Digital Commons Network^™

Self Efficacy Of African American Women In Leadership Roles, Varil Deloise Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little research has focused on developing female African American leaders. A mixed methods study examined the influence of conservation of resources (COR) and locus of control (LOC) on the self-efficacy (SE) of 26 female African American leaders. It also explored the role of mentoring and spirituality in leadership development for a subset of 5 participants. Data were obtained using a demographic questionnaire, the General SE Scale, the COR Evaluation Gain scale, and the LOC Assessment, along with transcribed responses to mentoring and spirituality interview questions. Pearson correlations run between age, education, and income, as well as COR, LOC, and SE …

An Assessment Of Sexually Transmitted Disease Knowledge Among 7th Grade Students, Racquel D. Weaver

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) continue to remain a public health concern in the United States, especially among young people. Levels of knowledge with regard to STDs have been investigated in prior research; however, these investigations have been limited primarily to older adolescents and young adults. Grounded in the social cognitive and subjective culture theories, this quantitative, cross-sectional study assessed STD knowledge (other than HIV/AIDS) among 7th grade students attending a public middle school in the United States. Demographic differences (age, gender, and ethnicity) in STD knowledge were examined to determine if these demographic variables predict STD knowledge scores and if …

A Program Designed To Address Academic Failure Due To Alcohol Abuse, Frank James Plateroti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the problem of alcohol and binge drinking at a local rural college campus in the Northeast United States and the lack of an effective long-term academic intervention program to address the problem. The purpose of this research study was to determine the prevalence of the problem of the alcohol abuse problem and to develop a long-term program that would respond to the problem of repeat alcohol offenders. Guided by Mezirow’s transformative learning theory, which holds that transformational learning causes changes in a learner that significantly shift the pattern of a learner’s future experiences, this study examined …

Determinants Of Usage Of Age-Appropriate Child Safety Seats In Connecticut, Giuseppina Mendillo Violano

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death and disability for children ages 1'15 years. Despite local, state, and federal legislative and educational efforts, children continue to be restrained improperly and thus face harm. Identifying behaviors and barriers that place child occupants at risk is crucial for implementing focused, injury-prevention programs and policies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Connecticut's child passenger safety law that was strengthened in 2005. This study involved a multifactorial approach to predicting child seat use, guided by Roger's diffusion of innovations …

Military Enlistment: The Motivations Of Former Military Personnel Coming From Single-Parent Homes, Jada Amber Philips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine how the single-parent home environment, together with other demographic attributes like socioeconomic status, influenced young adults' decisions to enlist in the military. Adolescents transitioning into adulthood are often faced with the choices of what to do after high school, such as whether or not to join the military. Previous studies on youth enlistment in the military do not address in-depth the question of why they enlist or their motivating factors. Interviews via face-to-face, over the phone or via Skype, were conducted with 9 participants between the ages of 25-35 years who were …

Progression Of Elementary Teachers In Implementing Language Arts Common Core State Standards, Holly Franks Boffy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The challenges of implementing the Common Core State Standards at the classroom level resulted in political pushback to the reform initiative after the local media covered poor implementation decisions. This study explored how elementary school teachers and instructional leaders described teachers' progress along the implementation continuum for the standards. The concerns-based adoption model served as the conceptual framework for this study. This multicase study design consisted of 16 interviews of teachers and instructional leaders from 4 schools. Data were analyzed through a process that began with open coding followed by axial coding to identify themes. Teacher collaboration driving implementation progress …

Content Analysis Of Archetypal Portrayal Of Females In Picture Books Read In Preschool Classrooms, Karen Lynn Ellefsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literature that depicts females in restrictive roles may limit girls' aspirations and success. Previous studies of award-winning books for young children have found gender-stereotypical role portrayal to be common. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to identify the archetypal roles assigned to female characters in picture books read aloud by teachers in the preschool classroom. The conceptual framework for this study was derived from feminist theory and Jungian archetypes. Data were collected in the form of teachers' logs of books they read aloud over a 2-week period. Data were analyzed by employing the 3-read method developed by Madsen, …

Socioeconomic Challenges Faced By African American Men Entering The Information Technology Industry, Melvin Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American men experience impediments when entering the field of Information Technology (IT), which may portend the disappearance of this ethnic group from the technology-driven work force of the future. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the socioeconomic factors faced by African American men from their own viewpoints. With this goal in mind, three research questions were studied focusing on the availably of IT resources; the quality of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) based education; and existing hiring practices within the IT industry. The conceptual framework for this study was the critical theory perspective, which provided …

Predictor Variables Of Online Sports Problem Gambling By College Fraternity Members, Matt Stanley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quantitative study identified predictor variables of online sports problem gambling, as measured by the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) among fraternity students at major college universities. The data were composed of 125 college fraternity students from ages 18 to 25 years of age. The average SOGS score was 1.776 with a standard deviation of 1.93. A SOGS score of 5 or greater indicates a probable problem gambler. The study used the Blaszczynski and Nower (2002) pathways model to determine how fraternity students could become problem gamblers. A stepwise regression model was run in SPSS using multiple independent variables taken …

Understanding Health Literacy Skills Of Patients With Cardiovascular Disease And Diabetes, Patrick J. Dunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy is the ability to understand and act on health information and is linked to health outcomes. It is unclear how health literacy skills are developed in patients with complex conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to gain perspectives of both patients and healthcare professionals on how health literacy skills were developed in patients with cardiovascular disease or diabetes. The research questions addressed how knowledge and skills were acquired, the role of digital tools, instructional strategies used by healthcare professionals, and how the instructional strategies of the healthcare professionals matched …

Socialization Of Adjunct Faculty At A Southern California Community College, Cynthia Kathleen Haiduk-Pollack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders at a local community college in southern California ascertained that adjunct faculty members felt disconnected from the school and were not properly socialized to the culture of the school. The purpose of this case study was to help leaders learn adjunct faculty's perceptions of the socialization process. Organizational socialization theory and occupational socialization theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 12 adjunct faculty to participate in face-to-face interviews. Data were collected via open-ended interview questions. These data were then transcribed, coded, and searched for themes. Coding was completed using Microsoft Word to …

The Effect Of The Implementation Of Relationship-Based Care On Patient Satisfaction, Laura Ellen Field

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of relationship-based care (RBC) on patient satisfaction. RBC is a caring model that promotes a caring and healing environment by establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships between patient, self, and coworker. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services links Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores with reimbursement to hospitals. It is essential to not only achieve high patient satisfaction scores in order to ensure full financial reimbursement, but also to ensure high quality, patient-centered care. The current project assessed samples from 2 medical surgical groups, one system-wide …

Teachers' Perceptions Of An Integrated Third Grade Curriculum's Effects On Students' Reading Achievement, Charlene Lane Bazemore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School leaders in a Virginia urban school district designed and implemented a reading-infused integrated curriculum to address Grade 3 students' struggles to read and comprehend grade-level text. Informed via a constructivist approach, the curriculum integrated the core subjects, reading, and service learning for developing competent readers, thinkers, and problem solvers. This instrumental case study focused on 13 Grade 3 teachers' perceptions of the integrated curriculum in regards to their students' reading achievement. Qualitative data were collected from face-to-face interviews, students' progress of work documents, and the district's integrated curriculum unit. Open coding was employed to analyze the data. Inductively, triangulated …

Understanding The Impact Os Stress, Irrational Health Beliefs, And Health Behaviors Among Adults18-45, Toni Loe Rabalais

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the role of stress on irrational health beliefs and health behaviors among individuals 18-45 years old. Previous research has shown that this age group reported higher stress levels, more physical symptoms of stress, and the highest level of negative health behaviors. The theoretical frameworks were health belief model, the transactional model of stress and coping theory, and Ellis's concept of irrational beliefs. A survey using 3 published instruments measured the perceived stress level, irrational health beliefs, and health behaviors of a sample of 97 individuals aged 18-45. The data were quantitatively assessed using a mediation model to …

Understanding Presidential Voting Motivation By Factors Of Agency, Sharlene Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The President of the United States sets the tone for policy and has significant power in adopting and implementing policy. Despite this acknowledged power, prior studies, have not examined whether or not agency theory is predictive of voting in U.S. presidential elections. Agency theory is important in the scope of voting behavior as it identifies the relationships which support significance in practicing the activity. This correlational study examined the statistical impact of personal agency, social agency, and sociocultural agency on predictive voting behavior. This study used secondary data originally collected between 1956 and 2008 by the American National Election Study …

Parent And Teacher Attitudes Toward Bullying In School, Lidwina Helena Wijtenburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parent and Teacher Attitudes Toward Bullying in School

by

Lidwina Wijtenburg

MA, Walden University, 2008

BS, Florida Atlantic University, 2005

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

School Psychology

Walden University

March 2015

Bullying is a problem in elementary schools and has been shown to negatively affect a student's academic performance, friendships, and attitudes towards bullying. Previous research has indicated that parents' and teachers' attitudes toward bullying and victimization can influence elementary children's views of bullying, yet little research has compared parents' and teachers' attitudes toward these bullying behaviors of children in …

Racial Differences In The Impact Of A Worksite Wellness Program On Cardiovascular Biomarkers, Ceabert Joseph Griffith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for approximately 600,000 deaths in the United States each year, with African Americans (AAs) disproportionately affected. Individual-level approaches to reducing CVD remain ineffective, mobilizing a movement that advocates for population-based solutions. Workplace wellness programs (WWPs) have gained considerable traction as a viable strategy for ameliorating CVD burden among workers in general. However, no studies have looked at the efficacy of WWPs in ameliorating CVD specifically among AA employees--a knowledge gap that this investigation aimed to close. Based on the health belief model and the social cognitive theory, this retrospective cohort study used de-identified secondary data …

Debt Collectors Exposed: A Phenomenological Study Of Job Requirements And Job Satisfaction, Christina Michelle Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to allow debt collectors to share their views about their work and to give more insight to collection leaders into lived experiences of debt collectors and the social stigma associated with collection work. This study explores potential reasons for the negative stereotypes, high turnover, performance outcomes, and stress experienced by the participants of this study. Additionally, this study adds new data to the limited amount of existing data on debt collectors by exploring emotional labor within the collections industry and determining collectors' levels of job satisfaction. Guided by Maslow's hierarchy of needs model, this …

Rural Year-Round Growing To Ameliorate A Possible Negative Effect From Climate Change, Kimberlie A. Brussa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) suggested that, as the world population grows, food and water shortages will become even more serious issues (IPPC's 2014 predictions about the future effects of climate change (CC), Year-round growing (YRG) may provide a way for communities to extend growing seasons, expand local farm systems, and provide food year round. This case study included a detailed analysis of responses from representatives of all sectors of rural Mesa County, Colorado, regarding YRG and a local food and farm plan due to CC. The case was bounded by time (6 months of data collection) which …

Nurse-Physician Communication Tools To Enhance Use Of Nursing Evidence-Based Protocols, Tochi Onyenwe Ubani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse-Physician Communication Tools to Enhance use of Nursing Evidence-Based Protocols

by

Tochi Onyenwe Ubani

MSN, Walden University, 2011

BSN, Chamberlain College of Nursing, 2009

Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Walden University

February 2015

In the current health care environment, consumers are demanding collaboration among clinicians even when traditional attitudes minimize nurses' input on the direction of clinical care. Compounding this problem is that nursing practices have not always been derived from randomized clinical trials, but instead from personal experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions …

Preparation And Support Of Female Head Athletic Trainers In Collegiate Sport, Bekki Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 has significantly improved women's access to previously male-dominated areas of education in the United States, but few of these studies have focused on the experiences of women currently in the higher education field. This study explored female head athletic trainers' perceptions of the role of U.S. higher education institutions in preparing and supporting their achievement of leadership positions in U.S. collegiate sports: it also explored their views on potential changes in current higher education curricula and certification processes. This phenomenological study used Ridgeway's status construction theory as its theoretical lens for …

A Comparative Study Of Compliance Among Patients Attending An Opiate Outpatient Treatment Center In Rural Appalachia, Jerry Russell Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adults with an opiate addiction have a higher rate of noncompliance with treatment, which limits its effectiveness and increases the burden of care for society. Effective treatment decreases emergency room visits, and overdoses. The tristate area of Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio has experienced increased opiate-related arrests and deaths. This study sought to measure the extent to which treatment type (medical treatment (MS) or faith-based component of service (FBS)) predicts compliance when measured by number of clean urine drug screens (UDSs) and number of kept pill count, over and above dual diagnosis, college education, and income. The on-site records of …

Teacher Certification In Technology Education: Differences In Testing Scores Of Alternative And Traditional Certified Teachers, Kenya S. Avant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New Jersey has utilized alternative certification to combat the shortage caused by technology education (TE) teacher attrition. Research has examined the effectiveness of alternative certification preparation programs for the core academic programs; however, very little research has been performed in the area of TE. The purpose of this study was to (a) evaluate the Praxis scores of teacher candidates in New Jersey seeking licensure in technology education, and (b) determine if there were differences between the TE among teachers completing different preparation programs. The theoretical framework that guided this quantitative study was rooted in Knowles' theory of andragogy, which supported …

Social Ecological Influences Of Wic Programming Behavior Change Of Former Wic Participants, Joyce L. Terrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Special Supplemental Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program is one of many United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) food subsidy programs that serves 8.6 million participants, deemed nutritionally at risk. WIC is designed to influence nutritional and health behaviors to a population least capable of functioning. The purpose of this study was to identify if participation in WIC's nutrition education activities and restricted use of food subsidy benefits had a post-factorial effect on their nutritional behaviors. This study provides data on Bronfenbrenner's social ecological influences and how it impacts on long-term behavioral change. A quantitative causal-comparative design utilizing a …

Visual Arts And Chronic Pain: Thematic Analysis To The Artistic Statements Of Visual Artists, Susan Beth Janicke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The relief of pain is an essential element of nursing practice. Nursing has begun to successfully use art to assess and reduce pain among hospitalized children, surgical patients, and oncology patients. Structured art projects have been used to provide distraction from pain and patient drawings have allowed nurses to assess pain. This project employed grounded theory and thematic analysis to uncover significant concepts in the artists' statements. The Roy adaptation model and Saunders' total pain theory provided the project theoretical framework. The artistic statements and the art of chronic pain patients were examined using thematic analysis to identify recurrent themes. …

Parental Confidence In U.S. Government And Medical Authorities, Measles (Rubeloa) Knowledge, And Mmr Vaccine Compliance, Wendy Leonard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents' refusal to immunize their children with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has resulted in a surge of measles outbreaks in the United States. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships between parental knowledge and trust of the MMR vaccine, and their trust in government and medical authorities. The theoretical foundation for this study was the health belief model (HBM). This study determined if there was any relationship between general trust in doctors/governments (i.e., the predictor variable) and attitudes toward MMR vaccine (i.e., the sole dependent variable), and whether gender, age group, or level …

The Impact Of Self-Imposed Barriers On African Americans Successes, Pennie L. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers and economists have argued that the economic and social stagnation of African Americans is the result of their lack of self-confidence, initiative, and commitment toward their own advancement. This qualitative study examined whether historical conditioning and personal experiences have created a hypersensitivity in this population to events triggering behaviors that mirror the success fearing personality when seeking social, economic, and political advancement. It used Zuckerman and Allison's fear of success scale to identify the range of success fearing in 30 African American men and women aged 35 years or more; this group was also interviewed regarding their lived experiences …

Effect Of Placard Grading On Food Safety In Retail Food Facilities, Christopher Ogbonna Ogbu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most people have had an episode of foodborne illness at one time or another; however, the majority of those stricken with foodborne illness fails to associate ill health with something consumed within the past 72 hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that foodborne diseases affect 30% of the population in developed countries, and that in developing countries, about 2 million people die yearly due to foodborne illness. Previous researchers have indicated that food handlers with poor personal hygiene are potential sources of infection. Although public health agencies in many countries already regularly inspect food facilities to control potential foodborne …

The Relationship Between Customer Relationship Management Usage, Customer Satisfaction, And Revenue, Robert Lee Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Given that analysts expect companies to invest $22 billion in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems by 2017, it is critical that leaders understand the impact of CRM on their bottom line. The purpose of this correlational study was to investigate potential relationships between the independent variables of customer satisfaction and CRM utilization on the dependent variable of business revenue. The service-profit chain formed the theoretical framework for this study. The study population included 203 service branches for an industrial equipment manufacturer in North America. The service director for the subject organization provided the data for the study via data extracts …

Crisis Preparedness Of Leadership Behaviors Among Elected Leaders During Hurricanes, Fredric Marc Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Crisis preparedness is the responsibility of every person, business, and leader, and leadership behavioral skills are an essential characteristic of crisis preparedness. The purpose of this case study was to explore the decisions of elected leaders along the Gulf Coast during Hurricanes Katrina and Ike in order to understand their leadership behaviors in crisis preparedness. The conceptual framework was based on the emergency management theory presented by McEntire in 2004, which helped to define the necessary components for leaders' successful crisis preparedness. Data were collected through interviews with 5 members from the National Emergency Management Agency along with a document …