Digital Commons Network^™

Teacher Perspectives On Challenges To Close The Reading Achievement Gap For African American Students, Miriam Aliyya Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was that African American students score lower than White students in reading across grade levels, demonstrating a gap in teaching practice in early childhood education. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives on challenges to increase African American students’ level of reading proficiency and what they believed they needed to close the African American-White student achievement gap in reading. The conceptual framework was Ladson-Billings’s culturally relevant pedagogy. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 kindergarten through third grade teachers who were currently teaching reading to African American students …

Early Childhood Special Education Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teaching Social-Emotional Skills During The Covid-19 Pandemic Virtual Learning Period, Dalena Lynette Lafferty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the COVID-19 pandemic, early childhood special education teachers struggled to virtually teach social-emotional skills to their students when schools were closed, and all students were moved from face-to-face to virtual learning. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore early childhood special education teachers’ perspectives on teaching social-emotional skills to their students during the COVID-19 pandemic virtual learning period. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 early childhood special education teachers from the United States who had experience with teaching social-emotional skills virtually during …

Alternative And Traditional Schooling On Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Alaska Native Youth In The Lower Kuskokwim, Nathaniel Hebert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alaska Native youth experience disproportionately high rates of sexual risk, yet disaggregated data and school-contextual analyses remain limited. Understanding how school type (alternative vs. traditional) and individual factors influence sexual risk among Alaska Native youth is essential for informing targeted, culturally responsive health interventions and addressing ongoing health disparities. This quantitative study aimed to examine the association between three behaviors (condom use, multiple sexual partners, and substance use) by school type, controlling for gender, grade level, body mass index, and afterschool activity. Guided by the social-ecological model, this cross-sectional study provided new insights into the relationship between school type and …

Open Distance Learning’S Transformative Potential To Bridge Educational Disparities While Fostering Inclusive Growth, Khalid Ghoulam

Higher Learning Research Communications

In recent years—during and after COVID-19—the demand for flexible and accessible education surged across the continent, prompting numerous institutions to adopt and expand their Open Distance Learning (ODL) initiatives. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of ODL programs in African universities while exploring the state of ODLs and examining institutional strategies, technological advancements, and ODL’s impact on student accessibility and success. Using case study analyses, which contain data from African universities from various regions, this paper highlights current ODL insights and future directions. This paper also discusses ODL best practices and implementation challenges, and delves into the socioeconomic and cultural …

Preventing Adverse Outcomes For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Rural Areas, Angela Osakoda

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this Social Change Portfolio is to prevent adverse outcomes for children at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in rural communities who are unable to obtain a diagnosis or have limited access to services through parent coaching programs that connect caregivers with skills training, psychoeducation, and resources. Significant Findings: ASD impacts 4% of children nationwide (Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, n.d.). In rural areas, these children often face long waitlists to receive a diagnosis and limited access to services, making it difficult for them to receive the recommended amount of interventions (Boydston …

Reduction And Prevention Of Intimate Partner Violence In King County, Wa, Leta Whitney

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of my social change project is to reduce and prevent intimate partner violence in King County, WA, through educational awareness, training, and supportive resources for victims and perpetrators, as well as the communities in which they reside. Significant Findings: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a preventable public health issue that affects millions of Americans and their communities, and it can occur across an entire lifespan. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) suggests that an estimated 8.5 million women and 4 million men in the United States have reported experiencing a level of IPV …

Identifying Coercion To Prevent Human Trafficking Of At-Risk Youth In Duval County, Florida, Maeve G. Coen

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: Preventing at-risk youth, adolescents, and teenagers from human trafficking victimization.

Significant Findings:Duval County faces the ongoing public health issue of human trafficking at-risk youth. At risk youth can be identified based on risk and protective factors identified through the social-ecological model. Individual risk factors may include child maltreatment, sexual abuse, and exposure to antisocial behaviors throughout childhood. Children with increased exposure to child abuse and maltreatment will escape their homes and engage in endangering behaviors with peers and adults exhibiting antisocial and coercive behaviors. Institutional, Community and Public Policy in Duval County has made advances in treating youth …

Alcoholism In Northampton County, Pa, Lauren Stack

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal is to reduce alcoholism rates in Northampton County, PA by addressing stigma associated with alcohol use, providing age-appropriate education about alcohol in schools targeting youth, and supporting the creation of public policies that facilitate these prevention efforts.

Significant Findings: In Northampton County, the percentage of the population who report excessive alcohol use is higher than the national average (Lehigh Valley Health Network, 2022). Risk factors to alcoholism can include childhood trauma, lack of economic opportunities, and societal norms (SAMHSA, n.d b). Prevention can begin within our youth by implementing strategies that target societal norms. Male adults …

Resilient Families, Thriving Communities, Melanie Phillips

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: My goal as a future marriage counselor is to reduce the number of marriages that end in divorce in my community. I aim to achieve this through preventative measures designed to increase relationship resilience and promote the overall well-being of families and the community. Significant Findings: This paper explores the rising divorce rates in Thatcher, Arizona, and highlights preventative measures to strengthen marriages in order to reduce marital dissolution. Key findings suggest that proactive interventions, such as marriage education programs and the passing of pro-marriage public policies, are more cost-effective than addressing the consequences of divorce (U.S. National …

Suicide Prevention And Mental Health Advocacy Among Pre-Adolescents And Adolescents In Columbia County, Georgia, Savannah Lyons-Becker

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: The goal of this portfolio is to reduce the risk of suicide in Columbia County, Georgia by providing preventative psychoeducation, destigmatizing mental healthcare, and looking at how we can improve mental health in the community. Significant Findings: Suicide among pre-adolescents and adolescents in Columbia County, Georgia is a critical mental health concern in our community. Studies show we have a 16 per 100,000 suicide rate in our county, which is larger than both the state and national average (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2025), and suicide is the leading cause of death among ages 10-14 in Georgia, which …

Housing Instability And The Prevention Of Recidivism In Travis County, Helen Carter

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement: To reduce and prevent homelessness for those individuals being released from incarceration to aid recidivism prevention, through the expansion and maximization of re-entry programs prior to release. Significant Findings: Both homelessness and recidivism are significant problems in the Travis County area. Data showed over 6,000 individuals were unhoused per day in 2024 (ECHO, n.d.), with recidivism costing the state of Texas almost $370 million per year. There is also a strong association between having been incarcerated, being unhoused, and subsequent recidivism, with a 10 times higher likelihood of being homeless (Couloute, 2018). In addition, this demographic faces many …

Stakeholder Value Creation Strategies For Small Financial Service Business Owners, David Sone Njumbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners who emphasize wealth creation to the detriment of sustainability may experience negative business outcomes. Small insurance agency owners are concerned because agency sustainability is a key to creating value for all stakeholder groups. Grounded in the stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies that some owners of small insurance agencies in the financial services industry use to create value for different stakeholder groups in order to remain sustainable in an evolving business environment. The participants were six financial professionals/advisors of the financial services industry. Data were collected using semistructured interview questions. …

The Lived Experiences Of Mothers Facing Phubbing From Their Adolescent Children, Mye Alexis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Widespread use of technology, particularly smartphones, introduced new challenges involving parent–adolescent attachment. Although existing literature primarily examines parental phubbing of adolescents, there is a significant gap in research exploring the experiences of mothers who are phubbed by their adolescent children. To address this gap, the central research question guiding this study was: What are the lived experiences of mothers who have been phubbed by their adolescent (ages 14-18) children? Grounded in Bowlby’s attachment theory, this phenomenological qualitative study aimed to deepen understanding of the emotional impacts of phubbing on mothers’ emotional wellbeing, emotional bonding, and mother–adolescent attachment. A homogeneous convenience …

Strategies For Selecting Legacy It Systems For Cloud Adoption In An Sme, Rize A.Salih Salih

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) information technology (IT) managers are concerned about the struggle to select suitable legacy systems for cloud adoption, which can lead to costly delays and poor legacy system alignment. Grounded in the technology acceptance model, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry explored strategies SME IT managers used to select legacy systems for cloud adoption. The participants were five SME IT managers from SMEs in the Southeast United States. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and by reviewing public documents. Through thematic analysis, four themes were identified: (a) cloud Strategy and planning, (b) cost, efficiency, and performance, (c) security, …

Strategies To Improve The Financial Success For Minority And Small Business Owners, Kimberly D. Stone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although minority small business owners have a substantial influence on the U.S. economy, they often face significant financial obstacles. Minority small business owners are concerned with the history of unfair lending practices in the United States, as access to adequate capital is crucial to achieving business success. Grounded in Donaldson’s pecking order theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective financial strategies that some minority small business owners used to sustain their businesses. The project participants were six minority small business leaders who had more than 5 years of experience from various industries in South Florida. …

Using Supply Chain Management Strategies To Create Competitive Advantages, Marlon Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, small and medium businesses (SMBs) can use effective supply chain management (SCM) to strengthen competitiveness. Supply chain stakeholders and SMB owners are concerned with maintaining resilient and innovative supply chains to sustain growth. Grounded in game theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore effective strategies that small business leaders use to identify and implement supply chain innovation. Data were collected through Walden University and peer-reviewed studies. Through thematic analysis, nine themes were identified: supplier diversification, inventory management, cost evaluation, visibility systems, technology and automation, improved communication, risk management, changes …

The Level Of Awareness Of County Services In Maryland Offered By A Local Care Team To Youth With Developmental Disabilities And Mental Illness, Wanna Nedgie Dare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental and developmental health challenges remained a significant concern in one Maryland county. The Maryland Governor’s Office for Children (GOC) funds and supports the Local Care Team (LCT). Participation remains low, indicating a lack of community awareness. The purpose of this study was to explore the awareness of LCT services and strategies to improve outreach, interagency coordination, and communication to increase service use. The research question was: What is the Level of Awareness of County Services in Maryland Offered by a Local Care Team to Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Mental Illness? Guided by the person-centered care (PCC) model, evidence …

Cyberloafing And The Effects On Information Technology Infrastructure, Robert Ceneskie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyberloafing, or the use of business resources for nonwork-related internet activity, can negatively affect technology infrastructure and organizational productivity. In K–12 public school districts, IT administrators and school leaders are directly affected, as network degradation and ransomware attacks can disrupt instruction, compromise sensitive data, and reduce access to critical resources. This quantitative correlational, ex post facto study, grounded in activity theory and the theory of human-technology interaction, was to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between employee cyberloafing, network degradation, and ransomware security attacks in the education sector. Data were collected through public records requests for bandwidth usage, …

Patient Care And Certified Nursing Assistants’ Motivation And Job Satisfaction In Nursing Facilities, Roswell Royce Lawrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was focused on certified nursing assistants’ (CNAs) views of the association between their motivation, job satisfaction, and the quality of care they offer to patients in one chosen nursing home center in New Jersey. Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation and a generic qualitative design were used to explore CNAs’ experiences and perspectives relating to their motivation, job fulfillment, and the level of care. The study included semi structured interviews with the 12 CNAs, who were directly and consistently in contact with their respective patients at the selected nursing home center. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed …

Examining The Feedback Effects Of The Child And Family Services Review Process On The Child Welfare Caseworker, Molly Blanchette

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) is a federally mandated continuous quality improvement process that sets and assesses national child welfare performance standards. The CFSR impacts agency practices and caseworker responsibilities. Research has linked high turnover rates, averaging around 30% nationally, to agency-related variables, some of which are influenced by the CFSR. Given this context, it was necessary to understand how the CFSR performance standards impact the workforce. Policy feedback theory grounded this study as it was used to examine the feedback effects of the CFSR on child welfare caseworkers. The research question was “How are the federal performance …

Exploring Lived Experiences And Perceptions Of Individuals With Substance-Use Disorder Recovery Management From A Biopsychosocial Perspective, Robin Carter Priest

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance-use disorder (SUD) poses significant biological, psychological, and sociological impacts that negatively affect areas of employment, health, family systems, and interactions with social welfare and legal agencies. Although there has been research on SUD treatment, relapse rates remain high at approximately 40%–75%, demonstrating a gap in the literature involving individuals who completed SUD treatment and continuation or management of recovery. Grounded in phenomenological theory and through a biopsychosocial lens, this qualitative study explored the lived experiences and perceptions of individuals with substance-use disorder managing their recovery. Data were collected from 8 individuals who completed partial hospitalization or intensive-outpatient levels of …

Fathers’ Lived Experiences After Their Children Experienced Child Sexual Abuse, Joan Michelle Lucien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a global health crisis with deleterious consequences that violates children’s safety worldwide. Exact rates of CSA prevalence vary, as most cases of CSA are not disclosed. Survivors delayed or nondisclosure impedes early interventions to alleviate documented adverse effects of CSA. CSA survivors have an increased risk of suicidal ideation. This phenomenological study involved examining the lived experiences of adult fathers after their children experienced CSA. Finkelhor and Browne’s traumagenic dynamics framework guided this study. Traumagenic dynamics influence children’s cognitive and emotional functioning and distort their self-esteem, identity, worldview, and affective capacities. Stigmatization has been associated …

Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions About Lgbtq+ Inclusivity In The Classroom, Tanya Nordhaus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study is that middle school teachers struggle to incorporate LGBTQ+ issues into their classrooms. As the middle school years are pivotal, teachers may need support to be inclusive of their LGBTQ+ students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate how middle school teachers incorporate LGBTQ+ issues in the classroom, as well as these teachers’ perceptions of their successes and challenges in doing so. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was queer pedagogy, which questions the normalization of heterosexuality and cisgenderism through pedagogical praxis. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were …

Effective Small Business Employee Job Retention Strategies, Cynthia Marie Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Unsuccessful retention strategies for small businesses can significantly impact an organization's success. Small business leaders who struggle to retain employees beyond two years are at high risk of business uncertainty. Grounded in Freeman’s (1984) stakeholder theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore practical strategies that small business leaders use to retain employees beyond 2 years. The research project comprised eight small business leaders who had an effective strategy to retain employees for more than two years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and publicly available documents. Through thematic analysis, five key themes …

Effective Strategies For The Implementation Of Environmental Social And Governance Initiatives To Improve Brand Value, Charity Ndisengei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some business leaders lack effective strategies to develop and implement their organization’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives to improve the value of the organization’s brand. Business leaders, in particular, are concerned with balancing the improvement of brand value while addressing stakeholder expectations and navigating regulatory complexities. Grounded in institutional and legitimacy theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies for the implementation of ESG initiatives to improve brand value. Participants included five senior leaders from the energy, nonprofit, technology, and consulting sectors who had implemented ESG initiatives. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and …

Consumer Behavior-Based Strategies Small Business Leaders Use To Increase Online Sales Revenues, Alexander Sakharov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many small business leaders struggle to tailor online strategies that drive demand, limiting growth and differentiation in competitive digital markets. Business leaders must adopt data-informed, customer-centered approaches that align digital marketing efforts with consumer behavior and market expectations. Grounded in social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the online shopping marketing strategies that some small business marketing leaders use to increase demand for products and services. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with six small business leaders from Vancouver, British Columbia; Toronto, Ontario; and Seattle, Washington. The four main themes identified using thematic analysis …

The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Disproportionate Minority Contact On Minority Youth Within Juvenile Justice In Texas, Atica Helms Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) remains a significant concern within the juvenile justice system, yet its connection to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among minority youth is underexamined. Nationally, minority youth, particularly Black youth, are disproportionately represented compared to their White peers, prompting efforts to understand and address racial and ethnic disparities in system involvement. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between DMC and ACEs within the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). Guided by general strain theory (GST), whether traumatic life experiences contribute to the disproportionate representation of minority youth was examined. The central research question was designed …

Active Learning And Nclex-Rn Pass Rate On First Attempt In Bsn And Adn Programs, Janette Tingson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failing the NCLEX-RN on the first attempt affects not only the students and their families but also nursing programs. To increase NCLEX-RN pass rates, nursing programs are shifting from traditional teaching to active learning in their aim to produce nursing graduates who will pass the NCLEX-RN exams on the first attempt. The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study, guided by theory of constructivism, was to determine if there is a relationship between faculty’s use of active learning strategies (ALS) and nursing students’ NCLEX-RN pass rates on the first attempt in bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and associate degree in …

Enhancing Disaster Response Through Mental Health Resilience: A Force Field Analysis, Veronica Portillo-Bradford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Having a post-disaster program in place can offer survivors and emergency responders support, resource navigation, and resiliency planning. Human services workers in the field aid in disaster recovery and crisis prevention. The problem is that rural Nevada is already limited on resources and workforce with respect to mental and behavioral health response and recovery services. The purpose of this study was to identify unknown gaps within mental and behavioral health services in rural and frontier Nevada, in order to focus on advocating to enhance community resilience-related services post-disaster and potentially bolster resilience and disaster response preparedness. The framework for the …

Strategies Human Resource Leaders Use To Increase Employee Retention In The Automotive Industry, Kendra Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Excess turnover of personnel threatens organizational viability and long-term success. Human resource leaders need to develop strategies to increase employee retention. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theories, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore and identify successful employee retention strategies employed by human resource leaders to mitigate employee turnover. Data were collected from human resources managers using semistructured interviews and public data from companies’ websites. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) job assignment, (b) employee feedback, (c) employee benefits, and (d) training, growth, and development. A key recommendation is for human resource …