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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Exploring Problem Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Learning Skills In Full Day Kindergarten, Jillian M. Tsoukalas Jan 2011

Exploring Problem Based Learning To Promote 21st Century Learning Skills In Full Day Kindergarten, Jillian M. Tsoukalas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The kindergarten program at the study site transitioned from half day to full day, yet the curriculum was not updated to accommodate the full day schedule, or to include best practices. In order to prepare learners for their future in education, activities were implemented to determine how problem based learning can promote acquisition of the 21st century learning skills. The purpose of this qualitative study was to create and implement an effective, full day curriculum that promotes 21st century learning skills for kindergarten students. This project, rooted in constructivism which allows for active and social learning, supplements the existing half …


Assessing Doppler-Derived Pressure Gradients And Liver Echogenicity To Predict Liver Disease, Joy D. Guthrie Jan 2011

Assessing Doppler-Derived Pressure Gradients And Liver Echogenicity To Predict Liver Disease, Joy D. Guthrie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Liver disease causes an estimated 36,000 deaths in the United States each year. Currently, to detect liver disease, an invasive biopsy is required. Other, less invasive diagnostic alternatives are needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a modified form of sonographic screening, including portal, hepatic, and splenic venous pressure, hepatic venous waveform analysis, portal vein diameter, and echogenicity of liver parenchyma in predicting liver disease. The study was based on conversion of a velocity measurement to a pressure gradient, allowing a fluid comparison between known catheterization venous pressures and sonographic Doppler-derived pressure gradients. This study …


Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Novice Teacher Support Structures, Kitty B. Warsame Jan 2011

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Novice Teacher Support Structures, Kitty B. Warsame

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers are leaving their profession at alarming rates. As a result, retaining novice teachers has become a major concern for policy makers, school districts, administrators, and teaching staff throughout the United States. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of novice teacher induction support structures in a southwestern US state. The conceptual framework is based on research examining teacher attrition; this study extends the research by examining school-based and university-based programs. Research questions focused on the perception of novice teachers regarding mentoring experiences at their certifying universities and employing school districts. Three research questions examined school district …


The Effect Of Class Size On Inclusion Student Academic Success, Anthony, Iii Arico Jan 2011

The Effect Of Class Size On Inclusion Student Academic Success, Anthony, Iii Arico

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is based on the principle that setting high academic expectations and establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education. Under NCLB, states are required to develop assessments in basic skills to be given to all students in certain grades if those states are to receive federal funding for schools. The purpose of this study was to determine if reduced inclusion class sizes affect student's scores on the Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (ASK) test administered in one northeastern US state and to solicit teachers' opinions of smaller class sizes. Inclusions …


The Effects Of School Home Communication And Reading Fluency In Kindergarten Children, Farjana Khan Jan 2011

The Effects Of School Home Communication And Reading Fluency In Kindergarten Children, Farjana Khan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have documented that reading fluency scores continue to be a national concern for the United States and have suggested that early reading failure has long-term detrimental effects on society. However, much less is known regarding specific interventions that could reduce this concern. Investigators in other studies have suggested the development of early school-home partnerships to improve reading scores. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a systematic school-home intervention to improve reading fluency scores. Following the theoretical foundation of emergent literacy theory and Joyce Epstein's framework, the research question focuses on the association …


Preschoolers' Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Re, Darlene M. Estes-Del Re Jan 2011

Preschoolers' Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Re, Darlene M. Estes-Del Re

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Almost from birth, children are immersed in a technologically rich world yet they often enter preschools that offer little to no use of technology. Preschool learning is tied to more traditional forms of reading and writing; this may be inconsistent with the ways children are learning at home and will learn in elementary school. Despite growing interest in creating learning environments that better mirror the technological experiences of the home, there is a significant gap in current research about how learning is affected in preschool environments designed with multiple forms of technology. This qualitative single case study was designed to …


A Case Study Exploring The Transition To Middle School From The Perspective Of Students, Kelly A. Rappa Jan 2011

A Case Study Exploring The Transition To Middle School From The Perspective Of Students, Kelly A. Rappa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition to middle school is often associated with negative effects on academic achievement, motivation, self-esteem, and psychological well-being. Educators at a Grade 6 through 8 middle school in the northeastern United States observed students struggle with the adjustment to middle school. Research suggests that developmentally responsive schools can significantly reduce the potential negative impact of middle school adjustment. Drawing upon developmental theories from the works of individuals such as Piaget, Erikson, and Maslow, the purpose of this single-case study was to capture the opinions, thoughts, and perceptions of the students transitioning into middle school to better understand how they …


Addressing Limited Clinical Experiences For Nursing Students, Shelly Eisert Jan 2011

Addressing Limited Clinical Experiences For Nursing Students, Shelly Eisert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This descriptive case study addressed the problem that nursing students at a small community college lacked clinical experiences that promoted identification of their strengths and weaknesses in knowledge and skills expected of nurses. The interest in this individual case and purpose of this study was to understand the clinical learning activities nursing students at this site believed were effective strategies for evaluating their strengths and assessing areas needing improvement in their nursing practice. The theoretical foundation of adult learning formed the basis of this descriptive case study using a survey design to assess the students' perceptions of clinical learning activities …


Association Between Fast Food Consumption And Obesity And High Blood Pressure Among Office Workers, Kifle Mihrete Jan 2011

Association Between Fast Food Consumption And Obesity And High Blood Pressure Among Office Workers, Kifle Mihrete

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Fast food consumption among office workers is a common phenomenon. Frequent consumption of fast food is linked to cardiovascular risk factors. The pervasiveness of these risk factors has debilitated the office workers' health and contributed to low performance and absenteeism. However, there remains a significant gap in the current literature regarding the health impacts of frequent fast food consumption behavior of office workers. Consuming large portions of fast food has been associated with obesity. The purpose of this correlation study was to investigate the relationship between fast food consumption and obesity and hypertension among office workers. The theoretical foundations for …


Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Barriers English Language Learners Face In Mathematics, Martha A. Franklin Jan 2011

Kindergarten Teachers' Perceptions Of Barriers English Language Learners Face In Mathematics, Martha A. Franklin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a disparity of mathematics achievement between native English speakers and English language learners (ELL). This study sought to understand the barriers ELL kindergarten students faced in being successful in mathematics. The purpose of this qualitative, instrumental case study was to explore kindergarten teachers' perceptions regarding English language learner's access to the mathematics curriculum and instruction. The conceptual foundation for this study drew from social development theory, which contends social interaction using language is necessary for cognitive development such as learning mathematics concepts. Individual interviews of 8 kindergarten teachers were conducted to understand kindergarten teachers' perceptions of the barriers …


Institutionalized Community College Service Learning To Promote Engagement, Velda Arnaud Jan 2011

Institutionalized Community College Service Learning To Promote Engagement, Velda Arnaud

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college graduation rates are low, and community colleges have been tasked with producing more graduates to meet workforce needs. Research has determined that engaged students remain at their institutions and complete their degrees. Service learning has been identified as a high-impact practice that engages students with their learning and builds connections between students and campus personnel. The majority of service-learning research, having been conducted with 4-year colleges and universities, may have limited applicability to the community college population. This qualitative descriptive case study describes how institutionalized service learning on 1 community college campus is structured, supported, and operated. The …


Administering And Implementing The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum At A Learning Center, Hannah Colette Reaume Jan 2011

Administering And Implementing The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum At A Learning Center, Hannah Colette Reaume

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A learning center in the southeastern part of the United States used the Singapore mathematics curriculum (SMC) to support student learning of a wide range of mathematics skills. However, a study had yet to be conducted to gain an understanding about the administration and implementation of the program. This case study was conceptually based on constructivist pedagogical theory, where learning is constructed between the teacher and students. The research questions explored how the learning center staff administered and implemented the SMC. Data for this study were collected through multiple in-depth interviews and observations of 2 educators at the learning center. …


Credit Default Swaps Regulation And The Use Of Collateralized Mortgage Obligations In U.S. Financial Institutions, Jon Patraic Neill Jan 2011

Credit Default Swaps Regulation And The Use Of Collateralized Mortgage Obligations In U.S. Financial Institutions, Jon Patraic Neill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The fast and easy global movement of capital throughout the financial system, from lenders to borrowers and through intermediaries and financial market participants, has been recognized as a source of instability associated with illiquidity and financial crises. The purpose of this research was to better understand how regulation either enables or constrains capital movement. The theoretical framework comprised 2 contrasting public policymaking models, Arrow's rational-comprehensive model and Kingdon's garbage can model, which were used to derive opposing hypotheses. The research question addressed the nature of the relationship between Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) regulations and the flow of capital into Collateralized …


Connection Between Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Play, Robin L. Ploof Jan 2011

Connection Between Early Childhood Teachers' Beliefs And Practices Regarding Play, Robin L. Ploof

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicates play contributes to children's learning and development. The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) changed early care and education by limiting time for play in early childhood classrooms. There is a gap in the literature concerning early childhood teachers' current beliefs about play and how those beliefs are connected to their practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the connections between early childhood teachers' beliefs regarding play and their practices in the early childhood classroom. Lave's situated learning theory formed the conceptual framework for this study recognizing the early childhood classroom …


Experiences And Perceptions Of Pregnant Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Nigeria, Priscilla N. Asonye Jan 2011

Experiences And Perceptions Of Pregnant Unmarried Adolescent Girls In Nigeria, Priscilla N. Asonye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual activity among unmarried adolescents is a major public health problem in Nigeria, because unmarried pregnant girls are more likely to have multiple sex partners and are less likely to use contraceptives, putting them at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), unplanned pregnancy, abortion, social isolation, and poverty. Teen pregnancy and STD rates are on the rise in Nigeria, yet few data exist on the experience of the adolescents themselves. This phenomenological study was designed to explore the in-depth experiences of 10 pregnant, unmarried adolescent girls aged 16-19, including the factors contributing to their sexual activity. An ecological model …


The Effectiveness Of Response To Intervention To Improve High School Students' Reading Skills, Ann-Marie Popwell Jan 2011

The Effectiveness Of Response To Intervention To Improve High School Students' Reading Skills, Ann-Marie Popwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High School students in a local school district were having reading-related difficulties in certain subject areas and were at risk of failing high school courses. Success in reading is important because students must read the content within the End of Course Test in core content subjects, and their success on this test determines their eligibility for high school graduation. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a Response to Intervention (RTI) reading class designed to improve reading skills for at-risk high school students. The constructivist learning theory was the theoretical framework for this study. The research …


Impact Of The Study Island Program On Students' Reading Comprehension, Rodney L. Gernert Jan 2011

Impact Of The Study Island Program On Students' Reading Comprehension, Rodney L. Gernert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators at the research site, which is a public school district, had been under pressure to improve low reading state scores of Grade 11 students as measured by Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) tests. A web-based reading software called Study Island was integrated into the literacy curriculum for students to increase their reading proficiency and pass PSSA state tests. The research problem was that the integration of Study Island had not been evaluated and students were not meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). The purpose of this study was to provide research-based evidence on whether Study Island helped students …


Effect Of Political Skill On Perception Of Organizational Politics And Work Withdrawal Among Community College Employees, David John Ross Jan 2011

Effect Of Political Skill On Perception Of Organizational Politics And Work Withdrawal Among Community College Employees, David John Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college student support services are an important aspect of success among community college students. Theoretical and empirical models of organizational politics and withdrawal guided the expectation that community college employees who perceive their organizations as political may withdrawal from their organization, diminishing the services delivered to students at the institution. A multisite cross-sectional survey design was utilized to gather quantitative data via Survey Monkey from national professional organizations. Two-hundred seventeen usable surveys from community college administrators (executive, mid-level managers, and administrators) were gathered. Data were analyzed via correlation and regression models to examine if political skill reduced or moderated …


The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten Jan 2011

The Impact Of Industrial Technician Skill Losses At A West Tennessee Manufacturer, Kenneth W. Moten

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business survival requires that decision makers understand the critical knowledge resources that support the business' core competencies, while also facing the challenges of current labor trends. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of the management staff at a west Tennessee manufacturing facility about industrial technician skill losses. This phenomenological design included semistructured interviews of 20 managers, supervisors, and engineers and was an exploration of the potential losses from skilled worker attrition. The foundations of labor theory; knowledge management; and accounting measurements of intangible assets in advanced technology, communications, and economic systems provided the key elements …


Generational Cohort Differences In Types Of Organizational Commitment Among Nurses In Alabama, April Lavette Jones Jan 2011

Generational Cohort Differences In Types Of Organizational Commitment Among Nurses In Alabama, April Lavette Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In hospitals in the United States, the ratio of nurses to patients is declining, resulting in an increase in work demands for nurses. Consequently, organizations face challenges with nurses' organizational commitment. Studies have revealed generational differences, as determined by birth year, in employee levels of organizational commitment in a number of organizational settings. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding the impact of generational cohorts on the organizational commitment of nurses. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, cross-sectional design was to address whether generational cohorts of nurses differed in their levels of organizational commitment, and to investigate whether …


Standardized Professional Development Content Validation For Educators, Sara J. Sharp Jan 2011

Standardized Professional Development Content Validation For Educators, Sara J. Sharp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators in a low socioeconomic urban school district have been concerned with the quality of professional development (PD) training provided by the district. This issue affects students, parents, and teachers. Guided by the educational philosophy of inquiry and community, which hold that empowering teachers with validated PD could improve teacher pedagogy and perhaps academic outcomes, this project study examined (a) what benefits a standardized professional development content validation program for the 21st century can provide and, (b) what standardized professional development content validation for the 21st century looks like. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was used on a purposive sample …


Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs Jan 2011

Discrete Trial Instruction: Comparing The Abbreviated Performance Feedback And Lecture Test Models, Tammy J. Dobbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Growing media attention and a high diagnosis rate of autism places significant demand on the service industry to provide qualified staff to work with individuals who have autism. Discrete trial instruction (DTI) is one of the most sought-after treatment approaches for those individuals. However, there is a gap in research regarding the efficacy of training methods for those who train direct staff to implement DTI. This quantitative study used an applied behavior analysis basis, deriving from foundations of behavior theory, to compare the abbreviated feedback form (AFF) to the lecture test model (LTM) to understand which will improve direct staff's …


Improving Community College Faculty Effectiveness Through Technology-Based Learning Communities, David Mark Peter Jan 2011

Improving Community College Faculty Effectiveness Through Technology-Based Learning Communities, David Mark Peter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College faculty members are often inadequately prepared to use technology in their classrooms. They often learn technology without institutional support, and without understanding technology's impact on student learning. As a result of these shortcomings, the use of technology in the college classroom is often not systematic or focused on improving learning. This study used a conceptual framework based on Wenger's learning community or community of practice idea. This study examined a Midwestern university where faculty made only limited use of classroom technology and did not demonstrate contemporary approaches to student learning. The study set out to determine the impact of …


Use Of Professional Development To Improve Attitudes Of General Educators Towards Inclusion, Ginger Dodge-Quick Jan 2011

Use Of Professional Development To Improve Attitudes Of General Educators Towards Inclusion, Ginger Dodge-Quick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study involved the inclusion of special needs students in the general education classroom as required by law. The problem centered on general educators' perceptions of their abilities to meet the education needs of included students and their lack of training in special education issues. Research questions studied perceptions general educators had regarding inclusion and whether professional development addressed those concerns, and improved their perception of inclusion. The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) was the conceptual framework utilized throughout the sequential mixed-methods case study. Quantitative data of teachers' concerns were determined using the Survey of Concerns Questionnaire from the CBAM …


Female Students' Experiences In An Old Testament Bible Course At A Christian University, Janet K. Puls Jan 2011

Female Students' Experiences In An Old Testament Bible Course At A Christian University, Janet K. Puls

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has shown that 80% of college students have reported they are interested in spirituality. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of female students while studying Old Testament scriptures as part of their required liberal arts curriculum and to describe how their experiences affected their lives, spiritually or in other ways. While there is a small but growing body of survey data about students' interest in spirituality, a gap exists regarding how or in what ways required biblical curriculum affects students spiritually at Christian liberal arts universities. Fowler's faith stages, Gibson's model for spiritual …


The Role Of Leadership In Safety Performance And Results, Halina E. Caravello Jan 2011

The Role Of Leadership In Safety Performance And Results, Halina E. Caravello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee injury rates in U.S. land-based operations in the energy industry are 2 to 3 times higher relative to other regions in the world. Although a rich literature exists on drivers of safety performance, no previous studies investigated factors influencing this elevated rate. Leadership has been identified as a key contributor to safety outcomes and this grounded theory study drew upon the full range leadership model, situational leadership, and leader-member exchange theories for the conceptual framework. Leadership aspects influencing safety performance were investigated through guided interviews of 27 study participants; data analyses included open and axial coding, and constant comparisons …


Community Policing By Part-Time Police Leaders, Steven W. Minard Jan 2011

Community Policing By Part-Time Police Leaders, Steven W. Minard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The majority of police departments across the United States are led by part-time police leaders who are expected to provide high quality public safety and policing services. Research results have not been conclusive on best practices for community policing in larger cities, and the community policing model has not been researched for small police organizations staffed by part-time police leaders and police officers. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the community policing experiences of 12 part-time police leaders in a northeastern U.S. state. Ecological theory provided the conceptual framework. The research questions examined the participants' …


Responses Of Successful Latina Students To Academic Challenges Of Prerequisite Nursing Courses, Julie Wiggins Nadeau Jan 2011

Responses Of Successful Latina Students To Academic Challenges Of Prerequisite Nursing Courses, Julie Wiggins Nadeau

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing schools struggle to prepare enough nurses to meet the health care needs of a diverse and aging population in the United States. Many students do not complete their degrees, contributing to the problem. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe how successful Latina students experience and respond to the academic challenges of prerequisite nursing courses. The nursing shortage; healthcare needs of Hispanic patients; student outcomes; self-efficacy, achievement goal orientation, and academic help-seeking; and Hispanic cultural values framed the study. Using semistructured private interviews, the researcher explored the lived experiences of 6 successful Latina students when …


Knowledge Sharing And Competitiveness Of Professional Service Firms: A Case Study, Albert P. Cruz Jan 2011

Knowledge Sharing And Competitiveness Of Professional Service Firms: A Case Study, Albert P. Cruz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study is that little action is taken to create the social aspects and social value of knowledge-sharing culture within organizations. There is a need for increased understanding of the behavioral side of knowledge management. The purpose of this study was to focus on knowledge sharing from a behavioral perspective. Knowledge management is defined as the accumulation, protection, and leverage of knowledge. This research study investigated the relationship between knowledge sharing and competitiveness and approached the field of knowledge management from the organizational, cultural, and behavioral perspectives. The research questions examined how knowledge workers described the …


A Phenomenological Exploration Of Teacher Training Regarding Academically Advanced/High-Ability Students, Carrie Olstad Sueker Jan 2011

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Teacher Training Regarding Academically Advanced/High-Ability Students, Carrie Olstad Sueker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The needs of academically advanced/high-ability students may not be met in today's schools. When educational needs are not met, students may not reach full potential, may lose intrinsic motivation for learning, and may develop poor work and study habits. The rural school district involved in this study lacks a formal gifted and talented program. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences of 15 K-8 teachers in the identified school district via individual interviews. The National Association for Gifted Children's knowledge and skill standards in gifted and talented education served as the conceptual framework …