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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Aleks Constructs As Predictors Of High School Mathematics Achievement For Struggling Students, Nadine Mills Jan 2018

Aleks Constructs As Predictors Of High School Mathematics Achievement For Struggling Students, Nadine Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators in the United States (U.S.) are increasingly turning to intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) to provide differentiated math instruction to high school students. However, many struggling high school learners do not perform well on these platforms, which reinforces the need for more awareness about effective supports that influence the achievement of learners in these milieus. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors of the Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), an ITS, are predictive of struggling learners' performance in a blended-learning Algebra 1 course at an inner city technical high school located in the northeastern U.S. …


Academic Role And Professional Identity Development In Counselor Education, Seth Scott Jan 2018

Academic Role And Professional Identity Development In Counselor Education, Seth Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional identity development occurs during graduate training through mentoring, modeling, and academic training by counselor educators. If counselor educators are to transmit this professional identity, they must possess a robust professional identity themselves. Professional identity development theory suggests that the strength of this professional identity may be threatened by a lack of belonging in academia for nontenured or contingent faculty. A correlational research design using a purposeful convenience sample was used to examine the relationship between academic role, employment status, years of experience, and professional identity among counselor educators. The participants (n=50) were counselor educators who subscribe to the CESNET-Listserv. …


Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives On Differentiated Instruction, Alyssa Simmons Jan 2018

Second Grade Teachers' Perspectives On Differentiated Instruction, Alyssa Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite various instructional efforts, the second grade students in a mid-sized Southwestern school district failed to progress in reading. Although differentiated instruction has been shown to improve literacy skills for young readers, many teachers at the study site did not differentiate instruction for all students. Grounded in theories of social constructivism and differentiated instruction, the purpose of this study was to investigate second grade teachers' perspectives about using differentiated literacy instruction and the effect of their teaching experience and participation in professional development on those perspectives. Data for this nonexperimental, causal-comparative study were collected from 93 second grade teachers via …


Household Determinants Of Malaria In Mutasa District Of Zimbabwe, David Takudzwa Zinyengere Jan 2018

Household Determinants Of Malaria In Mutasa District Of Zimbabwe, David Takudzwa Zinyengere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Malaria is a vector borne, acute febrile illness, caused by Plasmodium parasites. Malaria impacts the medical and socioeconomic development programs of affected communities, as it diverts both individual and national resources into managing the disease burden. The purpose of this study was to explore and evaluate household determinants of malaria in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. The precede-proceed theoretical model guided the study. Secondary data from Demographic Health Survey and District Health Management Information System, and current data from household determinant questionnaires, were used to evaluate the influence and significance of identified household determinants. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine …


Fall Reduction Among The Geriatric Population In Assisted Living Facilities, Marylyn A. Hagerty Jan 2018

Fall Reduction Among The Geriatric Population In Assisted Living Facilities, Marylyn A. Hagerty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incidents of falls among the elderly increase with age. About $31 million is spent annually in the United States on medical costs related to fall injuries in the elderly. This project evaluated the outcomes of a fall reduction program implemented in an assisted living facility (ALF). The Stop Elderly Accidents, Death & Injury program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was implemented by the ALF for 60 days prior to the outcome evaluation project. The program included a convenience sample of 62 residents and involved medication evaluation, exercises, assistive devices, environmental risk reduction, and evaluation of blood …


Oral Glucose Insulin Secretion Test For Identifying Patients With Insulin Resistance, David Kershner Jan 2018

Oral Glucose Insulin Secretion Test For Identifying Patients With Insulin Resistance, David Kershner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Insulin resistance is an increasing public health issue with the current literature, suggesting reduced sensitivity of insulin leads to adult onset diabetes and associated downstream pathologies that reduce life expectancy. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the ability of the Oral Glucose Insulin Secretion Test (OGIST) to identify insulin resistance and examine differences in the insulin sensitivity based on gender, age, and ethnicity. This study was supported by the insulin resistance theory which focuses on the reduced ability of insulin to bind to the cellular insulin receptor, reducing the sensitivity of insulin. The OGIST lab results of …


Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In The Durable Goods Industry, Mary Jane Burnett Jan 2018

Strategies To Reduce Employee Turnover In The Durable Goods Industry, Mary Jane Burnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some durable goods industry leaders lack strategies needed to successfully reduce voluntary employee turnover, which is detrimental to organizational performance and decreases an organization's competitive advantage. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies durable goods industry leaders used to reduce employee turnover in their organizations. The population consisted of 4 durable goods industry leaders in the southeastern region of the United States who had at least 3 years of managerial experience in reducing employee turnover. The conceptual framework was the transformational leadership theory of Bass. Methodological triangulation was used to increase the validity and …


How Social Workers' Perceptions As Mandated Reporters May Impact Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, Dorothy Goulart Jan 2018

How Social Workers' Perceptions As Mandated Reporters May Impact Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, Dorothy Goulart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child maltreatment is a worldwide concern. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, social workers are mandated reporters. When there is reasonable suspicion, they are required by law to report suspected child maltreatment to the appropriate Child Protective Services office. In this study, the research problem was the underreporting of child maltreatment, even when reasonable suspicion existed. The purpose of this study, as reflected in the research questions, was to understand social workers' perceptions of their role as mandated reporters, to explore how their perceptions impacted reporting, and to develop recommendations that could be implemented to help ensure appropriate reporting. An action …


Antibiotic Overuse In The Geriatric Population, Kimberley Allison Kelly Jan 2018

Antibiotic Overuse In The Geriatric Population, Kimberley Allison Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid are requiring long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to implement antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) to alleviate overuse of antibiotics in the nursing home population. Current research shows that the benefits of ASPs include improved patient outcomes, reduced adverse events related to Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infection, improvement in rates of antibiotic susceptibilities, and optimized resource utilization. This project addressed the problem of antibiotic overuse and misuse in the geriatric population and whether the implementation of an ASP reduced the overuse of antibiotics, C-diff infection, and resistance rates in the LTCF. Application of the Johns Hopkins nursing model …


Understanding Parenting Styles Of Second-Generation Parents Of Residential School Survivors Within Treaty 8 Reserves, Judy Kim-Meneen Jan 2018

Understanding Parenting Styles Of Second-Generation Parents Of Residential School Survivors Within Treaty 8 Reserves, Judy Kim-Meneen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 150,000 First Nation, Metis, and Inuit children attended Canadian residential schools from the 1840s to 1996. Most residential school children had negative experiences of physical, verbal, and sexual abuse that led to parenting repercussions once these children became parents. These repercussions of residential schools led to a rate of neglect for First Nation children 12 times higher than non-First Nation children. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological descriptive study was to explore the lived experiences of second generation parents, who were schooled in residential schools as children and their current parenting styles. The conceptual frameworks of trauma theory and …


Reducing Internal Theft And Loss In Small Businesses, Eric L. Luster Jan 2018

Reducing Internal Theft And Loss In Small Businesses, Eric L. Luster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Every year, several documented data breaches happen in the United States, resulting in the exposure of millions of electronic records. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore strategies some information technology managers used to monitor employees and reduce internal theft and loss. The population for this study consisted of 5 information technology managers who work within the field of technology in the southwestern region of the United States. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling. The conceptual framework for this study included elements from information and communication boundary theories. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company standard operating procedures, …


Sexual History Screening Tools For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Sarah Musu Onyenwe Jan 2018

Sexual History Screening Tools For Individuals With Developmental Disabilities, Sarah Musu Onyenwe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with developmental disabilities are at high risk for sexual abuse, exploitation, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Thorough screening by clinicians in outpatient settings recommending preventative measures to promote reproductive and sexual health, and developing caregiver trust are essential. The aim of this systematic review was to provide screening tools to assist clinicians in assessing the sexual histories of individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities. The Iowa model and the cognitive behavioral theory were used as the theoretical frameworks that guided and informed this project. A total of 148 articles were sought and, of the 34 articles reviewed, 19 …


The Relationship Between Education Levels And Public Opinion Before The Iraq War, Damion Steele Jan 2018

The Relationship Between Education Levels And Public Opinion Before The Iraq War, Damion Steele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found that higher education is known to stabilize political opinions and thought to enhance critical thinking skills. The role that an individual's level of education plays in shaping public opinion during a foreign affairs crisis, within the context of repetitious and uniform news media coverage, has yet to be determined. The theoretical foundation of agenda-setting explains how salience is created by emphasizing certain messages and influencing public opinion and may bypass education and political knowledge. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between education level and public opinion immediately before the Iraq War. The …


Successful Marketing Strategies For Promoting Clinical Diagnostic Instrument Validation Packages, Hsiao-Ching Teng Jan 2018

Successful Marketing Strategies For Promoting Clinical Diagnostic Instrument Validation Packages, Hsiao-Ching Teng

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Successful marketing strategies for clinical validation packages not only help laboratories increase the accuracy and efficiency of testing, but also facilitate clinical quality awareness and collaboration. False diagnosis and inefficiency in healthcare can be costly, and managers in diagnostic instrument manufacturing organizations need strategies to promote validation packages to help laboratories reduce errors leading to inappropriate treatment. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies business development managers use to integrate dynamic capabilities for marketing instrument validation packages aimed to increase clinical laboratory quality and test accuracy. The conceptual framework was Teece's concept of dynamic capabilities. The …


The Influence Of Parental Perceptions On Early Childhood Educational Choices In Nigeria, Magdalene Uwadiogbu Okobah Jan 2018

The Influence Of Parental Perceptions On Early Childhood Educational Choices In Nigeria, Magdalene Uwadiogbu Okobah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The influx of women of childbearing age into the labor force, family dynamics of dual working parents as a result of economic factors, and weakening of extended family supports have increased demand for early childhood care and education programs in Nigeria. Consequently, a problem emerged in increased enrollment in ECCE programs that are deficient in terms of structural and process factors of child-caregiver ratio, group size, staff qualifications, health and safety practices, curriculum implementation, and parental engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influenced parents' in their decision process for ECCE placement for their children …


Leadership Strategies For Retaining Mariners Aboard State Maritime Academy Training Ships, Augusta D. Roth Jan 2018

Leadership Strategies For Retaining Mariners Aboard State Maritime Academy Training Ships, Augusta D. Roth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shortage of qualified merchant marines in the United States requires State Maritime Academy (SMA) leaders to develop competitive retention strategies to retain merchant mariners aboard training vessels. The purpose of this single case study was to identify retention strategies that U.S. SMA leaders used to retain mariners aboard training ships. The conceptual framework of this study was Vroom's expectancy theory. The study participants consisted of 5 SMA leaders overseeing the mariners aboard a training vessel. Semistructured interviews and review of SMA documents pertaining to employment strategies provided the study data. The data analysis included collecting and coding data, and …


Strategies Construction Managerial Leaders Use To Counteract Material Cost Overruns, Daniel John Van Der Kuyp Jan 2018

Strategies Construction Managerial Leaders Use To Counteract Material Cost Overruns, Daniel John Van Der Kuyp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project cost overruns instigated through the loss of construction materials lowers the profitability of each stakeholder significantly. The purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies managerial leaders of a large construction firm used to counteract material cost overruns successfully. The diffusion of innovation theory was the conceptual framework for this study. The target population consisted of 6 managerial leaders with experience in large construction projects adhering to waste management standards and industry certifications. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and review of company documentation. The data analysis approach involved the content analysis research method to interpret …


Student Perceptions Of Environmental Quality While Attending Accelerated Medical Technology College Courses, Ralph L. Westbrook Jan 2018

Student Perceptions Of Environmental Quality While Attending Accelerated Medical Technology College Courses, Ralph L. Westbrook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Regional weather patterns in the southwestern United States frequently test the engineering involved in indoor air handling equipment in college facilities. Although an adequate indoor thermal environment has been found to affect student learning, little is known about students' perceptions of classroom heating and ventilation and impacts on learning. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how students in accelerated medical technology courses perceived the environmental quality in their classrooms and discern whether these conditions affected overall gains in knowledge, persistence, and retention in their learning. Fourteen participants from 2 local community colleges were interviewed using purposeful sampling. …


A Qualitative Case Studying Collaboration Use To Improve Listening Instruction In Taiwanese Secondary Schools, Pearl Chang Jan 2018

A Qualitative Case Studying Collaboration Use To Improve Listening Instruction In Taiwanese Secondary Schools, Pearl Chang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Taiwan English teachers in secondary schools are facing a new challenge of having to teach listening comprehension skills to their students. Many instructors are not equipped to deliver adequate listening instruction although listening comprehension has become a benchmark for senior high students aspiring to enter a tertiary institution and earn a college degree. Instructors, students, parents, administrators, and members of the Ministry of Education agree that there is a need to meet the demands of the National English Curriculum Standards. Weimar's approach of learner-centered teaching served as the conceptual foundation for this study since the focus was on ways teachers …


The Adoption And Diffusion Of The Air Taxi/Air Charter Travel Innovation, Joseph Paul Leader Jan 2018

The Adoption And Diffusion Of The Air Taxi/Air Charter Travel Innovation, Joseph Paul Leader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The inefficient use and knowledge of direct, on-demand air taxi/air charter flights in the United States was the topic of this dissertation. The general problem studied was the inefficient use of air transportation options by business travelers in the United States. The specific problem was how business travelers in the United States learn of and thereby elect to embrace a newer air travel option. Using Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory as the framework, the dissemination of air travel choices made by business travelers using ImagineAir air taxi service in the United States was explored via a qualitative case study research …


Motivation Strategies For Improving Consistency In Live-Entertainment Employees' Performances, Anthony G. Ricotta Jan 2018

Motivation Strategies For Improving Consistency In Live-Entertainment Employees' Performances, Anthony G. Ricotta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of discrete motivation strategies to improve the consistency of employees' performances was the problem that instigated this research. The purpose of this single-case study was to explore the motivation strategies live-entertainment artistic directors (ADs) use to improve consistency in the artists' performances. Data were collected within an international live-entertainment company to uncover whether artists self-determined the approach to improving consistency in performance or whether consistency occurred from strategies developed by the ADs. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews with ADs and senior ADs and performance evaluations of employees, and then analyzed using Miles, Huberman, and Saldana's data analysis …


Ensuring Quality Consumer Service Encounters, Katina Robertson Jan 2018

Ensuring Quality Consumer Service Encounters, Katina Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counterproductive employee behaviors are inevitable, unpredictable, and widespread in the U.S. retail industry. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore U.S. midlevel retail leadership strategies used to prevent and correct employee behaviors that sabotage quality service encounters. Gilbert's behavior engineering model, which links employee behaviors to performance, was the framework used in this study. The data-collection process comprised 7 semistructured interviews with midlevel retail leaders, online company documentation, and researcher observations and assisted in achieving methodological triangulation. Member checking ensured the accuracy of participant responses, while Moustakas' modified van Kaam method was used to guide the data …


A Case Study Of Overcrowding In A County Jail In The Southeast United States, Marquice Robinson Jan 2018

A Case Study Of Overcrowding In A County Jail In The Southeast United States, Marquice Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For the past several decades, the county jail in a large metropolitan city in the southeast United States has been overcrowded, which has resulted in violence within the jail, excessive costs to the Sheriff's Office, and a requirement of Federal oversight of the jail from 2005 to 2015. In spite of these events, little is understood about why jail overcrowding is prevalent in the county and what impacts overcrowding may have on the communities around the jail. Using Shaw and McKay's social disorganization theory as the foundation, the purpose of this case study was to understand the unique circumstances around …


The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement And The Changing Face Of Free Trade Agreements: The Resultant Social, Political, And Economic Consequences, Joseph Heyliger Jan 2018

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement And The Changing Face Of Free Trade Agreements: The Resultant Social, Political, And Economic Consequences, Joseph Heyliger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about the impact of nontrade issues on developing countries entering trade agreements. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) represents an attempt to set high-standard trade rules for participating countries in the Asian-Pacific region that require the inclusion of wide-ranging nontrade issues in the TPPA. This general qualitative study explored the economic, social, and political consequences for developing countries by including nontrade issues in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The overarching research question addressed whether nontrade issues in FTAs detract developing countries from achieving their trade goals. This study was guided by the theory of comparative advantage propounded by Ricardo …


Effective Strategies For Managing The Outsourcing Of Information Technology, Marsha N. Hopwood Jan 2018

Effective Strategies For Managing The Outsourcing Of Information Technology, Marsha N. Hopwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More than half of information technology (IT) outsourced projects fail, primarily due to a lack of effective management practices surrounding the outsourcing end-to-end process. Ineffective management of the IT outsourcing (ITO) process affects organizations in the form of higher than expected project costs, including greater vendor switching or reintegration costs, poor quality, and loss of profits. These effects indicate that some business leaders lack the strategies to effectively manage the ITO process. The purpose of this single-case study was to apply the transaction cost economics (TCE) theory to explore strategies 5 business professionals use to manage an ITO project in …


Seat Belt Fit A Mechanism Of Injury During A Motor Vehicle Crash, Jacoba Hendrika Viljoen Jan 2018

Seat Belt Fit A Mechanism Of Injury During A Motor Vehicle Crash, Jacoba Hendrika Viljoen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Seat belts save lives; however, unintentional injuries are still the leading cause of death for those between 1 and 44 years in the United States. Seat belts also cause injuries during motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) and obesity changes how seat belts fit. The purpose of this retrospective causal inference quantitative study was to reduce the knowledge gap in scholarly research on seat belt fit in relation to blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) during MVCs and seat belt compliance. The theoretical framework used was based on H.W. Heinrich's domino theory. The research questions focused on the following dependent variables: BCVI, compliance, and …


Corporate Governance Strategies To Support Financial Performance, Awuor Ajwala Jan 2018

Corporate Governance Strategies To Support Financial Performance, Awuor Ajwala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The insurance industry continues to experience financial scandals despite increasing pressure to integrate sound governance practices. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the corporate governance strategies insurance business leaders used to support financial performance. The targeted population consisted of 7 business leaders from 7 insurance companies in Austria who have used corporate governance strategies successfully to support financial performance. The conceptual framework of this study was the agency theory. Data for the study were gathered from face-to-face semistructured interviews and a review of company documents. The data were analyzed using Yin's 5 nonlinear interlinked steps for …


Early Radiation Therapy And Cervical Cancer Survival In The United States, Olufunmiso Oyetunde Asamu Jan 2018

Early Radiation Therapy And Cervical Cancer Survival In The United States, Olufunmiso Oyetunde Asamu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A paucity of information exists on the benefits of using radiation therapy for treating women with early cervical cancer detection. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between early versus late testing of Human papilloma virus (HPV), age, race, radiation therapy, and regions in United States, and survival rates among women diagnosed with early cervical cancer. The epidemiological triad of person, time, and space guided this study to explain the regional spread of cervical cancer, and the effect of early testing. Secondary data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) were used (N= 520,153). Statistical analyses …


Custom Advising's Effect On Success And Retention Of Developmental Math Students, Jason Peter Barr Jan 2018

Custom Advising's Effect On Success And Retention Of Developmental Math Students, Jason Peter Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of high school graduates entering college needing to take developmental math courses is increasing. Gilmer State College (a pseudonym) introduced customized scheduling in which students identified as at risk after scoring low on the math entrance exam are placed in the developmental math course and additional courses that traditionally have a pass rate of 75% or better. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in passing and retention rates between 1st-time college freshmen who attended Gilmer State College before the customized scheduling and after the customized scheduling was implemented. This study was based on Adelman's …


A Nursing Education Program To Decrease Use Of Psychotropics Among Dementia Patients, Tami Felicia Blackmon Jan 2018

A Nursing Education Program To Decrease Use Of Psychotropics Among Dementia Patients, Tami Felicia Blackmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dementia, a clinical condition that affects the psychological ability of patients, is distinguished by a significant overall decline in cognitive function that results in distorted perception. Guiding nursing practice in the long-term care (LTC) setting to decrease the unnecessary use of psychotropics is critical because doing so relates to the patients' quality of life and safety. In the LTC facility that served as the practicum site for this study, there was an observed overuse of psychotropic medications in the care of patients with dementia. The practice-focused question guiding this project asked whether a nursing staff development program would decrease the …