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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Examining K-12 Teachers' Affective Job Satisfaction And Perceptions Of Blended Instruction, Michael Hiett Jan 2017

Examining K-12 Teachers' Affective Job Satisfaction And Perceptions Of Blended Instruction, Michael Hiett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing use of blended models of instruction within the U.S. public school system is transforming the K-12 education. However, few studies have been conducted of the innovation-adoption process involving blended instruction within the K-12 public school sector. In this nonexperimental, quantitative study, Rogers's five perceived attributes of innovations was used as a theoretical lens to explore how teachers' affective job satisfaction might affect the innovation-adoption process at the individual level. Research questions pertained to the relationship, if any, between affective job satisfaction among teachers and their perceptions of the complexity, compatibility, and relative advantage of blended instruction. Surveys were …


Treatment Adherence Among Women Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With A History Of Gender-Based Violence, Olivia Mcgregor Nov 2016

Treatment Adherence Among Women Infected With Human Immunodeficiency Virus With A History Of Gender-Based Violence, Olivia Mcgregor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at high risk of myriad conditions, especially gender-based violence (GBV). GBV can be a hindrance to treatment adherence, which is pertinent to improving the health of people living with HIV. The purpose of this longitudinal research study was to assess the effects of GBV on treatment adherence among HIV infected women, with specific focus on when the violence occurred (recent or lifetime) and the stratifying type of GBV (sexual, physical, and psychological). The health belief model (HBM) served as a theoretical groundwork. Participants were selected from secondary data, collected by the Women’s …


Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey Jun 2016

Physical Activity Improves Depressive Symptoms In Older Adults, Karen Lee Fahey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engaging in physical activity can help older adults to take part in community activities, maintain relationships, and initiate new friendships, thus preventing loneliness and depression. The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to evaluate whether participation in physical activity improved depressive symptoms in 15 older adults at a local senior center. Pender’s health promotion model was used to determine nursing and behavioral science views on components that affect health behavior. The Exercise Benefit/Barrier Scale (EBBS) survey was evaluated before implementation of the walking program to measure the benefits of and barriers to exercise. The EBBS results showed that …


Health Literacy Among Elderly Hispanics And Medication Usage, Wilda Parker May 2016

Health Literacy Among Elderly Hispanics And Medication Usage, Wilda Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Health literacy among the elderly Hispanics is a problem for 44% who read at the lowest level due to issues with recognition, cognition, or vision. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that elderly Hispanics have problems with medication adherence due to health literacy. The social cognitive theory was the framework for this study. Inclusion criteria consisted of being 65-75 years of age, and speaking and/or reading English and/or Spanish. Questionnaires from 156 individuals were completed in Cobb County/Atlanta GA and analyzed using multiple regression to determine the relationship between health literacy and medication usage. Medication adherence …


Health Care Clinicians' Compliance With Conducting Spiritual Assessments And Providing Spiritual Care To Infertile Women, Lesa Miller Feb 2016

Health Care Clinicians' Compliance With Conducting Spiritual Assessments And Providing Spiritual Care To Infertile Women, Lesa Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Infertility is a disease that can cause psychological impairments in women, and the inability to achieve motherhood brings about cultural and social stigma. Spirituality is a protective element that may provide consolation to women experiencing infertility, yet the literature has shown that few clinicians conduct spirituality assessments or provide spiritual care to patients. The objectives of this scholarly project were to conduct an assessment to determine the needs of health care clinicians in regard to spirituality and spiritual patient care and to develop an educational module based on identified knowledge deficits. Guided by the knowledge-to-action cycle, a needs assessment was …


Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire Jan 2016

Predicting Mathematics Teachers' Acceptance Of Reflective Blogging To Improve Instruction, Diana Sue Fesmire

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An internal district audit identified that a rural, socioeconomically disadvantaged Southwestern school district has a lack of congruent and consistent implementation of the Common Core State Standards in mathematics. Innovative and cost-saving avenues for professional development (PD), such as reflective blogging, foster teacher learning to reconcile the enacted curriculum with the intended curriculum. This correlational study investigated the predictive power of technology acceptance and motivation constructs on reflective mathematics teachers' social media use intention and participation in informal, virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). The framework that guided this study is the unified acceptance and use of technology and self-determination theory. …


Determining Small Business Cybersecurity Strategies To Prevent Data Breaches, Jennifer Saber Jan 2016

Determining Small Business Cybersecurity Strategies To Prevent Data Breaches, Jennifer Saber

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercrime is one of the quickest growing areas of criminality. Criminals abuse the speed, accessibility, and privacy of the Internet to commit diverse crimes involving data and identity theft that cause severe damage to victims worldwide. Many small businesses do not have the financial and technological means to protect their systems from cyberattack, making them vulnerable to data breaches. This exploratory multiple case study, grounded in systems thinking theory and routine activities theory, encompassed an investigation of cybersecurity strategies used by 5 small business leaders in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The data collection process involved open-ended online questionnaires, semistructured face-to-face interviews, …


Sexual Assault Complaint Management From The Perspectives Of Ex-Military Air Force Leaders, Annmarie Macaraeg Jan 2016

Sexual Assault Complaint Management From The Perspectives Of Ex-Military Air Force Leaders, Annmarie Macaraeg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military sexual assault continues to be a persistent problem for the Department of Defense despite the development of new reporting procedures. A sexual assault in the military can cause a lapse in mission accomplishment, negatively interrupt the victim's career, and lead personnel to fail at meeting high standards and expectations. The management of sexual assault complaints in the military has not been effective in preventing sexual assaults from occurring. This grounded theory study looked to explain how military leadership approaches the sexual assault complaint management process. Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model of human development was the conceptual lens used for this …


Oppression, Manifesting From A Government Mission Of Positive Social Change, David Palmer Ramstad Jan 2016

Oppression, Manifesting From A Government Mission Of Positive Social Change, David Palmer Ramstad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government social interventions hold considerable power over what choices and opportunities impoverished households have available to escape the oppressive socioeconomic trappings of poverty. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one such program. While there are many positive mission statements of social governance, this study focused on the regressive potential for oppressive institutional policies and practices. Theoretical frameworks guiding the study were Pierce’s 1979 model of oppression and Crenshaw’s 1989 intersectionality theory. The quantitative design’s hypothesis and research question focused on whether significant relationships exist between LIHTC project placement and highest concentrations of six commonly …


Type 2 Diabetes In Offspring Of Diabetic African American Women, Toby Valentino Yak Jan 2016

Type 2 Diabetes In Offspring Of Diabetic African American Women, Toby Valentino Yak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is greater among African American women and their offspring than it is among Caucasian women and their offspring. In Iowa, there has been a gap in public health knowledge regarding risk factors associated with Type 2 diabetes in African American women and their offspring. The behavioral change wheel model was used to guide this study. This research study was a quantitative, retrospective cohort using primary data to investigate the association between a sample of diabetic African American and the occurrence of diabetes in their offspring. The sample included 105 diabetic African American women between …


Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha Jan 2016

Consequences Of The Niger Delta Amnesty Program Implementation On Nigeria's Upstream Petroleum Industry, Chisomaga Ihediohanma Ezeocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Niger Delta militancy ravaged the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector between 2004-2009, bringing it to a standstill. In response, the Nigerian state adopted an amnesty policy―a globally recognized tool for conflict resolution and peacebuilding―to protect the sector and the economy from collapse. Little is known, however, about the unintended consequences of the amnesty implementation for the Nigerian upstream petroleum sector. Thus, the purpose of this study was to fill this gap in the research literature on the Niger Delta amnesty program. Polarity management was the conceptual framework applied; relative deprivation and polarities of democracy constituted the theoretical foundation for this …


The Impact Of Transportation Infrastructure On Nigeria's Economic Developmeny, William A. Agbigbe Jan 2016

The Impact Of Transportation Infrastructure On Nigeria's Economic Developmeny, William A. Agbigbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) described Nigeria's road networks as one of the poorest and deadliest transportation infrastructural systems in the world. Data from the UNDP and the World Bank (WB) show that Nigeria has suffered transportation infrastructure deficits; these data also illustrate Nigeria as one of the lowest indices in economic development in the last decade. This qualitative case study addressed the impact of a lack of investment in transportation infrastructure in the form of road networks on Nigeria's economic development. The purpose of the study was to understand the relationship between the investment in road networks and …


Factors Affecting Body Mass Index Levels In African American Women Living In North Carolina, Padmini Shanti Kirpalani Jan 2016

Factors Affecting Body Mass Index Levels In African American Women Living In North Carolina, Padmini Shanti Kirpalani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of obesity has doubled over the past 25 years in the United States, particularly in North Carolina. Obesity is influenced by biological, social, and environmental factors; its prevalence has been found to be higher among African American women and other racial ethnic minorities. Guided by the social ecological model, the purpose of this cross sectional study was to examine the relationship of the psycho-social, psycho-behavioral factors, and body mass index levels (BMI) in African American women living in North Carolina versus their Hispanic American and European American counterparts. A logistic regression model using secondary data from the Behavioral …


Consistency In Clinical Preceptor Field Training For Sonography Students, Cathy Herring Daniels Jan 2016

Consistency In Clinical Preceptor Field Training For Sonography Students, Cathy Herring Daniels

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Consistency in clinical preceptor training for sonography students is important in assuring equity in sonography student evaluation. Review of a local community college sonography program revealed a gap between expected roles and responsibilities of clinical preceptorship and what was actually done in the clinical setting. The purpose of this project study was to explore perceptions of graduates and preceptors regarding what constituted best practices in the evaluation of sonography students in the clinical setting. Knowles's theory of active learning provided a framework for understanding the student-preceptor relationship in the evaluation process. Research questions focused on sonography graduates' and clinical preceptors' …


Disparities In Arkansas Mandated Immunization Coverage Among Natural Home And Foster-Care Adolescents, Jerome Essono Ngundue Jan 2016

Disparities In Arkansas Mandated Immunization Coverage Among Natural Home And Foster-Care Adolescents, Jerome Essono Ngundue

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Anecdotal evidence indicated vaccine coverage disparities among foster-care (FCA) and natural-home adolescents (NHA). Arkansas laws require 5 vaccines for school entry (FVSE) to prevent 9 common childhood diseases. The study problem was that Pulaski County, Arkansas adolescent birth cohort (PCABC) immunization rates were low compared to U.S. adolescents for these FVSE. This study examined the extent to which (1) PCABC immunization rates were significantly different from those estimated for U.S. adolescents in 2006–2008, (2) NHA and FCA immunization rates were different in 2003– 2008; (3) sociodemographic variables mediate associations between home of residence (HOR), NHA or FCA, and up to …


Technology Distractions On Patrol: Giving Police Officers A Voice, Andrew David Dasher Jan 2016

Technology Distractions On Patrol: Giving Police Officers A Voice, Andrew David Dasher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Distraction while using mobile technology devices such as a cell phone or tablet computer is a common occurrence within the civilian population of the United States. U.S. police officers are increasingly utilizing these types of devices within the patrol environment. However, little is known as to how distraction affects police officers while they interact with these devices in the course of their daily duties. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how officers process potential officer safety issues on patrol, while interacting with mobile technology, by questioning participants' perception of distraction. This was accomplished through a phenomenological paradigm …


Law Enforcement Leadership Training Strategies, Will O'Neill Jan 2016

Law Enforcement Leadership Training Strategies, Will O'Neill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior law enforcement leaders are looking for leadership training strategies to develop future law enforcement leaders. The purpose of this single case study was to explore U.S. law enforcement leaders' training strategies to develop future leaders. The sample was comprised of 18 senior Northern Virginia executive law enforcement leaders who have leadership development strategies currently in use. The conceptual framework for this study was human capital theory. The data collection process included semistructured interviews, a review of training documentation, and direct observation related to leadership development. Based on methodological triangulation of the data sources and analysis of the data, 3 …


Small Business Leaders' Perceptions Of Strategies Facilitating Positive Performance In Government Contracts, Tamara P. Williams Jan 2016

Small Business Leaders' Perceptions Of Strategies Facilitating Positive Performance In Government Contracts, Tamara P. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Past performance ratings of government contractors are becoming a critical pathway to the $300 billion of contract dollars Congress sets aside for small businesses annually. This was a descriptive study exploring leadership strategies small business leaders use to attain positive performance ratings in government contracting, viewed through the lens of the principal-agent theory. The exploration occurred by interviewing 21 small business leaders located within 30 miles of Washington, DC, with favorable performance ratings on at least 3 government contracting opportunities. Clustering themes according to Moustakas's modified van Kaam helped organize, analyze, interpret, and provide meaning to participant accounts of the …


Perceptions Of Highly Recognized Teachers About Approaches To Teacher Leadership, Maryann Woods-Murphy Jan 2016

Perceptions Of Highly Recognized Teachers About Approaches To Teacher Leadership, Maryann Woods-Murphy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State and regionally recognized New Jersey teachers struggle to use their professional knowledge in their schools and districts in roles other than teaching. The purpose of this study was to discover the perceptions of highly recognized New Jersey teachers who were interested in taking on additional roles and responsibilities in schools. Guided by Sergiovanni's concept of school communities, DuFour's vision of school culture, and Lieberman's professional development practices, this study examined the connection among these 3 concepts and explored approaches to the creation of trusting communities of teachers who work collaboratively to improve schools. The research questions focused on teacher …


Workplace Violence Prevention Program To Improve Nurses' Perception Of Safety In The Emergency Department, April Hough Brown Jan 2016

Workplace Violence Prevention Program To Improve Nurses' Perception Of Safety In The Emergency Department, April Hough Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature claims that workplace violence (WPV) in the health care setting is among the highest, with the majority of that violence taking place in the Emergency Department (ED). The significance of WPV in reference to nursing is that it leads to burnout, absenteeism, and the risk of nurses leaving their job all together. Leaving the nursing profession intensifies the present critical shortage. With the success of an evidence-based WPV prevention program (WPVPP), hospitals could improve the quality of work for nurses, which consequently will improve retention rates, as well as provide an environment that will be more conducive to …


Videotaped Role-Play Simulation In Teaching Transcultural Self-Efficacy To Interprofessional Healthcare Students, Holldrid Aner Odreman Jan 2016

Videotaped Role-Play Simulation In Teaching Transcultural Self-Efficacy To Interprofessional Healthcare Students, Holldrid Aner Odreman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Increased demand for culturally sensitive healthcare services suggests that interprofessional beginning healthcare students need to gain the necessary cultural competency skills to be successful in delivering positive health outcomes for diverse patients. Bandura's theory of observational learning, Mezirow's theory of transformative learning, and Purnell's and Paulanka's model of cultural competence informed the framework for this research. The purpose of this quasi-experimental quantitative study was to determine the relationship between mode of instruction (observing role models in videotaped role-play simulation) and increased transcultural self-efficacy in cultural competence instruction. A convenience sample of 196 students enrolled in an interprofessional education (IPE) course …


Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion, Jill Stearns Jan 2016

Type Of First Term Course Failure And Community College Degree Completion, Jill Stearns

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community colleges are the largest segment of higher education institutions in the United States providing access to historically underserved populations and growing numbers of first generation college students. Increasing college degree attainment is a national priority with new expectations of accountability. Despite decades of educational research, community colleges have startling low completion rates. Within the framework of Tinto's theory of retention, a predictive analytics model could provide community colleges the opportunity to drive custom intervention and support services to students. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of Biglan's taxonomy for categorizing courses for potential use in …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of High School Students Enrolled In School-Wide College Readiness Programs, Sherlina Thomas Jan 2016

A Phenomenological Exploration Of The Experiences Of High School Students Enrolled In School-Wide College Readiness Programs, Sherlina Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the early 1980s, the United States experienced a high school dropout epidemic, leading school systems to adopt reform efforts. College readiness programs (CRPs) became a tool to address educational disparities in secondary and postsecondary education for over three decades. While decreases occurred in the overall high school dropout rate across racial and ethnic groups, they have been minimal. This study addressed a research gap on the lack of student input and perceptions about their experiences in CRP programs. This phenomenological study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with criterion-selected former high school students from 3 schools within the ABC County School …


Educating Nurses About Spirituality's Effects On Quality Of Life With Chronic Illness, April Gant Jan 2016

Educating Nurses About Spirituality's Effects On Quality Of Life With Chronic Illness, April Gant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Spirituality has been associated with wholeness, inner peace, and key elements of well-being or quality of life. Spirituality support is particularly important for patients with chronic illness and patients who view spirituality as a way of coping with suffering. Evidence-based education is lacking in schools of nursing and in places of nursing employment on spirituality interventions that nurses can use to improve patient quality of life. The purpose of this project was to determine whether an educational intervention would increase knowledge of spiritual care in a small sample of clinic nurses (n = 37). This project used Watson's caring theory, …


Exploring The Influence Of Management Communication Behaviors On Employee Engagement, Alicia J. Hart Jan 2016

Exploring The Influence Of Management Communication Behaviors On Employee Engagement, Alicia J. Hart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An engaged workforce can increase organizational productivity and decrease employee turnover. Current research on employee engagement exists, yet little research exists on how the communication behaviors of management affect employee engagement. Guided by the conceptual framework of systems theory and communications theory, an exploration of the influence of management communication behaviors on employee engagement was conducted. A descriptive research design helped explore the influence of management communication behaviors on employee engagement within local, government entities of the Tidewater, Virginia, area. Data included semistructured interviews with 23 participants (11 managers and 12 employees). Data analysis occurred using the modified van Kaam …


Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard Jan 2016

Equine Assisted Activities And Therapies: The Measuring Of Equine Temperament, Thecla M. Helmbrecht Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The field of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) is growing in popularity as an alternative healing approach. However, there is a paucity of peer-reviewed research on the horses who serve as equal partners in EAAT. The purpose of this quantitative study was to discover the impact of equine-facilitated therapeutic activities on the temperament of horses, and to determine how to select a better human-to-horse therapeutic match when providing EAAT services. The theoretical framework for this research drew from Romanes' theory of animal intelligence, which predicts that temperament would change as a result of prolonged participation in specific work (EAAT …


The Effect Of Adolescent Girls' Drug Use On Academic And Social Development, Jackie Briggs-Vaughn Jan 2016

The Effect Of Adolescent Girls' Drug Use On Academic And Social Development, Jackie Briggs-Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Substance abuse, once primarily visible in the U.S. adolescent male population, is an increasing concern for the adolescent girls' population. Mental health challenges, behavioral problems, and academic failure are issues adolescent girls may encounter when they engage in substance abuse. The incidence and impact of drug use on female students' academic and social development at a large suburban school district was unknown. Vygotsky's social development theory and Bandura's social learning theory provided the framework for this cross-sectional survey study that addressed the relationships between adolescent girls' drug use and their academic performance and social development. Descriptive statistics and analysis of …


Effect Of Modeling Instruction On Concept Knowledge Among Ninth Grade Physics Students, Devin Alan Ditmore Jan 2016

Effect Of Modeling Instruction On Concept Knowledge Among Ninth Grade Physics Students, Devin Alan Ditmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A basic knowledge of physics concepts is the gateway to success through high-paying careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Many students show little understanding of concepts following traditional physics instruction. As an alternative to current lecture-based approaches for high school physics instruction, Piaget's theory of cognitive development supports using real scientific experiences to lead learners from concrete to formal understanding of complex concepts. Modeling instruction (MI) is a pedagogy that guides learners through genuine scientific experiences. This project study analyzed the effects of MI on 9th grade physics students' gains on the test measuring mastery of physics concepts, …


The Association Between Osteoporosis And Early Menopause Following Hysterectomy, Mia Meeyaong-Won Botkin Jan 2016

The Association Between Osteoporosis And Early Menopause Following Hysterectomy, Mia Meeyaong-Won Botkin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Osteoporosis is considered to be the most adverse public health disease associated with substantial mortality among postmenopausal women. Hysterectomy, surgically induced menopause, contributes to the early onset of menopause. However, there was no evidence of an association between early menopause following hysterectomy and osteoporosis among postmenopausal women. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between demographic and behavioral factors and the prevalence of osteoporosis among hysterectomized postmenopausal women. The integrated theory of health behavior change theoretical framework guided study. Cross-sectional secondary data from the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Multiple logistic regression …


Sustainability Of Small Businesses In Zimbabwe During The First 5 Years, Barbra Sibanda Jan 2016

Sustainability Of Small Businesses In Zimbabwe During The First 5 Years, Barbra Sibanda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses in Zimbabwe make up 94% of the country's business population but only contribute 15% to the country's economy due to a high failure rate during the first 5 years. The purpose of this descriptive multiple case study was to explore strategies and skills that may contribute to the sustainability of small businesses during the first 5 years. The study population consisted of 5 small business owners in Ntepe village in Zimbabwe who had sustained their businesses for the first 5 years of operations. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was management theory. The data collection process involved …