Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Factors That Influence Attitudes And Achievement When Students Take Computerized Tests, Jessie E. Kilgore Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Currently, a problem exists in K-12 education related to the use of technology for the assessment of student learning. Specifically, due to the lack of access to and infrequent use of computers for middle school students, the rise in the use of high stakes computer-based tests may negatively impact student test scores in poor, urban schools. The conceptual framework of this study was informed by Albert Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, the work of The National Center for Fair and Open Testing regarding ending the misuses and flaws of standardized testing, and James Popham's research on quality assessment. The central research …

An Examination Of Differences Between Online Learning For Hispanic And Caucasian Community College Students, Edward J. Beyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic students are enrolling in community colleges at an increasing rate, and they do not succeed in community college online courses at a rate comparable to Caucasian students. Increasing Hispanic success in online education could potentially enhance their socioeconomic status. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of andragogy and constructivism, the purpose of this case study was to examine differences between Hispanic and Caucasian students in online learning and identify factors that might contribute to the reported differences in success across Hispanic and Caucasian online students. Research questions contrasted the impact of course design, Internet access, learning preferences, and motivation on …

Promoting Breast Cancer Screening Among Chinese American Women Through Young Children's Theatrical Performance, Angela Sun

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has revealed that underutilization of breast cancer screening by ethnic minorities often is related to language difficulties and cultural values and beliefs about cancer. The problem addressed in this secondary data analysis was the late diagnosis of breast cancer in the Chinese immigrant community. The purpose of the quasi-experimental study was to test the efficacy of a theatrical preschool performance, guided by the diffusion of innovation theory, in educating Chinese American women about breast cancer detection. The research questions sought to determine whether the performance increased the participants' knowledge of breast cancer screening guidelines and whether country of origin, …

The Effect Of Faculty Performance Measurement Systems On Student Retention, Timothy Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Institutions of higher learning have been tracking student course-drop rates as a measure of student success along with faculty performance data. However, there is a lack of understanding as to how faculty performance data influences drop rates. The purpose of this study was to determine whether faculty knowledge of performance data creates a difference in drop rates. This study combined theories of performance measurement, decision support, self-determination theory (SDT), and personal decision making (PDM) as a conceptual foundation that linked faculty knowledge to student success. The specific research question addressed if data can be used to assist faculty efforts in …

Social Construction Of Knowledge In A Semiformal, Long -Term Learning Environment: A Qualitative Study, Alycia Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social learning plays a critical role in cognitive apprenticeship, community of practice, and knowledge production theories. Gunawardena's interaction analysis model, which provides a means of evaluating discourse for social construction of knowledge, is comprised of five phases: (a) sharing and comparing, (b) disagreement, (c) negotiation and co-construction of new knowledge, (d) testing of knew knowledge, and (e) use or phrasing of new knowledge. There is a paucity of research that has empirically explored social construction of knowledge, especially in an extended semiformal asynchronous graduate learning experience. This study explored two research questions: whether social construction of knowledge took place, and …

Evaluating Earnings Management With Derivatives And The Use Of Accounting Accruals: A Quasi Experimental Approach, Margot S. Geagon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most companies listed on the S&P 500 index have reported smoothed earnings since the 1990s inspiring questions from regulators about the accuracy of financial statements. In 1998, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued SFAS No. 133 (Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities) to establish accounting and reporting standards for derivative instruments. In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) was issued to eradicate earnings management activities and improve transparency in financial reporting. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate changes in reporting requirements, much less is known about the effectiveness of these regulations on earning smoothing with discretionary accruals (DA) …

A Comparison Of Lifestyle Intervention Sessions And Clinical Screening As Motivators In The South Dakota Wisewoman Program, Jacy Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

WISEWOMAN (WW) is a comprehensive program for medically underserved women in South Dakota (SD), aged 30 to 64, which aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases. Screening services include blood total cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose, and body mass index (BMI). Lifestyle intervention (LSI) sessions are also offered to address physical activity and nutrition. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to quantitatively examine whether the combination of LSI's and clinical screenings or clinical screenings alone lead to improvements in blood pressure, blood glucose, total cholesterol, and/or BMI at rescreening 10 to14 months from initial screening. …

Personal And Professional Spirituality: Muslim Social Workers' Perspectives, Cheryl W. El-Amin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research in the area of religion and spirituality in social work practice is lacking minority practitioner representation. This phenomenological study explored the questions of how American Muslim social workers define and experience the religious/spiritual, and perceive the propriety of integrating either, in practice. Ibn Khaldun and Durkheim, early social theorists, suggested that group feeling and affiliation impact personal and professional perception and decision making. American societal views of Muslims are often negative and uninformed. A group of 15 Muslim practitioners with bachelor's or more advanced degrees in social work were recruited through a survey administered via an Internet survey site. …

Portfolio Construction: The Efficient Diversification Of Marketing Investments, Michael P. Haydock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Efforts in the marketing sciences can be distinguished between the analysis of individual customers and the examination of portfolios of customers, giving scarce theoretical guidance concerning the strategic allocation of promotional investments. Yet, strategic asset allocation is considered in financial economics theory to be the most important set of investment decisions. The problem addressed in this study was the application of strategic asset allocation theory from financial economics to marketing science with the aim of improving the financial results of investment in direct marketing promotions. This research investigated the components of efficient marketing portfolio construction which include multiattribute numerical optimization, …

Exploring Technological Literacy: Middle School Teachers' Perspectives, Jane Mcever Baker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 mandates that middle school students be technologically literate by the end of 8th grade, but teachers need more information on how to make this outcome a reality. This qualitative phenomenological study used a constructivist theoretical framework to investigate teachers' descriptions of technological literacy outcomes, instructional practice, and challenges influencing middle school student technological literacy. Twelve teachers at 1 public middle school in a large urban area of Georgia were interviewed. Data were analyzed using the typological method with the inclusion of both inductive and predetermined categories. Teachers described technologically literate middle …

Friendship In Young Adult Heterosexual Romantic Relationships, Billy Kidd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Friendship is one of the pillars that supports satisfying, long-term, romantic relationships and marriage. Yet little is known about how romantic friendship is contextually experienced. This lack of knowledge limits the options of researchers and therapists. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to further substantiate a romantic friendship construct. The research question asked how friendship is experienced in heterosexual romantic relationships. Participants in two West Coast metropolitan areas, ages 18 to 29, were selected by convenience sampling. As per Giorgi's phenomenological method, themes were abstracted from the transcripts of focus group and individual interviews. The themes were then shortened …

Student -Teacher Relationships And Their Effect On Student Achievement At The Secondary Level, Cheryl Dix Modlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has demonstrated that adolescent learning increases with a proactive type of student-teacher relationship. However, due to the lack of common expectations for a positive student-teacher relationship, a disconnection occurs for some students, who then may become disengaged at school and may not reach their full potential academically, socially, or developmentally. This mixed method sequential, exploratory design focused on a Midwestern secondary school of approximately 250 students. The disconnection between students and teachers was addressed by investigating positive student-teacher relationships; student achievement; and the connection between student-teacher relationships and achievement. Qualitative data were collected using focus groups of students …

The Effects Of Prayer And Glossolalia On The Mental Health Status Of Protestants, Recco S. Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The resurgence of prayer and glossolalia (speaking in tongues) within Protestant denominations in the United States of America has stimulated widespread psychological and theological debate. Previous research has indicated that religiosity has both a negative and positive effect on mental health functioning. However, there remains an important gap in the current literature regarding the relationships between specific religious practices and mental health. Therefore the purpose of the proposed study is to report on the growing number of religious persons who pray/glossolate and the conflicting messages in the literature regarding the relationship between religiosity and mental illness. A total of 10 …

Student Satisfaction With Online Learning Effectiveness At A Connecticut Community College, Alina R. Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In recent years, institutions of higher education have dramatically increased the number of online courses and degree programs offered to students, and yet it remains unclear what factors determine student satisfaction with online course and instructor effectiveness. Accordingly, the purpose of this exploratory correlation study was to examine how factors related to courses and instructors contributed to student perceptions of course quality (CQ) and instructor effectiveness (IE). Six stepwise regression procedures assessed the effects of specific course and instructor characteristics on perceptions of CQ and IE across one year of course evaluation data collected in a northeastern 2-year college. Results …

Predictors Of Middle School Girls' Engagement In Suspendable School Offenses., Barbara Harlow Cavanaugh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite research evidence that social context and personal characteristics are related to girls' violent behavior, little is known about the relative contribution of such antecedents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the relative strength of predictors of school violence among a sample of middle school girls. Of special interest were the intervening variables, because knowledge of their relative strength could enable schools to design targeted interventions to reduce school violence. Social learning theory formed the theoretical foundation for the study. A four-part survey consisting of sociodemographic items, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, an amended version of the Attitudes …

A Study Of The Decision To Remove Children From Their Parents By Child Welfare Supervisors, Charles F. Lorbeer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A STUDY OF THE DECISION TO REMOVE CHILDREN FROM THEIR PARENTS BY CHILD WELFARE SUPERVISORS

by Charles F. Lorbeer

Dissertation Chair: Dr. Aqueil Ahmad

Committee Members: Dr. Aqueil Ahmad, Dr. Robert Butters, and Dr. Ashakant Nimbark,

The goal of this study was to analyze the decision by child welfare supervisors to remove children from their parents. This was accomplished by studying the effect that three specific factors have on that decision. The three factors were 1) physical abuse, 2) domestic violence and substance abuse, and 3) availability of services to help the family.

Decision theory provided the conceptual framework for …

Theater Education And Emerging Technologies, Michael E. Butterworth

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Theater educators need compelling arguments for including the use of emerging technologies in the secondary theater classroom. The research documents the current uses of emerging technologies in the secondary theater classroom and contrasts the uses of traditional theater technologies with the uses of emerging technologies. Interviews with theater professionals identify current issues and practices in the theater community regarding the usage of technology.

A telephone survey of theater teachers reveals patterns of technology use in the Seattle School District. The research concludes that theater teachers have many tools at their disposal to teach students the processes of artistic problem solving …

Management Reorganizations In The Thb Global Banks - A Case Study, David Clancy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The dissertation focuses on the multiple reorganizations of Manufacturers Hanover between March 1985 and June 1991. The research sought to find a relationship with the reorganizations and the stock price and performance measures of the Bank. The purpose was to determine if the reorganizations provided a measurable impact on theperformance of the Bank. The conclusions of this research established that the reorganizations, if intended to improve the performance of the Bank, were not effective.

The Role Of Small To Medium-Size Private Companies As Change Agents In Manpower Development In The Eastern Province Of Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Kadi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of the study was to explore in depth the problem of the skilled Saudi labor shortage in Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it investigated the role of small to medium-size private companies in developing manpower for the kingdom. To investigate this role, the study sought to answer the following research questions:

1. To what extent do small and medium-size firms attract Saudi youth to work in practical skill areas?

2. Do small and medium-size firms offering training take traditional values or customs into consideration when determining training needs?

3. Is Saudization a factor when determining training needs?

4. Are …

The Effects Of A Structured-Insightful Approach Upon The Writing Ability Of Limited-English Proficient Students (Lep 3), Gwen P. Freeman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined the effects of a structured -insightful approach to teaching limited-English proficient (L EP) students to express themselves in writing. It sought to determine the effectiveness of this approach with a group, with boys or girls, and with which language it proved to be most effective.

This major purpose of this study was to seek methods and techniques that were designed to assist the LEP 3 students in expressing thoughts and ideas in writing with clarity, fluency, and effectiveness.

The population for this study consisted of thirty-five fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students who attended three elementary schools …

The Effects Of A Psychologically Based Training Program Upon Athletic Performance, Bertram Burke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to develop a psychologically based training technique that would help maximize athletic performance. The technique entitled the Six Step Technique was then experimentally tested to determine its effect on lowering state anxiety and improving foul shooting under experimental conditions.

Specifically three schools were randomly selected from a suburban athletic conference and their Varsity and Junior Varsity male basketball teams comprised the samples of the study. The three schools were then randomly assigned to an experimental treatment group, a placebo treatment group and a control treatment group. Prior to the start of treatment(s) the. groups …

The Frontier Nursing Service As An Agent Of Change, Nancy Dammann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this dissertation was to analyze the influence of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) on the area in which it operated. Mary Breckinridge founded the FNS in 1925 to demonstrate a method of delivering health care in an isolated rural area. She selected Leslie County in southeast Kentucky for its locale because of its isolation; there were no roads in the county and no licensed physicians.

The FNS program centered on nurse-midwives who provided health care from decentralized district clinics so situated that no family was more than an hour's horseback or jeep ride away. A hospital and …

The Recall Election: Its Effect On The School District And Community In California, Chester C. Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem

The purposes of this study were (1) to review the history of school-district recall laws in California, (2) to enumerate the legal steps in the recall process, (3) to survey a school district where recall election had taken place, and (4) to present community feelings and effects.

Procedure

A search was made of all laws and official records pertaining to school trustees' recall elections in California. A questionnaire designed to elicit respondent attitudes and feelings was mailed to all who voted in the school district recall election of December 3^rd, 1970. A preliminary number of questionnaires …

A Study Of The Effects On Students In A Community Consolidated School District In Illinois Of Selected Activities Funded Under Title I Of The Elementary And Secondary Education Act Of 1965, James H. Ellis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to identify objectives and identify and measure the effects of selected activities supported with Title I Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 funds on disadvantaged students with respect to their academic achievement, social and personal development and class attendance. One East-Central Illinois Public School District was selected for the study. The school district included grades kindergarten through twelve with an enrollment approximating 10,000 during the school years under review. Of that total enrollment, approximately 1500 students each year were classified as eligible for funding purposes. The school years included were 1966-67 through …

An Examination Of Two Different Approaches To Learning In Nursery School, Ralph M. Conti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Statement of the Problem

The primary purpose of this study was to explore teacher guidance - does it help promote learning? The sub problems are to explore and assess the value of' academic training in nursery school versus a straight child development program, and to explore and assess the value of play as a teaching method.

The Population

This study included sixty, four year old children who were enrolled in nursery school for the first time. They were divided into six equal groups of ten each according to sex and I. Q. Control Groups I and II - pupils who …

A Descriptive Study Of A Successful School Bond And Rate Referenda Campaign, Howard Marvin Eilks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is the purpose of this study to present a detailed analysis of the methods and techniques employed in the November 23, 1968 passage of a school bond referendum, and tax rate increases in the education and building funds for Maercker School District #60, Clarendon Hills, Illinois. As per data from the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Illinois Education Association, and a local newspaper, The Trib, school referenda are increasingly meeting with voter rejection. Only 53.2 per cent of the nation's bond referenda were approved during the fiscal year 1969-1970. The percentage of successful referenda in Illinois has …

Innovation, Adoption, And Cultural Change: Guide Lines For Administrators Of Adult Education Programs, Walter Clot

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract included.

An Investigation Into The Affect Of The Borg-Warner System 80 Machine On The Reading Program Of Selected Primary Students, Daniel T. Cunniff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bibliography

An Investigation into the Affect of the BorgWarner System 80 Machine on the Reading Program of Selected Primary Students.

Purpose

Measured the effect of individualized phonics instruction presented by teaching machine upon a group of low achieving kindergarten children.

Methods

Four kindergarten classes in a suburban elementary school were screened thru the use of a phonics inventory. The lowest achieving children were assigned to a daily tutorial lesson on Borg-Warner’s System 80 Audio-Visual Unit. The other children in the kindergarten classes proceeded with their normal classroom activities. At the end of nine weeks, the phonics inventory was re-administered and …

A Study Of The Relationship Between The Art Curriculum And Leisure Time Activities At The Eighth Grade Level, Ida Kugler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The communications media have directed attention to the fact that the United States have a people with time on their hands and have stated that as a people the nation is recognized for work and workmanship, but that individuals do not know how to use wisely leisure time which the shorter workweek, makes possible through science and technology.

Obviously the prevailing leisure problem appears to be one of education, and art education, a part of education, appears to be an area in school where to a degree students can make discoveries and further develop art experiences into self-chosen, enjoyable and …

A Four-County Plan For Occupational Education, Donald R. Mullaney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Region 4 Study, a four-county research project completed in July 1971 for the New York State Education Department under the direction and organization of the author, was approved by Walden University as the outline for this dissertation. The statistical data and committees' recommendations were adapted for this thesis without altering, hopefully, the substance or intent of the documented findings. The dissertation has been footnoted to indicate the use of Region 4 data in Chapters V, VI, and VII. The study was undertaken to seek methods of improving programs in occupational education and of coordinating those programs among the school …