Digital Commons Network^™

A Case Study Of Rti Data Teams, William Lee Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study addressed the persistent achievement gaps in annual measurable objectives (AMO) data at a public rural elementary school in the Mideast United States. Response to intervention (RTI) data teams from 2010 did not produce expected student gains after 5 years of implementation in the school under study. Based on Mandinach and Jackson's data-driven decision making conceptual framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the work of the RTI data teams as they attempted to improve student learning and close achievement gaps. A purposeful sample of 13 staff members involved in the RTI implementation process was …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Provider-Initiated Condom Education, Hiv, And Stds Among Older African American Women, Natasha Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older African American (AA) women are at increased risk for HIV and STDs. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the influence of provider-initiated condom use education on condom use among unmarried, heterosexually active AA women aged 50 and over using the constructs of self-efficacy and attitudes of the health belief theoretical model. The relationships between provider education on condom use, condom use self-efficacy, condom use attitudes, and actual condom use were tested individually, and provider education on actual condom use was tested after controlling for condom use self-efficacy and attitudes among 95 study participants recruited primarily from …

Lived Experiences Of Attorneys Who Represent Transgender Clients In Prison Placement, Heidi Jo Green

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that there are no formal guidelines for placing convicted transgender felons in the United States in correctional facilities and addressing their post-placement medical care and treatment. The problem is that inappropriate placement may lead to the discrimination of transgender offenders; it may also put them in situations that threaten their safety. Attorneys are legal advocates assigned to defend and protect the rights of their clients during the trial and sentencing phase when correctional placement is determined. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of attorneys who represent transgender clients during the …

Animas-La Plata Project Stakeholder Narratives: A Case Study Using Kingdon's Three Streams Theory, Denise Renee Rue-Pastin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Population growth, coupled with changing weather patterns, is straining water supplies, especially in the American Southwest. A multitude of tools, including additional storage, will be needed to meet water demand and supply gaps. The Animas-La Plata Project, a reservoir in southwest Colorado, provides a case study of how groups worked for nearly 70 years to solve a water problem: insufficient irrigation for agriculture. This qualitative case study addressed a lack of first-person narratives from those most involved. Its purpose was to gather stakeholder narratives and analyze them using Kingdon's three streams theory to address the extent to which the problem, …

The Space Debris Environment And Satellite Manufacturing, Walter Tam

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Space debris is a growing threat to operational satellites and satellite manufacturing organizations. Leaders in satellite manufacturing organizations lacking adequate knowledge on the space debris risks could be at a competitive disadvantage. The purpose of this explorative case study was to explore strategies leaders in satellite manufacturing organizations use to mitigate risks through the conceptual lens of stakeholder theory, contingency theory, and general system theory. The research questions addressed strategies to mitigate the debris threat from the perspectives of both ongoing concerns and long-term risk resolution. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 12 leaders, purposively selected, in satellite manufacturing …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

The Effect Of A Drama On Young Adults' Attitudes About Domestic Violence, Regina Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner abuse has been and remains a pervasive problem that has been documented in every race, religion, class, and level of education. This study presented the rationale for achieving positive social change by examining the problem through prevention rather than reaction and intervention. Although many theories of causation have been presented at various times, none has been proven or offers a complete explanation. Social ecological theory examines the interaction of individual, community, relational, and societal influences on the development of attitudes and behavior acceptance. This pre and post-survey group, quasi-experimental study examined the effects of an intervention on attitudes …

A Community Health Program To Reduce Cardiovascular Risk In Women, Xander Bacchus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among United States women. Regular aerobic exercise can significantly reduce CVD risk. This dissertation reflects one of the first studies of the efficacy of Community Health Programs (CHP) in promoting exercise among American women aged 25 to 65. Primary data used from a study involved a sample of 42 women aged 25 to 65 who attended a CVD and exercise-related CHP, while a 42-member control group merely received the CHP information in a printed form. A pretest was administered at the outset of the study, and a posttest was administered at …

Creativity As A Means To Expression Of Emotions By Older Adults, Britt Saga Eksell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous researchers have explored the benefit of creative activities for the aging population diagnosed with dementia. However, there is a lack of data available to community administrators and organizers of senior residences about how successful aging may be enhanced, in the relatively healthy older adults, through their participation in creative art-making. Activities that provide mental stimulation, facilitate expression of emotions, and that are related to overall psychological well-being can provide a foundation for healthy aging. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to explore older adults' subjective experience of engaging in creative artwork. The conceptual framework that guided this phenomenological …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

A Phenomenological Study Of Ged Graduates Meeting College Readiness Standards At A Community College, Kelley Mischel Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of General Educational Development (GED) graduates enrolling into a community college. Research had not been conducted to explore the experiences of GED graduates completing the 2014 version of the exam and transitioning to college. Guided by Schlossberg's college transition theory and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, this phenomenological study included 11 participants who described their experiences through written narratives and interviews. Participants described their experiences of being an adult education student while preparing for the exam, the steps within the GED test preparation they considered important to matriculation toward college enrollment, and …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Survival Analysis Of Total Therapy 3 In Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma, Scott Edward Bowman Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy that accounts for approximately 1% of all adult cancers. This study investigated the impact of patient distance traveled to MM care sites, which was not considered in previous research on any disease-specific staging or prognostic schema despite evidence suggesting that distance impacts patient outcome. This study investigated the impact of patient distance from the site of care on survival outcomes using a group of 480 clinical trial participants. Andersen's behavioral model of health services use functioned as the theoretical model for this study. The independent variable was patient travel distance, controlling for established …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Volunteers' Engagement And Retention In The Community Of Bosniaks Georgia, Inc., Senija Orlovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Members of ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations in the United States support their communities with their membership fees and donations, but they often show little interest in participating in volunteer activities. The purpose of this case study was to examine what motivates people to engage in ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations and provide information to leaders of the ethnic- and nationality-based community organizations to develop best practices with ways to attract and retain volunteers. This study was based on Clary, Snyder, and Stukas's conceptualization of functional motivations of volunteerism. Interview data were collected from 32 individuals who volunteer in a …

Development Of A Nursing Informatics Competency Assessment Tool (Nicat), Alphonsa A. Rahman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing workforce competency in informatics is crucial to providing safe patient care, improving quality, and reducing healthcare costs. Assurance of informatics competency in a workforce with increasingly diverse educational preparations, demographics, and informatics skills poses significant challenges. The question addressed was the lack of nursing informatics competency assessment tool relevant to bedside nursing. The purpose of this project was to develop and review a new nursing informatics competency assessment tool designed to address the individual educational needs of newly hired nurses. The tool was designed to measure nurses' competency in computer literacy, informatics literacy, and informatics management skills recommended in …

Health Education To Decrease Obesity In Adolescents With Asthma, Mitzie Eumarie Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity increases asthma severity and is costing the health care industry a significant amount of money. Decreasing adolescents' obesity will decrease the risk for chronic health problems, which can have a significant impact in adulthood. Implementing a school-based health education program can decrease the prevalence of obesity amongst adolescents. This program will be implemented by school nurses in the after-school program at Public School 59 (P.S) in New York City. The purpose of this project is to develop adolescents' school-based obesity prevention policies and documentation which will focus on increasing their nutrition education, increasing physical activities, and providing skills to …

Lived Experiences Of Women Over 50 Who Have Experienced Involuntary Job Loss, Roxine Denise Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Both the short-term and long-term unemployment rates for older workers in the United States have increased significantly since the 2007 recession. Researchers who examine the impact of involuntary job loss have predominantly focused on the experiences of men. Limited prior research exists on the job loss experiences of women over 50 years of age compared to men. The goal of this study was to address this gap in knowledge by examining the lived experiences of women over 50 who had experienced involuntary job loss, the barriers faced to reemployment, and the ways women overcame the barriers to reemployment. A phenomenological …

A Quantitative Study Of The Relationship Of Work Ethic, Worker Retention, And Job Satisfaction In The Native Hawaiian Population, Donala Kahealani Kawaauhau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A number of publications on the well-being of Native Hawaiians report high unemployment levels, high poverty levels, and minimal educational achievement in the population with theoretical origins attributed to the advent of a Western market economy. However, there are no studies that analyze the relationship between work ethic and retention, or satisfaction and retention in the Native Hawaiians working in this economy. Understanding the aforementioned relationships could help state and federal agencies focus spending on interventions that lead to productive employment solutions for Native Hawaiians. This quantitative study tested Weber's protestant work ethic theory to compare the work ethic of …

The Emotional Impact On Elderly Spouses Who Placed Their Loved Ones In Long-Term, Barbara Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Aging may bring mental and/or physical decline. There may come a point when a loved

one needs long-term care in a nursing home. The purpose of this phenomenological study

was to examine the community dwelling spouses' emotional state. A study was

conducted with 10 individuals (5 men and 5 women) who had a spouse in long-term

nursing care. Inclusion criteria was to be at least 65-years old, have been married at least

30 years, and reside alone in his or her own home. The social emotional selectivity theory

and the construct of boundary ambiguity were applied to view the epoch. …

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

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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

Knowledge Of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Among African American Parents, Jamille T. Harrell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Domestic minor sex trafficking in the United States is a human rights issue and social problem affecting over 300,000 children ages 12-17, 43% of whom are African American girls. This survey was an exploration of domestic minor sex trafficking knowledge among African American parents and their protective strategies to prevent victimization. Ecological systems theory provided a conceptual framework to examine the environmental factors shaping parental knowledge. The sample consisted of 2 Southern California African American churches (n = 38, n = 32) that served different socioeconomic groups. The African American Sex Trafficking Knowledge survey was researcher designed and pretested …

U.S. Army Enlisted Soldiers' Adherence To Prescribed Malaria Chemoprophylaxis In Afghanistan, Michael Paul Brisson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past 13 years, the United States Army has been engaged in armed conflict within Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the United States Army has been forced to evacuate soldiers from the battlefield because of malaria, a parasitic disease that is endemic in Afghanistan. Even though the U.S. Army has adopted an effective chemoprophylaxis protocol, soldiers' adherence to their prescribed medication has been historically low. This research addressed a gap in literature regarding the adherence rates of U.S. Army enlisted soldiers to their prescribed oral malaria chemoprophylaxis. In addition, this research investigated self-reported reasons for soldiers' nonadherence to this medication. The study …

Young Adults' Perceptions Of High School Graduation Success And Long-Term Juvenile Incarceration, Simone Patricia Garwood

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Officials in the juvenile and public education systems are working to address the education gap for incarcerated juveniles and to implement turning point programs. The purpose of the phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of previously incarcerated young adults and their perceptions of graduation success and long-term juvenile incarceration. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, Ryan and Deci's self-determination theory, Merton and Agnew's general strain theory, Homan's theory of exchange, and life course theory informed this study. Research questions were developed to understand the experiences and perceptions of young adults related to graduation success during or after juvenile incarceration. Convenience, purposive, …

Massage Therapy Effects On Pain And Distress/Anxiety In Breast Cancer Patients, Tanya Brigitte Buchrieser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pain and distress/anxiety are likely to result from breast cancer and/or the medical treatment associated with this illness. Breast cancer researchers have focused on massage therapy and its influence on pain and distress in breast cancer patients; however, these research efforts were limited by small sample sizes, homogeneous populations, and small to medium effect sizes. This study explores the effectiveness of massage therapy for decreasing pain and distress in a larger, heterogeneous population of breast cancer patients and across all durations and frequencies of treatment by pooling the findings of former studies. The gate control theory which relates to the …

Perceptions Of Live Experiences Of Clinical Pastoral Education Students, Brenda Perry Wallace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative case study addressed the problem at a West Indies theological college that lacked the ability to provide courses for spiritual care training by using the teaching methodology of clinical pastoral education (CPE). CPE is an experiential process using a clinical method of learning to interpret human conditions. Spiritual care training through CPE teaches clerics how to help persons find meaning in life's situations and make connections with their God. Guided by the frameworks of transformative learning and critical theological reflection, this study explored the lived experiences of 5 purposefully selected CPE students who participated in 1 unit of …

Best Practices To Minimize Data Security Breaches For Increased Business Performance, Fedinand Jaiventume Kongnso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, businesses have reported over 2,800 data compromises of an estimated 543 million records, with security breaches costing firms approximately $7.2 million annually. Scholars and industry practitioners have indicated a significant impact of security breaches on consumers and organizations. However, there are limited data on the best practices for minimizing the impact of security breaches on organizational performance. The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to explore best practices technology leaders use to minimize data security breaches for increased business performance. Systems theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Fourteen participants were interviewed, including …

A Study Of Nurses' Attitudes Toward Medical Ageism, Stephanie Cameron

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical ageism in the United States affects senior citizens' activities of daily living (ADL) and the quality of their medical care. Medical ageism refers to discrimination against, abuse of, stereotyping of, contempt for, and avoidance of older people. Nurses who take care of the elderly are responsible for ensuring that older patients are treated fairly and in a timely manner, so it is important to know whether or not nurses have any bias regarding the elderly. The research questions addressed in this quantitative study explored whether or not there were differences in nurses' perceptions of ageism as moderated by the …