Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 5791 - 5820 of 6363

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Promote Comprehension In The Reading Classroom, Antoine Kevin Flanigan Jan 2016

Promote Comprehension In The Reading Classroom, Antoine Kevin Flanigan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at 3 elementary schools in the southern region of the United States struggled with or failed to meet grade-level expectations in reading comprehension. School district leaders had little understanding regarding the perceptions of educators, care givers, and community supporters on the strategies to increase reading comprehension. To address that gap, the purpose of this study was to explore participants' perceptions regarding reading strategies and comprehension instruction practices in the local setting. The conceptual framework was based on the elements of Fisher's and Frey's work: (a) effective teaching in reading strategies, (b) reading instructional comprehension practices, (c) effective caregiver involvement, …


"The Relationship Between Test Anxiety And Standardized Test Scores", Beth Ann Fulton Jan 2016

"The Relationship Between Test Anxiety And Standardized Test Scores", Beth Ann Fulton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of standardized achievement tests that students in the United States are required to take has increased significantly during the past decade. Researchers have found that test anxiety is often a problem related to the increase in testing. This correlational study investigated the relationship between anxiety levels of 50 4th grade students and their standardized test scores. Test anxiety questionnaires and pulse rates were used as a measure of the anxiety level of each of the 4th grade students just before the standardized test was administered, and standardized test scores were used as a measure of academic performance. The …


Gender Pay Disparity Among Women, Garnise Ann Dennis Jan 2016

Gender Pay Disparity Among Women, Garnise Ann Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irrespective of professional experience and educational background, gender pay disparity is a problem in the federal government. Women have to overcome salary barriers, such as agency segregation, position segregation, and invisible barriers known as the glass ceiling and the glass wall. Recent studies have indicated that human capital variables, people skills, discrimination, and policies all contribute to gender pay disparity in America's workforce. However, there are limited studies that focus on the indirect factors that also contribute to gender pay inequality. The purpose of this quantitative research was to investigate the relationship between wages and job responsibility (as defined by …


Communicating Periodontal Disease Risk To American Indian Patients With Diabetes, Jennifer Jordan Jan 2016

Communicating Periodontal Disease Risk To American Indian Patients With Diabetes, Jennifer Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes is epidemic in the American Indian population. One problem health care providers face when working with the American Indian population is communicating about secondary complications, such as periodontal disease. From a public health standpoint, periodontal disease prevention is important not only to prevent unnecessary oral pain and tooth loss, but also to prevent other more serious systemic problems from occurring such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, and bacterial pneumonia. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the communication efforts of health care providers and understand if and how they discuss periodontal disease with their American Indian …


Utilization And Intensity Of Integrated Behavioral Health Services Within A Primary Care Setting, Joseph Aron Shafer Jan 2016

Utilization And Intensity Of Integrated Behavioral Health Services Within A Primary Care Setting, Joseph Aron Shafer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integrated behavioral health care within primary care has become a popular style of health care delivery within the United States. However, individuals with a behavioral health concern face several barriers in using these services. The purpose of this quantitative study was to identify key factors accounting for individuals' utilization and intensity of behavioral health services. Andersen's behavioral model of health care use and the integrated theory of health behavior change served as the theoretical framework. It was hypothesized that gender, age, race, ethnicity, family size, payer type, poverty level, and certain preexisting medical conditions (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and tobacco use) …


Single Mothers Of Young Children And Continuing Education, Jackiethsha Lynette Fluellen Jan 2016

Single Mothers Of Young Children And Continuing Education, Jackiethsha Lynette Fluellen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of households headed by single mothers living in poverty exceeds that of all other categories of poverty-stricken households, and poverty impacts the children negatively in various ways. When single mothers choose not to continue their education, they lessen their chances of finding higher paying jobs and raising their families out of poverty. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand why some single mothers decided to continue into higher education. The study considered the decisions of 6 single mothers of young children in Montgomery County, Texas, and the obstacles they overcame while completing their education. The …


A Resource-Based Perspective On Financial Resource Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Margaret N. Godwin-Opara Jan 2016

A Resource-Based Perspective On Financial Resource Strategies For Small Business Sustainability, Margaret N. Godwin-Opara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Each year entrepreneurs start many new businesses, and some of these businesses will fail within the first 2 years. In addition, many owners will cite lack of adequate financial resources as a contributory factor to the failure. The purpose of this multiple case study was to identify the strategies that some small business owners used to obtain financial resources needed to operate a financially sustainable business. The population consisted of machine shops in South Central Kansas. A resource-based view theory served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. The data collection process consisted of 9 interview questions. The data …


Strategies That Make Entrepreneurs Sucessful On A Second Business Launch, Willie Joseph Johnson Jan 2016

Strategies That Make Entrepreneurs Sucessful On A Second Business Launch, Willie Joseph Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fifty percent of small businesses launched survive 5 years or more and about 33.3 percent continue operating for 10 years or longer. This transcendental phenomenological study included Cantillion's theory of entrepreneurship to explore strategies used by successful second-time business owners after a failed first launch. Face-to-face interviews took place with 12 successful second-time business owners in Fairfax County, Virginia, whose first business had failed. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a modified Van Kaam method to identify strategies small business owners used to succeed beyond 5 years after a failed first business venture. Data analysis revealed 4 themes: (a) owners …


Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Supervising Child Protection Social Workers, Kecia Rachel Freeman Jan 2016

Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Supervising Child Protection Social Workers, Kecia Rachel Freeman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers in child protective services often handle hundreds of cases regarding children traumatized by abuse and/or neglect. In time, social workers' experiences can become emotionally and psychologically challenging. A problem for supervising child protection social workers (SCPSWs) is that they might experience the same challenges; however, there was no research that described the lived experiences of SCPSWs. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of SCPSWs. Conceptually, constructivist self-development theory (CSDT) provided the framework for understanding how SCPSWs managed their lived experiences and the issues related to them. Ten SCPSWs volunteered their time for face-to-face interviews and provided data …


Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction In Nigerian International Oil Companies, Kingsley Chukwuemeka Onyebuenyi Jan 2016

Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction In Nigerian International Oil Companies, Kingsley Chukwuemeka Onyebuenyi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders of Nigerian international oil companies (IOC) were facing challenges developing efficient strategies for motivating demographically diverse employees. Some IOC leaders possessed limited knowledge of the extent to which demographic variables influenced job satisfaction and affected employee productivity. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between employee category (being a permanent or nonpermanent employee) and facets of job satisfaction after controlling for gender and nationality factors. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory was the theoretical framework for this study. A random sample of 104 senior employees (76 permanent and 28 nonpermanent employees) from 5 IOC located in Port Harcourt …


Examining The Cultural And Historical Impact Of The National Historic Site Designation In Nicodemus, Kansas, Ashley Adams Adams Jan 2016

Examining The Cultural And Historical Impact Of The National Historic Site Designation In Nicodemus, Kansas, Ashley Adams Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

America's National Historic Preservation Act promotes the conservation of irreplaceable sites such as Nicodemus, Kansas, an African American town founded by former slaves in 1877. The collaboration of the National Park Service (NPS) and civic partners is essential to meet the goal of preserving historic properties in Nicodemus and other minority communities. Although the NPS designated 5 Nicodemus buildings as a National Historic Site (NHS) in 1996, the few remaining residents struggle to preserve the site and attract visitors. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore the effects of NPS policies related to African American historic and cultural …


Chronic Disease Management Of The Uninsured Patient At Ohio Free Clinics, James Benedict Jan 2016

Chronic Disease Management Of The Uninsured Patient At Ohio Free Clinics, James Benedict

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Management of chronic disease requires a different service delivery model from that of acute illness. The uninsured population experience poorer health status and increased incidence of chronic disease than do the insured population. The purpose of this study was to identify the supports and barriers present in providing chronic disease management to patients at Ohio free clinics. Wagner's theory of chronic disease management served as the theoretical lens. The sequential, exploratory mixed methods study collected data from 13 free clinics belonging to the Ohio Association of Free Clinics (OAFC). Quantitative questions focused on processes in clinics with high and low …


Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond Jan 2016

Criminal Justice College Instructors' Experiences, Perceptions, And Teaching Strategies Related To Undergraduate Plagiarism, Mark William Bond

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The criminal justice program in a community college located in the southwestern United States had experienced an increase in student plagiarism. However, the current teaching practices of criminal justice instructors to prevent and manage the increased student plagiarism have not been effective. The purpose of this study was to explore criminal justice college instructors' experiences, perceptions, and teaching strategies related to undergraduate student plagiarism using Goleman's emotional intelligence theory and Daloz's mentoring theory. Employing a qualitative instrumental case study design, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 criminal justice college instructors. Member checking and reflective journaling ensured accuracy and …


Factors Involved In The Retention Of American Red Cross Disaster And Emergency Services Volunteers, Suzanne Marie Moravick Jan 2016

Factors Involved In The Retention Of American Red Cross Disaster And Emergency Services Volunteers, Suzanne Marie Moravick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service (2007), 33% of workers who volunteer in one year do not volunteer the next year. Retention of disaster and emergency services volunteers is a problem because permanent disaster volunteers save governments and society millions of dollars each year. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to address the problem of retention of American Red Cross disaster and emergency services volunteers. The primary research question for this study examined the predictive strength of positive emotions, resiliency, coping, and post-traumatic growth, in the retention of disaster and emergency services volunteers. The broaden-and-build …


Compassion Fatigue In Emergency Department Nurses, Dionne Hutson Hendy Jan 2016

Compassion Fatigue In Emergency Department Nurses, Dionne Hutson Hendy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue (CF) is a problem seen within healthcare institutions worldwide, especially critical care units and emergency departments (EDs). The problem identified in this quality improvement (QI) project was CF, experienced by nurses in the ED. The effects of CF cross nurse-patient boundaries and negatively impact a patient's expectations of having a quality care experience. The Iowa model's evidence-based team approach was used to guide the development of the education initiative for nurses on recognizing, preventing, and identifying methods of coping with CF in the ED. The outcome products for the project included an extensive review of the literature, a …


Systematic Review: Barriers That Prevent Compliance With Hydroxyurea In Sickle Cell Disease, Uchechukwu Imegi Jan 2016

Systematic Review: Barriers That Prevent Compliance With Hydroxyurea In Sickle Cell Disease, Uchechukwu Imegi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that is inherited from both parents and affects millions of people globally. The symptoms of SCD may be debilitating and pose a significant challenge to nursing care. Hydroxyurea (HU), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved treatment for SCD in adults is reportedly effective, but its usage is still minimal among adolescents with SCD. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate existing literature on the barriers to HU use in adolescents with SCD. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based Practice (JHNEBP) Rating Scales guided this study. An extensive electronic search of …


Education Program For Nurses Working In An Immigration Detention Facility, Dr. Tiney Elizabeth Ray Jan 2016

Education Program For Nurses Working In An Immigration Detention Facility, Dr. Tiney Elizabeth Ray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing response to medical emergencies has been an ongoing issue in immigration detention centers. Lack of teamwork and poor communication with medical and security staff have resulted in detainees sustaining injuries during medical emergencies. This project was developed to persuade Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps (IHSC) leaders to consider piloting the TeamSTEPPS emergency response curriculum for nurses working in the immigration detention center. Tuckman and Jensen's model of group development will provide guidance to IHSC leaders in understanding the transformational stages of forming a successful team. TeamSTEPPS will address gaps in emergency health care competency by improving collaboration, …


Junior High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Math Instruction For African American Students, Sandra Denise Richardson Jan 2016

Junior High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Math Instruction For African American Students, Sandra Denise Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A mathematics achievement gap exists between 8th grade African American students and other ethnic groups. Guided by the conceptual framework of constructivism, the purpose of this case study was to examine 8, Grade 8 math teachers' perceptions of factors contributing to mathematical performance gap in their African American students and what instructional strategies can be used to help reduce the achievement gap in southwest Georgia. Data were obtained through interviews and classroom observations and were coded and analyzed using typological analysis, followed by inductive analysis. The results of the data revealed teachers perceived recruiting and retaining African American teachers and …


Financial Distress In The Health Care Business, Firas Fathi Musmar Jan 2016

Financial Distress In The Health Care Business, Firas Fathi Musmar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sixty-four United States hospitals closed for poor organizational performance during 2010 through 2016. Because of hospital closures, community members experienced delays in obtaining needed care, reduced access to specialty care, and increased travel distances. Based on the balanced scorecard model theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies that 10 health care leaders used at a healthcare organization in central Texas to prevent financial distress. Semistructured interviews were conducted and archival organizational accounting records were reviewed, including company surveys with employees and patients. Data were thematically analyzed and triangulated to ensure the trustworthiness of interpretations. …


Strategies For Increasing Employee Engagement In The Service Industry, Tonia Ann Walker Jan 2016

Strategies For Increasing Employee Engagement In The Service Industry, Tonia Ann Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The annual loss to U.S. organizations consequential to a lack of employee engagement was approximately $300 billion in 2013. Employee engagement is vital to the business sustainability of an organization. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore successful strategies that business leaders of a service organization used to increase employee engagement. The conceptual framework guiding this study was the behavior engineering model theory developed by Gilbert. A purposeful sample of 6 engineering managers was selected based on their success in creating strategies resulting in increased employee workplace engagement in a monopoly service organization in Connecticut. Semistructured …


Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students' Reading Scores, Ingrid Nadia Mitchell Jan 2016

Effect Of Vocabulary Test Preparation On Low-Income Black Middle School Students' Reading Scores, Ingrid Nadia Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black middle school students in the United States perform poorly on standardized reading achievement tests in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a vocabulary-focused test preparation program for underachieving Black middle school students. Thorndike's concept of test-wiseness, a test-taking capacity, provided the theoretical foundation for the study. Research questions investigated the difference in reading test scores on the Discovery Education Assessment of underachieving Black middle school students who participated in a key vocabulary test preparation program and those who did not. An intact-group comparison was used in which …


Improving Communication Between Cancer Patients And Providers During A 15-Minute Office Visit: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Dr. Tammy Elizabeth Manganelli Jan 2016

Improving Communication Between Cancer Patients And Providers During A 15-Minute Office Visit: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Dr. Tammy Elizabeth Manganelli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer often experience adverse side effects, including cognitive deficits. These deficits impact the patient's ability to communicate effectively with their oncology provider. Ineffective communication can adversely affect patient outcomes and decrease patient-provider satisfaction. The resulting poor communication can contribute to poor patient outcomes. This systematic literature review focused on assistive communication tools that could be used in an outpatient oncology setting to improve patient-provider communication. The literature review findings led to the development of a resource for providers that includes 15 communication tools that can be used to assess and improve communication in cancer care. …


African American High School Graduates' Perceived Academic Success Factors, Paula Williams Harris Jan 2016

African American High School Graduates' Perceived Academic Success Factors, Paula Williams Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A large number of African American students attending a low performing, urban high school in Tennessee demonstrated a lack of understanding in reading/language arts by scoring below proficient on the end of course (EOC) exam in reading/language arts. The purpose of this case study was to examine the perceptions of 10 African American graduates who scored proficient on the reading/language arts EOC exam to seek factors they associated with their academic success. This study was guided by Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory. The research question addressed the perceived factors that African American graduates associated with their academic success. Purposeful sampling …


Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Middle School Girls' Interest In Mathematics And Science, Bonnie Marie Best Jan 2016

Teachers' Perceptions Of African American Middle School Girls' Interest In Mathematics And Science, Bonnie Marie Best

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research into African American female underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has become an area of interest due to the fact that a majority of African American middle school females do not possess the high levels of mathematics and science knowledge because of social and cultural barriers both inside and outside school that challenge their academic success. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore teachers' shared, lived experiences of teaching mathematics and science to African American middle school girls. Delgado and Stefancic's critical race theory, Pratt-Clarke's critical race feminism, and Baker-Miller's relational-cultural theory …


Senior Army Women's Leader Behaviors And Their Civilian Career Transition, Sharon R. Hamilton Jan 2016

Senior Army Women's Leader Behaviors And Their Civilian Career Transition, Sharon R. Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Female retired Army colonels (FRACs) have significant potential to contribute to civilian organizations. To take advantage of that talent, it is important to have a better understanding of their behaviors based on their dual identities as women and leaders. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the under researched factors accounting for the development of FRACs' leader behaviors and the transfer of those behaviors to civilian careers. The 4 underlying meta categories of leadership behavior formed the conceptual framework. The theory of planned behavior was used to explore potential influences on FRAC leader behavior development. The 3 …


Standardized Assessment Results As A Predictor Of Student Reading Success In New Brunswick, Canada, Gregory David Paterson Jan 2016

Standardized Assessment Results As A Predictor Of Student Reading Success In New Brunswick, Canada, Gregory David Paterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many Canadian school districts use standardized reading achievement data to support reading instruction. Over 30% of 9th-grade students in the Anglophone School District-South (ASD-S) have not met targets for the English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA), a graduation requirement in New Brunswick, Canada. This study compared archival reading scores of 6th-grade students from 2009-2012 with the same students' scores in 9th-grade from 2012-2015, to determine if 6th-grade scores were a predictor of 9th-grade results. Rendering the impact illiteracy plays on society, this study applied the theoretical framework of social theory from Bourdieu's (1977, 1984, 1986) view of social mobility and Turner's …


Effectiveness Of The Kimberley Process And Corporate Social Responsibility In The U.S. Jewelry Industry, Robert Previti Jan 2016

Effectiveness Of The Kimberley Process And Corporate Social Responsibility In The U.S. Jewelry Industry, Robert Previti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States jewelry industry recognized that the illegal import and trade of conflict diamonds is a matter of serious international and national concern, leading to human rights abuse. As such, human rights and conflicts became the primary impetus for establishing the Kimberly Process (KP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the effectiveness of the KP and CSR policies in deterring the use of conflict diamonds in the U.S. jewelry industry. This study was an investigation as to whether conflict diamonds are entering the U.S. jewelry supply chain and a review …


The Impact Of Self-Efficacy On Retention In Technical Colleges, Percy W. Reed Jan 2016

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy On Retention In Technical Colleges, Percy W. Reed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Vocational and career training institutes focus their energy and resources on student support services, increasing student retention as it relates to minority populations. Despite these efforts, a specific vocational and career institute in the southeast United States reports a 50% retention rate of students who are enrolled. This case study explored students' descriptions of how self-efficacy supported their perseverance while attending the vocational and career training institute. The conceptual framework included Bandura's notions of self-efficacy and Tinto's integration model. Purposeful sampling strategies were used to interview 10 successfully-retained students enrolled in their 4th term or beyond at the vocational and …


Meeting Meaningful-Use Requirements With Electronic Medical Records In A Community Health Clinic, Tony Andrew Richardson Jan 2016

Meeting Meaningful-Use Requirements With Electronic Medical Records In A Community Health Clinic, Tony Andrew Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small nonprofit medical practices lack the technical expertise to implement electronic medical records (EMRs) that are consistent with federal meaningful-use requirements. Failure to comply with meaningful-use EMR requirements affects nonprofit community health care leaders' ability to receive reimbursement for care. Complexity theory was the conceptual framework used in this exploratory single case study. The purpose of the study was to explore the strategies nonprofit community health care leaders in Washington, DC used to implement EMRs in order to comply with the meaningful-use requirements. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 7 purposively-selected health care leaders in a nonprofit clinic and …


The Impact Of Gender And Focal Concerns Theory On The Treatment Of White-Collar Defendants By Federal Judges, Brandon Michael Roberts Jan 2016

The Impact Of Gender And Focal Concerns Theory On The Treatment Of White-Collar Defendants By Federal Judges, Brandon Michael Roberts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research found gender to be a primary consideration of judges in terms of actions towards defendants. Blameworthiness, the combined effect of criminal history, offense severity, and the defendant's role in the criminal event, is also known to impact judge's actions. Little, though, is known about how gender and blameworthiness, combined, may be related to judges' actions towards white-collar defendants. The purpose of this case study, therefore, was to explore whether defendant gender and blameworthiness impact judicial actions towards defendants charged with white-collar crime(s) in a federal district court of New York. The theoretical framework was Demuth and Steffensmeier's theory …