Digital Commons Network^™

After-School Enrichment Programs And Secondary Education Achievement Among African American Males, Willis Roger Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this single case study, at one high school in the Midwest region of United States, was to examine after-school enrichment programs and their connections to improving academic achievement for African American (AA) male students. The central question of what factors in structured after-school enrichment programs (ASEPs) contribute to academic achievement for AA males was studied using social learning theory and punctuated equilibrium as the theoretical guide. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews and surveys administered to 10 administrators, 10 parents, and 10 teachers who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. Data collection also included classroom …

How Elementary School Principals Perceive Teachers’ Literacy Teaching Strategies, Cherron Lynnette Ukpaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals are expected to serve as the lead instructional leaders on the campus, ensuring

academic growth for all students. The research problem of this study was the lack of

understanding of the perceptions of elementary school principals regarding teachers’

literacy teaching strategies. The purpose and research question of this study were to

understand the instructional leadership practices of elementary school principals

regarding teachers’ literacy teaching strategies. The conceptual framework was based on

constructivism. Ten principals participated in semistructured, face-to-face, audio-taped

interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that school principals: (a) focus on how to

increase literacy state scores, (b) struggle to apply …

Exploring Head Start Teachers’ Challenges Working With Dual Language Learners, Jolene Andriaschko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of dual language learners is increasing in the United States, little is known about the challenges Head Start teachers and education coordinators face in working with this population. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Head Start teachers’ and education coordinators’ perspectives regarding the support teachers need to meet the challenges of working with dual language learners. This study was grounded in Jim Cummins’s language acquisition framework, which suggests that dual language learners benefit from instruction in their native language and the language of the classroom. A basic qualitative study design was used with …

An Exploration Of The Criminal Thinking Processes In Criminal Offenders, Mark V. Lemieux

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study sought to learn about Criminal Thinking patterns of thought in former criminal offenders. The discovery of this information is important to several fields in the formulation of treatment programs toward the elimination of criminal behavior. This research is based on the theory formulated by Yochelson and Samenow, and expanded on by Walters, that holds that Criminal Thinking patterns develop along a continuum and can lead to criminal behavior in some. Specifically, this study sought to learn whether criminal offenders were aware of their Criminal Thinking patterns and if that awareness impacted their criminal behavior. This qualitative phenomenological study …

Association Between Perceived Department Chair Leadership Characteristics And Faculty Job Satisfaction, Dr. Braylon Jacob Gorman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low faculty job satisfaction observed in higher education institutions can result in high rates of turnover and lack of commitment. With limited research on department chair leadership and faculty job satisfaction, there is also a gap in research in small liberal arts college settings. Guided by Avolio and Bass’s full-range leadership model, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between faculty perceptions of department chair leadership characteristics and faculty job satisfaction at 3 small, liberal arts institutions in the southeastern United States. For this nonexperimental study, the college’s self-developed Adapted Employee Satisfaction Survey was distributed to 720 …

Best Practices For Screening And Early Treatment For Hiv In The Hispanic Community, Juliana Deboviel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Hispanic community is among the ethnic minorities that are adversely affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. HIV transmission rates and rates of death are high among Hispanic communities because of delays in HIV testing and late participation in HIV treatment, especially in the state where this study was conducted. However, advanced practices for screening and early treatment of HIV can improve patient outcomes and inform practice. Thus, this systematic review was conducted to identify the best available evidence for HIV screening and care in the Hispanic population in the Western United States that shares a border with Mexico. …

Factors Affecting Seatbelt Use Among The Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing, Deidre G. Mott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, despite the proven significant economic, health, and social benefits of seatbelt use, millions of Americans do not use seatbelts. It is known that some factors, including obesity, reduce the rates of seatbelt use; however, a lack of research exists regarding whether individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (HOH) have different rates of seatbelt use. The purpose of this study was to examine the difference in seatbelt use between deaf or HOH individuals and hearing individuals after adjusting for individual-level factors (BMI, marital status, education, and access to health care). The theoretical foundation for this study was …

Leadership Strategies And Millennial Organizational Commitment, Louis Wilford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Managing millennial employees may present challenges to managers as the workforce demographics shifts to a population of employees who have management needs that differ from previous generations. Managers who struggle with retaining millennial employees may experience business failure. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies managers in the financial management industry use to harness the creativity and commitment of millennial employees to increase organizational profitability. Two financial management industry managers who successfully retained talented millennials to improve profitability were interviewed; organizational documents were a secondary data source. A …

Principal Leadership For The Establishment Of Family-School Partnership, Mickelli Dunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The area of family engagement and its benefits to the academic outcomes of students has been well researched. Educators, including practitioners and those who prepare them, and community members need to understand more about the leadership actions of principals, especially in urban, low-income predominantly African American schools, that lead to effective communication and learning at home partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the leadership actions of principals that support teachers establishing productive communication and learning at-home family engagement practices. Epstein’s school, family, and community partnership model was the framework that guided this research. Research questions …

Perceptions Of Individualized Education Plan Involvement From Hispanic Parents And Special Education Teachers, Peace Ibeanusi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some parents of children with disabilities do not often participate in individualized educational program (IEP) meetings, which results in inadequate planning and reduced student achievement. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of parent involvement in IEP meetings from Hispanic parents of English-language learners (ELLs) with disabilities and special educators. The research question pertained to the following elements central to parents’ involvement decisions: (a) parents’ beliefs, (b) self-efficacy, and (c) invitation for involvement. These elements were central in Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s parental involvement process model, which was the conceptual framework for the study. Using purposeful …

Minority Student Growth And Development In A Rural 4-Year College, Aisha Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a Mid-Atlantic, 4-year, rural, higher education institution, the minority student population, 25%, is growing compared to the 9% of minority faculty representation. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of minority faculty and students regarding student learning associated with minority students’ relationships to minority faculty. Critical race theory was used as part of the conceptual framework which provides a narrative on the perspectives of race and dispels myths, racial beliefs, and misrepresentations of the truth. Social learning theory was also used as part of the conceptual framework because it explains how social influences impact the beliefs …

Laughter Therapy And Coping Strategies For Dementia Patient Caregivers, Edith Ugwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to address a gap in the literature concerning the experiences of dementia caregivers who use laughter therapy as a coping strategy to manage their caregiving stress. Dementia caregiving involves high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety, which can cause both psychological and physical health problems for caregivers. It is, therefore, critical to identify effective coping strategies to mitigate caregiving stress. Laughter therapy is an inexpensive and readily available coping strategy that can help manage this stress. The current study used a phenomenological qualitative approach to address the research question. The transactional model of stress …

Managing Hypertension In Afro-Caribbean Immigrants Of Non-Hispanic Origin, Ann Marie Laban

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hypertension (HTN) is a preventable disease; however, the prevalence of HTN continues to increase, especially in minority populations. Without adequate interventions, this disease can lead to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, and death.

The United States is home to a large population of Afro-Caribbean immigrants of Non-Hispanic origin and the prevalence of this disease is high among this group. Although HTN is the leading health challenge for Afro-Caribbean immigrants of non-Hispanic origin, there were limited studies that identify nonpharmacological strategies, clinical practice guidelines, or educational programs (CPG-EP) to manage HTN in this population. This project seeks to discover …

Psychiatric Residents’ Perceptions Of Cultural Competency Training For Mental Health Care Delivery, Carol A. Matthews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considering and respecting patients’ cultural needs is integral in providing culturally competent mental health care. In 2013, an urban community hospital conducted the Community Health Needs Assessment with patients, community stakeholders, and health care providers. The assessment revealed the need to address a more diverse patient population with culturally different health needs through training culturally diverse health care providers. Thus, the focus of this qualitative case study was on how the academic training of psychiatric residents in cultural competency affected the delivery of culturally responsive mental health patient care. The conceptual framework of Jeffery’s cultural competence and confidence model grounded …

Hispanic Adult Learners’ Support Expectations In A Higher Education Hispanic Serving Institution, Jon Mchenry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic learners have lagged behind their White peers by about 7% in completing an associate degree within 3 years, a lag in completion that has closed to some degree over the decade of 2004 to 2014 but still persists. Since the percentage of Hispanic learners who are adults is increasing, the impact of the lag on this demographic could further increase. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the expectations Hispanic adult learners have regarding supports a community college provides, especially if it aspires to be designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution. The conceptual framework consisted of …

How Older Nigerians View The Impact Of Migration On Their Health, Jayne Nwankwo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Migration into the United States opens windows of opportunity, but also involves difficult experiences that impact the health of migrants. In this qualitative study, the meanings that Nigeria migrants (aged 65–80) placed on their migration experiences were explored in relation to their health and well-being. Literature revealed no prior migration study on this population. The social constructivist approach provided the framework for this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 13 participants that fell within the selection criteria. Face to face interview was used to obtain participants’ view of health; their challenges to adaptation to the United States; the impact …

The Lived Experiences Of Caregivers Of Children With Reactive Attachment Disorder, Abby Baumgart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents of children with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) encounter challenges in parenting and parent-child relationship development that are not typical to most parental situations. The purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of caregivers of children with RAD, to identify current met and unmet needs, to explore the experiences the caregivers of children with RAD have and the resources available to them. The study included a hermeneutic phenomenological foundation and incorporated the conceptual frameworks of family systems theory and attachment theory. A nonprobability, self-selection sampling strategy was utilized with recruitment through Facebook support groups. Methods included …

Exploring Young Opioid Users’ Motivation To Seek Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Patricia Gianotti-Avella

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the past 15 years, the nonmedical use of opioids in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, resulting in a 21% increase in overdose fatalities. This surge in opioid use and dependence represents a shift in the demographic from inner-city populations over the age of 40 to young adults between the ages of 20 and 34 who dwell in primarily white suburban neighborhoods. Research has identified physicians’ liberal prescribing practices as one cause of this epidemic and has documented the ineffectiveness of current interventions with young addicts. The purpose of this narrative study was to gain insight into what …

Parent Home-Based Literacy Activities With Third-Grade Students, Erin Antionette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a widening reading achievement gap for third grade students in a southern state as indicated by declining reading achievement scores of third-grade students on the state standardized assessment over the last few years. The problem in the local setting is that little is known about how the local school district includes home-based literacy activities as an aid to improve literacy instruction and student achievement. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to explore ways that home-based literacy instruction is currently implemented in the local setting and to capture how parents’ experience this instructional partnership. The conceptual framework …

Program Evaluation Of A Black Barbershop Health Outreach Campaign, Berkina Denise Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black-owned barbershops in the Black community lack barber administered interventions to provide education and health screenings to Black men. Increasing knowledge of health assessments in a black barbershop setting increases the number of health screenings and preventative care among Black men. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative summative program evaluation was to explore the extent to which a nonprofit Black barbershop health program aligns with the Health Research (HR) program objectives. The evaluation was performed for a nonprofit organization located in Maryland, 6 years after the organization implemented the HR Program Network of barbers and salon …

Investigating Middle School Teachers’ Experiences In Inclusive Classrooms, Jilleane Archie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Meeting the needs of students with disabilities, while implementing research-based instructional strategies in inclusive settings, presents an array of successes and challenges for both general and special education teachers. The problem at the local study site was that both general and special education teachers faced challenges as they implemented inclusion practices to meet the College and Career Readiness Performance Index, Closing Gaps component improvement targets for students with disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate general and special education teachers’ successes, challenges, and needs as they implemented inclusion practices in middle school classrooms. This study was …

Best Approaches For English Acquisition With Primary English Language Learners, Roxanna Gario

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The education reform that took place in the emirate of Abu Dhabi set the standard that all students attending state-governed schools would be literate in their native language of Arabic as well as English, which was being taught in schools as a second language. However, school data documented achievement gaps in English reading among English language learners (ELLs) at a primary school in Abu Dhabi. The purpose of this study was to investigate the best approaches used by English medium teachers to teach reading to ELLs in order to provide recommendations for student improvement. Guided by Krashen’s monitor model, this …

Emotional Behavioral Disability Students: How Emotional-Social Intelligence Empowers Mainstream Elementary Teachers, Christopher J. Hanna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A district in Southwestern Pennsylvania was experiencing disruptive behaviors with students with emotional behavioral disabilities in the elementary mainstream classroom. Grounded in the Bar-On 10-factor structure emotional-social intelligence model, the purpose of the study was to gain understanding of how emotional-social intelligence competency empowered regular-education teachers to maintain positive relationships with students with emotional behavioral disabilities. The qualitative naturalist-constructionist research approach involved implementing the responsive interview technique for data collection. The study involved purposeful sampling for participant recruitment for 10 elementary regular-education teachers. The elementary teachers who taught first through fifth grades were observed by their building principals as maintaining …

Institutional Narrative As A Means For Evaluating Mission Alignment At Community Colleges, Paul Wesley Lundburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community colleges have expanded their goals and their mission statements to accommodate more students, introduce new programs, and respond to community needs. One result of this expansion has been the perception of mission misalignment: the idea that community colleges are struggling to fulfill their missions. Recent literature has focused on causes and problems presumed to be associated with mission misalignment; however, there is a gap in the empirical research on whether mission misalignment occurs. The purpose of this study was to examine mission misalignment in community colleges, thereby helping to fill the gap in the literature. The research question was …

Diversity Gap In Healthcare Leadership, Percival Vera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid change of the U.S. population has prompted many organizations in both the private and public sectors to adjust their C-Suite leadership to reflect the population that they serve. Unfortunately, healthcare seems to be the exception to this. Several studies have been done to explore the issue of diversity in general; however, limited research has been done to address the diversity gap in the U.S. Healthcare System C-Suite. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the reasons behind the lack of diversity in the U.S. Healthcare C-Suite. The C-Suite is defined as the group of executives …

The Relationship Between Spiritual Intelligence And Organizational Identification: A Correlational Research Study, Paschal L. Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employees who have lower levels of organizational identification (OID) can exhibit negative perceptions of leaders and managers within the organization. Lower levels of OID can lead to adverse employee attitudes and behaviors. Grounded in the social identity theory and spiritual intelligence (SQ) construct, the research questions for this quantitative correlation study were to investigate the relationship between SQ and OID. A simple random probability sampling design was used to sample midlevel supervisors and frontline managers using online self-report surveys. A total of 74 midlevel supervisors and 76 frontline managers completed the Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory and Mael and Ashforth's OID …

Experiences Of Teachers Of The Deaf Using Project-Based Learning To Build Higher Order Thinking Skills, Susan Joan Elliott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy used to develop higher order thinking skills (HOTS) with a range of student populations. Although all students need to build HOTS for success in the 21st century, PBL studies with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students were nearly absent; therefore, it was unknown how PBL could be used to develop HOTS with this population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers of the deaf using PBL to build HOTS with DHH students in the dimensions of pedagogy, product, and process. A self-designed conceptual framework called …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of Teachers' Perspectives Of Differentiated Instruction In K-3 Inclusion Classrooms, Julie Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have addressed teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction or teachers' perspectives on inclusion classrooms, but there was limited research on the combined topics of teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in inclusion classrooms. This interpretative phenomenological analysis used one to one interviews and reflective journals to explore nine teachers' perspectives of differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms. The study's conceptual framework was comprised of Vygotsky's social constructivist theory and Piaget's theory of cognitive development. The research question and sub-questions asked about the challenges and successes teachers encountered in planning and implementing differentiated instruction in K-3 inclusion classrooms, and what teachers believed …

Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Impact Of Attachment Behavior Toward Therapeutic Staff Support, Karen Kotchik Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that levels of attachment behavior by individuals with intellectual disability toward professional staff in a residential setting prevent dysregulated behavior. Although challenging behaviors are not part of the diagnostic criteria for an ASD, these behaviors are frequently observed in the forms of property destruction and disruptive/aggressive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the attachment relationship of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) toward the therapeutic support staff (TSS) assigned to their case as indicated by the display of challenging behaviors (self-injurious, stereotypical and aggressive behavior). Levels of attachment were measured by the …

Integrated Threat Management: An Alternative Approach To Regional Security System For Ecowas, Farouck Mohammed-Bashar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of new and emerging threats to peace and security in West Africa has added another layer of threat to security in West Africa. There is a need for research on the interconnectedness among existing and new and emerging threats to security in the region. The purpose of this study was to explore the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS') approach to its regional security management strategy. The punctuated equilibrium theory and policy feedback theory were used to conceptualize the problem within the context of ECOWAS' policy inertia and the wide range of security and sociopolitical dynamics in …