Digital Commons Network^™

False Confessions From The Viewpoint Of Federal Polygraph Examiners, Bradford Beyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While confessions are a powerful form of evidence, innocent people sometimes confess to crimes they did not commit. Many researchers have studied false confessions through laboratory experiments with university students or by focusing on proven cases of false confession. These approaches have led many researchers to form a conceptual framework that law enforcement interrogative methods are a key cause of false confessions. A gap exists in the literature as few researchers have queried law enforcement about false confessions or consulted with officers who specialize in interrogation. For this study, a qualitative case study approach was used to explore the experiences …

Motivating Factors In Al-Shabaab Recruitment In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lorrie Flores

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 5 years, a number of U.S. citizens residing in Minneapolis have been reported to have been recruited and radicalized by Al-Shabaab, organization that has played a role in major international terrorist attacks. This, in turn, creates a significant concern related to national security in the United States. Using Hirsch's social bond theory and Merton's theory of relative depravation, the purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the factors that motivate radicalization of young males aged 18 to 25 in Minneapolis. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 6 Somali American adults between the ages of …

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. …

An Evaluation Of An American Sign Language Interpreting Internship Program, Colleen Avilla Geier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was a program evaluation of an American Sign Language internship program that was established in 2006 at a 4-year private college in the Midwestern United States but had never been evaluated. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this internship program in preparing students for employment in the field of interpreting. An expertise-oriented program evaluation case study was conducted using the lens of experiential learning theory. Research questions were used to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the program and the ways in which the policies, objectives, and assignments prepare students to work as …

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 …

Public Perception And Privacy Issues With Dna Regulations And Database In Alabama, Thea Denean Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database is utilized in all 50 states for matching DNA evidence with criminal suspects. While each state administers CODIS, which ultimately feeds into a national database, little is understood about how citizens in states perceive the utility of such a database and how their perceptions and knowledge of DNA could impact state policy changes though voting. Research also suggests that the "CSI Effect" may impact how citizens perceive the role of a national DNA database. Grounded on Gerbner's cultivation theory, the purpose of this study was to determine if, in Alabama, there is a …

Winning Banking Strategies To Identify Efficiency Changes During A Financial Crisis, Adeeb Seman Hattar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2007 and 2009, taxpayers paid $700 billion to bail out failing U.S. banks. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies that leaders of a successful U.S. bank used to identify efficiency changes occurring during the financial crisis. The target population of this study included 6 bank leaders located in San Bernardino, California, who occupied a managerial role in a successful U.S. bank during a financial crisis, had experience with the efficiency changes that occurred during a financial crisis, and developed and implemented strategies to identify efficiency changes that took place during a financial crisis. The …

Predictors For Florida Nurse Practitioners' Characterization Of Organizational Climate, Eric F. Haupt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare managers are failing to meet the increasing demand for services while experiencing a growing shortage of healthcare workers. The restrictive scope of practice regulations and organizational barriers have a negative effect on the number and growth of nurse practitioners available to meet the required demand. Researchers have focused on the organizational climate of the nursing profession in general, yet there is an absence of research regarding the perceptions of the advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) in their local practice environment. The purpose of this study was to examine if ARNP role identification, autonomy, and collaboration were predictive of perceived …

Experiences Of Chronic Disease Self-Management Program Leaders, Laketa Monique Hillman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Chronic conditions are public health threats. The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is an evidence-based disease management program that addresses personal self-management of chronic conditions. The CDSMP involves peer trainers who instruct and assist with chronic disease preventive measures. Although disease management demonstrates promise to improving patient self-maintenance, previous researchers have not evaluated how the program affects program leaders. The purpose of this study was to discover how self-help leaders feel about the CDSM program. The overarching research question asked about perspectives that self-help leaders had toward the program. Through a narrative qualitative approach, the perceptions of peer leaders were …

The Experiences Of Grade 4 Public Elementary School Teachers Regarding Multiculturalism, James Hill Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of multicultural students are attending U.S. public schools. At a Title I elementary school in a rural region of the southern United States, multicultural students had not met academic standards as measured by state exams, and state scores had been very low for 5 consecutive years. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the instructional strategies used by Grade 4 teachers in helping multicultural students pass state tests. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky's theory of cognitive and social constructivism and Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. The foci of research questions were on identifying teachers' …

Using Nutrition And Fitness Awareness To Reduce Overweight And Obesity In Adolescents, Allissa.Johnson Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, adolescent obesity rates continue to increase unabated, yet there is a paucity of programs to address these conditions for this population. The current study evaluated an after-school program in California high schools that uses a mentoring model with youth to promote regular exercise and healthy food choices. It is grounded in Social Cognitive Theory which focuses on both the impact of the environment on shaping behaviors and the ability of an individual to construct his or her own suitable environment. A quantitative single-group pretest-posttest design using archived participant responses was utilized in order to determine whether …

Electronic Health Record (Ehr) Reform, Ali Al Ukaby

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Organizational Diagnosis

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Reform

The Extent And Nature Of Bullying In A Christian School, Brian Hazeltine, David A. Hernandez

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Bullying is a problem that has been studied in schools worldwide, but there is little research on bullying within Christian schools, a dearth which may stem from the assumption that Christian schools teach character traits that are inimical to bullying. Yet understanding the extent and nature of bullying in Christian schools may lead to a better understanding of ways to address the problem in all schools. Guided by social identity theory, which allowed for a focus on moral and character development, this study examined the extent and nature of bullying among 347 students in Grades 3 through 10 in a …

Diabetes Self-Management Education For Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Rondalyn Dennis-Bradshaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diabetes, a major public health challenge in St. Kitts, has been a focus of international public health community research. Although researchers have demonstrated that diabetes self-management education is a cost-effective strategy for the prevention of diabetes-related complications, they have yet to establish whether there is adequate education occurring in treatment settings with diabetic patients. The purpose of the study was to implement and evaluate the short-term effectiveness of a diabetes self-management education intervention on diabetes-related knowledge and accepted behavioral changes to decrease risk for complications. Based on a self-care approach, this education intervention was designed to improve diabetes-related knowledge and …

Challenging The Efficacy Of Different Dental Bleaching Protocols, A. Koniaris, Vasileios Margaritis

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

The Adaptation Needs Of International Social Work Students: A Proposed Mentoring Approach, Hyun-A Song, Helen E. Petracchi

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

Given the increasing numbers of international social work students in the United States, it is incumbent upon social work faculty to understand their needs for appropriate support as they adjust to life as foreign-born students. This paper has two main goals. First, we discuss contributions and challenges faced by international social work students. Second, as a form of support, we propose a mentoring approach pairing retired social work professionals with international social work students and argue that this may provide a mutually beneficial experience for both. That is, this study identifies adaptation needs specific to international social work students, describes …

Expert Clinician To Novice Nurse Educator. Learning From First-Hand Narratives, Jeanne Merkle Sorrell, Pamela Cangelosi

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The nurse educator role often looks deceptively simple. Compared to the complexity of bedside care for a patient with multiple comorbidities and hour-by-hour monitoring, watching over students to guide their learning may appear easy. Yet, when experienced nurse clinicians try out this new endeavor for the first time, they often describe themselves as frustrated and uncertain about how to best implement the role. Through years of experience as clinicians, nurses often arrive at a comfort zone where they know what to do for their patients in order to keep them safe and enhance their healing. When moving to the nurse …

Canadian Community College Faculty And Teaching And Learning Professional Development, Carol Ann Samhaber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many colleges have faced the challenge of engaging faculty in teaching and learning professional development. The purpose of this project study was to investigate why full-time school of business faculty at a small community college in Canada do not complete college course design and student assessment training. Faculty members are urged to complete these trainings in order to implement their courses to successfully prepare students to graduate from college and launch professional careers. The research questions in this study focused on faculty perceptions regarding factors that have prevented their completion of this college's course design and student assessment professional development. …

Pregnancy Apps: A Closer Look At The Implications For Childbirth Educators, Christine Frazer, Leslie Hussey, Emily Bosch, Michelle Squire

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Most pregnant women download an average of three pregnancy apps during their gestational period. There are no set standards in place for what needs to be included in an app’s description leaving consumers to decide for themselves when it comes to selecting the right app to download. The childbirth educator must be knowledgeable about pregnancy apps, in-tune as to what apps their clientele download, and how to analyze them for credibility. This article presents characteristics associated with women of childbearing age (i.e. Millennial/Net generation); the reasons why pregnant women are turning to apps; the limitations of apps, and the childbirth …

A Rapid Assessment Of Post-Disclosure Experiences Of Urban Hiv-Positive And Hiv-Negative School-Aged Children In Kenya, Grace Gachanja

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

There has been limited involvement of HIV-negative children in HIV disclosure studies; most studies conducted on the effects of disclosure on children have been with HIV-positive children and HIV-positive mother-child dyads. Seven HIV-positive and five HIV-negative children participated in a larger study conducted to understand the lived experiences of HIV-positive parents and their children during the disclosure process in Kenya. In this study, the experiences of these 12 children after receiving disclosure of their own and their parents’ illnesses respectively are presented. Each child underwent an in-depth qualitative semi-structured digitally recorded interview. The recorded interviews were transcribed and loaded into …

Understanding Project Management A Three Dimensional Model For Understanding Projects And The Implications For Developing A Project Management Plan, Russell W. Darnall Dm

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Project success is dependent on the understanding of the project and applying the appropriate knowledge, skills, and processes. The paper presents a three dimensional model for understanding projects and developing an appropriate project management approach. The First Dimension represents the generic knowledge, skills, and processes appropriate for all projects and typically represented in such documents as the PMBOK. Although the First Dimension provides the basics for managing projects, it is not sufficient. The Second Dimension represents industry-specific knowledge, skills, and processes appropriate for projects in specific industries or industries with similar characteristics. The Third Dimension builds on both First and …

Leadership In Collegiate Soccer, Jack Mccann, Thomas Kohntopp, Power Home Remodeling Group

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

One of the most significant athletic and social changes in the United States over the past two decades has been the growing popularity of soccer. Since the mid-1990s, soccer popularity has exploded, fueled by the emergence and growth of Major League Soccer (MLS) (Saporito, 2010). Though soccer is the world’s most popular sport in terms of attendance, U.S. soccer matches have modest attendance; however, this may be changing. Soccer popularity has increased through participation and media coverage while becoming integrated into the U.S. culture (Saporito, 2010). This research examined an extremely important aspect of the sport . . . the …

Una Perspectiva Humanista Para La Educación Del Futuro: Revelaciones Internacionales, Tom Cavanagh, M.C. Nieto Angel, L.H. Fickel, S. Macfarlaine

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Los sistemas educativos en diferentes países del mundo buscan respuestas a los problemas de convivencia e inequidad en los aprendizajes. Mientras la violencia en sus múltiples expresiones parece aumentar, se ha hecho evidente la necesidad de nuevas formas de “hacer educación”, que ofrezcan posibilidades más holísticas de resolver conflictos y restablecer las relaciones interpersonales, al tiempo que las escuelas cultivan ambientes de cuidado, favorables al desarrollo de seres humanos equilibrados y armónicos en todas sus dimensiones. El presente artículo resalta los resultados de investigaciones que se llevaron a cabo a una escala regional en América Latina y a escala menor …

Social Media As Support For Partners Of Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Susan L. Ruiz, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Researchers have established that partners of veterans who isolate socially because of posttraumatic stress disorder are also socially impacted. It is not known how partners cope with their own social isolation and the influence of social media on the isolation while maintaining commitment to their veteran partners. Weiss’ theory of the syndrome of loneliness was used as the basis for this phenomenological study investigating social experiences in 10 female participants drawn from social media groups. Although the study was open to male or female partners, only female partners of male veterans chose to participate. Qualitative email interviews established how the …

Sustainability In Government Contracts: A Measure Of Performance From The Contractor Perspective, Tamara P. Williams

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Studies in Government contracting are relatively new manifestation to academic research. Expanding theories to practitioner challenges may offer new concepts and insights to potential solutions to these challenges. Through a review of relevant literature, the researcher sought to 1) identify an operational definition of sustainability in government contracting and 2) bridge gaps in information by exploring sustainability factors available for successful performance in government contracting. Findings provide noteworthy contributions of practices available to both businesses and contracting professionals designed to improve contracting performance and enhance business longevity for government contractors.

A Framework For Evaluating Learning Progressions On Features Related To Their Intended Uses, Jennifer L. Kobrin, Sarah Larson, Ashley Cromwell, Patricia Garza

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

In recent years, learning progressions (LPs) have captured the interest of educators and policy makers. There have been numerous efforts to develop LPs aligned to college and career readiness standards, to unpack these standards, and to provide more clarity on the pathways students follow to reach them. There is great variation, however, in the structure, content, and features of LPs, and these have implications for the LP’s most appropriate use. The purpose of this research was to devise a framework to understand and evaluate key features of an LP, including its structure, content, usability, and validity evidence. We maintain that …

Predictors Of Latino English Learners’ Reading Comprehension Proficiency, Theresa A. Grasparil, David A. Hernandez

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Poor literacy achievement among English learners has contributed significantly to their high dropout rates, poor job prospects, and high poverty rates. The National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth has suggested that English learners benefit from the same direct, systematic instruction in the five essential components of reading shown effective for native-English-speaking students: phonemic awareness, phonics, oral reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Implementing effective reading instructional practices for English learners may reduce the literacy achievement gap between English learners and native English speakers. In this study, we used multiple regression to examine data for 1,376 third-grade Latino English …

Exploring Racial Disparity In St. Louis City Fetal-Infant Death, Hadi Danawi, Marie Peoples

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The perinatal periods of risk (PPOR) methodology was used to analyze resident fetal and infant deaths in St. Louis City, Missouri, for the years 1999 - 2008. The PPOR approach is mapped into four periods: Maternal Health/Prematurity (MHP), Maternal Care (MC), Newborn Care (NC), and Infant Health (IF). Both Blacks and Whites experienced excess fetal-infant death within the MHP periods. Recognizing specific periods of increased risk provides key information to transform data into action. Findings allow childbirth educators, community members, and policy-makers to further explore barriers limiting maternal care.

A Review Of Fatherhood Related Issues In The Country Of Lebanon, Hadi Danawi, Tala Hasbini

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

Fatherhood issues in the country of Lebanon remain largely unexplored and undocumented. This review serves as a basis for fatherhood issues and presents a snapshot of the current situation with a background of some of the most related challenges affecting the issue of parenting in Lebanon. In addition, this review lays the background of how these challenges affect women of childbearing age who often end up raising their families on their own. Cultural and religious beliefs as well as factors relating to political influences in the Middle East region are discussed. The author concludes with a set of lessons learned.

The Role Of Ultrasound In The Lebanese Outreach Setting, Reem Abu-Rustum, Fouad M. Ziade, Hadi Danawi

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 669 patients to assess the role of introducing ultrasound into obstetrical outreach in Lebanon. Data were collected, and descriptive statistics were performed. Sonographic findings were compared using Chi-square tests between underserved Lebanese and Syrian refugee mothers. Ultrasound plays a significant role in properly dating pregnancies in addition to identifying at-risk fetuses and detecting placental abnormalities. Medical providers need to make sonographic evaluation in the Lebanese outreach obstetrical setting more available and more systematic in order to secure a safe outcome for underserved Lebanese and Syrian refugee mothers and offspring.