Digital Commons Network^™

Educator Perceptions Of Participation In A Vertical Professional Learning Community, Katherine Orlando

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have studied best practices within school-based professional learning communities (PLCs). Practitioners need to understand more about different PLC configurations, such as vertical PLCs across schools, and how leaders influence implementation and outcomes. The purposes of this case study were to understand vertical PLC participant perceptions of leadership and school improvement, educator growth, and the effectiveness of the vertical PLC structure. The conceptual framework incorporated leadership of change, commitment to continuous improvement for individuals and organizations, and support of active and compelling adult learning. A collaborative, vertical PLC structure in a medium-sized public school district in a Mid-Atlantic state …

Elementary School Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices Supporting Academically Marginalized Students, Stacy Lynette Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem addressed in this qualitative case study is the need to understand elementary school principals' instructional leadership practices supporting academically marginalized students. Instructional leadership practices to "close the achievement gap" are imperative to document, so that best practices can be highlighted and disseminated among educational institutions that face similar challenges. The conceptual framework of the principal instructional management theory is used to explore instructional leadership through 3 dimensions: managing the instructional program, defining the school mission, and fostering academic achievement. Semistructured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted to collect and analyze data from 11 elementary principals in response …

Strategies In Software Development Effort Estimation, Kevin R. Roark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Software development effort estimating has notoriously been the Achilles heel of the software planning process. Accurately evaluating the effort required to accomplish a software change continues to be problematic, especially in Agile software development. IT organizations and project managers depend on estimation accuracy for planning software deliveries and cost determination. The purpose of this multiple case qualitative study was to identify strategies used by software development professionals in providing accurate effort estimations to stakeholders. The planning fallacy served as the study’s conceptual framework. The participants were 10 software development professionals who were actively engaged in delivering estimates of effort on …

Academic Incivility: Can The Dark Triad Personality Traits Predict Academic Entitlement?, Melissa M. Foley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic entitlement is a view held by students that can cause dissent and student incivility. Academic entitlement can be driven by various factors, including the personality traits of the Dark Triad (personality traits of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism). Other researchers have examined the relationship between these traits and academic entitlement, but further research on this subject is needed. Adams’ equity theory, which proposes that people experience distress when they identify as either under- or over rewarded individuals, provided the theoretical foundation for this study. Using a quantitative approach, 160 participants were recruited using online methods and asked to complete a …

Strategies For Sustaining Minority-Owned Small Businesses, Taha Seid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Minority small businesses play a significant role in the development of the United States economy. Minority small business owners who do not implement successful and sustainable strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in entrepreneurship theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that minority small business owners used to sustain their business beyond 5 years of beginning operations. The participants included 3 minority small business owners in Alexandria, Virginia, who have been in business for 5 years. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews, field notes, company websites, and financial, marketing, strategy, and …

Case Study Of A Principal-Directed Mentorship Program For Untrained Primary School Teachers, Joycelyn Archibald Pennyfeather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Issues relating to teacher quality are being discussed internationally. Locally, teachers in St. Kitts and Nevis are hired to teach without any formal training, resulting in poor quality teaching. The problem studied was the poor-quality performance of first-year teachers in a rural primary school of St. Kitts and Nevis. One school principal introduced a mentoring program in an effort to improve teacher quality. The purpose of this study was to explore educators’ perceptions of the implementation of that principal-directed mentoring program and make suggestions for its improvement. Guided by Chinnasamy’s concept of mentoring as andragogy in action, this study examined …

Mathematics Cognitive And Content Abilities Across The Vincentian Student Population, Brendalee Rorena Cato

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mathematics achievement is a key component of student overall academic achievement. However, many students from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Vincentian students) continue to perform poorly on the regional Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) mathematics examination. This poor mathematics performance is a concern for education stakeholders. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to explore the extent to which the CSEC mathematics scores of high-scoring Vincentian students versus low-scoring Vincentian students in the cognitive domains of knowledge, comprehension, and reasoning differ across the content domains of algebra; geometry; measurement; statistics; and relations, functions, and graphs (RFG). The theoretical foundation …

Teach-To-One Blended Mathematics' Impact On Middle School Students' Mathematics Achievement, Navdeep Dhindsa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning that integrates computer-assisted instruction with face-to-face instruction is gaining popularity in U.S. middle schools; therefore, the effectiveness of such blended learning models in improving middle school students' achievement in mathematics needs to be explored. Middle school students at a public Connecticut school have shown poor performance in mathematics on a state standardized test. The local district implemented a blended learning model, Teach to One: Math (TTO), in 1 of the middle schools to improve students' performance in mathematics. The theoretical framework for this study was Koehler and Mishra's theory of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. The key research …

Teachers’ Perspectives Of Preschool Reading Fadeout And Strategies To Prevent It In Low-Performing Schools, Jacquelyn Blanton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Third-grade reading scores on some U.S. state tests revealed that children who attended a state-funded preschool program were not proficient readers. Reading gains made in preschool faded by the time the children reached third grade. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perspectives regarding the causes of preschool reading fadeout and the strategies they used to prevent preschool reading fadeout in low-performing schools. The conceptual framework included the dynamic skill-building theory and skill formation theory to examine the development of reading skills. Nine state-certified teachers who taught reading in preschool through third grade shared their perspectives …

Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Technology To Transform Mathematics Instruction, Camille Georgia James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIncorporating technology into instructional practices is needed to cultivate learners who are digitally competent to function in a society in which technology keeps evolving. The problem that exists at the study site is that although technology is available, it is primarily being used to enhance learning rather than transform learning. Transforming the teaching- learning process, requires the use of technology to modify and redefine learning. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to explore the extent to which middle school mathematics teachers in a PreK–8 independent day school in Denver, Colorado use digital technology as a transformative learning tool in …

Ethics Of Collection And Use Of Consumer Information On The Internet, Thanh M. Pham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consumer online activities can generate massive volumes of data that private companies may collect and use for business purposes. Consumer personal data need to be protected from unauthorized access and misuse. The specific problem is that consumers have little control regarding their data being collected and used by private companies. The purpose of this qualitative archival research was to explore business practices involving collection and use of consumer data without an individual’s consent. This study used the big data ethical conceptual framework to focus on various privacy issues, including those related to ownership, transparency, ethics, and consumer privacy laws. Archival …

Technology Business Leaders' Strategies To Increase Employees' Engagement, Desmond J. L. Browne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmployee disengagement is costly and reduces an organization's ability to meet its full potential to produce business results. Technology business leaders who have engaged employees can positively alter the company's rapid transformation to be more competitive. Grounded by the social exchange theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 6 technology leaders in the Atlanta metropolitan area use to engage employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and company documents. Data were analyzed using Yin's 5-step data analysis process. Three themes emerged: communicate with transparency, provide offerings for training and rewards, and identify and implement …

Factors That Influence Throughput On Cloud-Hosted Mysql Server, Eric Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many businesses are moving their infrastructure to the cloud and may not fully understand the factors that can increase costs. With so many factors available to improve throughput in a database, it can be difficult for a database administrator to know which factors can provide the best efficiency to maintain lower costs. Grounded in Six Sigma theoretical framework, the purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the relationship between the time of day, the number of concurrent users, InnoDB buffer pool size, InnoDB Input/Output capacity, and MySQL transaction throughput to a MySQL database running on a cloud, virtual, …

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Style And Financial Sustainability, Tameika R. Campbell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Only 50% of the U.S. small businesses opened in 2011 were able to maintain financial sustainability. Small business owners struggle with identifying the type of leadership style needed to increase financial sustainability. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and financial sustainability. The participants consisted of 76 small business owners located in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. The business owners completed a survey containing the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and the Financial Capability Scale. The data were analyzed using multiple …

The Relationship Between At-Home Reading Literacy Activities And Reading Literacy Scores Of Beginning Kindergarteners, Shera Chantel Caviness

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 33% of U.S. prekindergartners have trouble recognizing the English alphabet and their associated sounds. To compete and succeed globally today, children start early with English alphabet recognition and phonics instruction to develop fluent reading skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parental recollection of at-home reading literacy activities of prekindergartners and beginning kindergarteners’ reading literacy scores. Vygotsky’s theory of social interaction and Piaget’s theory of child development provided the theoretical basis for this study. The key research question focused on the relationship between parental recollection of at-home reading literacy activities of prekindergarteners and beginning …

Influence Of Mathematics Teachers' Technology Use On Secondary Students' Motivation, Attitude, And Achievement In Nigeria, Denise Uzoma Ejoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in Nigeria are not finishing school with the math skills needed for gainful employment and economic self-reliance, possibly due to a lack of technology use in math classes. Specifically, the influence of technology use in math classrooms on students' motivation, attitude, and math achievement in Nigeria was not well understood. Guided by the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) theoretical framework, the purpose of this ex post facto, causal-comparative study was to compare the differences in student motivation, attitude, and achievement scores between students in math classrooms with low technology use and students in classrooms with high technology use …

Treatment Disparities In Black And Hispanic Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, Charlotte Seiji Frey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparity in diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children has been studied; however, no known studies examining disparities based on severity of symptoms have been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment that exist among children based on severity of symptoms. This cross-sectional quantitative analysis used data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health and the theoretical foundation was guided by the behavioral model of healthcare utilization and help-seeking behavior for ADHD. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed an overall association between race and the diagnosis and …

Minority Women Leaders' Experiences Of Shattering The Glass Ceiling In Public Administration, Trina N. George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little research explores the experiences of women who have successfully attained careers in the highest echelons of federal service. Using Gregory-Mina's conceptualization of the great man theory as the foundation, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to understand the experiences and achievements of 7 women who advanced in the federal leadership hierarchy. This study used secondary data that is part of the Public Administration Genome Project holdings and these data were analyzed using inductive coding followed by a thematic analysis procedure. Data analysis revealed common experiences including that all of the women experienced a lack of mentors and …

Effective Strategies For Sustaining Small Retail Businesses, Eddie Dean Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small business owners have major issues in sustaining their businesses. Small business owners who do not use successful strategies to sustain their businesses are destined to fail. Grounded by the systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies for sustaining small retail businesses beyond 5 years. The participants comprised 6 small business owners who successfully sustained their business beyond 5 years in Memphis, Tennessee. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing company documents and analyzed using Yin's 5-step process. The 4 themes that emerged from this study were: be adaptive to external …

Search Results: Predicting Ranking Algorithms With User Ratings And User-Driven Data, Gary Michael Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to examine the possible relationship between user-driven parameters, user ratings, and ranking algorithms. The study’s population consisted of students and faculty in the information technology (IT) field at a university in Huntington, WV. Arrow’s impossibility theorem was used as the theoretical framework for this study. Complete survey data were collected from 47 students and faculty members in the IT field, and a multiple regression analysis was used to measure the correlations between the variables. The model was able to explain 85% of the total variability in the ranking algorithm. The overall model …

Special Education Teachers' Experiences Integrating Mobile Devices In Their Classroom, Regina Malz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study is the increasing number of students identified as special need learners in U.S. schools and the critical need to prepare them for success in the 21st century workplace. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of special education teachers while they integrate mobile tablets into the classroom. The conceptual framework was based on constructivism, andragogy, experiential learning models and Roger’s diffusion of innovation. The research questions focused on understanding the experiences of special education teachers during their implementation of mobile tablets. This study was a qualitative multiple case study involving the interview …

Meeting The Needs Of College Students With Learning Disabilities, Rita Garrett Foster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although more students with learning disabilities (LDs) are attending postsecondary institutions, faculty lacks the necessary training to educate students with LDs. A need exists to ensure that their college experiences include resources or support services to help students meet their academic requirements. Without support services, students may encounter poor outcomes in postsecondary education. This bounded, qualitative case study was designed to explore perspectives and experiences of students with LDs related to student services and accommodations at a postsecondary institution. Knowles's theory of andragogy formed the study's conceptual framework. A purposeful sample of 6 students, who were medically diagnosed as having …

Faculty And First-Year Students' Perceptions Of Civility In College, Conni Eve Claflin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While researchers have identified student incivility as a problem in higher education in the United States, little is known about how students and faculty perceive the issue within the classroom environment at a private university in the northeast. Uncivil behavior can negatively impact the learning environment. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to compare students' and faculty's perceptions of civility in the classrooms and explore how civility is addressed in course syllabi and artifacts. The theoretical base was Clark's continuum of incivility, and the conceptual framework was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Types and frequency of uncivil behaviors were …

Exploring Strategies For Adapting Traditional Vehicle Design Frameworks To Autonomous Vehicle Design, Alex Munoz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fully autonomous vehicles are expected to revolutionize transportation, reduce the cost of ownership, contribute to a cleaner environment, and prevent the majority of traffic accidents and related fatalities. Even though promising approaches for achieving full autonomy exist, developers and manufacturers have to overcome a multitude of challenged before these systems could find widespread adoption. This multiple case study explored the strategies some IT hardware and software developers of self-driving cars use to adapt traditional vehicle design frameworks to address consumer and regulatory requirements in autonomous vehicle designs. The population consisted of autonomous driving technology software and hardware developers who are …

Strategies To Sustain Funding In The Nonprofit Sector, Mark Sami

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofits provide much needed services to communities, especially to the poor and

vulnerable population, but the majority are operating in an environment of uncertainty

because of scarcity of resources. It is imperative that nonprofit managers implement

strategies to ensure the sustainability of their organizations. Grounded in the general

systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore

strategies that nonprofit managers use to sustain funding in the nonprofit sector. The

study participants were 3 nonprofit managers, including 2 from the Caribbean, and 1

from the United States. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and a review …

Elementary And Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions On Implementing Change Toward Inclusion Practices, Nicole J. Taguinod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusive education programs exist in public schools to provide equitable education opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities. However, the processes for administrators to implement change toward inclusive classrooms and achieve program sustainability remain unclear. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to investigate campus administrators’ perceptions concerning challenges and facilitators that influence the implementation and continuation of inclusion practices and their roles in initiating change. An integration of Fullan and Quinn’s coherence framework and Lewin’s 3-step change model was the conceptual lens for the study. Research questions were focused on how administrators view aspects that hinder …

Aligning Workforce Training Center Curricula With Local Business Needs, Elizabeth P. Burns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many cities in the United States have experienced job loss due to a shift from industrial-based to information and service economies, as well as the outsourcing of labor jobs to overseas locations. In the absence of industrial jobs once occupied by low-skilled workers, the problem that compelled this study was a perceived gap between the skills required by the employers who now hire such workers and the actual skills those workers have. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the espoused skills required by employers in a rural region of the southeastern United States to inform the …

Staff Education On Depression Screening In An Outpatient Psychiatric Setting, Naiga Dohnji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is among the common mental illnesses in the United States affecting 1 in 10 Americans. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended screening for depression irrespective of the risk factors. Yet, providers struggle to implement depression screening. Inadequate use of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) screening tool to identify and manage depression can lead to poor patient outcomes. PHQ-9 is valid and reliable tool used to diagnose depression and monitor treatment response. The purpose of this project was to develop, deliver, and evaluate an educational program for providers on the use of the PHQ-9 screening tool for the identification of …

Strategies For Managing Offshore Outsourcing For Business Sustainability, Idrissa Maiga Hamidou Issa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective offshore outsourcing strategies can contribute to unexpected and significant costs for businesses. Strategies to improve outsourcing outcomes are critical to business managers because often third parties contracted to implement offshore outsourcing fail to fulfil business managers’ expectations who can benefit from understanding how to manage outsourced operations and anticipate potential problems. Grounded in transaction cost theory, cultural and customs theory, and the resource-based view theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies and processes business managers use to maintain their organization after the implementation of offshore outsourcing. The participants consisted of 3 managers who …

Teacher Characteristics And Blended Learning Adoption In Stem-Focused Charter Schools, Omer Faruk Polat

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As an innovative teaching strategy, blended learning provides an environment where students are able to receive individualized instruction based on their needs. Even though the number of schools that adopt blended models of instruction has been increasing nationwide, the number of studies that explore the relationship between teacher characteristics and blended learning use is limited. This quantitative survey study explored the relationship between selected characteristics of teachers and the levels of blended learning adoption in charter schools with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus. The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) was used as a theoretical lens as it provided tools …