Digital Commons Network^™

Technological And Pedagogical Challenges For Teachers During Covid-19, Suzanne Reaid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractImplementation of a national contingency plan to mitigate the effects of a natural disaster or major health crisis for schools in the United States has been a focus of scholars since the polio epidemic in 1916. While examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the United States, researchers demonstrated that online remote instruction was adopted as a temporary answer to school closures, yet teachers were not prepared for this type of teaching. Researchers had yet to identify the technological and pedagogical challenges for teachers who taught remotely during the crises with little distance education experience. The purpose …

A Phenomenological Study On Protective Factors Preventing College-Aged Criminal Activity During Cameroon’S Anglophone Crisis, Melvis N. Asongwed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Anglophone crisis, in which marginalization of the English-speaking regions in Cameroon began in October 2016 and has become one of the most prominent social problems in the nation’s history. It has led to loss of lives, infrastructure damage, displacement of families, incidents of mass violence, unemployment, and a rise in criminal activity in the Anglophone regions. Grounded in the phenomenological approach and guided by the general strain theory (GST), this qualitative inquiry explored the protective factors that have reduced or prevented criminal activity for college students in the Anglophone regions during the crisis. Semi structure interviewing guided participant responses. …

Juvenile Probation Officers’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Evidence-Based Programs Among Gang-Involved Youth, Shacourtney Quantia Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gang activity has become widespread in the United States, totaling over 1.5 millionjuvenile gang members. Often, male African American youth join gangs at higher rates than any other race or ethnicity, and these juveniles are likely to reoffend. To reduce recidivism in Georgia, policy and lawmakers have attempted juvenile justice reform, but gang activity and recidivism among this population continues to persist. This qualitative study was conducted to determine probation officers’ perceptions of evidence-based programs effectiveness in reducing recidivism rates for gang-involved youth. Data were collected through interviews with 10 juvenile probation officers with at least 3 years of experience …

Evacuation Emergency Management During Hurricane Katrina: A Decision-Making Analysis, Kimberli Roessing-Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emergency management policy is useful when it involves the stakeholders it serves in the decision-making process. The death toll for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was almost 2,000 people. Many of the dead and injured lived in low-income communities. There were significant challenges with the evacuation of residents of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Like many public policies, emergency management has evolved over time. Periodically, a catalyst event, such as Hurricane Katrina, shapes public opinion and eventually public policy and its administration. Punctuated equilibrium theory was used to examine the decision-making process of Ninth Ward residents to …

The Recidivism Rate In Correlation To The Effectiveness Of The Bridges To Life Reentry Program In Texas, Steven Steen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research explored the relationship between reentry programs and recidivism in the state of Texas. One program in particular, Bridges To Life (BTL), has had an impact on recidivism in the state, and this research analyzed how the overall organization of BTL correlated to recidivism. Recidivism is the repeated or habitual relapse into crime. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine whether there was a direct correlation between the reduction of recidivism and the effectiveness of reentry programs through BTL in the state of Texas. The research question for this study explored the correlation between BTL and …

Stakeholder Theory And Law Enforcement Strategy Creation, James Edward Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study addressed the need for additional research on how people, groups, and communities influence the organizational process through agency and datedness of research on stakeholder theory. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how Southwestern Arizona law enforcement personnel create strategies to overcome the fear of proactive enforcement engagement and who is involved in their creation and implementation. The research questions addressed this purpose. The conceptual framework was based on stakeholder theory. Data were analyzed with ATLAS.ti using open coding to identify patterns and develop emerging themes from the multiple agencies and employee categories. Findings …

Understanding Law Enforcement Counterterrorism Information Sharing In Homegrown Violent Extremism Cases, Danielle Corry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local law enforcement agencies are charged with the responsibility to prevent terrorist events in the United States, including the emerging threat of homegrown violent extremism. Without the use of the terrorism prevention tool of information sharing, with other applicable state and federal law enforcement agencies, there continues to be a breakdown in the ability to prevent terrorist events, especially those associated with homegrown violent extremists, in the United States. This qualitative case study explores the information sharing process in law enforcement agencies by examining the recent Boston Marathon Bombing in Boston, Massachusetts that occurred in 2013. Five themes emerged from …

Fostering Electricity Access In Cameroon: Impeding Factors And Cost-Effective Model, Jean-Jacques A. Enow

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Due to irregularities and shortages in electricity generation and distribution, 95% of Cameroon’s population suffers from debilitating effects on national economic security, public health, education, safety, and quality of life. Cameroon needs a sustainable, efficient, and innovative electricity source and policy system. Failure to meet this demand forestalls the much-needed socio-economic and political development of the country. The purpose of the present study was to explore inadequacies of the current hydroelectric supply system in Cameroon, putting into perspective factors that impeded the development of a sustainable electricity supply system, strategies to alleviate these impediments, and the most cost-effective framework …

Hide Or Seek? Paradigms Of Publicized Police Killings And The Paradox Of Police Calls, Dr. Ty Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Police departments and the 911 emergency call system were created for public safety purposes. However, when a 911 call summoning police for assistance leads to another 911 call involving a deceased victim of a police encounter, public safety seems lacking. Many citizens vicariously witness or view fatal police encounters through the lens of extant media information, and how the public perceives media coverage can negate citizen trust and confidence in law enforcement. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the influence of perceived media coverage of police-caused deaths of unarmed Black men and its impact on the inclination …

Experiences Of Hurricane-Related Events Among Campus Leadership Of Southeastern U.S. Universities, Clarissa E. Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last 10 years, institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in the southeastern United States have endured natural disasters that have caused flooding, water, and wind damage and resulted in student evacuations, class disruptions, and building damage. IHLs are further challenged with resuming campus operations despite the emotional impact resulting after a natural disaster occurs. There is limited research relative to the experiences of campus leadership who share the responsibility of keeping students, visitors, and university artifacts safe during and after a hurricane-related event. This research study served as a qualitative phenomenological assessment of campus leadership experiences during a post-hurricane-related …

Staff Education On Workplace Violence And Prevention Measures, Fatu Koroma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Forensic nurses are essential in helping forensic mental health patients at an inpatient/outpatient forensic psychiatric health care facility. The practice gap that the forensic psychiatric health care facility experienced was a deficit in knowledge among forensic nurses on the importance of workplace violence and prevention. The practice-focused question guiding the project was to determine if education on the American Nurses Association’s workplace violence and prevention measures would increase forensic nurses’ and staff’s education scores. The purpose of the project was to close the gap by educating nurses and staff on measures to increase a safer environment. The instructional design was …

Gang Diversion Programs In The Success Of Reducing Youth Gang Membership, Francis Songtiib Laari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rate of youth involvement in gang membership and crime has become a problem in Fairfax County, Virginia. It has increased violent crimes, drug trade, and incarceration rates for youths and decreased child school graduation rates. Youth gang membership is a significant public issue with broad mental and psychological implications for the child, family, and community because of the potential to commit a crime. Early exposure to gangs and violent neighborhoods can profoundly and negatively impact the residents. Researchers have explored why many children join gangs, but none have examined gang diversion programs' success in reducing youth gang membership. In …

Understanding The Lack Of Communication Between Communities And Law Enforcement Through A Community Policing Program, Patrick B. Skoczek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Inequitable treatment by law enforcement officers has deeply impacted minority communities in the United States. Public incidents of abuse of power, discriminatory treatment, and excessive use of force have received increased attention, creating increased community mistrust of law enforcement officers. To help bridge the gap between communities and law enforcement agencies, this qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to examine the use and impact of the Policing and Public Safety Problem-Solving Programs. Data were collected through interviews with 12 retired police officers and 12 community members. Interview questions were related to participants’ perceptions regarding a breakdown in trust between law …

The Recidivism Rate In Correlation To The Effectiveness Of The Bridges To Life Reentry Program In Texas, Steven Steen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research explored the relationship between reentry programs and recidivism in the state of Texas. One program in particular, Bridges To Life (BTL), has had an impact on recidivism in the state, and this research analyzed how the overall organization of BTL correlated to recidivism. Recidivism is the repeated or habitual relapse into crime. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine whether there was a direct correlation between the reduction of recidivism and the effectiveness of reentry programs through BTL in the state of Texas. The research question for this study explored the correlation between BTL and …

Nonprofit Leader Strategies For Revenue Growth And Financial Sustainability, William David Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit leaders must ceaselessly endeavor to become more entrepreneurial by accumulating strategies for growing organizational revenue and promoting financial sustainability when charitable contributions cannot fund their business operations. The failure to obtain charitable contributions can lead to nonprofit closure. Grounded in behavioral portfolio theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies a leader of a small Wisconsin nonprofit used to increase revenue and financial sustainability when charitable contributions were insufficient to finance business operations. Data collection included semistructured interviews; organizational documents and reports; financial records and reports; social media; and internet reports. Data were analyzed …

Workplace Bullying On Human Resources Management Performance In Correctional Facilities, Oliver Onyeka Ehiahuruike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWorkplace bullying, as part of a hostile work environment, impacts human resources management (HRM) work outcome metrics, employees' attitudes toward their job, organization, and behavioral intentions that collectively affect organizational goals. Addressed in this study are the problems of workplace bullying of corrections employees, which negatively affect HRM outcome measures of turnover intention, organizational commitment, and employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction among corrections employees in Texas. Homans's social exchange and Bourdieu's social capital theories were used in this …

How Police Investigators View Credibility Of Victims Of Sexual Assault Crimes, Lakesha Richele Boone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual assault is a sensitive topic, and research has become increasingly popular. Most literature focuses on stigma, attitudes, and perceptions that victims and law enforcement have about each other. Law enforcement officers are responsible for making charging decisions based on their investigations and ways by which they determine credibility and reliability of victims. It was unclear what criteria law enforcement officers use to ascertain relevant flaws in victim character and credibility. The purpose of this study was to explore how law enforcement officers evaluate credibility of sexual assault victims during investigations. The feminist legal, just world, and rape myth acceptance …

Workplace Bullying On Human Resources Management Performance In Correctional Facilities, Oliver Onyeka Ehiahuruike

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWorkplace bullying, as part of a hostile work environment, impacts human resources management (HRM) work outcome metrics, employees' attitudes toward their job, organization, and behavioral intentions that collectively affect organizational goals. Addressed in this study are the problems of workplace bullying of corrections employees, which negatively affect HRM outcome measures of turnover intention, organizational commitment, and employee job satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative correlational research study was to determine the relationship between workplace bullying and turnover intention, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction among corrections employees in Texas. Homans's social exchange and Bourdieu's social capital theories were used in this …

Probationer Officer Experiences: Dual Role Decision-Making For Probationers With Mental Illness, Myra A. Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation officers play a major role in maintaining public safety by balancing their dual roles of care and control. The number of individuals within the United States community corrections system is significantly growing. This has increased the need for probation officers to make decisions for probationers with mental illness. However, there is a gap in understanding how active-duty probation officers make decisions for probationers. This study examined how probation officers balance their dual roles while decision-making for probationers with mental illness. An interpretative phenomenological analysis design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants who met inclusion criteria to …

Sex Offenders’ Risk Assessment Process And Effects On Jurisdiction Transitioning, Lonnie Keith Grabowska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Adam Walsh Act created sex offender notification and registration requirements to encourage state compliance toward federal guidelines and assigned threat levels to registered sex offenders using mandated assessment processes. Researchers have pointed out that the transition by states using tiered assessment processes to the federally mandated guidelines has led to operational changes to state registration procedures. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand the effects and impacts on jurisdictions transitioning the designation of registered sex offenders’ threat assessment levels from a formal risk-based assessment process to the mandated Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act conviction-based assessment tool …

Exploring Black Parents’ Perception Of Armed Teachers In School Settings, Iris Mathis-Spellman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of mass school shootings in K–12 classrooms has ignited ongoing conversations about arming teachers in school settings to prevent future tragedies and provide a safe learning environment for students. This research study aimed to understand Black parents’ perception of armed teachers in school settings. Critical race theory provided the framework to explore the impact of race and implicit bias on teacher–student social interactions when policies permit teachers to carry firearms. Accordingly, the research questions explored Black parents’ perceptions of policies allowing armed teachers in school settings. A basic qualitative design was utilized with a purposeful and snowball sample …

Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to explore how male sexual offender recidivism impacted sex crime investigations. Recidivism is a widely recognized social problem that affects all of society. Understanding the influence that male sex offender recidivism may have on a sex crime investigation is key to recognizing its relationship to recidivism. The methodology used in this study was a basic qualitative inquiry to explore how male sex offender recidivism impacts sex crime investigations. Based on Hirschi’s social bond theory, the study addressed ways a sexual offender may conform to societal requirements through attachments and personal values. The application of …

Parents’ Perceptions Of The Traits, Characteristics, And Circumstances Of Modern-Day Mass Shooters, Matt Talbot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is little research on parents’ perceptions about the traits, characteristics, and circumstances ascribed to mass shooters and the sources of information shaping these perceptions. Understanding parents’ beliefs about mass shooters and mass shootings can serve to inform approaches to training and education and recommendations for media reporting on such events. Evidence-based knowledge helps parents become more equipped to serve as early interventionists for those who may be moving along a pathway of violence. Application of Gerbner’s cultivation theory frames the process by which media sources shape perceptions. In this phenomenological qualitative study, semi structured interviews were conducted with 19 …

Examining The U.S. Disaster Management Program: A Case Study Of The U.S. Virgin Islands Hurricanes Irma And Maria Evacuation, Victoria F. Vachon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWhether from natural or human causes, every global community is at risk for overwhelming, destabilizing incidents. Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands in late August and early September 2017, necessitating the urgent evacuation of hemodialysis patients over 1000 miles to the U.S. mainland. Because the damage and response to the U.S. territory were unprecedented, the public health implications of the government’s strategies on the evacuated population subset were unexplored. However, available information suggested that some evacuees sustained avoidable harm while in the protracted care and custody of the government. This qualitative case study, conceptually framed by Bronfenbrenner’s …

Perceptions Of Law Enforcement Officers Regarding Their Interactions With Persons In Mental Health Crises., Monica Roundtree

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are guided by principles to protect and serve the community in general; this includes persons with mental health illnesses. These officers are often the sole community resource responding to calls involving persons in mental health crises. However, many officers lack the knowledge and skills to effectively interact with this group. This quantitative study addressed how law enforcement officers perceive that a selected policy, procedure, or strategy is effective for interacting with a person experiencing a mental health crisis. The theoretical framework for this study is the procedural justice theory. A convenience sample of 100 sworn law enforcement …

Effect Of Detention Facilities Toward Juvenile Delinquency And Exposure To Criminalization, Calvin Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractDetention facility settings present opportunities and risks in relation to violent extremism. Criminalization as the main concern would increase the crime rates in the United States while allowing the formation of terrorist groups on U.S. soil. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between juveniles’ experiences in detention centers and their exposure to criminalization. The study was guided by social control theory, narrative theory, and differential opportunity theory. Data were collected using a survey of 15 juvenile detention officers. Results of correlation analyses indicated a significant relationship between detention experience and increased exposure to criminalization …

Prevention Policing: Two Different Strategic Approaches, Garth Den Heyer

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Resilience Of Former Offenders Released From A Halfway House, Tasha Andrea Pritchett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Former offenders confront a myriad of obstacles that often lead to re-offending and return to prison. Re-offending also creates financial and social burdens for taxpayers. There is some evidence that the consequences of incarceration for offenders can be buffered through resilience. Factors that promote resilience can be personal (internal) and environmental (external), and may directly or indirectly affect offenders’ adaptation, well-being, and development as they transition out of prison. The purpose of the study was to explore the narratives of resilience in adult males who have transitioned from halfway houses to mainstream society. Richardson’s metatheory of resilience and resiliency was …

Systematic Literature Review Of Residency Program For Transition To Intensive Care, Sonja Marguerite Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the systematic literature review project is to present the benefits of a nurse residency program (NRP) to assist new graduate nurses (NGNs) in transition to intensive care nursing. A theory-to-practice gap in knowledge and experience results in the need to support these nurses during their transition to professional practice. This project focused on compiling a systematic review of existing literature to provide evidence and insights into the optimal structure and process of transitioning new graduate nurses to intensive care nursing practice. The American Associations of Critical Care Nurses synergy conceptual model and Patricia Benner's novice to expert …

Strategies To Reduce Flight Attendant Voluntary Turnover, Jorge Tobar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flight attendant voluntary turnover can lead to staffing shortages that can cause severe disruptions to flight schedules, damage the airlines’ reputations, and negatively affect revenues, which are significant challenges for airline leaders. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore strategies airline leaders use to reduce flight attendant voluntary turnover. Data were collected from four leaders from four U.S. airlines in the southwestern United States using semistructured interviews and reviews of organizational documents. Five themes emerged from thematic analysis: improving compensation and benefits packages, implementing rewards and recognition programs, increasing supervisory support, expanding …