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Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students' Reading Scores, Ingrid Nadia Mitchell Jan 2016

Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students' Reading Scores, Ingrid Nadia Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black middle school students in the United States perform poorly on standardized reading achievement tests in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary-focused test preparation program for underachieving Black middle school students. Thorndike's concept of test-wiseness, a test-taking capacity, provided the theoretical foundation for the study. Research questions investigated the difference in reading test scores on the Discovery Education Assessment of underachieving Black middle school students who participated in a key vocabulary test preparation program and those who did not. An intact-group comparison was used in which …

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Veterans' Perceptions Of Military Stigma And The Shame Associated With Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress, Alexander J. Buelna Jan 2016

Veterans' Perceptions Of Military Stigma And The Shame Associated With Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress, Alexander J. Buelna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military stigma is a heavy burden of social stigma internalized by veterans who are diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during post-deployment psychological screening. PTSD is classified as a mental disorder associated with widespread reluctance to seek medical assistance. Among military veterans who suffer from combat-related posttraumatic stress (PTS), military stigma is considered a widespread problem. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore veterans' perceptions of various aspects of military stigma, including post-deployment psychological screening, the diagnosis of PTSD, and factors associated with reluctance to seek medical assistance for PTS. In-depth interviews were conducted with a convenience sample …

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Effectiveness Of Early Childhood Programs On The Literacy Achievement Of Kindergarten Children, Lashia Cox Jan 2016

Effectiveness Of Early Childhood Programs On The Literacy Achievement Of Kindergarten Children, Lashia Cox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood development programs enhance children's development of knowledge, skills, and processes. Despite efforts to improve early childhood education in the United States, poor student performance in early literacy and kindergarten achievement is still occurring, and questions remain unanswered about the utility of early childhood education programs. Drawing from the theory of constructivism, the purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, retrospective study was to determine the effectiveness of early childhood programs on the literacy achievement of kindergarten children. The research question addressed the differences in literacy achievement of kindergarten children based on the early childhood programs they attended. Using repeated measures …

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Differences In Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Adherence Factors For Tuberculosis In Armenian Versus Non-Armenian Populations Of Los Angeles County, Tanya Marie Ferguson Jan 2016

Differences In Treatment-Seeking And Treatment-Adherence Factors For Tuberculosis In Armenian Versus Non-Armenian Populations Of Los Angeles County, Tanya Marie Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tuberculosis (TB) is a deadly, yet curable, infectious disease that continues to be a global health threat. Armenia suffers from rising TB incidence and mortality rates. Armenians living in Los Angeles (LA) County, where TB incidence is higher than national averages, is the second largest Armenian community in the world; therefore implications are that many TB cases are attributed to this group. Using the social ecological model as a theoretical framework, this concurrent, mixed-methods study compared Armenians to non-Armenians in LA County about their knowledge of TB and perceived barriers to seeking and adhering to treatment. Bivariate chi-square analysis from …

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How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra Jan 2016

How Social Presence On Twitter Impacts Student Engagement And Learning In A Grade 8 Mathematics Classroom, Shelly Vohra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media for personal use has evolved rapidly among adolescents, changing the way they communicate with each other. However, little research has been conducted about how teachers use social media in the classroom to improve student learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe how social presence on Twitter impacts student engagement and learning when a mathematics teacher integrates this social media tool into an instructional unit. The conceptual framework was based on social presence theory developed by Short, Williams, and Christie. This qualitative study used a single case study design. Participants included 6 students and 1 classroom …

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Marketing Strategies Restaurant Leaders Use To Develop Their Customer Base, Carrie Weinreich Jan 2016

Marketing Strategies Restaurant Leaders Use To Develop Their Customer Base, Carrie Weinreich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Surviving past the first year of operation is a growing concern for independent, full-service restaurants. Some restaurant leaders lack the marketing strategies necessary to develop a loyal customer base and survive beyond the first year of operation. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the marketing strategies that independent, family-oriented, full-service restaurant leaders located in the Pittsburgh, PA, metro area in business for at least 5 years have used to develop their customer base during the first year of operation. This study was guided by the 7Ps of marketing theory, which emphasizes how people, including customers and …

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A Multiple Case Study Of The Influence Of Positive Organizational Behavior On Human Resources, Michelle Geiman Jan 2016

A Multiple Case Study Of The Influence Of Positive Organizational Behavior On Human Resources, Michelle Geiman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations are looking for ways to have higher employee engagement and productive employees. A way that this may be accomplished is through Positive Organizational Behavior (POB) practices. There is a lack of knowledge surrounding the successes and failures of implementing a POB culture by human resource departments (HRDs). The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study design was to explore the influence POB practices have on HRDs. Specifically, the research helped to gain an understanding of how a POB strategy operates and affects HRDs. Items examined in the conceptual framework include a foundation in positive psychology theories and human resource …

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Factors Impacting Older Adults' Adoption Of Mobile Technology In Emergency Communications, William A. Scerra Jan 2016

Factors Impacting Older Adults' Adoption Of Mobile Technology In Emergency Communications, William A. Scerra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of older adults must continue working, which requires that they maintain their competencies and work skills, including use of mobile technology (MT). However, little is known about older adult adoption of MT in relation to work. This study used Rogers's diffusion of innovation theory and Davis's technology acceptance model as a framework. The purpose of this exploratory sequential mixed methods study was to examine the experiences of older adults' who adopted MT in the emergency communications (EC) field. Participants came from an emergency services LinkedIn group. Data sources included surveys completed by 85 respondents and interviews of …

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Decoding Metacommunication Patterns From African American Single Mothers To Sons, Michael-Kamau Henderson Jan 2016

Decoding Metacommunication Patterns From African American Single Mothers To Sons, Michael-Kamau Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With a significant number of African American single-parent families responsible for raising a generation of male children, the focus of this qualitative case study was on exploring the African American single mother-son dyad to identify metacommunicative signals delivered from mothers to sons. This study was grounded in a theoretical framework combining attachment theory and social learning theory. The research questions focused on identifying metacommunication messages passed from mothers to sons and how metacommunication patterns influence the youth's social identity. Four single mothers with adolescent sons and 4 unrelated adult sons of single mothers participated in semistructured interviews. Data were collected …

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Teacher Perspectives On Increasing Fourth-Grade Reading Behaviors, Theresa Evans Hunter Jan 2016

Teacher Perspectives On Increasing Fourth-Grade Reading Behaviors, Theresa Evans Hunter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary students in the United States are expected to read proficiently in order to be successful on high-stakes assessments. Researchers have found that many elementary students lack the motivation to become frequent readers. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the reading motivational techniques used at a local district to encourage elementary students to become frequent readers. Framed by Skinner's operant conditioning theory and the focus on motivators and their effects on learning outcomes, the research questions explored teachers' perceptions of the motivators that increase student reading in the elementary grades. Data for the study were collected …

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The Effects Of Downsizing On Organizational Culture In The Newspaper Industry, Marcella Sweeney Jan 2016

The Effects Of Downsizing On Organizational Culture In The Newspaper Industry, Marcella Sweeney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this case study was to explore the effects of downsizing on organizational culture based on the perceptions of contractors who work for an independent distributor in a large metropolitan city in the southern United States. Organizational culture is important to a company's overall success. Organizational culture theory was the basis for the conceptual framework of this study. Using a purposeful sampling approach and methodological triangulation of sources, 3 newspaper delivery contractors who experienced downsizing described their lived experiences. Participants completed the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) and a qualitative questionnaire. The OCAI survey results were scored and …

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Equipping Teachers With Firearms To Promote Safety In U.S. Public High Schools, Sherman Lakeith Winston Jan 2016

Equipping Teachers With Firearms To Promote Safety In U.S. Public High Schools, Sherman Lakeith Winston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Politicians and educators have debated the merits of arming U.S. school employees to counteract possible school shootings but have not reached a shared point of view. There are few academic studies that specifically explore arming educators in public school systems. Using the general theory of agenda setting, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the perceptions of teachers regarding arming of educators between two independent school systems and consider whether arming educators enhances safety measures. An exploratory design was used in which data from two sample populations were compared: faculty (n = 15) from a school district …

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Instructors' Perceptions Of Connectivist Characteristics In Adult Undergraduate Courses, John Bannister Jan 2016

Instructors' Perceptions Of Connectivist Characteristics In Adult Undergraduate Courses, John Bannister

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The enrollment of college students in the United States who are classified as adult learners will continue to grow, bringing new challenges to degree programs. Multiple studies have provided insight into how best to teach these learners. However, to maximize learning, institutions must now consider strategies that merge adult learning principles with the integration of technology and students' personal and professional networks. Connectivism, based largely on the work of Siemens, and andragogy, based on Knowles, provided the conceptual framework that guided this basic qualitative interpretive study that examined how instructors experience and interpret the characteristics of connectivism (autonomy, openness, diversity, …

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An Evidence-Based Strategy To Improve Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Registered Nurses In Hospitals, Terri Lynn Spoltore Jan 2016

An Evidence-Based Strategy To Improve Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Registered Nurses In Hospitals, Terri Lynn Spoltore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seasonal influenza, or the flu, impacts over 3 million people each year. Within the health sector, nosocomial infection and absenteeism are frequently associated with the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend flu vaccination for all eligible individuals, especially health care workers (HCWs). Interventions associated with increased HCW vaccination include educational programs and occupational health campaigns to address misconceptions regarding vaccine safety and efficacy. This project evaluated the impact of a voluntary, web-based education module to encourage registered nurse (RN) vaccination. The logic and health belief models served as the theoretical frameworks. In a nonequivalent group design, …

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Digitally Immigrant Social Work Faculty: Technology Self-Efficacy And Practice Outcomes, Ellen M. Belluomini Jan 2016

Digitally Immigrant Social Work Faculty: Technology Self-Efficacy And Practice Outcomes, Ellen M. Belluomini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of a model for technology integration in social work education to meet the needs of graduate social workers in the field. Extant research has focused on the efficacy of online or blended learning, but not on social work educators' technology literacy. The purpose of this study was to explore social work educators' self efficacy related to technology use in curriculum and pedagogy. Digitally immigrant educators, defined as those over the age of 35, were studied since this group struggles in adjustment to technology, commonly used by younger students. The conceptual framework …

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Building And Maintaining Trust In Virtual Teams As A Competitive Strategy, Elizabeth Awajiigbanam Owonikoko Jan 2016

Building And Maintaining Trust In Virtual Teams As A Competitive Strategy, Elizabeth Awajiigbanam Owonikoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many virtual team leaders lack strategies to build and maintain trust among virtual team members, which affects performance and productivity. The purpose of this exploratory single case study was to provide organizational leaders with information about the strategies that virtual team leaders use to build and maintain trust among virtual team members to enhance job performance. Cognition-based and affect-based theories of interpersonal relationships were used as a conceptual framework. In-depth, semistructured electronic interviews were conducted with 10 virtual team leaders of a multinational global organization specializing in management consulting and technology services that has headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. Interview data …

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A Case Study Of An African American Community's Perceptions Of Problems In Mathematics Education, Renee Jenkins Jan 2016

A Case Study Of An African American Community's Perceptions Of Problems In Mathematics Education, Renee Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American students across income classes have been found to struggle with mathematics, impeding their ability to complete college, pursue lucrative careers, and address socioeconomic problems. Using the tenets of liberation and critical race theory, this qualitative case study explored the perceptions of a small group of 8 African American adults as to what they believe to be the root causes of mathematics achievement disparity for African American K-14 students, and what role the African American community can play in ameliorating these disparities. As most related studies are on low income communities, this study focused on an affluent African American …

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Evaluating Federal Information Technology Program Success Based On Earned Value Management, Mae Moy Jan 2016

Evaluating Federal Information Technology Program Success Based On Earned Value Management, Mae Moy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the use of earned value management (EVM) techniques to track development progress, federal information (IT) software programs continue to fail by not meeting identified business requirements. The purpose of this logistic regression study was to examine, using IT software data from federal agencies from 2011 to 2014, whether a relationship between schedule variance (SV), cost variance (CV), and actual cost (AC) could predict the success of IT software program, as operationalized by meeting the identified business requirements. The population of interest was 132 IT software programs developed between 2011 and 2014 for federal agencies. The sample source was an …

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Academic Success For The 21st Century Learner: Intrapersonal Intelligence And Resilience, Juanita Lynn Parker Jan 2016

Academic Success For The 21st Century Learner: Intrapersonal Intelligence And Resilience, Juanita Lynn Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internal and personal strengths are associated with positive academic outcomes in the higher educational setting and are particularly relevant to the 21st century learner in the modern complex and global society. There is limited research addressing the connection between intrapersonal intelligence, resilience, and academic success. This information is important to better assist students in developing qualities that foster academic success and sustainability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between intrapersonal intelligence, as measured by the Multiple Intelligences Development Assessment Scales (MIDAS); resilience, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC); and academic success, as measured by …

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The Ability To Purchase Organic Food Items Among Participants Of The Women, Infants, And Children Program In Los Angeles County, Brenna Colleen Doran Jan 2016

The Ability To Purchase Organic Food Items Among Participants Of The Women, Infants, And Children Program In Los Angeles County, Brenna Colleen Doran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of accessibility to healthy foods is a factor associated with the increase in obesity, diabetes, and other negative health consequences. While programs such as WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) provide supplemental nutritional access to healthy foods, few organic food items are included in the WIC authorized food list. Government programs and policy makers that provide to the most vulnerable populations are concerned about equal availability of healthy foods. The purpose of this study was to compare variability and cost of organic food items in 24 large chain grocery stores located in high- and low-income areas. The theoretical concepts of …

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Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Using A Diagnostic Screening Tool In Primary Care, Lilo Fink Jan 2016

Diagnosing Fibromyalgia: Using A Diagnostic Screening Tool In Primary Care, Lilo Fink

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fibromyalgia (FMS) goes undiagnosed in as many as 3 out of 4 people who have the disease. Primary care providers (PCPs) are the first to evaluate patients; therefore, PCPs need to be able to recognize FMS, implement initial treatment, and refer for further consultation. The Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screening Tool (FDST), a validated instrument to identify FMS, can improve the speed and accuracy of FMS diagnosis. The purpose of this project was to familiarize PCPS with the FDST, evaluate their receptiveness to the tool, and train them in its use. The Leventhal, Diefenbach, and Levanthal, common sense model of illness provided …

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A Blended Behavior Management Approach, Student Behavior, And Achievement, Gwendolyn Ward Jan 2016

A Blended Behavior Management Approach, Student Behavior, And Achievement, Gwendolyn Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disruptive classroom behavior has led many schools to implement positive behavioral strategies intended to create orderly learning environments. Despite initiation of such a strategy, an elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region still experienced an increase in office referrals and a decline in student achievement. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to investigate the connections between a blended behavior program and student behavior and academic achievement, as well as staff perceptions about their experience with the program, and the degree to which the practices were implemented with fidelity. Skinner's behavioral theory served as the theoretical basis for the …

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Best Practices For Leading A Transition To Standards-Based Grading In Secondary Schools, Alexander Bruce Carter Jan 2016

Best Practices For Leading A Transition To Standards-Based Grading In Secondary Schools, Alexander Bruce Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational policy researchers have concluded that if U.S. schools transition from the traditional model of grading and reporting to a uniform standards-based grading and reporting model, students would benefit academically. However, very few middle and high schools in the United States have made the transition to standards-based grading. This qualitative research study was designed address the role of leadership in change by identifying a set of best leadership practices to guide school principals in leading such a transition. The conceptual framework was Kotter's change model. A national sample of 7 middle and 5 high school principals from 8 states who …

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Benefits Of Conducting Postproject Reviews To Capture Lessons Learned, Olayemi Fadairo Jan 2016

Benefits Of Conducting Postproject Reviews To Capture Lessons Learned, Olayemi Fadairo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational learning has been a focus of scholars since 1970. Researchers have demonstrated that conducting postproject reviews to capture lessons learned significantly improves organizational learning. Guided by the concept of organizational learning, the purpose of this case study was to explore how 6 New York metropolitan organizational leaders used postproject reviews to prevent project managers from repeating the same mistakes, increasing cost and time overruns, and experiencing project failure. Semistructured face-to-face and phone interviews were conducted with a project sponsor and 5 project managers in the New York metropolitan area. Data were analyzed using the process of coding and condensing …

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Preschool Educators' Roles In Creating Supportive Spaces For Gender Exploration And Expression, Shaun-Adrian Choflã¡ Jan 2016

Preschool Educators' Roles In Creating Supportive Spaces For Gender Exploration And Expression, Shaun-Adrian Choflã¡

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children begin to develop their understanding of gender in preschool, yet there is a dearth of research focused on understanding how preschool teachers affect the gender identity development of young children. Guided by Rokeach's belief systems theory, this qualitative case study explored the pedagogical strategies and perceptions of 4 Sacramento County, California preschool educators related to the gender identity development of young children. Interview data were collected and coded to derive 12 participant-specific themes and 3 common intersecting themes, which showed that teachers' perspectives on gender identity development were influenced by social rules, biases, and a lack of pedagogical knowledge …

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The Effect Of Target Demographics And Emotional Intelligence On Workplace Bullying, Richard P. Himmer Jan 2016

The Effect Of Target Demographics And Emotional Intelligence On Workplace Bullying, Richard P. Himmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace bullying has escalated among U.S. workers, and aside from its mental and physical toll, it can affect productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. Researchers have identified the primary causes of workplace bullying as envy, leadership disregard, a permissive climate, organizational culture, and personality traits. This non experimental, quantitative study investigated the predictors of workplace bullying at the target level, and specifically examined if target EI, age, gender, and/or race/ethnicity predicts experienced workplace bullying. Participants (N = 151) 18 years or older with one year of work experience were recruited from the WBI database, a newspaper column, public presentations, and a blog. …

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An Ethnographic Study Of Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors Returning To Work, Bruce Santy Jan 2016

An Ethnographic Study Of Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors Returning To Work, Bruce Santy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People who suffer a traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience challenges in returning to work differently and at a rate that surpasses the return to work transition for people who experience other types of disabling injuries. In part, this challenge is a result of a lack of policy structure that promotes the successful return to work transition. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the policy implications of the return to work transition for TBI survivors, address the gap in the literature, and identify key factors that contribute to the success of return-to-work programs in Washington State. A hybrid …

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Awareness Of Clinical Laboratory Sciences And Shortage Of Clinical Laboratory Scientists In The 21st Century, Cynthia Funnye Doby Jan 2016

Awareness Of Clinical Laboratory Sciences And Shortage Of Clinical Laboratory Scientists In The 21st Century, Cynthia Funnye Doby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retiring baby boomers and the lack of interest and awareness among college students to enroll in an accredited Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) program have created a shortage of CLS professionals in the 21st century. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 18,000 CLS vacancies by 2018. However, only about 5,000 students graduate from accredited CLS programs each year. The purpose of this study was to explore students' perceptions of allied health professions and factors that influenced students and CLS professionals to select CLS as a profession. Bandura's social cognitive career theory served as the theoretical framework for this phenomenological study. …

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Understanding A School's Response To Childhood Obesity, April Dawn Goins-Jones Jan 2016

Understanding A School's Response To Childhood Obesity, April Dawn Goins-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic. Although many of the consequences of childhood obesity are known, such as physical, social, emotional, and academic effects on a student's development, there is a lack of literature on the topic of childhood obesity in Native American tribes. The purpose of this case study was to explore how school personnel address the effects of obesity on students' social, emotional, academic, and physical development in an elementary school in the southwest United States where 90% of the students are Native Americans. Bronfenbrenner's socioecological model served as the theoretical foundation. The research questions explored strategies …

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Parent Support And Retention Of Rural First-Generation College Students, Edna E. Mcculloh Jan 2016

Parent Support And Retention Of Rural First-Generation College Students, Edna E. Mcculloh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A small, private university was the focus of this study, where rural first-generation college (FGC) students withdraw at higher rates than their continuing-generation counterparts. An objective of the university leadership is to increase student retention to foster a greater likelihood of degree completion. The research problem was the inability to retain rural FGC students. The purpose of the study was to explore parental support that promoted rural FGC student retention. The research questions addressed the students' perceptions about parental support and their decisions to remain enrolled. The research methodology was a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through semi …

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