Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Jolly Phonics Program On Students' Literacy,
2016
Walden University
Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Jolly Phonics Program On Students' Literacy, Lorane Evadney Moodie-Reid
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
At 2 primary schools in Western Jamaica, students at the Grade 1 level lacked basic literacy skills of comprehension, letter recognition, letter sounds, and oral communication. The purpose of this qualitative evaluation study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of the Jolly Phonics program implemented to improve students' literacy in Grades 1-3. Guided by Engestrom's activity theory, the effectiveness of the Jolly Phonics approach was examined based on the sociocultural learning theories of Vygotsky, Dewey, and Piaget. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of the program's impact on students' literacy improvement and of the strategies used in the Jolly Phonics …
A Quantitative Evaluation Of Service Priorities And Satisfaction Of Online University Students,
2016
Walden University
A Quantitative Evaluation Of Service Priorities And Satisfaction Of Online University Students, Danielle Elizabeth Valle
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
As online education grows, institutions must develop and evaluate student services to meet the needs of adult online students. The university at which the study was conducted had growing online enrollment, but no systematic examination of services from the students' perspective to drive service development and improvement. This represented a gap in self-evaluation, and the research confirmed gaps in student service offerings at the university compared to field standards. The purpose of this project study was to drive improvement of online student services based on analysis of student-driven data. The research questions asked how important academic and support services were …
Understanding Attrition Among English As A Foreign Language Teachers In Online Training,
2016
Walden University
Understanding Attrition Among English As A Foreign Language Teachers In Online Training, Joseline Castaños
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Attrition among students in online courses worldwide is well-documented at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. However, little is yet known about the reason for attrition among in-service teachers in online training. Online education aims to provide access to education for the masses, but with higher attrition rates, it may be viewed as less effective than traditional education. This study explored factors that influenced attrition and persistence among teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an online teacher training environment. Tinto's Community of Inquiry framework and Short, Williams, and Christie's Social Presence Model provided the conceptual framework for …
Factors That Impact African American High School Equivalency (Hse) Students' Pursuit Of Higher Education,
2016
Walden University
Factors That Impact African American High School Equivalency (Hse) Students' Pursuit Of Higher Education, Jamiyla Chandler-Melton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
African Americans account for a disproportionate percentage of students who pursue college education in comparison to European Americans. Indeed, a considerable number of African American High School Equivalency (HSE) students are not enrolling in college once they earn their HSE diploma. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine 3 African American HSE students' perceptions about factors that influenced their pursuit of higher education at the selected HSE study site. These 3 students were selected for their inclusion because of their ethnicity, enrollment in the HSE program, academic underpreparedness and lack of pursuit of higher education, and strong …
Evaluation Of A College Of Medicine Peer-Mentoring Program,
2016
Walden University
Evaluation Of A College Of Medicine Peer-Mentoring Program, Myra Haney Singleton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Peer-mentoring experiences in higher education have been largely effective largely effective, however institutions implement them differently. The focus of this program evaluation was a peer-mentoring program at a medical school in the southeastern region of the United States, which had not previously been evaluated. Guided by Kolb's experiential learning theory, the purpose of the evaluation in this study was to examine whether the peer-mentoring experience was perceived as helpful to new students and how students thought the program could be improved. The sequential mixed-method design consisted of a survey of 179 students and interviews of 8 students. A thematic analysis …
Nigerian Policy On Child Labor: An Evaluation Of The Education Sector Preparedness For Effective Policy Implementation,
2016
Walden University
Nigerian Policy On Child Labor: An Evaluation Of The Education Sector Preparedness For Effective Policy Implementation, Samuel Effiong Ekong
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
A number of studies have been conducted about policy failures in Nigeria; however, little is known about the state of stakeholders' readiness to implement any government policy. Using the functionalist theory of Durkheim and the infrastructure theory of Frischmann, the purpose of this exploratory case study was to evaluate the level of preparedness of the education sector to implement the Nigerian policy on child labor, which was adopted on September 11, 2013, by the federal executive council of Nigeria. Preparedness in this study was conceptualized as the ability of the education sector to absorb children of school-going-age who quit all …
Drawing On Metaphors Of Teaching To Elicit Reflexive Thinking,
2016
Kennesaw State University
Drawing On Metaphors Of Teaching To Elicit Reflexive Thinking, Harriett Bessette, Nita A. Paris
Faculty Articles
This paper describes the findings of a study that involved the generation of metaphors by practicing educators to promote reflexive thought, recognized today as one of the most viable and vigorous tools for troubling and influencing P-12 educational practice (Bolton, 2010). A total of 23 educators enrolled in an advanced graduate teacher education program beyond the masters level were first asked to construct a written (verbal) metaphor to depict their lived experiences as teachers and/or learners. Participants were then asked to create an original drawing to approximate their espoused metaphor. Educators’ drawings were analyzed for apparent features and traits as …
Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion,
2016
Walden University
Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion, Jill Stearns
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Community colleges are the largest segment of higher education institutions in the United States providing access to historically underserved populations and growing numbers of first generation college students. Increasing college degree attainment is a national priority with new expectations of accountability. Despite decades of educational research, community colleges have startling low completion rates. Within the framework of Tinto's theory of retention, a predictive analytics model could provide community colleges the opportunity to drive custom intervention and support services to students. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of Biglan's taxonomy for categorizing courses for potential use in …
Nurses' Experiences Transitioning From Staff Nurse To Management In A Community Hospital,
2016
Walden University
Nurses' Experiences Transitioning From Staff Nurse To Management In A Community Hospital, Jennifer Sylvia Buffenbarger
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
This project study addressed the problem of frequent turnover of nurse managers at a Northeastern community hospital. The lack of retention of nurse managers has led to attenuated support for the nursing staff who continued to hold the front line in patient care. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore nurse managers' experiences with turnover in order to identify strategies for enhancing retention. Work empowerment and servant leadership theories served as the frameworks for the study. Research questions focused on nurse managers' perceptions of empowerment and servant leadership characteristics that were important in decisions to assume …
Preparing Faculty To Teach Online: Promoting Success In The Online Classroom,
2016
Walden University
Preparing Faculty To Teach Online: Promoting Success In The Online Classroom, Julia Babcock Hamilton
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Distance learning students at a community college in the southeast United States were not completing their coursework as well as were students enrolled in traditional courses. This disparity was negatively affecting the institution's state performance measures, putting at risk the institution's state-based funding under the state's performance model. The purpose of this qualitative, bounded case study was to explore faculty experiences with online course professional development and faculty's teaching practices related to successful student online course completion. Chickering and Gamson's 'Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education' served as the study's conceptual foundation. Distance learning faculty (n = 10), …
Nurses' Occupational Trauma Exposure, Resilience, And Coping Education,
2016
Walden University
Nurses' Occupational Trauma Exposure, Resilience, And Coping Education, Sherry Lynn Jones
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Nursing education courses and professional development (PD) do not include coping and resilience training for registered nurses (RNs) who work in emergency departments (EDs). Exposure to traumatic events, death, and dying may lead to health issues, substance abuse, stress symptoms, nursing staff turnover, and compassion fatigue among ED RNs. Without training, the pattern of adverse outcomes may continue. The purpose of this study was to explore ED RNs' experiences with occupational traumatic stress (OTS), and their recommendations for change to nursing PD programs, using a qualitative bounded intrinsic case study. The conceptual framework for this study included social learning and …
Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Inclusion In Elementary Classroom Settings,
2016
Walden University
Teacher Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Inclusion In Elementary Classroom Settings, Delicia Peacock Peacock
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Inclusion classrooms were introduced in the United States in 1990 when the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act required that special education students be instructed in a general education setting. Ensuing changes in instructional formats have caused role confusion for special and general education teachers, resulted in mixed attitudes toward teacher responsibilities, and lowered teachers' sense of efficacy about being able to teach their students. Guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, this bounded case study design in a rural elementary school in a southeastern state was used to understand the perceptions of general and special educators regarding their work in …
A Qualitative Case Study Of Strategies For Choosing And Evaluating Alternative Assessments In Online Higher Education,
2016
Walden University
A Qualitative Case Study Of Strategies For Choosing And Evaluating Alternative Assessments In Online Higher Education, Robert James Streff
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Studies have shown that not all students are assessed effectively using standard testing formats. However, it is unclear what alternative methodology would be useful to determine whether students have acquired the skills necessary for today's global market. This research study's purpose was to understand the processes instructors use when choosing and designing alternative assessments in higher education online courses to measure student performance. Using Gagné's conditions of learning and Bloom's Taxonomy as a framework to understand these processes, this qualitative case study examined 8 participants teaching online at Midwestern public universities. Interview data and course artifacts, including syllabi, rubrics, assessments, …
Effects Of Early Childhood Education On Kindergarten Readiness Scores,
2016
Walden University
Effects Of Early Childhood Education On Kindergarten Readiness Scores, Janis Monrose Modeste
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The purpose of this correlational study, which took place in a Central Florida school district, was to investigate the relationship between the quality of the early childhood education (ECE) programs and students' kindergarten readiness scores. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which states that a child's environment, culture, and language are related to academic and social development, was the theoretical framework for this study. Many ECE centers have been rated using the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS). Additionally, some children in those centers have been rated for kindergarten readiness using the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS) developed by the Florida Department of …
The Effects Of Reader's Theater On Reading Comprehension And Fluency Of Fifth-Grade Students,
2016
Walden University
The Effects Of Reader's Theater On Reading Comprehension And Fluency Of Fifth-Grade Students, Laura Ashley Black
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, an estimated 75% of students who are poor readers in 3rd grade continue to be poor readers in 9th grade. Although much research has been conducted on this topic, engaging and successful reading programs that put theory into practice are scarce. Reader's theater is a strategy students use to collaborate, rehearse, and critique one another while the teacher offers support and modeling. The research questions addressed the effectiveness of using Reader's Theater to improve scores in reading fluency and comprehension. LaBerge and Samuels' automaticity theory was used as the …
Examining Administrator Perceptions On The Success Of A Ninth Grade Transition Model,
2016
Walden University
Examining Administrator Perceptions On The Success Of A Ninth Grade Transition Model, Felicia Renee' Walker
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Ninth grade students are at a greater risk of dropping out of high school than are other grade-level populations. Factors such as a lack of academic preparedness, social and developmental changes, and the decline of parental support often result in 9th grade students falling behind in their academic work. Using holistic education as the conceptual framework, the goal of this intrinsic case study was to explore the perceptions of school and district office administrators on the impact that a 9th grade transition program has on the 9th grade retention and dropout rate of a high school located in the southeastern …
Adult Students' Perceptions Of Transfer Services At An Historically Black University,
2016
Walden University
Adult Students' Perceptions Of Transfer Services At An Historically Black University, Kimberly Anne Crews
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics have indicated a steady growth of students attending 3 or more institutions while pursuing a baccalaureate degree. When students transfer institutions, they may have specific needs for their new institution. Informed by the transfer receptive culture framework, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of students who had attended 3 or more postsecondary institutions on the services they received, before and after their transfer. Purposeful sampling yielded 9 adult students with multiple-institution attendance histories. Data were collected through semistructured instant messaging interviews. A series of messages included …
Chinese International Students' And Faculty Members' Views Of Plagiarism In Higher Education,
2016
Walden University
Chinese International Students' And Faculty Members' Views Of Plagiarism In Higher Education, Alan Edward Grigg
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
As the enrollment of Chinese international students (CIS) increased at a private institution in the Midwest, so did suspected cases of plagiarism. This study addressed the problem of how faculty members grappled with CIS' interpretation and application of Western-based views of plagiarism. The purpose of the study was to identify similarities and differences in the views of these 2 groups. Social cognitive theory, intercultural adaptation theory, and neutralization theory framed this qualitative case study. The research questions focused on how these particular CIS interpreted and applied the Western concept of plagiarism to assignments and exams, the impact of classroom practices …
Using The Power Of 3 With Total Joint Surgery Patients,
2016
Walden University
Using The Power Of 3 With Total Joint Surgery Patients, Lynda M. Sanchez
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
The purpose of patient education is to provide patients and their families with the tools needed to care for themselves after discharge from the hospital, but shortened hospital stays, limited health literacy, language, and age can impede the patient's comprehension of the information provided. Researchers have found that the lack of effective patient education is related to 30-day hospital readmissions. The Power of 3 educational tool, designed by Sanchez and Cooknell, addressed the factors that impeded effective patient teaching by using the adult learning theory and low health literacy concepts. The Power of 3 was implemented as a quality improvement …
Factors Of Resilience That Support University Art And Design Students,
2016
Walden University
Factors Of Resilience That Support University Art And Design Students, Ruth C. Morgan
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Graduation rates in bachelor's degrees in the United States continue to be lower than stakeholders expect, despite the many advantages of college completion. This phenomenological study investigated the interplay between resilience, coping strategies, and college completion for undergraduate art and design students in an effort to improve graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to address gaps in the literature regarding art and design students' resilience and academic success. Findings were interpreted using 3 conceptual frameworks: resilience theory, Bronfenbrenner's ecology of human development, and Dweck's theory of mindsets and self-beliefs. Research questions guiding this study addressed the external and …
