructured interviews were used to gather data from 12 business and computer students and 7 employers (N=19) who were selected using purposeful random sampling. The typewritten transcripts of participants' responses were imported in MAXQDA 11, then were open …
Anxiety And Focus In Work-Related Training, Steven Howard Harlan
Anxiety And Focus In Work-Related Training, Steven Howard Harlan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Currently, nonemployee students who take General Electric's (GE's) pollution control classes do not demonstrate consistent knowledge gains following training. The purpose of this project was to investigate whether the independent variables of level of education and choice in attending the class made a significant difference in the means of the dependent variables of anxiety and ability to focus. The project was influenced by the theory of andragogy, which explores the motivations and principles specific to the teaching of adults. The research questions for this study probed relationships between level of formal education among participants and their choice in whether to …
Employing Plns For The Self-Development Of Army Leaders: A Connectivist Approach, James K. Greer
Employing Plns For The Self-Development Of Army Leaders: A Connectivist Approach, James K. Greer
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The post-9/11 security environment is one that confronts the United States, and specifically the U.S. Army, with complex problems that require development of leaders with improved knowledge, skills, and attributes to meet the challenges of defending the nation. The problem confronting the U.S. Army is that Army leaders lack a learning environment or methodology that enables effective self-development throughout their career. Research suggests that PLNs (PLNs) and a connectivist approach may address that problem, but these have been limited to civilian educational environments. This qualitative case study explored the use of PLNs with a connectivist approach for leader self-development in …
Development Of A Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (Nicat), Alphonsa A. Rahman
Development Of A Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (Nicat), Alphonsa A. Rahman
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Nursing workforce competency in informatics is crucial to providing safe patient care, improving quality, and reducing healthcare costs. Assurance of informatics competency in a workforce with increasingly diverse educational preparations, demographics, and informatics skills poses significant challenges. The question addressed was the lack of nursing informatics competency assessment tool relevant to bedside nursing. The purpose of this project was to develop and review a new nursing informatics competency assessment tool designed to address the individual educational needs of newly hired nurses. The tool was designed to measure nurses' competency in computer literacy, informatics literacy, and informatics management skills recommended in …
Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer
Program Evaluation: A Federal Agency's Air Traffic Control Train-The-Trainer Program, Lisa Marie Mercer
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
In 2014, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted to the U.S. Senate the need to focus on air traffic control (ATC) training to meet job qualification and attrition rates within the career field. One U.S. Department of Defense military service assists the FAA in providing worldwide ATC services. This service is referred to as the agency throughout this paper to ensure confidentiality. The agency's ATC career field manager echoed the FAA's call for action in his 2014 Strategic/Action Plan. In August 2013, the agency's ATC trainer program was published. As of December 2015, the program had not been evaluated. The …
Engaging College Students In Online Remedial Mathematics Courses With Video Instruction, Elizabeth Henley
Engaging College Students In Online Remedial Mathematics Courses With Video Instruction, Elizabeth Henley
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Many students entering college in the United States need assistance in at least one academic area, causing remedial courses to be commonplace in higher education. This study evaluated the impact of video instruction in learning the content found in an online remedial math course. The instructional videos were created using the guidelines of Universal Design and cognitive load theory. A quantitative, quasi-experimental method was used to evaluate a dataset made available by a regionally accredited private New England college's online division. The online division offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certifications, and the students are located all over the …
The Perceptions Of Adults 35 And Older On Online Learning, Hector Alvarez Trujillo
The Perceptions Of Adults 35 And Older On Online Learning, Hector Alvarez Trujillo
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This qualitative case study examined the level of satisfaction among a group of adults ages 35 years and older enrolled in an online education program (OLEP) in a university in Puerto Rico. Although the current literature revealed that adult students 35 years and older are the fastest growing population enrolling in online college education programs in Puerto Rico, prior satisfaction studies conducted by this institution did not focus on this population. The theoretical framework of this study was guided by Holsapple and Lee's Post e-learning success model. The goal of this study was to understand students' satisfaction with the online …
Exploring Online Community College Course Completion And A Sense Of School Community, Kathleen Stone
Exploring Online Community College Course Completion And A Sense Of School Community, Kathleen Stone
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Researchers have found low online course completion rates to be a complex problem in higher education. Meanwhile, theory on adult learners' online persistence highlights the importance of a sense of school community. At the small, rural focus community college (FCC) for this study, general education online course completion rates are lower than the national average. FCC has not addressed the low online course completion rates. Using Rovais' composite persistence model as the conceptual framework, this instrumental case study examined how students' experiences and perceptions of a sense of school community contribute to their ability to complete online general education courses. …
Effects Of An Online Skills Program On Ela Achievement Among Ged Students, Gwendolyn Amanda Flowers
Effects Of An Online Skills Program On Ela Achievement Among Ged Students, Gwendolyn Amanda Flowers
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
K-12 schools are more commonly using online learning to supplement traditional classroom learning. Previous online adult education researchers have found no significant differences between traditional and online learning outcomes. However, little research has been done with regard to online General Educational Development (GED)-level learning for adults. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the effect of the Skills Tutor program compared with traditional learning on GED student achievement in reading/language arts. The Skills Tutor program was used as a means to address the low GED graduation rates at an adult education program through Memphis City Schools. This research …
The Effect Of Textbook Format On Mental Effort And Time On Task, Antonio Lamar Thomas
The Effect Of Textbook Format On Mental Effort And Time On Task, Antonio Lamar Thomas
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The relatively little amount of time that some college students spend reading their textbooks outside of lectures presents a significant threat to their academic success. One possible solution to this problem is the use of digital games as an alternative to outside-of-class textbook reading, but a review of previous research did not reveal much information on their efficacy when compared to traditional textbooks. Using Astin's theory of student engagement as a framework, the purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to determine whether a significant difference in engagement, as indicated by mental effort and time on task, existed for college …
Church-Based Hiv/Aids Prevention For Adults, Hattie Acheampong
Church-Based Hiv/Aids Prevention For Adults, Hattie Acheampong
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) disproportionately affect African Americans in the South; given that population's high rate of church attendance, churches have been one potential avenue for HIV/AIDS education. Research has shown the importance of HIV/AIDS education in reducing risk behavior and infection, although church-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs for adults have received little scholarly attention, including the impact of such programs on attitudes, behavioral control, and intention to engage in safe sexual practices. Using Ajzens' theory of planned behavior as a foundation, the purpose of this quantitative study was to explore whether there is a statistically …
Nontraditional Hispanic College Students' Perceptions Of Their Sense Of Belonging At A 2-Year College In Southwest Texas, Ronald Eugene Zawacki-Maldonado
Nontraditional Hispanic College Students' Perceptions Of Their Sense Of Belonging At A 2-Year College In Southwest Texas, Ronald Eugene Zawacki-Maldonado
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The purpose of this study was to understand how a sense of belonging contributes to graduation persistence among nontraditional Hispanic college students. The collectivist culture among these adult learners often results in family and work obligations that curtail their pursuit of higher education. The voices of these students are mostly absent in the current literature and warrant the current research study. Sense of belonging and retention theory formed the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. A purposeful sample of 16 nontraditional Hispanic students enrolled in a 2-year community college in Southwest Texas participated in interviews. Data analysis focused on themes …
Combining Appreciative Inquiry And Emotional Intelligence To Understand And Improve The Professional Development Of K-12 Teachers, Jamie Elizabeth Dewitt
Combining Appreciative Inquiry And Emotional Intelligence To Understand And Improve The Professional Development Of K-12 Teachers, Jamie Elizabeth Dewitt
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Creating meaningful and effective professional development (PD) programs for K-12 teachers is an ongoing challenge. The problem is exacerbated when PD models are implemented without fully aligning PD resources and plans with the training needs of teachers and the organization. The guiding question sought to understand the experiences of teachers at an online charter school about the implementation of PD as a means for improving student outcomes. The purpose of the study was to find ways to enhance PD in order to improve student outcomes at the school. The conceptual framework for this study is interwoven through the constructs of …
Preoperative Education Needs In Ear, Nose, & Throat Clinic: A Patient Perspective, Jonathan Edmun Ramos
Preoperative Education Needs In Ear, Nose, & Throat Clinic: A Patient Perspective, Jonathan Edmun Ramos
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A medical center specializing in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) services noted an increase in the number of postoperative ENT complications compared to the national average. The purpose of this mixed-methods project study was to examine ENT patients' preoperative patient education (PPE) needs regarding postoperative care. Grounded in Knowles's model of learning, core adult learning principles were applied as guidelines in facilitating patients' PPE learning. Data were collected from 58 ENT patients who were selected using a convenience sampling method and who responded to a PPE survey using a 5-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analyzed using …
Impact Of An Online Student Bridge Program For First-Year Nontraditional Students, Lisa Rene Adkins
Impact Of An Online Student Bridge Program For First-Year Nontraditional Students, Lisa Rene Adkins
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Low retention rates for first-year students plague many higher education institutions, and are even lower among online institutions of higher education. At Athena Colleges (a pseudonym), the attrition rate can be as high as 50% in students' first academic year. To address this concern, Athena Colleges has implemented an online bridge program that addresses students' academic needs and persistence. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the bridge program in reducing the first-time student attrition rate and academic performance in their first term. Most of Athena Colleges students are nontraditional students and due to this, the …
A Professional Development Approach To Improve Practice At An Upstate Community College, Lisa K. Antalek
A Professional Development Approach To Improve Practice At An Upstate Community College, Lisa K. Antalek
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A federal Call to Action was mandated to reform community colleges across the nation, challenging college officials to enhance instructional methodology on college campuses towards increasing student completion rates. In addressing this mandate, college officials at the upstate NY community college identified a need for professional development that would increase student learning and enhance the instructional methodologies of facilitating faculty through improved alignment. Accordingly, this study investigated the alignment of faculty instructional effectiveness with the institution's core mission. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of the instructional methodologies used to facilitate student learning. Informed by Knowles's …
Institutionalized Community College Service Learning To Promote Engagement, Velda Arnaud
Institutionalized Community College Service Learning To Promote Engagement, Velda Arnaud
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Community college graduation rates are low, and community colleges have been tasked with producing more graduates to meet workforce needs. Research has determined that engaged students remain at their institutions and complete their degrees. Service learning has been identified as a high-impact practice that engages students with their learning and builds connections between students and campus personnel. The majority of service-learning research, having been conducted with 4-year colleges and universities, may have limited applicability to the community college population. This qualitative descriptive case study describes how institutionalized service learning on 1 community college campus is structured, supported, and operated. The …
The Application Of Adult Learning Principles In Effective Preaching, Randall C. Deville
The Application Of Adult Learning Principles In Effective Preaching, Randall C. Deville
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Evidence suggests that a disconnect is growing between the information provided in Christian sermons and the life challenges faced by those church attendees. To bridge that divide, the purpose of this study was to better understand the characteristics of a sermon that enhance learning for churchgoers in Christian churches. The guiding question focused on churchgoing adults' perception of the sermon. Additional sub questions explored the relationship of the principles of adult learning, communication theory, and ambient teaching with churchgoers' and preachers' experiences with sermons. A qualitative case study design included one-on-one interviews with 5 preachers, 5 focus groups with 9 …
Rural Retiree Volunteer Motivations For Nonfamily-Based Intergenerational Communication, Jennifer Jm. Salisbury
Rural Retiree Volunteer Motivations For Nonfamily-Based Intergenerational Communication, Jennifer Jm. Salisbury
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Several decades of research document a growing communication gap between older adults and younger generations, with retirees limiting the information they share with younger generations. This limitation is often due to older adults' low self-efficacy and technology as a communication distraction, a trend which has resulted in the loss of intellectual capital for younger generations. The purpose of the study was to understand and increase knowledge transfer between retirees and unrelated younger people in a rural Canadian community. Communication theory of identity and social cognitive theory provided the research frameworks. The research questions examined what knowledge retirees could pass down, …
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions, Fidelia Johnson
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cross Grade Level Collaboration To Improve Collegial Interactions, Fidelia Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Researchers have connected student achievement to teacher collaboration; however, there is a paucity of studies conducted on how teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions to achieve better student performance, professional development, teacher effectiveness, and job satisfaction. The purpose of this case study was to investigate how rural southeast Georgia elementary school teachers use identified advantages and disadvantages of cross grade level collaboration to improve collegial interactions. The theory of collegial coaching provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on improving teacher effectiveness and student learning via collaborative …
Learning Without Onboarding: How Assessing And Evaluating Learning Benefits New Information Technology Hires, Dory L. Morris
Learning Without Onboarding: How Assessing And Evaluating Learning Benefits New Information Technology Hires, Dory L. Morris
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Onboarding ensures learning success through sharing and acquiring knowledge to remain competitive. However, little is known about new Information Technology (IT) hires' learning needs in the absence of onboarding; therefore, the purpose of this case study was to examine, increase, and retain their technical knowledge at the Unified Communications Company (UCC). Following the theoretical model of knowledge management, which holds that knowledge is the key to confirm learning and knowledge sharing, the research questions were used to examine how the company assessed and increased their technical knowledge and how they taught their culture in the absence of onboarding. A qualitative …
Influential Factors That Affect Retention And Language Acquisition In Beginning Esl Adults Students, Luis Manuel Rodriguez-Garcia
Influential Factors That Affect Retention And Language Acquisition In Beginning Esl Adults Students, Luis Manuel Rodriguez-Garcia
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This study explored the problem of student attrition in beginning courses of an Intensive English Program (IEP) that may affect the sustainability of the IEP. The purpose of the study was to understand the perceptions of continuing students and the factors that influenced their motivation and engagement to persist studying in the IEP. Constructivism and behavioral social learning theory guided this study. The research problem addressed the need for students to remain in IEPs and achieve second language acquisition. The research questions were designed to learn what instructional approaches motivated and engaged participants to persist in successive introductory courses. A …
Teacher Preferences For Professional Development Delivery Models And Delivery Model Influence On Teacher Behavior In The Classroom, Eve R. Sauer
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Current trends and research in education indicated that teacher learning is a crucial link to student achievement. There is a void in the research regarding teacher preferences for delivery models in professional development Determining teacher preferences is an important component in professional development planning and the driving inquiry for this research. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to determine teacher preferences in delivery models for professional development and whether delivery models influenced teacher behaviors in the classroom. The primary theory for this study was based on andragogy, and the research was conducted under the conceptual framework of constructivist …
Increasing Students' Academic Involvement: Chilean Teacher Engagement With Learners In Blended English As A Foreign Language Courses, Christopher P. Johnson
Increasing Students' Academic Involvement: Chilean Teacher Engagement With Learners In Blended English As A Foreign Language Courses, Christopher P. Johnson
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Learning English as a foreign language (EFL), a highly valued skill in the Chilean marketplace, is an arduous and complex personal endeavor requiring high student motivation. Reflecting this challenge is the heightened anxiety among EFL students, whose work has been associated with historically meager results. Blended learning, the fusion of face-to-face and online content delivery and assessment, offers a promising solution to EFL learner reticence. Evidence suggests that an active online teacher presence in a blended EFL course can enhance student engagement. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of EFL instructional specialists concerning (a) student involvement …
Reflective Thinking And Emotional Intelligence As Predictive Performance Factors In Problem-Based Learning Situations, Kathleen Mitchell-White
Reflective Thinking And Emotional Intelligence As Predictive Performance Factors In Problem-Based Learning Situations, Kathleen Mitchell-White
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Continued improvement of the training and preparation of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agents is critical to the organization's ability to protect the national security of the United States. Too little attention has been paid to the factors that improve new agent trainees' (NATs) ability to learn and succeed in their training programs. Based on the theories of reflective thinking and emotional intelligence, this nonexperimental, correlational study explored predictors of NATs' (N = 183) performance in problem-based exercises as part of the 20-week training program. Self-report instruments measured levels of critical reflection (CR), emotional intelligence (EQ), and perceived ability …
A Survey Of Community College Faculty, Their Teaching Methodologies, And Congruence With Student Learning Needs, Susan J. Campbell
A Survey Of Community College Faculty, Their Teaching Methodologies, And Congruence With Student Learning Needs, Susan J. Campbell
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
National movements for greater quality in education have increased concerns about student learning and the effectiveness of teaching for the community college. Faculty are responsible for student learning, yet criticized for using ineffective teaching methods despite limited data on community college teaching practices. The purpose of this study was to gain a descriptive understanding of current teaching practices in three community colleges. This single-phase study used a concurrent mixed-method exploratory research design. A purposeful sample of 185 community college faculty across three colleges in the southwestern United States were surveyed about what methods they use, how they perceive their teaching …
Andragogy: Does One Size Fit All? A Study To Determine The Applicability Of Andragogical Principles To Adult Learners Of All Ages, Wendy Conaway
Andragogy: Does One Size Fit All? A Study To Determine The Applicability Of Andragogical Principles To Adult Learners Of All Ages, Wendy Conaway
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
According to Knowles's theory of andragogy, the principles of adult learning are the need to know, self-directedness, the role of experience, intrinsic motivation, and readiness to learn. Whereas references in the andragogical literature have assumed that the principles uniformly apply to adults of all ages, differences between adult age groups may influence the effectiveness of the principles on adult learning. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate which adult age group was most accepting of the principles so that more effective teaching may occur. Three adult age groups, emerging adults (18-25), young adults (26-39), and mature adults (40-59) …
Changing The Negative Behavioral And Developmental Outcomes To A Toxic Prenatal Environment Through Parent Education, Angela Elieen Laughlin Lebedev
Changing The Negative Behavioral And Developmental Outcomes To A Toxic Prenatal Environment Through Parent Education, Angela Elieen Laughlin Lebedev
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of current education materials on changing maternal smoking attitudes. Children are affected by prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke. Although there are educational efforts to discourage pregnant women from smoking, the practice continues in a significant number of pregnancies. New materials, based on current research, were also evaluated for effectiveness. The theoretical framework for this study was adult learning theory presented by Knowles which makes the assumption that an individual is shaped by environmental systems, that adult learning is affected by previous knowledge they bring to the learning and that adults …