Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Educational Involvement Of Parents Of English Learners, Elizabeth M. Vera, M Susman Israel, Laura Coyle, J Cross, Laura Knight-Lynn, I Moallem, G Bartucci, N Goldberger

Center for Research Quality Publications

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the relationships among a range of specific barriers and facilitators of parent involvement and a variety of types of school involvement within a diverse group of immigrant parents of English Learners (ELs) in four elementary school districts. In-home types of educational involvement such as monitoring homework and asking children about their school day were the most commonly reported behaviors, and utilizing community resources was found to be the least common type of parental involvement. Involvement type was predicted by parental demographic factors such as comfort with English language, educational background, and …

Child, Parent, And Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives On Hiv Infection Status Disclosure To Children, Grace Gachanja

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

HIV infected parents face great challenges when contemplating and performing disclosure of theirs and their children's illnesses to their infected and noninfected children. HIV disclosure guidelines for a parent's and child's illness do not exist in resource-poor nations. This hinders and impedes the delivery of disclosure from parent to child. This qualitative phenomenological study, based on the disease progression theory and the consequence theory of HIV disclosure, was conducted to understand the lived experiences of HIV-infected parents and their children living in Kenya before, during, and after disclosure of a parent's and child's HIV infection status. Thirty four participants consisting …

A Middle Management Perspective On Strategy Implementation, Ahmad Salih

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Strategic management researchers have established the key role middle managers play in the implementation of organizational strategies. However, there is little information regarding middle managers' views and perceptions of strategy implementation and the challenges associated with implementing organizational strategies. Drawing from activity theory and inspired by the strategy-as-practice perspective, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the views and perceptions of 12 middle managers and 3 management consultants on the factors influencing organizational strategy implementation. The research questions addressed in this study included the views of middle managers on: (a) the key challenges associated with strategy implementation, …

The Impact Of Facebook Access In Creating A Sense Of Community In Tourism And Recreation Classes, Lorie A. Tuma

Presidential Alumni Research Dissemination Award

Previous research has indicated that college students use social networking sites such as Facebook to establish friendships, maintain communication, and foster a sense of community; research also has indicated that many college instructors do not. Many college faculty acknowledge the importance of a sense of community in the classroom but are reluctant to try social media as a way to enhance student motivation, affective learning, and classroom climate. The purpose of this ex post facto, causal comparative study was to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in tourism and recreation students' self-reported sense of community when an instructor's …

Government-To-Government E-Government: A Case Study Of A Federal Financial Program, Olu Faokunla

School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) Dissertation Award

The problem with the study of the concept of electronic government (e-Gov) is that scholars in the field have not adequately explored various dimensions ofthe concept. Literature on e-Gov is replete with works on the form of government to consumer e-Gov. Much less work had been done on the government to government (G2G) e-Gov. This qualitative case study was predicated on the concepts of intergovernmental relations and intergovernmental management, and it sought to fill the gap in the literature by providing a clear understanding of G2G e-Gov by exploring a federal program in the United States. The central research question …

A Multiple Case Study Analysis Of The Positive Deviance Approach In Community Health, Piroska Bisits Bullen

Harold L. Hodgkinson Award for Outstanding Dissertation

The positive deviance (PD) approach involves finding individuals who have solved a problem and spreads their unique solutions to others. While there have been calls for PD to become a standard tool in community health, there has been little research on the approach. This study investigated how PD is used in practice and evidence of its effectiveness by analyzing case studies of 40 PD programs and 32 PD inquiries implemented in a range of high, middle, and low income countries by both national and international organizations. Case studies were developed using data from publicly available documents. Qualitative within-case and cross-case …

Fear As A Predictor Of Life Satisfaction For Older Adults In Retirement In Canada, Satoko Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In developed countries, most healthy retirees still have fears about growing old; however, there is little empirical data on the relationship between this fear and quality of life. This cross-sectional, correlational, survey study tested whether a summated measure of fears of growing old (fear) based on Laslett’s theory of retirement (the third age) significantly predicted life satisfaction and retirement satisfaction after adjusting for significant activity theory covariates. 190 Canadian volunteer retirees at 3 community retirement centers completed surveys. A pilot study established the reliability and valdity of the scales, including an instrument Fears about Growing Old derived from Laslett’s exemplifications, …

Redefining Globalization, Aqueil Ahmad

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

This article highlights some facts and fallacies about globalization, with a particular reference to the global economy. To explain what is globalization and what it is not is critical both theoretically and practically for nations, corporations, and communities to benefit from it and avoid its negative consequences. Some historical antecedents of globalization and the interactive nature of its structures and processes are highlighted in this article. The analysis is expected to benefit scholars, practitioners, and agents of social change interested and involved directly or indirectly in the impacts and processes of globalization.

Graduate Student Researchers' Knowledge/Efficacy: Results From A Virtual Lab, Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Stadtlander and Giles (2010) showed the feasibility of a virtual psychology research laboratory. The present study examines improvement in students’ research skills and efficacy in a three quarter lab. Students conducted interviews in a faculty designed project, analyzed the data, and co-wrote a journal manuscript. Findings indicate lab students’ research knowledge and efficacy improved significantly over non-lab graduate students.

Transformational Leadership And Job Satisfaction Of Retired Army Noncommissioned Officers In South Korea, Terra Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations, including the military and their managers, have used transformational leadership for over 30 years to increase job satisfaction. The purpose of this correlation research study was to determine whether a relationship existed between transformational leadership and job satisfaction among retired Army noncommissioned officers who had rejoined the military workforce in South Korea. The research question was grounded in a synthesis of theories concerning transformational leadership and job satisfaction. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ5X), the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), and Job in General (JIG) scales were used to gather data from 141 participants. Univariate analyses were used to document that …

Environmental Justice And Hydraulic Fracturing: The Ascendancy Of Grassroots Populism In Policy Determination, Nancy C. Carre

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Exploration and development of natural gas resources includes the use of hydraulic fracturing, a process that can potentially contaminate domestic water sources. While industry seeks access to BLM leases for new wells, their proximity to communities can have serious negative consequences on their health and life style, raising questions of how sites are selected and concerns about environmental justice. This case scenario explores the manner in which the residents of Delta County, Colorado, organized in response to proposed lease sales, and how grassroots mobilization uses technology and proactive mechanisms to affect public policy.

Mindfulness And The Art Of Living Creatively: Cultivating A Creative Life By Minding Our Mind, Satinder Dhiman

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

This paper studies the role of mindful creativity in life and at work. It explores the relationship between mindfulness as a creative process and the concept of flow, suggesting that the Buddhist meditative practice of mindfulness contributes to the successful attainment of both of these experiences. It utilizes the Buddhist construct of mindfulness as a framework to approach the works of Langer, a Harvard psychologist, and Csikszentmihalyi, who popularized the concept of flow. This author had the privilege of interviewing Csikszentmihalyi and Langer recently. For Langer, total engagement and immersion in everything done is the key to mindful creativity, which …

Compassionate Creativity: The Progressive Renaissance Of A Seasoned Concept, Joan Marques

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

In this article, I present the findings of a study conducted with 115 MBA students, who also were members of the workforce, about the qualities they would prefer to see in their managers and leaders. I first address the concerns of contemporary times by drawing an analogy between the main problems in business performance and those in business education, namely, a top-down approach, immoral practices, and stakeholder dissatisfaction. Based upon the results of the study, I then present the 10 Cs for leaders and managers, discuss their interdependency, draw a linkage with the foundational studies regarding relationship and task behaviors …

Service Learning In Higher Education Exercise Science Programs, Wendy Bjerke Ph.D.

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Service Learning in Higher Education Exercise Science Programs

ABSTRACT

Research Category

INTRODUCTION: Service Learning (SL) describes teaching methods that incorporate student service activities with specific learning objectives. SL has been applied to allied health higher education programs.

PURPOSE: To determine the applicability of SL to exercise science courses. SL data associated with an undergraduate course in exercise physiology serving a local fire department is examined.

METHODS: Among 90 firefighters, resting heart rate, blood pressure, estimated relative VO2 max, body composition, lower extremity power, upper body strength, flexibility, and perceived stress was assessed pre and post an education and physical …

Using Video And Contact To Change Attitudes Toward Gay Men And Lesbians, Jonna J. Cooley, Gary J. Burkholder

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Prejudice against gay men and lesbians has continued to fuel negative attitudes that are perpetuated by stereotypes and by validation from those within one’s own social group. While there has been some research regarding the impact of contact on attitudes, the present study expands the theoretical approach of Allport and the empirical work of researchers such as Herek to examine the impact of adding media to interactive contact with lesbian and gay individuals. Participants were placed into one of three treatment groups: control, video only, and video plus contact with gay men and lesbians. The sample included 106 undergraduate students …

Scholarly Inbreeding In Latin American Academically Managed Journals, Erwin Krauskopf

Higher Learning Research Communications

From a bibliometric perspective, scholarly inbreeding has been identified in journals through the excessive use of both author and journal self-citations. However, editorial bias toward researchers from the same institution as the editorial management team has seldom been considered. According to the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, this occurs when a journal publishes more than 20% of documents authored by researchers affiliated with the same institution as the editorial management team. The purpose of this study is to establish the extent to which 81 Latin American journals managed by universities publish intramural documents (defined as those published by its …

Covid-19: Threat Or Opportunity For Online Education?, Dimitrios Vlachopoulos

Higher Learning Research Communications

The outbreak of the COVID-19 began in the Wuhan region of China in December 2019. By February 2020, cases of COVID-19 had been detected on every continent. Governments are advising citizens to be prepared for an outbreak in their community. Today, we are globally experiencing closures in schools and universities, postponements or even cancellations of conferences and other organised events, and social distancing. In addition, we have also seen the promotion of flexible ways of studying and working to hinder the rapid spread of the virus. This position paper aims to reflect on where exactly does online education figure into …

Insights For Community Outreach Building To Promote Lifelong Learning With Higher Education Alumni In Chile, Paula A. Charbonneau-Gowdy, Héctor A. Magaña

Higher Learning Research Communications

Despite conclusive evidence from high performing Higher Education (HE) institutions worldwide demonstrating the benefits of strong alumni-relations, institutions in many evolving countries often neglect their graduates. And this, despite rapid advances in technology that can support ongoing relations. The objective of our year-long project was to address this neglect. We (re)connected with 220 English Pedagogy alumni through a digital newsletter. The newsletter provided a forum for building community and mediating professional development among graduates and current faculty. Our qualitative mini case study focused on uncovering the emotions, perspectives and needs of former students through the lens of sociocultural and identity …

Interdisciplinary Collaborative Research For Professional Academic Development In Higher Education, Elizabeth Johnston, Cheryl Burleigh, Andrea Wilson

Higher Learning Research Communications

Although faculties are more diverse, decentralized, and increasingly isolated in technology-supported modern universities, effective technology use can also foster faculty professional academic development and collegiality. This scoping literature review applied Cooper’s systemic review model and a categorical content analysis technique targeting decentralized collaborative research teams in higher education. Findings indicate technology supports formal and informal university and nonuniversity networks, as well as various collaborative research structures; all contributing to professional academic development. Shared attributes of successful collaborative online teams include a sense of social presence, accountability, institutional and team leadership. Collaborative teams are integral to research and allow more faculty …

Western Faculty Members' Cross-Border Lived Experiences, Xin Bu, Bill Mccaw, Patty Kero

Higher Learning Research Communications

Universities in China and the United States have been engaged in cross-border education through partnerships establishing international branch campuses (IBCs). This qualitative study used Moustakas’s (1994) strategy of inquiry as a framework and explored Western faculty members’ cross-border lived experiences at IBCs in China. IBCs in this study were coestablished by American universities and their Chinese partners. The central research question that guided this study asked about the lived experiences of Western faculty members at IBCs in China. This study purposefully selected 14 participants and data were collected through semistructured, one-on-one, face-to-face interviews. Moustakas’s (1994) seven-level method of analysis involving …

Phenomenological Investigation Of Elementary School Teachers Who Successfully Integrated Instructional Technology Into The Classroom, Lori R. Walker, Maryfriend Shepard

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Technology integration in school curricula promotes student achievement, yet many teachers are not successfully integrating technology for learning. This phenomenological study explored the strategies of 10 elementary teachers in Georgia who overcame barriers to technology integration to successfully incorporate lessons within the public school curriculum. To understand the successes, we assessed strategies for overcoming barriers, intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and professional development experiences. Rogers’s innovation-decision process provided the theoretical foundation and data sources consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and two in-depth, semistructured interviews. Data were coded for preliminary categories, and themes were generated using open coding. Despite common barriers, the …

A Mixed-Methods Study Assessing Special Education Preservice Candidates' Preparedness For Their First Year Of Teaching, Beverly Tillman, Stephen B. Richards, Catherine Lawless Frank

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study employed a Likert-type survey,

Praxis/Pathwise

written observations, as well as guided and open-ended reflections to assess the perceptions of preparedness for the first year of teaching for special education student teaching candidates. Cooperating teachers completed the survey and Praxis /Pathwise observations. University supervisors completed Praxis/Pathwise observations and responded to and analyzed guided and open-ended reflections. The survey instrument was based on the research literature and included responsibilities typically required of special educators (e.g., completing paperwork, planning, assessment, etc.). Results indicated general congruence among the three data sources, but also indicated that two cooperating …

Navigating Through The Storm: Reinventing Education For Postmodern Democracies, Jess L. Gregory

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

No abstract provided.

Reflective Thinking In Elementary Preservice Teacher Portfolios: Can It Be Measured And Taught?, Rebecca Pennington

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study examined whether teacher portfolios can be validly and reliably assessed by investigating the effect of an instructional tool on increasing the level of reflective thinking in elementary preservice teachers’ portfolios. It also examined whether reflective thinking in preservice teachers’ electronic portfolios represented sufficient quality to make them useful in practice. The Rubric for Evaluating Portfolio Reflective Thinking instrument developed for this study demonstrated moderate levels of interrater reliability (r = .66) and sufficient content validity to be used to measure reflective thinking. Also, members of the treatment group scored significantly higher on five of the six portfolio domains …

Online Doctoral Student Research And Writing Self-Efficacy In A Publishing Internship, Lee M. Stadtlander, Amy Sickel, Daniel Salter

Higher Learning Research Communications

The present project purposed to develop a publishing internship program and evaluate its effect on doctoral student participants. A key assumption was that direct experience with the publishing process as a doctoral student would help build some of the necessary skills and self-efficacy to be successful as authors/scholars in the future. Because there has not been previous research in this area, the present study addresses this gap. Two different assessments, a writing knowledge and self-efficacy inventory and a research self-efficacy inventory, were used in a pre–posttest design to evaluate the impact of participation in the 6-month internship program on 22 …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of A Medical School Musculoskeletal Curriculum At An Academic Medical Center, Andy Lalka, Frank A. Scott, Ryan Caldwell, Andrew Black

Higher Learning Research Communications

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are common medical problems encountered by physicians and affected 126.6 million Americans in 2012. Musculoskeletal education has inadequate in United States medical schools. Objective: To determine the musculoskeletal competency of third year medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional 25-question nationally validated musculoskeletal competency exam was given to the third year medical students. A survey was given to second and third year medical students to assess students’ level of interest in musculoskeletal medicine and their feedback regarding the curriculum. Results: The mean score of the competency exam was 69.0%. There was 48/107 (44.9%) students’ who reached the minimum passing …

Adjunct Faculty Perceptions Of Participation In Online Collaborative Research Teams, Rita Hartman, Danielle Sixsmith Edd, Patricia Akojie, Christa Banton

Higher Learning Research Communications

Career professionals who serve as adjunct faculty at the university level are expected to engage in continual research and publishing to maintain their status as adjunct (part-time) faculty, to be considered for potential advancement, and to qualify for additional compensation. One way of meeting this objective is to participate in online collaborative research projects benefiting from a set of multiple lenses, multiple insights, and a multitude of considerations in regard to design, methodology, data interpretations, and broader reaching implications. A narrative inquiry approach was applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of adjunct faculty working in online collaborative …

Assessment Of The Socrative Platform As An Interactive And Didactic Tool In The Performance Improvement Of Stem University Students, Roberto Gómez-Espina, Delia Rodríguez-Oroz, Manuel Chávez, Cristian Saavedra, María Jesús Bravo

Higher Learning Research Communications

This paper collects and analyzes students' academic results related to the change in teaching methodologies used in different subjects of different science and engineering university courses between 2013 and 2016. This change means introducing active methodologies such as gamification and ICT instead of a traditional methodology. With this purpose the use of Socrative, a platform that has been designed for the educational field, was introduced during said period. Interaction with the Socrative platform took place in well prepared classrooms with computers and internet connections, including the use of personal mobile devices (laptops, smartphones and tablets) according to the BYOD methodology. …

Assessing And Modeling Student Academic Practices And Performance In First-Year Mathematics Courses In Higher Education, Kim Ward, Chantal Larose

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This research brief explores literature addressing developmental education to identify successful interventions in first-year math courses in higher education. Our goal is to describe the relationship between students’ academic practices and their final course grade in their first-year math courses. Method: Data on 3,249 students have been gathered and analyzed using descriptive statistics and predicative analytics. We describe the Math program, which includes a supplemental support component, and the environment under which it was created. We then examine the behavior between students’ participation in supplemental support and their academic performance. Results: We used classification and regression tree algorithms to …

Active Learning Through Community Outreach: A Case Study Of Service-Learning In A Natural Hazard, Vulnerability And Risk Class, Brittany Brand, Margaret Sass, Kara Brascia

Higher Learning Research Communications

The popularity of service-learning is increasing, especially at a time where college students want to make a greater impact in their communities. One place we found that students can make a meaningful impact in their communities is promoting community resiliency to natural hazard events through a community outreach project. This article provides a case study of how incorporating service-learning through a community outreach project can increase student engagement, enhance the depth of understanding of a given topic, build communication and teamwork skills, and contribute meaningfully to the students’ community. This article shares how the instructor of a Natural Hazards, Vulnerability …