Digital Commons Network^™

Eye Gaze Technology For Nonverbal Students With Cortical Visual Impairment, Hannah Sykes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem that this study addressed was eye gaze technology for nonverbal students with cortical visual impairment (CVI). There are no studies examining educators’ viewpoints on the usefulness of eye gaze technology for communication and language development of nonverbal students with CVI. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore what educators think about the usefulness of eye gaze technology on communication and language development for nonverbal students with CVI. The conceptual framework applied to this basic qualitative study was based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and John Dewey’s pragmatism theory. The …

The Lived Experience Of Quality Of Life Of Older Adults In Rural Ghana, Benjamin Arthur

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The quality of life (QOL) of older adults in rural Ghana is of growing concern, locally and throughout the country. In Ghana, it is the tradition for family members to take care of older adults without any government support, but research has shown that changing economic and social structures make this tradition less optimal, so older adults suffer physically and emotionally. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experience of QOL for older adults in rural Ghana. The ecological systems theory was used to explore the integral role of family support and QOL in the microsystem, …

Strategies To Enhance Creative Performance In Creative Industry Firms, Shirley D. Bishop

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor creative performance in creative industry firms adversely affects business profitability and competitive standing. Managers of creative industry firms who lack strategies to enhance creative performance risk the sustainability of their firms. Grounded in social cognitive theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies managers of creative industry firms use to motivate employees to enhance creative performance. Participants were 4 creative industry managers located in the New York tristate region of the United States, who successfully motivated employees to enhance creative performance. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and company documents. Data were analyzed using …

Perceptions Of Emotional And Social Intelligence Competencies Among Leaders Within Collective Impact Initiatives In Puerto Rico, Geraldine Bayron-Rivera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The complexity of global societies’ issues requires leaders whose competencies facilitate collective impact initiatives as strategies for coordinating multisector efforts to transform substantial social problems. In Puerto Rico, such endeavors are not producing expedient long-term impact. It is crucial to implement said collaborations relying on leaders' emotional strength and skills, enabling efficient processes to find solutions for subpar circumstances in communities. It was unknown whether senior managers in Puerto Rico understood the necessary emotional and social intelligence leadership competencies which must be developed to improve organizational processes in local cross-sector collaborations. This phenomenological study aimed to understand whether these leaders …

Strategies To Retain Call Center Employees, Michele Boston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Call center executives who lack effective strategies to retain employees face a disruption in service, employee performance and productivity, as well as an increase in operational expenses. Ineffective retention strategies can negatively impact call centers by increasing cost, decreasing talent quality and loss of the customer experience. Grounded in Herzberg’s motivator-hygiene theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore employee retention strategies that call center executives use to maintain employees within their organizations. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company documents, and physical artifacts. The interview participants comprised five call center executives, managers, or team leaders in …

How The Rise In Student Loan Debt Affects Residential Real Estate, Heather Nicole Dufour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student loan debt has increased significantly over the past several years. At the same time, there has been a historic drop in first-time home buyers. What remains uncertain is if these two trends are related. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between student loan debt and home ownership for young adults in the United States. The theoretical foundation focused on consumer behavior through Maslow’s motivation-need theory. Individual-level longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 was used to examine more than 3,000 participants’ responses regarding their student loan debt and home ownership status, …

Predictors Of Cancer Information Seeking Among Adults With A Family History Of Cancer, Oluwakemi Akindeju Fawole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cancer is a significant cause of illness and mortality in the United States. A family history of cancer is a valuable factor for assessing disease risk and increasing cancer information-seeking behaviors for prevention. Guided by the health belief model, this quantitative study addressed the predictors of cancer information seeking behavior among adults with a family history of cancer. In this study, data from 8,473 participants in the 2017–2019 Health Information Trends Analysis Survey were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. This analysis addressed whether there was a statistically significant difference in sociodemographic factors, measures of health status, and health care engagement …

Electoral Justice Traits Of Youth-Led Election Violence In Nairobi’S Informal Settlements, Gezahegn Kebede Gebrehana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Youth residing in Kenya’s informal urban settlements commonly engage in election-related violence, yet little is known about why this occurs. This study explored the triggers for the escalation of such violence in informal settlements, which has been characteristic of almost all elections held since the introduction of the multiparty system in 1991. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand lived experiences of young adults and community leaders who lived in one of Nairobi’s informal settlements who had witnessed the level of youth violence in the city. A conceptual foundation related to electoral justice that manifests in different …

Investigating The Needs Of Homeless Individuals Living In Transitional Housing, Tonya Hambrick-Mcclain

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homeless individuals are a disadvantaged and vulnerable population. Some of the issues contributing to homelessness are mental illness, medical problems, substance abuse, domestic violence, and lack of education and affordable housing. Homelessness continues to be a major social issue in the United States, and it profoundly affects individuals ages 25–35 years old. There is limited research identifying the needs of homeless individuals between the ages of 25 and 35 who live in transitional housing in the Chicago area. The purpose of this generic qualitative research study was to explore how homeless individuals ages 25-35 years old describe their lived experiences …

Exploring Knowledge Retention Strategies To Prevent Knowledge Loss In Project-Based Organizations (Pbos), Robert Haughton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Knowledge is a valuable asset, and managing that knowledge is now recognized as a significant contributor to organizations in the current business climate. The problem is that the loss of knowledge impacts project quality, organizational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Too often, managers do not adequately communicate the knowledge retention strategies needed to reduce the impact of knowledge loss on project productivity. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore knowledge retention strategies to prevent knowledge loss in project-based organizations. The knowledge-based view of the firm and intellectual capital formed the conceptual framework. Eight participants consisting of managers, full-time …

African American, Sexual Minority Women Pursuing Resilience Following Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kastina Diane Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In any form, child abuse is traumatic, and the effects can leave the individual psychologically scarred. Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a specific, worldwide problem that affects individuals of all ethnicities; however, CSA is most prevalent among African Americans in the United States. The adverse effects of CSA warrant proper coping strategies. Though negative coping strategies are innate, positive coping strategies are more beneficial. Sexual minorities are individuals whose sexual orientation or gender identity deviates from the majority of the population (i.e., heterosexuals). Sexual minority women (SMW) with histories of CSA face many tribulations and hardships. Resiliency is a form …

Workplace Spirituality: A Study Of Human Resource Practices Promoting Employee Engagement, Terri Denise James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Workplace spirituality is a growing phenomenon, yet a research problem exists because many organizational leaders do not fully understand how workplace spirituality can be used to improve employee engagement, and no clear workplace guidelines exist for U.S. human resource (HR) professionals to follow. The study’s purpose was to examine how HR practices can support workplace spirituality and improve employee engagement. The research question focused on how HR professionals practice servant leadership to support employees’ internal and external workplace spirituality needs and promote employee engagement. A snowball sampling approach was used to select participants who are HR professionals with 5 years …

Content Analysis Of Rn To Bsn Instructor Postings In Community College Online Discussion Boards, Judith Marie Koch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online community college instructors’ failure to effectively utilize asynchronous discussion boards negatively impacts student course outcomes. However, it is unclear exactly what practices instructors use in their discussion boards. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis study was to investigate community college instructors’ practices on their discussion boards. The community of inquiry’s (CoI) constructs framed the research questions of the social, cognitive, and teaching presences observed in online instructor comments. Data were the discussion boards posts of four online associate to baccalaureate degree nursing instructors from a southeastern United States community college. Data were inductively analyzed using open and a …

Exploring Financial Inclusion With Village Savings And Loan Associations In Ghana’S Wa-West District, Jonathan Lanidune

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Financial inclusion (FI) has played a significant role in Ghana's economic transformation but is not widespread in rural areas. Lack of access to FI systems in these areas has increased poverty and induced higher rural-urban migration. Researchers have not explored how village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) can bridge the FI gap in the absence of formal financial institutions. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the VSLAs as a FI model for poverty and vulnerability reduction. Sixteen semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with members of three different groups; VSLA members, community stakeholders, financial stakeholders in Wa …

Identifying Factors Associated With Rapid Readmissions In Behavioral Health Organizations, Glennisha Maxwell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare reform and changes to traditional reimbursement models have placed increasing pressure on healthcare industry leaders to identify ways of remaining competitive while responding to the challenge of reducing excessive costs. Behavioral health organizations are included in this systemic challenge, and rapid readmissions have been identified as one significant contributor to increasing and unsustainable costs. A qualitative case-study design was used to identify factors associated with rapid readmissions in an inpatient psychiatric hospital. The research problem centered on insufficient information about the rapid readmission population of the inpatient psychiatric hospital involved in the study. Methodological triangulation of data was achieved …

Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Classroom Walkthroughs, Randa Mazzawi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractProviding teachers with professional development leads to enhanced instructional practices that influence student achievement. Because of low student achievement scores, secondary school administrators at a district in the western United States implemented administrator-led classroom walkthroughs (CWs) as ongoing professional development to improve teachers’ instructional practices and student achievement. However, secondary teachers (Grades 7-12) in the district believed that the use of CWs as an instructional coaching model was not improving their instructional practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand secondary teachers’ perceptions of CWs. Guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory as the conceptual framework, the research …

Strategies To Resolve Toxic Leadership Styles Which Impede Employee Innovation, Lilly Abdulrohman Mohamed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Toxic leaders micromanage, threaten, and discourage employees from sharing their ideas,causing a decline in innovation. Export-based company executives need to understand how to resolve toxic leadership to enhance their companies’ performance. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies export-based company leaders use to resolve toxic leadership styles. The participants were four senior and frontline leaders from export-based companies in Ethiopia. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and document reviews and were analyzed with thematic data analysis. Four themes emerged: open and transparent communication, sustained counseling and training, teamwork and joint …

Benefits Of Using An Electronic-Medical-Record In The Emergency Department: A Systematic Review, Eduardo Paguntalan Monroy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow quality of care is a problem for many United States (U.S.) emergency departments (E.D.). The use of electronic medical records (EMR) with quick embedded tools, treatment plans, and protocols decrease E.D. overcrowding, reduce boarding time, to approximate the 4- hour recommendation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and improve quality of care. The project question asked whether a systematic review of EMRs with quick embedded tools, treatment plans, and protocols decreased overcrowding and boarding time, and improved E.D. quality care. This systematic review used the Johns Hopkins Model to answer the project question by guiding selection, …

Associations Between Nurse Manager Engagement And Nursing Quality Indicators, Justin Travis Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals serving in the nurse manager role are critical stakeholders supporting frontline nurses delivering quality care within acute care settings. Despite evidence supporting nurse managers’ contributions to improved quality outcomes for patients by proxy, there is scant evidence supporting direct relationships between the role and outcomes. This study intended to provide quantitative evidence of relationships between nurse managers’ engagement, nurse managers’ tenure, and patient outcomes. The leadership complexity theory classified the nurse manager as a meso-level leader, requiring support from the macro- and microlevels of the organization. Acting as a liaison, meso-level leaders’ function in the space between executive leadership …

Effects Of Multilayered Simulation On Skill Acquisition In Associate Degree Nursing, Rikki Meshone Murff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a demand for an overhaul of undergraduate nursing education curricula to better prepare students who can provide safe, quality care in an increasing complex health care system. Simulation use has provided an avenue for nurse educators to consider when deciding appropriate and reliable teaching and learning strategies to guide students with little attention given to the effectiveness of novel approaches such as multilayered simulation. The aim of this study was to examine the use of multilayered simulation as an effective teaching method in nursing education. Kolb’s theory of experiential learning was used to guide this study. A quantitative, …

Nurse Retention Strategies In The Healthcare Industry, Luke Anthony Nicholson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurse turnover in the healthcare industry is detrimental to the quality-of-care patients receive, organizational financial health, and nurse job satisfaction. Nurse managers who lack effective nurse retention strategies might struggle to reduce voluntary turnover, which can adversely impact nurse job satisfaction and patient care quality. Guided by the unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover and job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore retention strategies nurse managers use to reduce the voluntary turnover of nurses. The participants were three nurse managers at three hospitals in central and southern Illinois with proven strategies to reduce …

Lived Experiences Of Diabetic Patients And Access To Care Information In Nigeria, Ngozi Scholar Nwaokoro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStudies have shown that chronic diabetes can be managed throughout a lifetime, despite the numerous health, social and economic consequences of the disease. Nevertheless, researchers have yet to establish the efficacy of access to diabetic information on care and family needs in relation to living with diabetes in a developing country like Nigeria. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences, including both barriers and needs regarding access to information and care, of diabetic patients in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Nigeria. The study used the Social-Ecological Model as a framework for analysis. Adopting the phenomenological research method, …

Implementation Of Universal Basic Education Program In The North-Central Region Of Nigeria, Kazeem Oladimeji

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Government reports document that the North-Central region of Nigeria has experienced increased negative ineffectiveness of preschool education policy implementation. At the same time, other data suggest that key stakeholders' contribution is missing in the preschool education policy formulation and implementation processes. However, much less is known regarding specific key stakeholders’ perceptions that could help reverse this trend. Grounded in the advocacy coalition framework and appreciative inquiry, narrowing this knowledge gap was the purpose of this study. The research question focused on key stakeholders’ perceptions that could increase full participation and facilitate the establishment of more quality preschools in the region. …

Relationship Between Leadership Style And Innovation Performance In Small-To-Medium-Scale Enterprises In Nigeria, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ossai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe Global Innovation Index recently indicated that Nigeria lags several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in innovation inputs and outputs. It is uncertain whether leadership style in place in Nigerian enterprises is a factor in this situation. Innovation performance is the contribution of product and process innovations to profits and growth in an enterprise. The purpose of this correlational, cross-sectional, survey study was to understand the relationship between leadership style and innovation performance in small-to-medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. The SME sector was selected because it is the engine of growth of the economy and the highest employer of labor, but …

An Evaluation Analysis On Public-Private Partnership Of Road Development By The State Of Virginia, Cavine Chavi-Ann Phillips

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The unremitting nature of road infrastructural development and the strain of internal budgetary issues have pushed many governmental agencies to seek the non-traditional procurement methods of a public-private partnership to satisfy their ongoing needs. Researchers have examined many regions that have used this non-traditional procurement type of public-private partnership to meet their infrastructural needs while facing budgetary issues. I reviewed the state of Virginia's usage of this non-traditional procurement method as an alternative method to traditional procurement to foster their road infrastructural developmental needs. The state of Virginia has used Public-private partnerships to bridge the current gap of the state’s …

General Education And Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Co-Teaching In High Schools, Julia Pitts

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractGeneral Education and Special Education Teachers’ Perceptions of Co-Teaching in High Schools by Julia A. Pitts

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education

Walden University March 2021 Abstract Students with special needs are being integrated into general education classrooms. To accommodate these students, schools are using an instructional delivery method with two teachers, one general education and one special education in the same classroom. The goal of this qualitative study was to understand perceptions of general and special education teachers who were assigned to work in co-taught classrooms. The concept that …

Integrating Tf-Cbt And Play Therapy: Promoting Resilience In Child Sexual Assault Survivors, Shayla Polk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Licensed social workers and counselors provide services to children who experience child sexual assault (CSA), which disrupt their normal childhood developmental processes. Trauma outcomes include symptoms related to somatization, inability to cope, feelings of helplessness, decreased self-esteem, difficulty expressing proper emotions, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) combined with play therapy can be helpful for CSA survivors. Still, it is not yet fully understood how therapists perceive the combined approach or how it fosters resiliency in children who experience sexual assault. The purpose of this action research study was (a) to explore the experiences and perspectives …

Bridging Psychological Distance In Construal Of Climate Change Consequences Through Intergenerational Dialogue, David Ryan Richardson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As climate and environmental scientists work to address the practical challenges presented by global climate change, researchers examining environmental attitudes have obtained inconsistent outcomes in efforts to increase awareness and engagement with the topic to increase support for proenvironmental policies. Using construal level theory as the central framework, the purpose of this study was to examine whether construal level of long-term consequences of climate change (the dependent variable), assessed indirectly using the Environmental Attitudes Inventory scale, can be reduced by priming an individual to think of a temporally distal but socially proximal target (specifically, a genetic descendant) while engaging in …

Social And Emotional Learning Program Implementation: Educators’ Perspectives Of Preparation And Support, Papani Saini

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers are not properly prepared and supported to implement social and emotional learning (SEL) programs in the United States. Teachers must be properly equipped to be successful throughout implementation, thereby allowing students to reap the benefits of SEL programming. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-2 educators’ perspectives regarding the preparation and support they need to implement SEL programming. The conceptual framework for this study was based on Scheirer’s program implementation theory. The research questions focused on the perspectives of K-2 educators regarding the preparation and support they need for SEL program implementation. Purposeful sampling was …

Middle School Teachers’ Use Of Differentiated Instruction Strategies, Felecia G. Prince

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMiddle School Teachers’ Use of Differentiated Instruction Strategies by Felecia George Prince MEd, Troy University, 2010 BS, Georgia Southern University, 1988 AA, East Georgia College, 1984 Project Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2020Abstract The administrators at the study site were concerned that teachers struggle with differentiated instruction (DI) in their classrooms, which involves strategies to support students’ levels. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to learn what DI strategies teachers used at the study site. The conceptual framework of Tomlinson on the differentiated strategies …