Digital Commons Network^™

Restructuring High School Science Curriculum: A Program Evaluation, Cathy Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One rural Midwestern high school discovered a discrepancy among school, state, and national science skill attainment, verified by ACT scores. If students do not acquire vital science skills, they may not perform proficiently on science tests, thus impacting future college options. Inquiry based instruction and constructivism provided the basis for the theoretical framework. This study questioned associations between ACT scores, inquiry science technique usage, and ACT standard usage (Phase 1), and teachers' views on science instruction (Phase 2). This sequential explanatory mixed methods program evaluation included 469 ACT scores, surveys sent to 9 science teachers, and 8 interviews. Phase 1 …

Diffusion Of E-Textbooks In K-12 Education: A Delphi Study, Sheila Cartwright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This basic interpretive qualitative study was conducted to discover why e-textbooks had not been adopted extensively in K-12 education as a replacement for printed textbooks. The objective was to determine the barriers and challenges being confronted by state educational technology directors when introducing this innovative technology in a formal learning environment that could greatly impact teaching, learning, and creative analysis. This research was based on diffusion of innovation theory using a Delphi method of inquiry. The Delphi panel consisted of 12 experts who had knowledge of digital text technologies and were the most influential when making purchasing decisions when introducing …

Interpersonal Safety Of Active Duty Women In The Deployed Environment Of Bagram Afghanistan, Cynthia Tara Ferguson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States Armed Forces, 30% of women in the military suffer physical assault each year; in 2009, there were 22 reported cases of sexual assault in the U.S. Central Command. Aggravated assault, gang violence, sexual assault, homicide, and suicide can damage the morale of military personnel at a deployed site and collectively cost millions of dollars over time. Interpersonal violence in the United States military is destructive to the military system and directly diminishes mission readiness. This study was designed to illuminate the environmental, cultural, and political influences that affect interpersonal safety among military women in the deployed …

Teachers' Experiences With Professional Development For The Application Of The Common Core State Standards, Maxine Tracey Ann Amritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At one local school site in Georgia, a subgroup of students did not achieve a score of at least 800 on the state's Criterion Referenced Competency Test in math. To improve student success, the local site implemented professional development (PD) for teachers. Successful PD has been shown to promote effective teaching practices, which in turn, have resulted in improved student learning. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore 5th grade teachers' lived experiences of PD and its influence on their application of the Common Core state standards. Bandura's social cognitive theory of self-efficacy guided the study. In-depth interview …

Development Of An Evidence-Based Nursing Orientation Program For A Community Health System, Janet Brooke Cuddy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Through discussion with the community health system's administration, it was identified that their current nursing orientation program was not well structured or comprehensive. The nursing staff also reported dissatisfaction with the current program. Therefore, a Doctor of Nursing Practice project commenced to develop an evidence-based nursing orientation program for Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) at a community health system in Virginia. The Competency Outcomes Performance Assessment model guided development of the project through a comprehensive literature review to identify evidence-based data for competencies, learning strategies, and performance evaluations. This review highlighted the importance and benefits of nursing …

School Administrator And Staff Member Perceptions Of A Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program, Sharon Lacretia Mcconnell-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mississippi is among the states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates, and the study site is among the high schools with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the state. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify successful practices and areas for improvement in the implementation of a teenage pregnancy prevention program (TPPP) at the study site based on the perspectives of school administrators and staff members. Bandura's social cognitive theory provided a conceptual framework for considering behaviors and the social contexts in which they occur. Twelve participants were interviewed, including 3 administrators and 9 staff members. Data …

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of A Multilingual Approach To Language Teaching, Susanna Rosmarie Schwab-Berger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

How teachers perceived and experienced the implementation of a multilingual approach in their classrooms during the first year of implementation in Switzerland is poorly understood by policy makers and teachers. Findings from three pilot studies conducted before the implementation indicated that teachers had transferred only few aspects of the new multilingual approach into practice. Guided by constructivist learning and third language acquisition theories, this study explored how teachers perceived and experienced the implementation of the multilingual approach. A purposeful criterion sample of primary school English language teachers at Grade 5 who had completed a professional development program was targeted for …

Nurses Knowledge, Skills, And Attitude Toward Electronic Health Records (Ehr), Sharon L. Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Information technology (IT) has been rapidly integrated into the healthcare industry, including nursing, and has the ability to reduce errors, cut cost, and enhance patient care. However, approximately 45% of the current nurse workforce lacks adequate training in computer skills, which may hinder the adoption of health-related IT in the workplace. Characteristics of Rogers's diffusion of innovation (relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability) guided this project. This project was conducted to address the problem of IT adoption on a local level and was designed to assess whether simulation training on a generic electronic health record (EHR) system would improve …

Case Study Of Parental Involvement For Enhanced Kindergarten Students' Development In Low Socioeconomic Households, Robyn Tresnak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence suggests that parents in low socioeconomic households may have unaddressed educational needs about their children's development. The purpose of this case study was to discover innovative ways parents in a low socioeconomic community engaged in activities with their young children to influence academic and social development. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory of human development and Epstein's parental involvement model, the family process model, and the family strength model were used to build the conceptual framework. Parents and educators were asked to describe parent-engagement opportunities that were provided within the kindergarten classroom. Data were collected using a focus group with 13 educators …

Improving Attitudes And Perceptions About Teamwork Among Health Care Professionals With A Teamstepps Approach, Tetsuya Umebayashi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication among health care professionals is essential for the provision of quality patient-centered care; however, effective communication practices are not guided by evidence-based models in many health care organizations. The Joint Commission has estimated that most sentinel events are induced by miscommunication among health care professionals. The problem addressed in this project was poor and ineffective teamwork skills and general communication among health care professionals and a lack of formal models to guide effective communication among the healthcare team. The purpose of the project was to adapt TeamSTEPPS to an institutional context in order to improve health care team …

Principals' Experiences Initiating, Implementing, And Sustaining Change Within Their School, Lennart Theodore Erickson Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many research studies have investigated the role of the principal in implementing change. Despite the information gleaned from those investigations, principals continue to struggle with initiating, implementing, and sustaining change in their schools. Guiding this narrative inquiry study were theories related to principal leadership, educational change theory, and the theories associated with school culture, with the intent to understand the experiences of principals as they initiated, implemented, and sustained change in their schools. This study explored the challenges and successes principals experienced along with the specific actions that contributed to successful implementation. Five principals from southern Idaho were interviewed. Narratives …

Teacher Intent And Involvement In Incidents Of Student Bullying: A Multiple Case Study, James Michael Petrakis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public awareness of the negative impact of bullying on adolescents has increased due to social networking and news media reports. Prior research on bullying has focused on the prevalence of bullying in public schools, yet few studies have explored teacher intent, constructive or punitive, and teacher involvement in incidents of bullying. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher intent and teacher involvement in responding to student bullying. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory and Marshall et al.'s conceptual model of teacher intent and involvement. The central research question asked how teacher intent and …

Effective Teaching In Higher Education For The 21st Century Adult Learner, Denise Murchison Payton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

As college populations are becoming increasingly diverse, institutions must find ways to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Nontraditional adult learners are self-directed, ready to learn, and are internally motivated to engage in problem-centered learning. The purpose of this study was to expand and refine an active learning seminar in a higher education setting to improve the quality of teaching, student engagement, and retention rates. The site of the study was a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in which adult students over 25 constituted 49% of the population. The faculty members at this site predominantly employed traditional …

How Spiritual Values Correlate With Hospice Use For African Americans, Latrina Dion Frazier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

End of life hospice services have consistently been underused by African Americans. This disproportionate use of hospice has contributed to poor quality of life and a lack of cost-effective care for patients with terminal illness. Driven by the theory of reasoned action, the purpose of this quantitative study was to test associations between African Americans' perceptions of hospice, decisions to use hospice, and religiosity. A convenience sample of 154 African American adults was surveyed online. The survey instrument combined the AARP End of Life survey, Perception of Hospice survey, and the Religiousness Measure survey. The results of a multiple linear …

Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet And Medication Errors, Marie Helen Walsh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of deaths due to medical errors in hospitals ranges from 44,000 to 98,000 yearly. More than 7,000 of these deaths have taken place due to medication errors. This project evaluated the implementation of an automated medication dispensing cabinet or PYXIS machine in a 25-bed upper Midwestern critical access hospital. Lewin's stage theory of organizational change and Roger's diffusion of innovations theory supported the project. Nursing staff members were asked to complete an anonymous, qualitative survey approximately 1 month after the implementation of the PYXIS and again 1 year later. Questions were focused on the device and its use …

Personality Traits Associated With Environmental Concern, Tara Rae Wuertz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The 5 factor model of personality, including the traits of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, is a well-established theoretical model for describing how personality is structured. Hirsh (2010) demonstrated the big 5 personality traits, excluding extraversion, were correlated with pro-environmental attitudes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to replicate previous findings, and discover if there was a correlation with a person's pro-environmental behaviors and the big 5 personality traits. A total of 100 participants from an online participant pool completed a survey, which included the Environmental Concern Scale to measure concern and attitudes about the environment, and the …

Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Behaviors Of Diabetes Among Afro-Caribbeans Near Brooklyn, Sophia I. Allen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Literature has found that some minority groups with diabetes have a negative perception of medical professionals when a health problem occurs. This trend is particularly problematic with the diabetes epidemic in the United States. African Americans are more than 2 times as likely to die from diabetes than are Whites, and diabetes prevalence has increased exponentially in New York City where a majority of Afro-Caribbeans live. To address this problem, a cross-sectional design was used to recruit Afro-Caribbeans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across 7 churches to examine whether shared knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors about diabetes screening and its …

Middle School Mathematics Teachers' Perspective Of Technology Integration: A Qualitative Case Study, Patricia Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many studies have documented that technology integration increases summative assessment scores, yet many teachers do not integrate technology in their teaching. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the extent to which middle school mathematics educators are or are not integrating technology in a school district where summative scores were below mathematics state benchmarks. Guided by instructional constructivism and the technology acceptance model, this case study examined how teachers perceived advantages and barriers to mathematics instruction that uses technology. Five of the nine mathematics teachers at the middle school volunteered to participate in a semi-structured interview and be …

Networking The Relationships Of Microenterprise Development In Bulgaria, Kristina Ann Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The networking relationships provided by microenterprise development (MED) organizations foster sustainable and scalable Bulgarian small businesses. Some Bulgarian MED leaders lack the strategies to help sustain small businesses in Bulgaria. Guided by the actor network theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore the strategies MED leaders use to help sustain small businesses in Bulgaria. Data were collected through a semistructured focus group comprised of MED Bulgarian business leaders (n = 4) in Rhodope Mountain Region and company data consisting of financial reports, marketing presentations, and company business plan. The data analysis included using keyword frequency comparisons, coding …

Are Associations Between Parenting Style And Academic Achievement Moderated By Ethnicity And Individualism-Collectivism?, Thiago L. De Oliveira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have long been concerned in documenting the nature of associations between parenting styles and academic achievement in adolescents. Social learning theory has shown how domains such as individualism, collectivism, and ethnicity are associated with parent behavior. Research suggests compatibility between individualism and authoritative parenting and collectivism with authoritarian parenting styles, which could have critical implications in the relationship between parenting styles and academic achievement. Despite the robust research on parenting styles, no research has investigated the moderating roles of individualism and collectivism. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the associations between parenting style and academic achievement …

Skype As A Scaffolding Tool For Underprepared Freshmen English Composition Students, Conswellor Denise Ogden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nontraditional students enrolled in online courses tend to drop out within their first year because they do not have the basic literacy skills or essential college skills needed for success. They often need the guidance of an online instructor. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of instructors and students about the effectiveness of Skype as a scaffolding tool for increasing academic achievement for underprepared students in online remedial English composition courses through interactions with their instructor. The conceptual framework included Bruner's cultural-psychological theory of education, Vygotsky's social constructivist theory, and Siemens's connectivism theory. The study …

Faculty Willingness To Complete Information Technology Training On Course Management Systems, Audrey S. Pereira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature suggests that information technology (IT), including Course Management Systems (CMSs), allows higher education faculty members (HEFMs) to adopt better methods for teaching and learning, and that training contributes to adoption. However, many HEFMs are unwilling to complete IT training on the CMS, contributing to low adoption rates. Yet, little is known about what influences HEFMs to complete IT training on their institution's CMS, even though CMSs are widely available. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature through a quantitative, cross-sectional study of HEFM perceptions of CMS characteristics, based on Rogers' diffusion of …

Spirituality, Religious Coping, And Depressive Symptoms In Hospice Patients: A Terror Management Perspective, Janine Siegel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Facing imminent death can be an unremitting problem for hospice patients who lack psychological support for existential concerns that contribute to depressive symptoms and suffering. According to terror management theory, spiritual and religious beliefs are a common means of coping with mortality at the end of life, and few studies have considered how hospice patients feel about their impending death. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study that examined whether spirituality and religious coping moderated the relationship between imminent death concerns and depressive symptoms in 54 hospice patients. Participants completed a self-administered survey that included the Templer Death Anxiety scale, Brief …

The Effects Of Nursing Education On Decreasing Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rates, Pamela R. Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) account for 40% of all nosocomial infections in the United States, affecting nearly 900,000 patients per year. The indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) is a widely utilized device in modern hospital environments, yet they are not always used appropriately in hospital settings and can result in prolonged use and improper management, increasing risk of infections and length of stay. Nurses are the primary champions to promote preventative measures, provide patient education, and evaluate evidence-based practice (EBP) strategies to decrease CAUTIs. The purpose of this study was to determine if nursing education on EBP guidelines could decrease …

Teacher Perceptions Of Administrative Involvement In Transfer Of Training, Stephanie Michelle Heflin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study district provides ongoing professional development for teachers; however, there was little evidence that transfer of training was occurring and it was unclear whether the administrator role could improve the implementation of learning from professional development. The purpose of the study was to examine teachers' perceptions of administrative involvement in professional development in order to identify indicators that could strengthen nonevaluative, collaborative relationships leading to higher rates of transfer. The central research question focused on teachers' perceptions of the roles of administrator-as-evaluator and administrator-as-collaborator and whether collaboration might influence transfer of training for teachers as they strive to improve …

Indentifying Effective Communication Practices For Eliciting Parental Involvement At Two K-8 Schools, Karen Lynn Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Conventional wisdom suggests effective and timely school communications increase parental involvement. Guided by this wisdom and contemporary parental involvement theory, effective educational institutions have established systems that foster communication and collaboration between school representatives and the local community. Despite such efforts, research has revealed persistent declines in parental involvement within schools. This phenomenological study documented 16 parents' perceptions of communication between teachers and parents at 2 K-8 schools in the American southwest. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore parents' perceptions of the effectiveness of various school-based communication systems and the specific impact these systems had on parental involvement. NVivo software …

Read 180 Evaluation: Balanced Literacy In A Low-Income, Underperforming Urban High School, Daniel Lombardi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study investigated the effectiveness of the READ 180 balanced literacy program in addressing the problem of low reading achievement among urban minority high school students. Research has shown low reading achievement to negatively impact academic and economic success. Holdaway's theory of natural literacy, which suggests reading instruction should be purposeful and realistic, supports READ 180 as a remedial intervention. The specific purpose of the study was to evaluate READ 180 in relation to improving classroom reading achievement, standardized language arts test scores, and graduation rates among students in a low-income, high-minority urban high school. Subjects were 2 cohorts of …

An Offender's Perspective Of Correctional Education Programs In A Southeastern State, Boderick Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many offenders are incarcerated in U.S prisons with the intent of rehabilitation; however, a majority of these offenders will be released with limited options for employment. Recidivism has been linked to unemployment. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the lived experiences of 20 offenders involved in correctional education programs while incarcerated to explore their correctional education experience within the context of postincarceration employment. The theoretical foundation of this study was based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Narrative data were elicited pertaining to offenders' perceptions of past education experience, correctional education experience, and their perceived impact of the …

Knowledge Of Overdiagnosis And The Decision To Participate In Breast Cancer Screening, Kimberly T. Nembhard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2014, breast cancer was the second leading cause of death among Canadian women, with women over age 50 years making up 82% of the identified cases. To address this issue, the Ontario Breast Screening Program developed a media campaign that promoted the benefits of mammogram screening, but not the associated risks (i.e., false-positive, false-negative, radiation exposure, and overdiagnosis). This study was designed to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between knowledge of overdiagnosis and participation in mammogram screening. This cross-sectional, correlational study used schema theory supported by the effective health communication model. Forty-one women were invited to …

Secondary English Teachers' Perceptions Of Differentiated Instruction For Limited English Proficient Students, M L. Langley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a suburban high school, an average of 50% of limited English proficient (LEP) students did not meet the required standard on the 9th grade literature and composition end of course test (EOCT), and an average of 46% of LEP students did not meet the required standard on the American literature and composition EOCT in the years 2008-2011. LEP students were expected to meet the same standards as their native-born peers in order to pass courses and ultimately graduate. Using the professional learning community (PLC) model and the concept of differentiated instruction, the purpose of this qualitative case study was …