Digital Commons Network^™

Predictive Nature Of Teacher Traits On Academic Achievement Of African-American Students, Lacoñia Rayelle Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically, biases, a lack of cultural diversity in teacher and administrative staff and misunderstanding about methods for teaching low socioeconomic students have related to the underperformance of African-American students when compared with their European American peers. Therefore, this quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the impact of teachers' ethnicity, years of experience, and motives of hope and fear on the academic success of African-American students in reading and math. Data were collected from 55 7th- and 8th-grade teachers from a charter school system (25 reading teachers and 30 math teachers) using a survey and the Multi Motive Grid. Forward …

Human Trafficking Crime Awareness Among Remote Communities In Central Vietnam, Ngoc Tb Nguyen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking crime is rising globally at an alarming rate, and Vietnam is one of the nations with the highest prevalence of trafficking female victims for forced sex services and forced marriages. This study explored human trafficking awareness in remote communities of central Vietnam and the factors for young girls dropping out of school for work at an early age. The study also investigated the link between gender inequality and the child labor problem in these communities. There is no extant empirical research pertaining to human trafficking awareness in the remote communities of central Vietnam. This research fills this gap …

Strategies For Nursing Staff Working In A Correctional Facility., Ima James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As primary care providers in correctional facilities, correctional nurses are expected to balance inmates' healthcare needs with the security demands of the facility. This project explored whether an evidence-based education program could provide strategies for promoting health, a healthy work environment, and a sense of well-being to improve the knowledge, coping skills, and well-being of nurses working in a correctional occupational setting. Twenty nurses participated in an educational intervention project that was guided by the transactional theory of stress. Using a pretest/posttest design, data were collected over a 2-week period and calculated using means and percentages. The descriptive statistics using …

Male Perspectives Of Lateral Violence In Nursing, Benita Kinard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lateral violence is an intentional and harmful behavior in the workplace by one employee against another. In nursing lateral violence has impacted the performance of nurses as well as patient care. Research suggests that lateral violence behaviors are still prevalent in the nursing workplace and that there have been few interventions to change these behaviors or address the power dynamics that cause them. Though most of the research on lateral violence has been conducted on female nurses, the population of male nurses is growing. Thus, the purpose of the study was to explore lateral violence in the workplace from the …

The Effects Of Attachment And Alliances Within The Family On Student/Teacher Relationships And Disruptive Behavior, Monika J. Mabe

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the effect that attachment status and negative alliances within the family has on disruptive behavior ratings and on the closeness or conflict a child feels with their teacher and the teacher’s subsequent ratings of the severity of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the impact attachment status, alliances within the family, and disruptive behavior had on the closeness or conflict a teacher felt with their student and the subsequent ratings of the child’s oppositional behavior.

Negative alliance in the family was not a strong predictor of a child’s disruptive behavior or Oppositional …

Person Factors Affecting Student Persistence In College Reading And Writing Remediation, Loretta J. Morris Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest college attrition rate among industrialized nations. Community college students face a much higher risk, particularly those who lack requisite reading/writing skills. Using the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between persistence in college for students in traditional or corequisite remediation. Person factors under study were frustration discomfort, academic motivation, and self-reported symptoms of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After 7 semesters, 72 adult student volunteers from the 2 remediation programs were recruited from 2 community colleges. They completed an online survey, which included a demographics questionnaire, the Frustration …

Post-Hurricane Sandy Coping Strategies And Resilience Factors Among People With Disabilities, Miriam Mukasa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People with disabilities are likely to experience difficulties overcoming the impact of natural disasters. Few scholars have focused on this population's ability to recover and handle stress following a natural disaster. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe coping strategies and resilience factors that people with physical or mental disabilities used in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Resilience theory was used as the theoretical framework. Through face-to-face interviews, 10 persons with disabilities shared their experiences of coping and resilience. A lens of interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify emergent themes related to persons with disabilities' …

Evaluating Feedback During The Step It Up! Game To Increase Physical Activity Exhibited By Elementary School Students During Recess, Carla Burji

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Children who are physically inactive are more likely to suffer numerous health complications such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The Good Behavior Game (GBG) has been identified as an effective method for decreasing inappropriate behaviors and increasing appropriate behaviors in a variety of settings; however, few studies have used the GBG to increase physical activity. Furthermore, no previous research has evaluated the effects of feedback while playing the GBG to increase physical activity. Some research suggests certain characteristics of feedback tend to produce consistent changes in behaviors such as providing feedback immediately and privately. The purpose of the current …

Visual Arts: Teaching Creativity From Within, Del Camara

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

In the ever-changing world of visual arts education, there is a gap in the literature about the incorporation of creativity, risk-taking, and play in the curriculum. The purpose of this study was to understand how high school visual arts educators teach visual arts and creativity in the age of digital media, including the practices art teachers use to engage their students in their development of art-making and ways teachers encourage students to take risks in art-making practices. Utilizing an arts-based research method focusing on four case studies in the Central Valley of California, this inquiry examined the way visual arts …

Teachers' And Students' Perspectives About Patterns Of Interaction, Ena Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social interaction is key to students' learning in blending learning discussions. Although there is research on interactions in online courses and traditional classes, there is little on whether blended learning discussions are meeting students' social interaction and educational development needs. The purpose of this multicase study was to examine attitudes of first-year and final-year business and technology students and faculty members for patterns of interaction and knowledge construction. The study was conducted in the northeastern United States. Piaget's cognitive constructivism, Vygotsky's social constructivism, and Knowles's andragogy constituted the conceptual framework. Using maximum variation sampling, participants were 8 students and 4 …

Understanding Social Workers' Roles Providing Case Management To Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees, Vontija Deeshawn Dean-El

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers often take on the role of providing case management to Medicaid recipients; however, there is little clinical research on social workers' perceptions of their case management role. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the social worker case management role by exploring social workers' perceptions of their roles when providing case management to Ohio Medicaid managed care enrollees. This action research study was grounded in organizational role theory. A semi structured focus group was facilitated using open-ended questions related to social workers' role perceptions, role conflict, role ambiguity, case management, and managed care. Qualitative …

Perceptions Of Court Appointed Special Advocates On Volunteer Turnover, Salwa Mohamed El Habib

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a high turnover rate among court-appointed special advocates (CASA) in the United States. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perception of the retention of CASA volunteers. Maslach'€™s burnout theory and Greene'€™s theory of resilience provided the framework for the study. A sample of9 active and 5 inactive CASA volunteers, one CASA volunteer recruiter, 3 program supervisors, and one administrator were interviewed. The data was organized and coded manually to facilitate auto-coding using qualitative data software. All responses to each question were compiled in one place allowing for thematic analysis based on the frequency …

Noise Pollution/Reduction Education For Frontline Staff In The Acute Care Setting, Lopa Patel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Noise levels in hospital settings have risen beyond the recommended range of 35-40 decibels, resulting in poor patient healing outcomes and other health conditions ranging from sleep deprivation, anxiety, agitation, delirium, depression, and high heart rate and blood pressure. These negative patient health experiences are evidenced by poor scores for the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, which are indicators of patients' perceptions of care. This project explored whether an educational activity for 48 direct care staff, who include registered nurses and nursing assistants, in a cardiac unit on the impact of noise pollution on patient healing would …

Teachers' And Principals' Perceptions Of Antibullying Programs In A U.S. Middle School, Nneka Uzoma

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School bullying has become a serious issue in U.S. schools, with children being harassed, hurt, and even killed or driven to suicide or homicide as a result of being bullied. Bullying in schools has persisted despite the various intervention measures taken to curtail the phenomenon. The purpose of this phenomenological exploration was to explore how teachers and principals at a U.S. middle school perceive the school's existing bullying programs and elicit recommendations about how to improve the programs. The theoretical basis of this investigation was Bandura's social learning theory. Data were collected through interviews with 4 principles and 6 teachers. …

Secondary School Educators' Perspectives On Strategies To Support Acculturation Of Haitian Students, Brian Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adjusting socially and emotionally to a new cultural environment can be challenging for immigrants. Yet, the academic and behavioral performance of immigrant children can be enhanced when acculturative strategies are implemented in schools to address their unique cultural differences and needs. However, a scarcity of information exists pertaining to educational strategies to support acculturation of Haitian students, particularly those with disabilities. A qualitative case study was conducted to explore strategies that support acculturation of Haitian students with disabilities and the link between the use of acculturation strategies and student achievement from the perspectives of 3 regular education educators, 2 special …

Effectiveness Of Physiological Alarm Management Strategies To Prevent Alarm Fatigue, Amy Clemens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited clinical research on the effectiveness of alarm management strategies and nursing behaviors related to alarms in clinical settings. As many as 76% of physiological monitor alarms are overlooked as clinically insignificant by nursing staff. Excessive alarms may impact patient outcomes and cause cognitive overload for nurses that can result in medical errors and missed patient resuscitations. The purpose of this systematic review was to rate alarm management studies on level of evidence for interventions, nursing responses to alarms, and impact on alarm fatigue behavior. The nursing role effectiveness model guided this project. Twenty-seven studies were reviewed to …

Building A Compassion Fatigue Toolkit, Stephanie C. Correa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion is an important tenet of nursing care delivery. When compassion is compromised, such as with compassion fatigue (CF), not only is patient care compromised, but also caregivers can be physically and psychologically affected, resulting in stress and burnout. The purpose of this project was to create a web-based educational toolkit focused on prevention of CF, establish the content validity of the elements in this toolkit, and make recommendations regarding its implementation and sustainability. Watson's theory of human caring guided this project. Ten experts with at least 10 years of experience and CF knowledge, a bachelor's degree in nursing, and …

Experiences Of Young Homeless Adults In Transitional Housing, Cornelia Edoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Homelessness continues to be a major and a comprehensive issue facing the United States, and it is a broad concern when it affects young adults. Research on the way individuals who are homeless perceive shelters, transitional programs, and housing program in general has been limited. Transitional living programs deliver critically needed temporary services for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations and provide them with the skills and the experiences needed to become independent. The study used a phenomenological design to explore the experiences of young homeless adults who are using transitional housing. The findings of this study may help young adults to …

Mentoring And Retention Of First Year College Students At Brown Community College, Valrey Dawn Francis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retention of first year college students has been problematic in many U.S. colleges, and different mentoring frameworks have been explored to help resolve the issue. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine how the mentoring program at Brown Community College (BCC; pseudonym) positively increased retention of first year college students. BCC is a community college located in a metropolitan urban area in a southern state. Tinto's model of social integration and academic success was used to undergird the study. Research questions were developed to understand how BCC's mentoring program was supporting first year students' retention and …

Relationship Of Years Of Experience To Aggression, Empathy, And Alcohol Intake Among Attorneys, Ashley Frantz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attorneys are at an increased risk of negative psychological and physical effects due to stressors in their careers. The purpose of this study was to identify if sex crime attorneys and homicide attorneys identify with significant psychological changes throughout their careers. The framework for this study was theoretical in nature and utilized the social cognitive processing theory. This quantitative study (N = 28) included the use of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and the Multi-Dimensional Emotional Empathy Scale. A minimal significance was found correlating a decrease in aggression to years of experience as an attorney. …

Self-Injurious Behavior And Social Media Use By Adolescents, Victoria Lynn Fye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a surprising dearth of research related to the phenomenon of self-injurious behavior/nonsuicidal self-injury (SIB/NSSI), such as cutting. Research conducted on SIB has revealed that this maladaptive behavior is more common among adolescents than other populations. The act of posting SIB on social media deserves research attention, as it seems to contradict what had previously been considered a very private behavior. The goal of this qualitative case study was to better understand why adolescents engage in SIB as well as investigate why they post these behaviors on social media. Merton's theory of social strain and anomie, which focuses on …

Guardians' Experiences With Mental Health Care For Adolescents With Pediatric Bipolar Disorder, Saudia Y. George

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is a growing public health problem in the United States, especially among adolescent children. Despite awareness of the diagnosis and the effects that it has on the child, little attention has been given to the effects that PBD has on the guardian. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the factors influencing guardians' experiences related to PBD. Penchansky and Thomas' Theory of Access and Family Systems Theory were used in this study to explore guardians lived experiences of PBD, its effects on the entire family system, and mental health service treatment. This approach …

Managerial Practices That Contribute To Mitigating Nursing Turnover Intentions, Marcy Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. health care industry incurs a high level of employee turnover year over year, which results in significant costs for organizations in the sector. Specific to the field of nursing, some pharmaceutical health care managers lack effective management strategies to successfully mitigate nursing turnover intentions to reduce organizational losses. The purpose of this single case study was to explore the strategies health care managers used to mitigate nursing turnover intentions. The conceptual framework was social exchange theory. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. The targeted population included 9 managers from a pharmaceutical company in the state of New Jersey …

African American Parents' Perceptions Of Childhood Obesity In Broward County, Kenol Aris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Children may become overweight or obese for different reasons, and childhood obesity may have health consequences such as Type 2 diabetes and asthma. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of African American parents of elementary-age children with obesity living in Broward County, Florida about the causes and consequences of childhood obesity. The health belief model (HBM) guided this study. Interview data were gathered from 9 participants who met the criteria of being African American parents of elementary-age children with obesity living in Broward County, Florida. Moustakas- steps to analyze the data collected led to …

Police Culture And Perceived Service Value: Officer Perspectives On Psychological Services Utilization, Kymberli Copeland Barker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a noted discrepancy between police psychological services offered and services utilized. It is important to understand reasons for underutilization when creating services for officers. The purpose of this study was providing empirical evidence from the officers-perspectives to answer this question. The conceptual foundation was officers may refuse participation due to police culture. The conceptual framework was represented in research questions focused on officers- perspectives regarding psychological services provided by psychologists without law enforcement (LE) experience. The participants were employed law enforcement officers (LEOs) from regions across the United States. Officer participation from all 50 states was targeted to …

Exploring Employee Engagement Strategies From The Employee Perspective: A Case Study, Harley R. Barmore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Small businesses, which are important to the success of local communities, continue to fail at a much higher rate than their larger counterparts. Employee disengagement contributes to small businesses failure and is often precipitated by a misalignment of leader intent and employee perception of engagement strategies. The purpose of this case study, grounded in prevailing engagement theories, was to explore the alignment of employee perceptions to leaders' engagement strategies. Research questions elicited employee perceptions of leader engagement strategies and how these perceptions influenced their attitudes toward work. Data were collected from employees and the owner of a small Midwestern, privately …

Demographic And Symptomology Differences Among Sexually Assaulted Children With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Kathleen Bethel-Pracht

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Trauma due to sexual assault becomes a life changing event during a child's critical developmental years. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory outlines the process of understanding an individual's environment and how disruptions in one level may affect other levels. This study determined if gender and ethnicity among sexually traumatized children diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) predict symptom severity as measured by the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) after controlling for the socioeconomic level and home environment. The population consisted of 126 children aged 8 through 16 with at least a second-grade reading level. Multiple regression examined whether male and …

Disruptive Innovation Within The Legal Services Ecosystem, Dr. Donald G. Billings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Most law firms have done little to address the opportunities and threats related to potentially disruptive technology (DT), such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that law firm leaders in the United States used to address the potentially detrimental influences of DT, such as AI and ML, on their organizations. The systems approach to management was employed as the conceptual framework. Data were collected from 6 participants at 2 international law firms with offices in California using semistructured interviews and organizational artifacts. Data were analyzed using Miles, …

Rational Choice Theory For Financial Strategy In Rural Michigan Community Colleges, Nicholas John Brege

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2011, drastic declines in tuition revenue for many rural community colleges have hindered institutional budgets and have been the primary driver for the financial strategy decisions made by college leaders. Recent declines in revenue for rural community colleges have created a constrained fiscal environment causing college leaders to increase focus on internal operations. The aim of this research was to expand the understanding of how management decisions influence tuition revenue when demand fluctuates. Data from multiple archival sources including several national and state statistical databases were used. This study used a multiple regression analysis to investigate the relationships between …

Parents' Knowledge Of Child-Passenger Safety And Child-Passenger Restraint Usage, Amanda Cadore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although occupant protection laws exist, limited research has been conducted on how current child passenger safety (CPS) issues and CPS marketing strategies relate to child passenger safety seat (CPSS) usage. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationship between parents' perception and knowledge of CPS issues and CPSS usage rates. The diffusion of innovation and the social marketing theories provided the frameworks for this study. The overall research question for the study examined the correlation between parents' knowledge of CPS issues and CPSS usage. Data (participants' surveys, car seat check-up information, and observational statistics) were collected from …