Digital Commons Network^™

Stakeholder Perspectives On Teacher Attrition In Private Early Childhood Schools In India, Swathi Sandesh Menon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is a problem that has consequences for children and schools in many countries; children are affected negatively both emotionally and intellectually, while schools suffer setbacks, such as financial stress and disruption of the learning environment. This multiple case study explored the perspectives of stakeholders in India regarding how teacher attrition in private early childhood schools influenced students, teachers, parents, school leaders, and schools, as well as the factors that stakeholders identified as important for teacher retention in private early childhood education. The conceptual framework was Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. Data were collected through interviews with teachers and school …

High School Science Teachers' Perspectives On Their Technology Knowledge, Content, And Pedagogy, Mentor Mentor Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a southeastern U.S. school district, it was unknown how teachers integrated technology into their classroom teaching in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum. Teachers should be knowledgeable of their content, pedagogy of the content, and delivery instruction to improve students' learning outcomes. The purpose of this bounded qualitative case study was to examine how teachers integrated technology into their teaching to improve science students' learning outcomes. Mishra and Koehler's and Shulman's theories of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge served as the conceptual framework. Purposeful sampling was used to select 12 certified science teachers, with at least 1 …

A Study Of Rural Nonprofit Board Communication And Collaboration, Angela-Janine C. Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study explored the perceptions, experiences, and significant internal communication and collaboration problem(s) faced by a rural nonprofit board of directors experiencing a growth transition. Specifically, this study addressed (a) how a rural nonprofit's board members perceived their communication and collaboration skills and practices, and (b) the training needed to improve board communication and collaboration policies and practices. Ten rural area study participants shared their experiences and made recommendations for board communication and collaboration training. Exploring the perceptions, understandings, and capacities of the rural nonprofit board members revealed how specific communication and collaboration policies and practices affected their organization's …

The Phenomenon Of Living Close To Nuclear Power Plants, Jacquelynn Isabel Miles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communities near nuclear power plants are at potential risk from natural and man-made failures at the nuclear power plants located within those communities. This study explored the concerns and rationalizations of residents of a community who live within a 10-mile evacuation zone of the nuclear power plant located there. Using the general theory of deliberative democracy, the purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and explore why individuals continue to live close to nuclear power plants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals who live within a 10- mile radius of a nuclear power plant in the …

Strategies To Improve Adoption Of The Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, Michael John Caruso

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. federal government spends millions of taxpayer dollars to implement the federal enterprise architecture framework (FEAF). This qualitative multiple case study extracted successful FEAF implementation strategies used by agencies in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The population for this study included 10 information technology (IT) planners in 3 federal agencies. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and triangulated in comparison to 33 public documents. General system theory was used as a conceptual framework for the study, and data analysis included reviews of the academic literature, thematic analysis, and member checking to identify themes and codes related to successful aspects …

Natural Environment Associations With Mental Health And Obesity Status, Adam Edwin London

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mental health and obesity were ranked among the health priorities of the 2014 and 2017 Community Health Needs Assessments in Kent County, Michigan. Exposure to nature is correlated to improved health outcomes across a variety of morbidities including poor mental health and obesity. This cross-sectional study set within the frameworks of attention restoration theory, environmental health, and pathways to health benefits from nature assessed county survey data including self-reported nature exposures/interactions separated into 3 domain areas: access to nature, attitudes about nature, and physical activity in nature or in nature-based activities. Binary logistic regression analyses of the 653 respondents found …

Strategies To Secure Sustainable Funding For The Successful Conclusion Of Infrastructure Projects, Ibrahim Adia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Construction industry leaders who neglect to implement appropriate project funding strategies harm business operations and lose profits. Inadequate funding is also a significant cause of project failures in the global construction sector. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies construction project owners use to secure sustainable funding for the successful conclusion of infrastructure projects. The population comprised 5 leaders of organizations owning construction projects in the Middle Eastern Gulf Cooperation Council states, with successful strategies to acquire adequate funding for completing infrastructure projects. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with the business leaders and reports …

Sustainable Business Growth: An Exploration Of Ghanaian Small Business Survival, John W. Atanga

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses are significant contributors to a nation’s job creation and employment. These enterprises face many challenges that often lead to failure within 5 years. Some small business owners fail because they lack the necessary strategies for maintaining a sustainable business operation. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive phenomenological study was to analyze how to overcome the high failure rate of small businesses in Accra, Ghana. The conceptual framework for this study was institutional and planned behavior theories. The research questions sought participant’s experiences with small business survival that may have led to sustainable businesses. Data were collected from 20 …

Stereotype Threats And Mature Female Students Entering Higher Education: A Qualitative Study Using Experience Sampling Method, James Clark Schneider

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mature female students encounter a range of challenges, including stereotype threat, which may affect their persistence in academic programs. Research has been conducted on stereotype threat in adult learners, but little research has been done on the impact of stereotype threat on mature female students in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative study using the experience sampling method (ESM) was to investigate how role conflict and social isolation due to age differences affected the learning experiences of mature female students (ages 45-54). The study used a conceptual framework incorporating Steele and Aronson’s stereotype threat theory and the concept of …

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Strategies To Increase Student Academic Achievement, Demetria L. Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a Southwestern Tennessee school, students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds consistently perform low on the state standardized test TN Ready Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), as compared to students who are not from low socioeconomic status. In this qualitative case study elementary teachers’ views on instructional strategies for reading and math, professional development, and professional learning communities (PLC) were examined through a theoretical framework based on Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development. The study included interview data from 9 teachers teaching Grades 3-5 who have been using strategies to help increase students’ academic achievement. In addition, PLC meeting minutes, and …

Characteristics Of Successful Elementary Principals As Instructional Leaders, Phonecia Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the lack of consistency of implementation of instructional leadership practices by elementary principals. Little research existed at the time of this study to inform current practitioners about specific instructional leadership practices that positively effect student growth based on the perceptions of successful practitioner. The purpose of this study was to describe specific instructional leadership behaviors perceived by elementary school principals to have a positive effect on student growth and to describe the contextual factors that affect the different levels of implementation of these behaviors. The conceptual framework for this study was instructional leadership. …

Strategies For Increasing Self-Efficacy In Long-Term Welfare Recipients, Crystal Mcclure

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the imposition of lifetime limitations on an individual's ability to receive cash assistance, there is a group of long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients that have approached the lifetime limitation without becoming gainfully employed. Many long term TANF recipients report low levels of self-efficacy which inhibits their ability to successfully transition off welfare and into the workforce. However, most welfare-to-work programs do not address the emotional or psychological well-being of their clients, instead they focus on job placement and job readiness skills. The purpose of this sequential–exploratory mixed methods study is to identify the primary barriers to …

The Role Of Glucose Level On The Performance Of The Framingham Risk Score, Uohna June Thiessen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are responsible for more deaths than any other disease, continue to threaten the quality of life for many, and is a major burden to the health care system. The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) identified the major CVD risk factors that became essential to effective CVD screening strategies and the Framingham Risk Score (FRS), is used to assess CVD risk. Based on the concepts of the health behavior model and CVD as a cardiometabolic disorder, multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and a CHD event, and to determine …

Factors Associated With Parental Involvement In Their Child's Education, John Joseph Trentalange

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After 4 decades and a large body of research on children's academic success, there is still a need to understand how to increase children's academic performance. Researchers agree that the key component to elementary school children's academic success is parental involvement. However, little is known on how to increase parental involvement and the characteristics of the parents who participate in their children's education. This quantitative study examined 2 parental characteristics, parents' internal attachment patterns and parenting styles, and their relationship with parental involvement and children's academic success. Bowlby's theory of attachment and Baumrind's parenting typologies served as the theoretical framework. …

Strategies For Oil And Gas Asset Retirement Sustainability In Alberta, Canada, Ikenna Uhuegbulem

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oil and gas companies in Alberta, Canada lose millions of dollars per year due to ineffective management of retired assets. Ineffective management of inactive oil and gas assets in Alberta has led to over 80,000 inactive wells, highlighting the practice of prolonged deferment of asset end-of-life costs. Using the corporate sustainability model and asset management concept model as frameworks, this multiple case study was conducted to explore the strategies that asset managers in small- and medium-sized oil and gas companies used to manage retired assets effectively to increase organizational sustainability. The population for the study included 3 business leaders of …

Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation In One Government Agency, Stephen N. Strayer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation strategies can have a negative impact on business competitive advantage. Business leaders who struggle to maintain global operations and audit readiness are at high risk of failure. Grounded in the general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore the strategies business leaders used to promote an awareness of the effects of performance on competitive advantage. The participants comprised of 22 business leaders on a military base in the state of Washington who effectively used ERP systems to increase global operations, audit readiness, and maximize competitive advantage. Data were …

Drones And American Domestic Policy: An Analysis Of Elite And Mass Opinion, Kevin Michael Leonard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have primarily focused on the use of drones for military purposes. Yet, understanding how the use of drones influences domestic policymaking from the perspective of mass and elite opinion was generally absent from the academic literature. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore and describe the perceptions of policy elites and the mass public on the impact of drone use on domestic policy. Guided by Donohue, Tichenor and Olien's theories of media framing and salience, mass opinion was measured through a convenience sample via the Walden Participant Pool, whereas elite opinion was measured through a purposive sampling …

Jamaican Kindergarten And First Grade Teachers’ Expectations For Readiness Skills, Sadie Henrietta Harris-Mortley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children’s readiness to meet demands in Grade 1 is a common concern in most primary schools in Jamaica. Teachers have voiced their expectations that students should display a level of mastery in readiness skills so that they can be engaged in academic tasks when they transition from the kindergarten to Grade 1. The purpose of this qualitative case study, guided by social constructivism, was to explore kindergarten students’ readiness for Grade 1 based on the perceptions of kindergarten teachers compared to Grade 1 teachers on readiness skills, instructional practices, and expectations of students’ competency. The research questions were designed to …

Every Student Succeeds Act: Are Schools Making Sure Every Student Succeeds?, Laura Adler-Greene

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pass The "Idea": Following Bilingual Mathematics Discussions [Pásame La "Idea": Siguiendo Discusiones Matemáticas Bilingües], Gladys Krause, Melissa Adams Corral, Luz A. Maldonado

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

In this study we document how a mathematical idea, shared by a student, changes the development of the class discussion. Our work characterizes the flexible and open dynamics in mathematics instruction that a teacher adopts to give her students control of their own mathematical ideas. Our work argues that this flexibility is necessary for teachers to engage in instructional practices that respond to students' mathematical thinking. To demonstrate the teacher's flexibility we use the analogy of soccer, relying on the literature of Game Sense coaching approach, which suggests that the coach (the teacher in our context) is positioned to manipulate …

Learning Productive Mathematical Talk Moves Through Mix-Reality Simulation: The Case Of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers In A Hispanic Serving Institution, Jair J. Aguilar, James A. Telese

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

Teacher preparation programs require pre-service teachers to engage in field experiences that include participation in classrooms (Freeman, 2010). Mix-Reality Simulation (MRS) is a technological tool that can be implemented to provide pre-service teachers opportunities to develop pedagogical techniques such as providing feedback, conducting discussions, integrating technology with instruction while at the same time exploring different environments (Hixon & So, 2009). This paper presents preliminary results of a first-stage research in the implementation of a MRSs’ into an elementary teacher education program at a large Hispanic-Serving Institution. The purpose of the study was to determine whether differences existed between the groups …

Characteristics Of Gay, Bisexual And Other Men Who Have Sex With Men With Multiple Diagnoses Of Infectious Syphilis In British Columbia, Canada, 2005-2014, Stephanie Konrad, Donna B. Mak, Troy Grennan, Bernadette Zakher, Bobbi Brownrigg, Gina Ogilvie, Muhammad Morshed, Mark Tyndall, Mark Gilbert, Mel Krajden, Jason Wong

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Infectious syphilis has increased substantially over the past decade. Targeting limited public health resources toward subpopulations with multiple reinfections may have a large impact in reducing onward transmission within a community.

Methods: A chart review was conducted for individuals with 4 or more infectious syphilis diagnoses between 2005 and 2014 (the top 1% of all syphilis diagnoses in British Columbia, Canada). We characterized the sociodemographics, partner notification outcomes and social network.

Results: Between 2005 and 2014, there were 30 individuals with 4 or more syphilis diagnoses, accounting for 139 diagnoses. All were men who have sex with men and …

Loi: Next Generation Tritium Experiments In Clas12, D. Gaskell, D. W. Higinbotham, D. Meekins, A. Ashkenazi, A. Denniston, R. Cruz-Torres, O. Hen, D. Nguyen, A. Papadopoulou, J. Pybus, A. Schmidt, E. P. Segarra, D. Dutta, Z. Ye, F. Hauenstein, M. Khachatryan, L. B. Weinstein, E. Piasetzky, S. Sirca, M. Mihovilovic, T. Kolar

Physics Faculty Publications

This LOI includes information on possible experiments for an experimental program using a new tritium target in CLAS12. It includes several pieces, including flavor tagged DIS on d, ³He, and ³H targets, and quasielatic scattering. A preliminary feasibility study indicates that a tritium target in Hall B is possible. We are submitting this LOI to get feedback from the PAC whether it is worth the effort of developing a full proposal, including significantly more work on the possible Hall B tritium target.

The bulk of the LOI discusses the flavor-tagged DIS measurement.

Measurement Of The Magnetic Field Penetration Into Superconducting Thin Films, Iresha Harshani Senevirathne, Gianluigi Ciovati, Jean R. Delayen

Physics Faculty Publications

The magnetic field at which first flux penetrates is a fundamental parameter characterizing superconducting materials for SRF cavities. Therefore, an accurate technique is needed to measure the penetration of the magnetic field directly. The conventional magnetometers are inconvenient for thin superconducting film measurements because these measurements are strongly influenced by orientation, edge and shape effects. In order to measure the onset of field penetration in bulk, thin films and multi-layered superconductors, we have designed, built and calibrated a system combining a small superconducting solenoid capable of generating surface magnetic field higher than 500 mT and Hall probe to detect the …

Magnetized Electron Source For Jleic Cooler, R. Suleiman, P.A. Adderley, J.F. Benesch, D.B. Bullard, J.R. Delayen, J.M. Grames, J. Guo, F.E. Hannon, J. Hansknecht, C. Hernandez-Garcia, R. Kazimi, G.A. Krafft, M.A. Mamun, M. Poelker, M.G. Tiefenback, Y.W. Wang, S.A.K. Wijethunga, J. T. Yoskowitz, S. Zhang

Physics Faculty Publications

Magnetized bunched-beam electron cooling is a critical part of the Jefferson Lab Electron Ion Collider (JLEIC). Strong cooling of ion beams will be accomplished inside a cooling solenoid where the ions co-propagate with an electron beam generated from a source immersed in magnetic field. This contribution describes the production and characterization of magnetized electron beam using a compact 300 kV DC high voltage photogun and bialkali-antimonide photocathodes. Beam magnetization was studied using a diagnostic beamline that includes viewer screens for measuring the shearing angle of the electron beamlet passing through a narrow upstream slit. Correlated beam emittance with magnetic field …

Development And Characterization Of Polyethylene Terephthalate (Pet)-Cotton Natural Fiber-Reinforced Composites From Waste Materials, Israel Alejandro Carrete

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Unprecedented levels of production and consumption have caused a rapid exhaustion of the Earth's virgin resources, which is coupled with a fast accumulation of contaminants in the form of solid waste, especially in landfills. Two significant landfill constituents come from textile waste and discarded plastic bottles. Since there is a finite amount of space that can be feasibly used for landfills, solutions that make use of these post-consumer products are imperative. This study presents one possible solution by using surface modifications of cotton fibers to produce a natural fiber-reinforced polymer composite (NFRPC) from post-consumer textile waste and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) …

Code Smells Quantification: A Case Study On Large Open Source Research Codebase, Swapnil Singh Chauhan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Research software has opened up new pathways of discovery in many and diverse disciplines. The research software is developed under unique budgetary and schedule constraints. The developers are often untrained transient workforce of graduate students and postdocs. As a result, the software quality hinders its sustainability beyond the immediate research goals. More importantly, the prevalent reward structures favor contributions in terms of research articles and systematically undervalues research code contributions. As a result, researchers and funding agencies do not allocate appropriate efforts or resources to the development, sustenance, and dissemination of research codebases. At the same time, there are no …

Incorporating Cybersecurity Engineering Within The Discipline Of Systems Engineering, Chuck Easttom

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The current study is an examination of integrating cybersecurity and systems engineering. The goal is to provide a framework that accomplishes three objectives. The first is to integrate the existing systems engineering methods into cybersecurity. The second is to provide a template for cybersecurity engineering curriculum. The third is to provide a modeling language specific to cybersecurity.

The Rhetoric Of Low Carbon Energy Technology Scientists And Engineers, Nicolas Cesar Hernandez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Scholars in the burgeoning field of Energy Communication have successfully contributed to communication studies and environmental communication practice. However, energy communication scholars have largely focused on energy of media coverage, corporate communication and decision making in the context crisis. While rich and informative, this tendency has left quotidian aspects of energy communication rather understudied. As such, this Thesis contributes to the understanding of the internal, non-untechnical rhetoric of low carbon energy technology (LCET) scientists and engineers (herein LCET professionals). Textual analysis was used to examine LCET professionals' internal rhetoric at professional trade conferences and through long form, semi-structured interviews. Wind …

Synthesis, Characterization And Antibacterial Properties Of Silver(I) N-(4-Pyridyl) Benzamide Complexes With Varying Conterions, Mauro J. Ruiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Organic semiconductor materials composed of - stacking aromatic compounds have been under intense investigation for their potential uses in flexible electronics and other advanced technologies. Herein we report a new family of seven - stacking compounds of Silver(I) N-(4-pyridyl) Benzamide with varying counterions, namely [Ag(NPBA)2]X, where NPBA is N-(4-pyridyl) Benzamine, X = NO3- (1), ClO4- (2), CF3SO3- (3), PF6- (4), BF4- (5), CH3PhSO3- (6), and PhSO3- (7), which form extended - stacking networks in one-dimensional (1D), 2D and 3D directions in the crystalline solid-state via the phenyl moiety, with average inter-ring distances of 3.823 Å. Interestingly, the counterions that contain …