Digital Commons Network^™

K–2 Teachers’ Perspectives On Managing Student Behaviors In Inclusive Classrooms, Hailey Camp Kilcrease

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the start of the full inclusion movement, K–2 general education teachers have been overwhelmed with their behavior management due to the increased numbers of students with disabilities in their classroom who display emotional/behavioral challenges. This basic qualitative study aimed to explore K–2 teachers’ perspectives on having a broad range of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms, along with what barriers and facilitators K–2 teachers describe as affecting their ability to manage behaviors in the classroom. M.A. Barnes’ inclusive education conceptual framework supported and guided the research study and data analyses. The sample for this study was 12 K–2 general …

Assessing The Relationship(S) Between Efficiency And Total Performance Scores For Hospitals In Miami, Florida, Latasha Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. health care system is faced with the need to reduce costs and improve clinical outcomes. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program ensures that health care delivery is value-based rather than volume-based. In this quantitative study, the relationship(s) between efficiency and total performance scores (TPS) for hospitals in Miami, Florida participating in the CMS HVBP in 2021 were examined. Using the Donabedian model, the research question focused on assessing the correlation between total performance hospital efficiency scorse. The sampls included for-profit and nonprofit government and private-owned hospitals. A partial correlation was used to …

Cybersecurity Strategies Information Technology Leaders Use To Protect Healthcare Information Systems From Ransomware, Alejandro Ruiz-Caino

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare organizations’ (HCOs’) information systems (IS) are prone to increasing ransomware cyberattacks. For HCO information technology (IT) leaders, protecting IS from ransomware attacks is vital because these systems manage large amounts of confidential and sensitive data. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore strategies used by IT leaders in HCOs to protect IS from ransomware attacks. Participants included eight IT leaders from HCOs in the United States responsible for IS protection against ransomware cyberattacks. Data sources included semistructured interviews conducted with the participants via videoconferencing, the researcher’s field notes, and 10 …

Nigerian Nurses' Perceptions Of Caring For Women With Female Genital Mutilation, Jane-Frances Echeozo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are numerous health problems associated with female genital mutilation (FGM) practice. In Nigerian healthcare, professionals need to ensure culturally sensitive care for FGM cases. However, there was a literature gap involving culturally sensitive care for Nigerian women with FGM complications, evidenced by some northern Nigerian nurses who were not able to identify FGM categories or cultural given names associated with FGM types. Thus, this qualitative study involved ascertaining the worldview of Nigerian nurses and midwives in Owerri regarding providing culturally competent nursing care for FGM complications, guided by the process of cultural competence in the delivery of healthcare services …

Impact Of Coronavirus Pandemic On Employee Turnover In Financial Institutions In Ghana, Maame Esi Abbam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The outbreak of the novel Coronavirus pandemic in late 2019 brought about a lot of challenges that affected several sectors and industries. The current research focused on assessing the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on employee turnover within the financial institutions in Ghana with a specific focus on women employees. Financial institutions are significant pillars of the Ghanaian economy, and they contribute to economic growth and provide essential financial services to businesses and individuals. Through Vroom’s expectancy theory and a qualitative phenomenological approach and analysis, the study was designed to explore the factors that contributed to employee turnover with a …

K–5 Principal Challenges Supporting Classroom Teachers In Emergency Distance Education, Catherine Marie Mlodzik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and showed how unprepared school principals were for such a rapid pivot to online. According to recent studies, principals’ roles were managerial rather than instructional, and the pivot away from the manager role toward instructional leaders, specifically related to technology, revealed many principals were unprepared to support teachers. Research has yet to establish the specific challenges related to technology implementation that occurred in this role shift for principals. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K–5 school principals’ perceptions about the challenges they faced relating to technology leadership during …

Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions And Support Frameworks For Students With Disabilities, Wynter Sharee Deans-Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem explored in the study was that elementary and middle school special education teachers in the southeastern United States were not using positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) strategies with their students with disabilities (SWDs), even though the framework had been implemented at their schools. Perceptions of elementary and middle school special education teachers who implemented PBIS with SWDs were explored in this basic qualitative study. The study was grounded in the concerns-based adoption model, which could be applied to people experiencing change and allows researchers to identify and interpret the extent of their concerns. The research questions answered …

Curriculum And Instructional Strategies To Strengthen A Smoking Cessation Intervention Program, Therese Lynetta Burrell Prehay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a British Overseas territory, a smoking cessation program was implemented in 2014 and had not been evaluated since inception. The problem that was addressed in this study was that despite the implementation of the “I Can Quit” program, it was unknown which curriculum and instructional strategy interventions participants thought were useful in supporting smoking cessation. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the “I Can Quit” participants’ perspectives on the curriculum and instructional strategies used to support the smoking cessation intervention. With Knowles’s adult learning theory as the conceptual framework, participants’ perspectives on the curriculum and …

Strategies Leaders Of U.S. Laboratory Testing Organizations Use To Maximize Customer Satisfaction, Kurt Clarkson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maximizing customer satisfaction is vital for U.S. laboratory testing organizations to succeed within a competitive industry. Leaders of U.S. laboratories are concerned with customer satisfaction because dissatisfied customers can negatively impact customer retention, profitability, and firms’ competitiveness. Grounded in the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that leaders of U.S. laboratory testing organizations implemented to maximize customer satisfaction. The participants were five leaders of laboratories in the southeast United States that held current ISO 17025 certification, were non-medical testing laboratories, and received positive online customer reviews. Data were collected from semistructured …

A Qualitative Study Of County Political Party Response To The Top-Two Primary In Washington State, Lori Larsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The top-two primary election system, used on a limited basis in the United States, allows all voters (regardless of party preference) to vote for any candidate on the ballot for the primary election; the top-two vote earners advance to the general election, regardless of candidate party preference. Two candidates with the same party preference may advance. Additionally, political parties have no formal ability to affirm or disavow a candidate’s party preference. The effects of this system include uncertainty among county political parties and voters. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand Washington State county political party response to …

Social Workers, Positive Behavior Interventions Supports, And Exclusionary Discipline Of Black Males, Jacqueline Binion

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers play an instrumental role in providing school faculty members with skills and interventions to facilitate positive outcomes in both schools and the community at large. It is not known what role social workers play in the suspension and exclusion of Black male high school students. The research questions for this generic qualitative study explored the perspective of high school teachers and social workers from various South Mississippi counties perceptions of the roles social workers play in the implementation of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) and social workers’ impact on the exclusion of Black male students from …

The Moderating Effect Of Race On The Relationship Between Perceived Supervisor Support And Burnout Amongst Public Health Workers, Douglas Diontay Gaffney, Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Recent research has shown that burnout is a prevalent problem across the public health workforce. Burnout (BO) contributes to workplace challenges in turnover, employee performance, job satisfaction, and overall quality of life, and is more prevalent among racial minorities. Not only has BO been found to differ across racial demographics, employee perceptions about their level of support from supervisors (PSS) also differ. This quantitative study, informed by Meyer’s minority stress theory, examined Black-White differences in PSS and BO, and whether race moderated the relationship between PSS and BO. Data collected by De Beaumont’s 2017 national public health workforce interest and …

Strategies Leaders Of Small Businesses Use To Develop And Implement Succession Plans, Selma Daphne St. Prix

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of succession plans can lead to organizational knowledge loss. Small business leaders are concerned with succession planning, which can lead to company closures. Grounded in Woodworth and Thorndike’s knowledge transfer for succession planning theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies small business leaders use to develop and implement succession plans. The participants were two small business owners of a health sector organization in the Midwestern United States who implemented succession plans to prevent organization knowledge loss. Data were collected using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, semistructured interviews, and a review of organizational documents. …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On Implementing The Center On The Social And Emotional Foundations For Early Learning Teaching Pyramid Strategies To Address Challenging Behaviors In The Classroom, Maria Suarez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool teachers in a small county in a southern state are among a growing number of teachers who have expressed concern about not having the skills needed to support young children with challenging behaviors. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) teaching pyramid was developed to help preschool teachers minimize behavioral problems in the classroom. There is a need for preschool teachers to implement strategies for addressing challenging behaviors in the classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of preschool teachers on implementing the strategies of the CSEFEL pyramid to …

Association Between Medication Adherence And Asthma Among Latinos In The United States, Denisse Silva

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prior research has shown that Latinos in the United States face disproportionate challenges in managing their asthma symptoms. Therefore, this study aimed to identify factors that may influence medication adherence and asthma episodes among Latinos in the United States and was guided by Andersen’s health behavior theory. Data from 2020 Latinos who participated in the National Health Interview System in 2020 were analyzed. Findings indicated that nearly 23% of respondents reported an asthma episode. Approximately 25% of the sample reported an asthma episode during the last 12 months. A total of 43.6% of the sample reported not taking medication every …

Increasing Nurses’ Knowledge Regarding Beers Criteria And Polypharmacy In Elderly, Non-Institutionalized Patients, Florence Chinwe Ukenye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The elderly population, comprising individuals ages 65 years and above, accounts for 12% of the total population in the United States. Many elderly individuals residing in noninstitutionalized communities continue to experience the effects of polypharmacy despite efforts to employ evidence-based practices for medication reconciliation. Preventing polypharmacy among people ages 65 and older is crucial to avoid unintended drug abuse and subsequent adverse drug effects in this vulnerable patient group. One significant strategy to prevent drug-related problems and negative effects of medications is using the Beers criteria. The gap in practice in a post-acute care and rehabilitation facility addressed in this …

Trauma Informed Care And Secondary Traumatic Stress Experienced By Counselors In Community Mental Health, Rebecca Renee Cameron-Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is prevalent in counselors working with clients with trauma. Clients seeking services in community mental health (CMH) settings often have a higher prevalence of traumatic experiences and are unable to access services outside of CMH settings. Counselors working in these settings also generally face high caseloads, less pay, and often less experience in the field. Trauma informed care (TIC) has been shown to increase positive outcomes for clients and counselors providing services to clients. This quantitative survey study focused on the relationship between counselor attitudes related toward TIC and the severity of STS experienced by counselors. …

Glocalization Business Strategies For Sme Sustainability In Nigeria, Olusanya Oyeyem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small and medium enterprise (SME) retail business leaders in Nigeria lack glocalization business strategies, which can result in an SME’s failure to sustain their business beyond 5 years. When SME business leaders lack glocalization strategies their ability to remain operational and profitable can impact long-term organizational sustainability. Grounded in the glocalization theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies some leaders of retail SMEs in Nigeria use to foster sustainability beyond 5 years. The participants were four managers and one executive officer from five retail businesses. Through thematic analysis, six themes were identified: exchange …

Self-Management Of Coronary Heart Disease Among Middle-Aged And Older Low-Income African Americans, Tina Alfred-Iyamu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coronary heart disease (CHD) stands out as the predominant cardiovascular condition, exerting a significant toll on both mortality and morbidity. Notably, African Americans (AA) grapple with an alarmingly elevated incidence, prevalence, and mortality rate compared to other demographics within the United States. Extensive research underscores the potential for effective CHD management through self-management practices, though this is notably deficient. This qualitative, phenomenological study delves into the intricate lived experiences surrounding the self-management of CHD among low-income individuals in the middle-aged and older AA demographic. My theoretical framework was the Health Belief Model. Impressively, the study participants exhibited a profound understanding …

Relationships Between Pedagogical Practices And Affective States For Effective Teaching During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Insights From University Professors, Carola Bruna, Verónica Villarroel, Alejandro Sánchez, Joaquin Cortes, Pablo Castro-Carrasco, María Leonor Conejeros-Solar

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze how pedagogical practices and affective states during emergency remote teaching influence professors’ perspectives on their capabilities and the professor-student relationship.

Method: We used a nonexperimental quantitative design, collecting data through an online survey during the first year of the pandemic. Participants were recruited using a non-probability sampling method. A total of 636 university professors from Chilean universities participated. We performed descriptive and correlation analyses between variables. Also, to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing perceptions of the professors’ competence and the professor–student relationship, we conducted linear regression models.

Results: A higher perception …

Church Leaders' Perception Of Their Role In The Deterrence Of Juvenile Reincarceration, Sherine Sandrea Brown-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2019, U.S. law enforcement officers detained almost 700,000 juveniles under the age of 18. The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention stated that 55% of juveniles were rearrested within a year, and after that, 24% of juveniles were reincarcerated within a year. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore church leaders’ perceptions of their role, experiences, and activities in contributing to reducing the risk of reincarceration of juvenile offenders, and to create a model for other community leaders. The conceptual framework for the study was Shaw and McKay’s social disorganization theory. …

Social Desirability And Relational Self-Esteem In Adults That Experienced Childhood Peer Victimization, Trisha Jeffers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood peer victimization occurs every day in the United States. This experience causes stress, mood changes, and social discord for the victims. Other researchers have examined the long-term implications of childhood peer victimization, which include depression, anxiety, stress response, attention deficits, and poor overall well-being. Further research is needed to identify more areas impacted by childhood peer victimization. Social learning theory proposed experiences influence behaviors and provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Ninety-nine participants were recruited for this quantitative study using online crowdsourcing and social media. The participants completed a survey comprised of the California Bullying Victimization Scale Retrospective …

Strong Black Woman Schema And Its Impact Among Black Women, Charissa Simon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the impact of the Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema on the mental health and help-seeking behaviors of Black/African American professional women, contributing novel insights to existing literature. Despite possessing access and financial means for mental health services, a strikingly low rate of Black/African American professional women seek such resources. The study was grounded in intersectionality theory and the self-silencing theory. Eleven Black/African American professional women participants volunteered. Thematic analysis illuminated common barriers including pride, distrust in the mental health system, a strong inclination towards self-reliance, feelings of being misunderstood, and a lack of emotional support. …

Intersectional Model Of Service Use: Understanding Transgender And Nonbinary Healthcare Access, Jarrod Call, Brendon Holloway

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people often have difficulty accessing healthcare services because of the systemic forces of transphobia and cisgenderism. Despite this, there is little theory specifically designed to examine healthcare access among TNB people. We conducted a literature review to identify studies examining TNB healthcare access. We screened a total of 2,050 unique articles for inclusion, resulting in a final sample of 46 articles that met the review criteria. Theories used and key findings were coded to inform the development of the Intersectional Model of Service Use (IMSU) for TNB people. The IMSU builds upon current theoretical frameworks including …

A Qualitative Examination Of Teachers’ Experiences Building Student Resilience In Rural Kenya, Priscilla Ann Stafford Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in rural and underresourced school settings often perform poorly due to adversity. This is evident in subcounty schools where challenges such as domestic violence and low socioeconomic status further impact students' academic performance. Researchers have demonstrated that the relationship between students and teachers is instrumental in building resilience and developing social emotional competence. By fostering resilience, teachers can play a crucial role in mitigating these challenges. However, few studies have examined teacher experience in building resilience in students through a qualitative study. Using a generic qualitative descriptive study and grounded in the theory of resilience, semistructured interviews were completed …

School Counseling Site Supervisors’ Lived Experience Of Supervision Preparedness, Erin Augustine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. counseling programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs mandate specific supervision requirements for counselors-in-training, in all specialty areas. Supervising school counselors-in-training (SCITs) differs due to the unique responsibilities of school counselors, which encompass crisis response, curriculum development, consultation, data management, small group and individual counseling, leadership, and student advocacy. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of preparedness levels of school counselor site supervisors. Data collection involved semistructured interviews with six participants who had all served or were currently serving as a school counseling site supervisor. The …

Examining Technology Use And Competence Of Higher Education Academics During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Devrim Akgunduz, Aysegul Kinik Topalsan

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: The present study describes the utilization frequency and competencies of educational technologies among academics at a university in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants were 391 faculty members and lecturers working in the faculties and vocational schools of a Turkish university during the 2020–2021 academic year. A survey included questions regarding the use of educational technologies and perceived competency in the use of those technologies.

Results: Academics are more familiar with distance education than hybrid or blended learning. Academics reported that blended learning, hybrid learning, and distance education provide more effective education on integrating technology but report that …

Effect Of Formal Toileting Programs On Urinary Tract Infection Rates In Long Term Care, Deborah Jeanmarie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urinary tract infection (UTI) accounts for up to 31% of sepsis diagnoses and is the fourth leading cause of infections in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Timed and prompted toileting programs are used by LTCs to reduce incontinence episodes, but there is a lack of information regarding the effectiveness of timed and prompted voiding incontinence management programs on the rate of UTIs. The purpose of this study, guided by Donabedian’s conceptual model of quality improvement, was to determine if there is a difference in the rate of UTIs in Georgia LTC facilities that have a timed and prompted voiding program and …

Caregivers' Attachment Relationships With Infants And Toddlers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rebecca Ellen Roth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health and safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants continue to influence practices in infant–toddler programs one western state in the United States; caregivers in the state are concerned about attachment relationships with infants and toddlers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore caregiver perceptions of attachment relationships related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its variants and the influence of health and safety protocols on caregiver practices. The conceptual framework combined attachment and biobehavioral theories. Data from interviews with four infant and six toddler caregivers were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by searching for patterns …

The Relationship Between Domestic Violence And Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes, Bernardina Marcelo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about how domestic violence treatment outcomes relate to substance abuse among intimate partners. Previous studies have reported that intimate partners who are in treatment for substance use struggle with the containment of domestic violence. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to investigate how substance abuse among intimate partners relates to domestic violence treatment outcomes. Two theoretical frameworks, namely cycle of violence theory and social exchange theory informed the study. A convenience sample of 76 participants participated in the study. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression, and the results showed that women in domestic …