Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Technology On English Language Learners' Vocabulary, Reading, And Comprehension, Catherine Elizabeth Crum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown that vocabulary development is a challenge for English Language Learners (ELLs) as they are less prepared to use contextual and linguistic clues to decode unfamiliar vocabulary. Beginning in the upper elementary grades, reading in content areas becomes lengthier and more complex. Technology-supported vocabulary instruction to teach social studies to ELLs is a relatively new concept in the 5th grade classroom. The purpose of this comparative study was to assess the vocabulary and reading comprehension outcomes of ELLs in the content area of 5th grade social studies when taught using technology-supported versus traditional textbook instruction. Mayer's cognitive theory …

Effects Of Instructional Pedagogy On Eighth-Grade Reading Students, Barbara Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education is the foundation for the future, and a successful education begins with strong literacy skills. The 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress reported that only 36% of eighth-grade students in the United States were classified as reading on a proficient level, and 22% of eighth-grade students were unable to read and comprehend text at the basic level. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental, post hoc analysis was to determine whether a difference existed in the change in test scores of the reading portion of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test from the 2011-2012 academic year to the 2012-2013 academic year …

Impact Of The Childcare Setting And Caregiver Education On Toddler Language Environment, Snejana Nihtianova

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young children's early language development is strongly related to their school performance, and slow language growth may predict later academic problems. The link between the language quality and amount of speech that children hear and their language development is well documented; however, the factors that impact variability in linguistic input are not well understood. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the association between childcare settings and childcare provider education level and toddlers' language environment. The study sample consisted of 29 Bulgarian children. The study used a new technology called Language Environment Analysis, which is the preferred method …

Working Alliance Between Interpretive And Noninterpretive Therapy Services For Deaf Individuals, Sherri Lee Spain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Deaf individuals typically have access to 2 types of therapeutic services: interpretive (with an interpreter) and noninterpretive (with a sign-fluent therapist). Previous research indicates that the presence of an interpreter may hinder development of working alliance and attachment. There is a lack of empirical evidence assessing the effect of working alliance and attachment based on whether or not therapy incorporates an interpreter. The working alliance theory and the attachment theory were the theoretical foundations for this study. This study examined the difference between the strength of working alliance and attachment to the therapist given the presence or absence of an …

Teachers' Perceptions In Developing Robust Vocabulary Instruction At An American International School, Cathleen S. M. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At an international school in Taiwan, English learners have struggled to meet the U.S. national average in vocabulary on standardized testing instruments. This problem has become more significant since 2009. The purpose of this research was to conduct a case study on successful vocabulary teachers to determine their perceptions of effective teaching. Knowles' andragogy, Brookfield's self-directed, experiential learning, and Vygotsky's social constructivist framework provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of why they were successful in teaching vocabulary in English. The study site had access to quantitative data regarding previous standardized testing results; …

Culturally Competent Nutrition Counseling And Health Outcomes Of Patients On Emergency Dialysis, Edlyn Geraldine Bustamante

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Undocumented end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in the United States only have access to emergency dialysis. To compensate for the lack of regular dialysis these patients must follow strict renal dietary restrictions. However, nutrition counseling by a dietitian is not part of the renal management of patients on emergency dialysis. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental treatment-control study was to assess how the application of nutritional counseling that is both culturally and linguistically competent affects dialysis frequency and biochemical lab values such as serum potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D of patients in emergency dialysis. The study was grounded on …

Influence Of Leadership Style On Leaders' Transition From Private To Public Sector, Lorinda Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership can improve the quality of work through motivation or degrade work through pressure. Leadership effectiveness depends on style and work environment. Differences in work environment may create challenges for leaders transitioning from private to public organizations. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between leadership styles and ease of transition from private to public organizations. The study included the full-range leadership model as the theoretical foundation. Seventy-seven public sector employees in Ontario, Canada, participated in a survey to measure leadership style and effectiveness of transition from private to public sector. Results of multiple linear …

Identifying Communication Barriers And Trust Issues Of Black Women Seeking Preventive Health Services In Houston, Texas, Melissa E. Shelton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women mortality rates are perceived to be impacted by communication barriers, trust issues, and the lack of quality preventive health services. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore communication barriers and trust issues perceived by Black women when seeking preventive health services. HMB was used to identify public attitudes around receiving preventive health services and to construct each question based on perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of communication barriers and trust issues. An ecological model of the communication process was used as a framework to identify fundamental relationships between the Black female patients and health care providers. …

Media Coverage Of Domestic Extremists And The Influence On Police Emotions, Jamie Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The media have influenced domestic extremists who are targeting the police, and this is related to negative emotions among the police. These extremists are targeting police officers based on how events are framed by the media. In this way, the media have influenced domestic extremists' target selection and caused negative emotions among police officers because they are now the targets. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to understand the perceptions of police officers about how the media have influenced domestic extremists to target them. The narrative of this qualitative inquiry was guided by a semistructured interview sample consisting …

Clinicians' Perceptions Of Trauma Treatment For People With Intellectual Disabilities, Katherine Elaine Schoech

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in similar ways as individuals in the general population. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe clinicians perceptions of trauma treatment for people with ID. Theories of trauma, PTSD, and stigma were part of the conceptual framework from which interview questions were developed. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to recruit 8 participants in the Denver, Colorado area. Four participants had experience working with people with ID, and 4 participants did not have this experience. Participants sat for semi structured open-ended recorded interviews, which …

Influence Of Leadership Styles On Expatriate Nurses' Professional Integration In The Uae, Emmah Ncube

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transnational nurse migration has evoked a growing interest in the phenomenon of professional integration of expatriate nurses into their host societies. Despite research connecting employee and organizational outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behavior to the quality of leadership styles, there remains a lack of research linking professional integration of expatriate nurses to nurse leadership styles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of this grounded theory study was to develop a theory that would explain how nurse leadership styles and behaviors impacted the professional integration of expatriate nurses into the multicultural work environment of the UAE. …

Barriers To Preventive Healthcare For Immigrants In Michigan, Sondos Ghazi Al-Hachim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Affordable Care Act expanded insurance coverage to the general population; however, expanding insurance coverage to immigrants might not be sufficient to improve utilization of annual physical preventive exams. This study evaluated adult Michigan immigrants' individual demographics, perceptions, and behaviors, as well as the collective cultural and system characteristics that might act as barriers to the utilization of annual physical preventive exams. Ken Wilber's integral operating system model for medicine conceptual framework was used to create a comprehensive map of factors and bring more clarity and understanding to the barriers to annual physical preventive exam. The quantitative survey was the …

Examining The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In The Work And Life Balance Of Foster Care Workers, Pamela Applewhite Applewhite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foster care workers are an important part of the social service system, as they are the first line of support for children without families or who have been subjected to tragic events leading to their need for foster care. Foster care workers often experience work-life boundary issues due to the emotional nature of their work. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between (a) emotional intelligence and absenteeism and (b) emotional intelligence and work-life balance with foster care workers. Data was collected from foster care workers in the state of South Carolina employed with the Department …

Culturally Responsive Teaching Of Indigenous Students In Canada's Northwest Territories, Francis Amprako

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative narrative inquiry was to describe the teachers' perceptions of pedagogy and examine their cross-cultural strategies regarding culturally responsive

teaching of K-12 students. Indigenous students of the Northwest Territories (NWT) face academic challenges in a Eurocentric educational system. Tribal critical race theory and Eurocentric diffusionism provided the conceptual framework in this study. Six participants were interviewed and their narratives were triangulated by a 5-member focus group. The research questions focused on the teachers' strategies for building bridges between the Eurocentric and Native ways. Participants were interviewed and their responses created individual stories, which added to the …

Technology Integration By General Education Teachers Of English Language Learners, Marie Simone Anglin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing population of English language learners (ELLs) in elementary schools across the United States, and a current academic achievement gap between ELLs and non-ELLs. Researchers have found that integration of Web 2.0 tools has benefitted ELLs in language learning settings, outside of the general classroom. The research problem addressed in this study, based on TPACK, explored general education teachers' experiences with integrating Web 2.0 technology to support academic language acquisition by ELLs and revealed the successes and challenges the teachers encountered. The 6 female participants in this qualitative interview study were required to have experience (a) as …

Leading A Multigenerational Workforce In The Public Sector, Cynthia A. Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the demographic changes in the workplace is the presence of multiple generations working together. Some managers may find leading a multigenerational workforce a challenge, because the generational cohorts may have different work values and approaches to work. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how generational characteristics manifest in the workplace, how managers perceive a multigenerational workforce, and whether macro-level descriptions of generations creates stereotypes or recognizable indicators of behavior in the workplace. Mannheim's theory of generations and diversity management theory provided the conceptual framework for the study. Data were collected through interviews and a …

The Role Of Leadership In Changing The Culture Of An International School To Be Inclusive Of Students With Special, Simon Norman Gillespie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educating a diverse student population is a core principle of international school education. Historically, many international schools have had admissions policies that excluded students with special learning needs. However, admission policies have changed to require more inclusiveness and school support for a wider range of students and for effectively meeting their needs. The study was based on change theory. Of interest was how school leaders best supported the change process to create the conditions for success in the context of changing admissions policies. Research questions targeted strategies that supported change and student success that were used to change the culture …

A Phenomenological Study Of Cross Gender Mentoring Among U.S. Army Officers, Scott Randolph Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leader mentoring in the military has not been well researched, especially that involving cross-gender pairings. A phenomenological study was conducted to gain insight into the perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of military officers regarding their decision to engage in mentoring, to include with members of the opposite gender. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 male and 20 female U.S. Army senior commissioned officers to collect information regarding mentoring selection perspectives and decisions and to examine emerging themes, concepts, and patterns, using NVivo 11 Pro Plus. Negative themes that emerged among both male and female participants concerned adverse perceptions of members within …

Understanding The Importance Of Culturally Appropriate Patient-Provider Communication In Diabetes Self-Management, Anita Mwalui

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29.1 million people in the United States have diabetes. Among those 29.1 million people, 21 million have been diagnosed, but 8.1 million have not. Changing demographics in the United States and the prevalence of diabetes are projected to be burdens on the health care system through 2050. Guided by the social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the importance of culturally appropriate patient-provider communication to the self-management of Type 2 diabetes by patients who are African immigrants. Culturally based health care has unique challenges when …

Strategies And Processes For Implementing Financial Analysis For Business Success, Dawn Theona Alexander-Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The early failure of startup businesses is a concern for many local communities, including the Virgin Islands, with about half of startups failing within the first 5 years of their life cycle. Besides the social and economic impact on communities, these failures have a personal effect on small business owners. Grounded in decision-making theory and the theory of financial management, the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies and processes Virgin Islands retail business managers use to implement financial analysis for decision making to help sustain their operations. Data were collected using company records and semistructured interviews …

Self-Efficacy And Cultural Competency Assessment Of The Associate Degree Nursing Student, Deborah Smith Hartman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective nursing care can be threatened when nurses are not culturally attuned with their patients. Associate degree nursing (ADN) students receive information about diverse ethnicities in the nursing curriculum, but it may not be sufficient to provide the expertise necessary to care for patients of various cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the 2nd year ADN students' levels of cultural competence and their perceptions of self-efficacy in working with Caucasian, African American, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian ethnicities. The study used a cross-sectional survey design to determine if a relationship existed between the students' reported …

A Developmental Project Focusing On Young Adult Hispanic-Americans, Tarsicio Gacheru

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Reducing diabetes risk among Hispanic-American adults in the United States is a critical public health need and programs targeting young Hispanic-American adults with prediabetes can reduce the risk for developing diabetes. The purpose of this project was twofold: (a) to examine the literature related to diabetes prevention best practices among young adult Hispanic-Americans with prediabetes and (b) create an intervention program to promote these best practices to delay or reverse the trajectory toward diabetes. The inclusion criteria for the literature review were studies with at least a 12-month follow-up and reported outcomes related to changes in diet, increased exercise, and …

Assessing The Implementation Of Internal Branding Training In The Hotel Industry, Peter Juskiw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Internal branding (IB) evolved from marketing to engage employees in a company's strategic planning. IB has been studied extensively in the hospitality industry, but not with human resource (HR) departments. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to assess the effectiveness of corporate training designs in instilling IB corporate values in global employees of a multinational hotel chain to determine whether European core values could be transferred across different cultural backgrounds. Structured interviews on IB were conducted with 22 HR practitioners of a luxury hotel chain to capture essential information through the lived experiences of the participants, all of whom …

Examining The Impact Of Art-Based Anchor Charts On Academic Achievement In Language Arts, Kimberly Ivette Fontanez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The students at 2 middle schools in County SD, NHMS and WMS are not scoring on or above grade level on the information text portion of the English Language Arts (ELA) standardized SC Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) test given annually in South Carolina. The teachers developed and implemented art-based anchor charts to help close the achievement gap among the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. There has been no formal exploration of the teachers' experiences regarding the use of anchor charts. Using the elements of problem-based learning as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this project study was …

The Lived Experiences Of Men Attracted To Minors And Their Therapy-Seeking Behaviors, Heather Cacciatori

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the lived experiences of men attracted to minors who believed they would benefit from therapy but did not seek out or attend therapeutic services; and sought to gain an understanding of how the decision to seek help or not impacted their well-being. Participants included 7 men who were recruited through the B4U-ACT online forum, which provides peer support for the minor attracted community. Participants were interviewed over Skype. Data from these interviews was analyzed and coded according to the interpretative phenomenological method as outlined by Smith et al. (2012). Five main themes emerged, providing insight as to …

Relationship Between Admission Criteria And Program Completion In A Radiation Therapy Program, Adrienne Mae Dougherty

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor completion rates in the radiation therapy associate's degree program offered through a community college did not meet the standards set by the college and damaged the program's reputation. The relationship between admission criteria and program completion was not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any relationships between the admission criteria (GPA in prerequisite courses, interview scores, writing sample scores, and preadmission testing scores) and students' completion of a radiation therapy associate's degree program. This correlational study used 2 stages of Tinto's retention theory: (a) recruitment and admission to college and (b) pre-entry assessment …

Effects Of A One-To-One Ipad Initiative Program On 11th Grade Standardized Test Scores, Brendan James Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The iPad and other mobile devices have become so popular over the past few years that many school districts are purchasing these devices and implementing them in the classroom with little to no research. Because there has been no previous research at one rural school district in Michigan, the primary purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate the effects that a 1-to-1 iPad initiative program has had on only 11th grade student achievement and determine if 11th grade students' test scores on the Michigan Merit Exam in the areas of mathematics, science, and social studies for each school …

The Impact Of Transitional Justice On Conflict Resolution And The Maintenance Of Peace, Joe Lambongang

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethnic conflicts persist in Ghana despite the efforts of governments to resolve them. Governments are increasingly concerned not only about their massive human rights abuses and wide-scale destruction of property that characterize these conflicts, but also the difficulty of resolving them and restoring permanent peace. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to provide a deeper understanding of the processes and mechanisms of transitional justice implemented in Dagbon after war broke out in 2002 and explore the conditions under which these initiatives can be more effective in resolving the conflict and maintain peace. Data were collected through individual …

The Effects Of Leveled Literacy Intervention For Students In The Rti Process, Lisa Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low reading skills constitute a serious achievement problem. Although there are remedial support in schools, between 2% and 6% of the student population continues to show persistent reading difficulties despite intensive intervention. The research problem in this study addressed the lack of effective reading interventions for students who were in Tier III of the Response to Intervention (RtI) process. Piaget's cognitive development theory, constructivism, and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory made up the theoretical framework. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effects of Fountas and Pinnell's Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) on reading achievement of students …

Project Managers' Strategies For Megaproject Success, Nkenamchi Benedict Oputa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Africa, most oil and gas megaprojects exceed their original budget and time deadlines despite advancement in project management processes and systems. This study explored strategies project managers used for megaprojects' success in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria, from the perspectives of the owner and contractor organizations. Multiple case study design was utilized to collect data by asking open-ended questions in separate interviews with 4 project managers. Archival project data was also reviewed to eliminate information incongruences. The conceptual framework for the study is the contingency theory that there is no universal management structure for every project. The …