Digital Commons Network^™

Lived Experiences Of Nurses Caring For Limited English Proficient Patients During A Pandemic, Thomas Cain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study addressed the need to better understand how a patient’s healthcare is influenced by lack of health literacy for limited English proficient patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. While registered nurses are a key component in the patient care continuum, there is a lack of evidence to understand the experiences caring for this vulnerable population during a pandemic. Framed by Roy’s adaptation model and Orem’s self-care deficit nursing theory, the purpose of this interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of registered nurses who cared for limited English patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020. Seven registered nurses participated …

Racial Capitalism And The African American Experience Entering The Cannabis Industry, Ayoka Medlock-Nurse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The cannabis industry in the United States is a competitive 16.9-billion-dollar industry built on private ownership, access to resources, operation for profit, and racism. However, under current cannabis policies, African American entrepreneurs are not benefiting from ownership and employment within the cannabis industry. Though some policies claim that the current medicinal and adult recreation laws will rectify racial disparities in arrest and ownership regarding cannabis sales, thus far, there are no sufficient increases to ownership, employment, or effective equity programs in place that accurately address racial disparities and the public policy barriers that keep African Americans excluded from the cannabis …

Reliable Data Collection: A Tool For Data Integrity In Nigeria, Stella Tonye Whyte

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unreliable and poor-quality data is a significant threat to governmental institutions because of its devastating impact on nations' social and economic well-being. Managers in government organizations require reliable data to inform economic planning and decision-making. Grounded in the theory of total quality management, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies information technology (IT) managers in sub-Saharan African countries use to ensure the reliability of data. The participants were 12 IT managers in three government establishments in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, responsible for ensuring the data reliability for economic planning and decision-making. The data collection …

Pathways And Assessment Effects On Composition I For Hispanic Non-Native English Speakers, Tammy L. Perez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the absence of a clearly defined pathway to Composition I for Hispanic non-native English-speaking students (HNNESS) testing below college level English at the study site. The purpose of the study was to identify an optimal pre-college English pathway for HNNESS using the college assessment of basic skills (CABS) and the pre-college English pathways (English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) pathway vs Developmental English pathway) on grade point average (GPA) in Composition I. Language acquisition theory framed the study. The research question focused on the effect of CABS performance and type of pathway …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Exploring Aviation Communication Experiences Of North American Pilots, Sonia Fay Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human factors contribute to approximately 75% of aviation accidents. The lack of effective flight deck communication has caused numerous aviation accidents which has resulted in the loss of many human lives. The specific management problem was that standardized flight deck communication of airline pilots may not be sufficient to prevent aviation accidents. The focus of the study was the lived flight deck communication experiences of North American pilots. Using the Observer Model of Communicology formed the conceptual framework for this study, 15 participants were selected, using purposive sampling. Data collection was accomplished via one-on-one interviews. Coding and thematic analysis were …

Instructional Practices Associated With Science Proficiency Of English Language Learners, Sherly Yadira Soto-Ortiz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe study addressed the gap in fifth-grade science proficiency between English language learners (ELLs) enrolled in two different science programs in a large school district in the Southeast United States. The Inspire program was implemented in 125 schools, while a combination of Inspire and Promoting Science among English Language Learners (PSELL) developed to facilitate science learning for non-English learners, was implemented in 25 schools. A concurrent mixed-methods case study design was used to examine how instructional practices of each program were (1) aligned with the instructional framework of the Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol (SIOP), (2) how the two programs supported …

Strategies For Establishing A Diverse Workforce Within A University Health System’S Department, Shanee Chantel Morgan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Balanced diversity in health care promotes patient satisfaction and enhances innovation. Obtaining a culturally balanced workplace requires recruitment strategies that encourage inclusiveness among team members from various backgrounds. The purpose of this doctoral study was to explore the issue of lack of diversity in a behavioral health organization’s (BHO’s) student intern program and identify strategies for creating greater diversity in the workplace. The Baldrige excellence framework, the conceptual framework that guided the research, was designed to help BHOs to improve their overall business performance to accomplish goals and increase organizational sustainability. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: diversity training, …

Educator And Parent Collaborative Literacy Support In A Title I School, Larhonda Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an urban elementary school serving a large percentage of low-socioeconomic status (SES) students in a southern state, the problem was that over 50% of student literacy scores remained below the state standard between 2016 and 2019. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine educators’ perceptions of teacher–parent collaboration to support literacy in the home and how these strategies may improve low-SES students’ literacy skills at the elementary target site. Using Bourdieu’s educational habitus theory, educators’ perceptions of teacher–parent collaboration strategies to enhance literacy and the advantages and barriers of fostering collaboration were examined for low-SES students …

Culturally Responsive Curriculum Implementation Of Middle School Principals In Southern Texas, Caroline Wendy Narine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although culturally responsive curricula are designed to educate students to be both socially and culturally successful, the curriculum implementation leadership practices middle school principals have used to support such curricula have been unclear. This study explored how middle school principals in southern Texas were supporting their teachers with implementing a culturally responsive curriculum in their schools. This basic qualitative study employed the applied critical leadership conceptual framework to explore the culturally responsive curriculum implementation leadership practices of middle school principals in southern Texas. The criteria for the selection of participants were 2 to 5 years’ experience as a principal in …

Perspectives Of Family Engagement In The Migrant And Seasonal Head Start Program, Toni L. Mahaney Stubbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem is that there is a significantly lower percentage of Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) families (2%) volunteering in Head Start (HS) programs where 75% of volunteers are former or current HS families. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how the local MSHS program incorporates family engagement through home and school experiences by examining how migrant family participants and teaching staff define family engagement, the role family engagement has on parent-teacher relationships, and how families enrolled in the local MSHS program are influenced by family engagement. The conceptual framework was culturally responsive teaching/practice. This …

African American Parents’ Experience Accessing Support Services For Their Autistic Child, Akisa S. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The perspective of African American parents of an autistic child is vital to understanding the experiences and challenges of accessing autism support services for their child. The purpose of this qualitative, generic study was to explore the experiences that African American parents in Philadelphia County, PA had in accessing and maintaining autism services for their children. The behavioral health model and the resilience theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 African American parents accessing autism support services in the Philadelphia County area. The data were analyzed using the six steps of thematic …

Coping Strategies Of Dual-Role Informal Caregivers, Lorilee Maldonado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are nearly 43.5 million informal caregivers (ICGs) in the United States, and this number will nearly double by 2030. Trying to fulfill the needs of an aging family member and commitments to work, home, and other relationships create a constant state of stress that may result in either leaving the workforce or placing the care recipient in a facility. Finding strategies that support both roles is economically and socially critical. This study explored the strategies that some ICGs have acquired that enable them to cope with these pressures. Work-family conflict theory, focusing on the conflict between work and family …

Lived Experiences Of Haitian Immigrants In The United States During The Trump Administration, Klaudya Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racism that is either blatant or perceived has contributed to all contemporary markings of group advantage and disadvantage along ethnic and racial lines, which includes differences in education, employment, housing, health, and health care. Understanding how these elements are impacting immigrants will be the key to helping this population overcome problems they might experience. One demographic whose emotional experiences have yet to be fully explored are Haitian immigrants. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the political climate under the Trump administration impacted the psychosocial lived experiences of Haitian immigrants who immigrated to the United States …

K-12 Principals, Instructional Leadership, And Equitable Gifted Program Placements For Students, Rochelle Marie Archelus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School leaders struggle to implement best instructional leadership practices to enhance student diversity in gifted programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how K-12 school principals implement instructional leadership practices regarding equitable placements of students in gifted programs. Three elements of Hallinger and Murphy’s instructional leadership model, (a) developing and promoting expectations, (b) assessing and monitoring student performance, and (c) supervising and evaluating instruction, informed this study. The research questions addressed instructional leadership practices and behaviors of K-12 school principals regarding placements of students in gifted programs. Ten K-12 school principals who worked in a large …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives On Engaging Fathers In Their Child’S Education, Jawan Marquis Burwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Preschool environments set the educational foundation for children in the early years. Despite the positive effects that preschool environments have on children and families, previous studies have shown that preschool teachers are challenged to engage fathers in their child’s education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate preschool teachers’ perspectives on engaging fathers in their child’s education. The conceptual framework was based upon Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. The research question focused on the challenges that teachers encounter in engaging fathers in their child’s education. This qualitative study included individual one-on-one interviews with 12 teachers using an open-ended …

Using Chess As An Intervention To Improve Executive Functioning Among Youth, Anandita Oberoi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth represent a vulnerable segment of the population and may have underdeveloped levels of executive functioning (EF), which is important in both daily life and is shown to have far-reaching effects. This research study aimed to decipher if lessons in the game of chess could be used as an efficacious intervention for accelerating EF development in youth. The three research questions focused on determining whether there was a difference in the chosen indices of EF before and after a 14-session chess intervention. The theoretical framework used for this study was Piaget’s cognitive development theory. This quantitative, single group pretest–posttest design …

Educational Interpreters For The Deaf: Job Ambiguity And Role Conflict, Marian Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study investigated the ongoing job ambiguity and role conflict of certified educational interpreters for the deaf (CEID). It explored and identified factors that contribute to the difficulty in recruiting and retaining CEID interpreters for K-12 schools. The difficulty is compounded by the need for increasingly complex and specialized skills and knowledge required to become a CEID. Little attention has been given to CEIDs and the problems of job ambiguity, role conflict, and interpreter shortage. Identification of the recurring factors in the job ambiguity and role conflict will contribute toward eliminating the shortage of CEID's. This qualitative study aimed to …

Perspectives On The Study Circles Program For Increasing Parental Involvement, Eugenia Sophia Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators were concerned over a lack of minority parental involvement and challenges in meeting the needs of a rapidly growing minority student population in a local school district. To enhance minority parental involvement, one local middle school implemented the Study Circles program that involved a series of interactive small group sessions in which parents and educators collaborate to build a culturally sensitive, inclusive community. The problem addressed in this study was grounded in the fact that the adequacy of this program’s implementation to address the low minority parental involvement at the school was not fully understood. Guided by Epstein’s model …

The Pre-School Teacher Experience Of Social Skills For Early Education Success, Cheryl Dorsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Pre-school is foundational to future academic success, and social skills have been recognized as a critical component of that foundation. How pre-school teachers facilitate social skills development is an area requiring further study. The purpose of this research was to describe the experience of social skills development from the perspective of early educators. Attachment and social learning theories were used as theoretical frameworks to explore how early education teachers describe the social skills for early education success in young children and how early education teachers facilitate the development of important social skills. This study used a generic, qualitative design …

Elementary Administrators’ Perceptions Of Support For Novice Alternatively-Certified Teachers In High-Poverty Schools, Kelle Wilson Lofton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice alternatively-certified teachers are hired to teach in high-poverty schools at a higher rate than traditionally-certified peers. These teachers are often unprepared to teach in challenging environments and struggle to manage their classrooms and achieve student academic success. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to investigate elementary school administrators’ perceptions of support for novice alternatively-certified teachers in high-poverty schools in a southern U.S. state. Burns’s transformational leadership paradigm informed the study. The research questions focused on how elementary principals and assistant principals perceived transformational practices to support novice alternatively-certified teachers in high-poverty schools. Data were collected using …

U.S. Southeastern Child Welfare Workers’ Challenges In Serving The Haitian Population, Cleane St Eloi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Haitian population has dramatically increased in the United States. Haitians face many challenges related to acculturation and adaptation, including discrimination, limited knowledge of the legal system, socioeconomic issues, and other environmental stressors that may impact family functioning. As a result of these challenges, Haitian families are at increased risk of being involved in the child welfare system. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the challenges child welfare workers face when working with the Haitian population, with a focus on workers’ understanding and perception of these challenges. Ecological systems theory was used to highlight environmental stressors …

Trinidad And Tobago Secondary School Principals' Perspectives Of Implementing A Laptop Initiative, Vida Iante Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The eConnect and Learn (eCAL) program was a government-led, one laptop per child initiative launched in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. However, after investing large sums of money in the program, the initiative was abandoned as unsuccessful. Addressing this problem, the study aimed to explore which factors affected the implementation of the eCAL initiative. The conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study was Hall and Hord’s six functions of change facilitators for effective implementation of change. The research question addressed the factors affecting the eCAL initiative from principals’ perspective. Interview data were collected from three secondary school principals via …

Outreach Efforts Between Teachers, Parents, And Administrators As Children Transition From Pre-Kindergarten To Kindergarten, Mariah C. Mccoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed was the gap in research on practice regarding outreach effortsbetween teachers, parents, and administrators during the transition to kindergarten. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study involved how individuals representing these groups described their outreach efforts when transitioning children from pre-K to kindergarten and their perspectives regarding the influence of outreach efforts on parental involvement. Two administrators and four teachers were recruited through a public database. Four parents were recruited through the study site’s Facebook page and through purposeful snowball sampling. Criteria for participation was 3 or more years of experience with the district …

Microfinance For Smallholder Farmers: The Lived Experience Of Borrowers In Akaki, Ethiopia, Amsalu Alemayehu Gutema

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Microfinance was intended to help smallholder farmers (SHFs), but the results have been disastrous for some individuals who have been unable to repay loans, often displacing them from their land. A lack of understanding of the lived experiences of borrowers complicates a full analysis of microfinance as a tool for poverty alleviation. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of SHF borrowers in Akaki District, Ethiopia, related to microfinance loan repayment decisions. Habermas's critical social theory, which divides the social world into lifeworld and system, was the conceptual framework for the study. The …

The Efficacy Of Interpersonal Skills On Sales Production Among Pharmaceutical Salespeople, John Todd White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on sales to stimulate growth, support research and development, and remain solvent. A review of the literature revealed there is limited insight on the impact of interpersonal skills on sales performance. This study addressed the role of interpersonal skills in a pharmaceutical salesperson’s performance in terms of total sales income, which includes salary, bonuses, and commissions. Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligences theory, specifically interpersonal skills, served as the study’s framework. The Conversational Skills Rating Scale (CSRS) was used to assess interpersonal skill level. Additionally, the relationship between salesperson tenure and the number of sales meetings attended …

Implementation Strategies For Modeling And Simulation In Military Organizations, Cody Lynn Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some IT project managers working for U.S. military organizations are struggling to implement modern modeling and simulation (M&S) technology. Implementation strategies are needed to help IT practitioners deliver meaningful simulations and models that ultimately help senior leaders make logical and science-based decisions. Grounded in the extended technology acceptance model, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies some IT project managers supporting U.S. military organizations use to implement modern M&S technology. The participants included 10 civil servants who successfully implemented modeling and simulation technology for military organizations located in the United States eastern region. Data was collected …

Exploring The Strategies English As A Second Language Teachers Use To Teach Students, Unika Lasha Felton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn the local school district under study located in southern United States, English as second language (ESL) students are experiencing lower than expected standardized testing scores according to expectations set forth by the state Department of Education. The purpose of this project study was to explore the strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. The conceptual framework was Gagne’s conditions of learning theory, which is used to assess students’ lack of preparation for future academic and career success. The research question asked what strategies ESL teachers use to teach ESL students. A qualitative exploratory case study with purposive sampling …

Eye Gaze Technology For Nonverbal Students With Cortical Visual Impairment, Hannah Sykes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that this study addressed was eye gaze technology for nonverbal students with cortical visual impairment (CVI). There are no studies examining educators’ viewpoints on the usefulness of eye gaze technology for communication and language development of nonverbal students with CVI. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore what educators think about the usefulness of eye gaze technology on communication and language development for nonverbal students with CVI. The conceptual framework applied to this basic qualitative study was based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and John Dewey’s pragmatism theory. The …

The Effects Of Exposure To Appropriated Slurs On Stereotype Threat, Charles Mason Guthrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Appropriated slurs are refurbished forms of derogatory terms that originate from an outgroup but are adapted by the target group as ingroup terms with specific contextual and application norms. However, the use of appropriated slurs is often debated within the appropriating social group. Within the Black American community, one side of the argument views appropriated slurs as empowering while the other side holds that the underlying slur in its appropriated form causes harm to the integrity of the Black American culture and psyche. Recent survey research supports the perspective that appropriated slurs may have some social benefits; however, social science …

Perspectives Of Physicians Mandated To Complete Cultural Competence Education, Wayne Mccarthy Boatwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perspectives of Physicians Mandated to Complete Cultural Competence Educationby Wayne M. Boatwright

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Health Services

Walden University May 2021 Abstract Studies show that ethnic and racial disparities continue to exist in health care delivery. The economics of today’s multicultural world along with changing demographics and persistence of inequality in healthcare have challenged healthcare professionals to consider cultural competency (CC) training to assist in eliminating health disparities. The purpose of this study was to identify the perspectives of physicians who were mandated to complete CC education. …