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Efficacy Of Preventions And Interventions For At-Risk Students In Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs, Helga Venus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students, who are repeatedly referred to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), are at risk for future school dropout and for feeding the pipeline from schools to prison. In the United States, this is true especially for minority students, and regardless of referral reasons or intervention efforts. The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to examine attitudes of DAEP students and teachers regarding the influence of mandatory versus discretionary referrals, frequency and duration of referrals, and punitive versus creative interventions on positive behavioral outcomes. Data for the quantitative phase were collected via an online survey from public high …

Financial Advisor Retention Strategies, Anthony Latere Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective retention strategies can negatively impact business productivity and profitability. Financial advisor managers who struggle to maintain productivity and profitability because of ineffective retention strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies successful financial advisor managers used to retain financial advisor employees and maximize productivity and profitability. The participants comprised 5 financial advisor managers from 5 different financial service firms in Houston who effectively used retention strategies to maximize productivity and profitability. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and company website documents. Yin's …

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, Zero-Tolerance Discipline, And The School-To-Prison Pipeline, Lois V. Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Zero-tolerance discipline policies led to the introduction of police on school campuses and has resulted in a disproportionate number of in-school arrests and referrals of Black middle-school students, subjecting them to the school-to-prison pipeline. An abundance of data suggest the negative effects of zero tolerance; however, less is known regarding alternative evidence-based strategies such as the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Grounded in stage environment fit and labeling theoretical frameworks, the purpose of this study was to examine if JDAI status (pre-JDAI and post-JDAI) could predict arrests and referrals, while controlling for race, gender, and age. Secondary data were collected …

Effectiveness Of Ilearn As A Formative Assessment Tool In Title I Middle Grade Mathematics, Christopher George Atkinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Because students in two Georgia middle schools, Grades 6 through 8, performed poorly in standardized mathematics testing during the 2016-17 school term, the district sought improvements by using the computer-assisted formative assessment tool iLearn. The purpose of this quantitative project study was to determine whether the use of iLearn predicted increased mathematics achievement and to support professional development sessions for teachers to improve their pedagogy. With the theoretical framework of mastery learning theory, the study addressed the effectiveness of iLearn as a formative assessment tool, hypothesizing a positive relationship between iLearn and end-of-grade (EOG) assessment scores; a moderating effect of …

Promoting New Graduate Registered Nurse Retention Through A Staff Preceptorship Program, Sheba Saelee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The transition from classroom to the clinical setting is challenging for most new graduate nurses (NGRNs). They often report being unprepared and lack confidence in their skills. Preceptors play a significant role in the success of the NGRNs and overall quality of care provided on the floor. However, the training they are provided is lacking. Preceptors tend to view their role as a daunting task and an assigned burden. The purpose of this project was to implement a NGRN preceptor training program. The practice focused question explored if a preceptor education program in a long-term acute care hospital increased the …

Tupumenu Women’S Persistence In Namibia's National Adult Literacy Program, Mathilde Shihako

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Ministry of Education implemented the Namibia National Adult Literacy Program (NNALP) in 1992 to provide adults with the skills necessary for earning a living through employment or self-employment in Namibia’s modern economy. There has been growing concern that women in Namibia’s Tupumenu district were dropping out of the otherwise successful national literacy program. The study investigated how NNALP alumni overcame such barriers as of lack of time, husband refusing to allow their wives to work outside the home, and the death of male breadwinners to avoid dropping out of the program. A qualitative phenomenological research design drew data from …

Employee Retention Strategies In U.S. College And Universities, Michael Louis Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee turnover in U.S. colleges and universities negatively affects productivity, resources, employee morale, and job satisfaction. The failure of U.S. colleges and universities’ leaders to retain a viable and productive workforce negatively affects students’ educational success and learning opportunities. Grounded in the motivation-hygiene theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies college and university leaders used to retain employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 5 university leaders in 5 higher-education institutions in the Midwest region of the United States, and a review of publicly available organizational documents and university websites. Data were analyzed …

Jaquan's Seat At The Table: Breaking Down The Barriers To Academic Success, Dianne F. Small-Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American boys who graduate from high school and college increase their chances of success in society and greatly decrease their chances of being incarcerated. The gap in academic proficiency for African Americans is concerning due to low graduation rates and high school dropout risks when compared to boys of other ethnicities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions and to gain insight into the causes of the poor performances leading to the academic achievement gap of high school African American boys. The policy feedback theory and ecological model theory were used to determine what …

Postpartum Depression Education And Screening In A Hospital Setting, Amanda Snyder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is estimated that 24.3% of women in Florida who have recently given birth experience postpartum depression (PPD), which approximates the national percentage. Perinatal nurses are often not provided specific education relating to PPD nor provided reliable methods to screen patients in the hospital setting. The focus of this project was to increase the number of mothers identified as needing follow-up for PPD by formally educating perinatal staff members on the signs and symptoms of depression, while including validated methods of screening patients compared to the current practice of general assessment and verbal interviewing. The approach was supportive of the …

Relationship Between Computer-Assisted Instruction And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Kelly Denise Speed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies indicated that computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is a valuable educational tool at all school levels. However, in a school district located in northern New Jersey, educators do not know which aspect of student engagement in CAI is relevant for students’ reading achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine which aspect of the students’ engagement in CAI improved reading achievement of 4th- and 5th-grade students. This study was guided by the engagement theory because it is an adequate framework for technology-based instruction and learning. Student engagement was operationalized as “time on task’, ‘number of CAI assignments’, and ‘average …

Perceptions Of Urban School Principals On Urban Teacher Retention, Latonya Stredic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have indicated that principals can play a crucial role in motivating teachers to stay or leave. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of principals who work in urban schools as related to overcoming the high attrition of teachers in their schools. Using transformational leadership theory as a framework to address research questions, data were collected from semistructured interviews with 12 principals. Using a 7-question interview protocol, this study sought perspectives on the causality of urban teachers’ attrition, including leadership practices that help with hiring, sustaining, and retaining teachers on urban school campuses. Interviews were …

Mental Health Professional Perceptions Of Barriers To Fidelity For Empirically- Supported Treatments, Chris Streidl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It is estimated that one in five adults in the United State of America experience mental illness in a given year. When mental health organizations implement empirically-supported treatments but fail to maintain them, it can result in individuals not being provided the services that they need. The purpose of this study was to identify perceived barriers to maintaining fidelity for empirically-supported mental health treatments. The study utilized a quantitative cross-sectional correlational research design (N = 154) and the Perception of Barriers Scale (PBS) was developed to measure perceived barriers to maintaining fidelity for empirically-supported treatments. Bandura’s social cognitive theory as …

Exploring Teacher Confidence Using Behavioral Interventions In The Classroom, Etoile Denise Swift

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The original purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative quasi-experimental study to compare a treatment group of teachers with training in the cognitive behavioral ABC model to a control group and examine differences in the average count of referrals to school counselors for students who exhibited disruptive behaviors. However, due to lack of participation, this study examined teacher perceptions of their confidence to use behavioral interventions with students who are disruptive in the classroom and the relationship to the number of referrals teachers made to the school counselor. This study included 99 teachers from pre-K through 12th grade …

Effect Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports On Middle School Students’ Discipline, Ricky Lamont Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has documented that a pervasive problem affecting today’s schools is disruptive student behavior and the long-term, negative outcomes associated with the use of out-of-school suspensions (OSS) to address it. The program, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), was implemented in a local middle school with a diverse student population at which there was a history of student discipline problems in an effort to improve student behavior and reduce discipline referrals. Guided by Skinner’s theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect that PBIS had on the following discipline-related variables: number of office discipline …

Diversity Gap In Healthcare Leadership, Percival Vera

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The rapid change of the U.S. population has prompted many organizations in both the private and public sectors to adjust their C-Suite leadership to reflect the population that they serve. Unfortunately, healthcare seems to be the exception to this. Several studies have been done to explore the issue of diversity in general; however, limited research has been done to address the diversity gap in the U.S. Healthcare System C-Suite. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore the reasons behind the lack of diversity in the U.S. Healthcare C-Suite. The C-Suite is defined as the group of executives …

African American Men's Perceptions Of Colorism, Naeemah A. Young-Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorism bias related to skin complexion is a persistent phenomenon within the African American community and often shapes the family dynamics and results in noteworthy adverse psychosocial impacts for African Americans. Researchers have examined colorism or the preference for lighter skin over darker skin primarily as it pertained to women, but little research existed regarding men. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American men with respect to their attitudes toward skin complexion and how those attitudes inform their dating habits and self-esteem. Understanding how this group of men managed living this phenomenon …

Funding Impacts On Existing Social Workers Providing Services To African American Battered Women, Dalicia Victorica Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social workers who work in domestic violence shelters have many different impacts that can affect their ability to provide services to battered women. Research is lacking on how funding impacts the abilities of existing social workers to provide services to African American battered women who are at domestic violence shelters in Columbia, South Carolina. The purpose of this study was to examine how a lack of funding impacts the abilities of existing social workers who work at domestic violence shelters to provide services to African American battered women. Conflict theory was used to gain an understanding of how funding issues …

An Educational Activity For Primary Care Providers Treating Older Veterans With Sexually Transmitted Infections, Beatrice Fannie Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractComprehensive sex education is an effective method of promoting sexual health. Because primary care providers conduct the initial health need assessment of veterans, it is important that providers understand how to approach the subject of sexual health and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to implement and evaluate an educational activity for primary care providers. The health belief model was used as theoretical framework. This project was introduced to a federal primary care clinic in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Twenty-five participants completed a pretest prior to the start of the educational activity that …

Instructors’ Perceptions Of Epistemological Development And Transformative Learning In Online Adult Undergraduate Students, Sydney Parent Rombola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Though distance higher education instructors may attempt to facilitate meaningful learning in their adult undergraduate students, their efforts are unaddressed in the literature. This study addressed the perceptions, experiences, and intentional practices of distance higher education instructors in facilitating and observing epistemological development and transformative learning within distance higher education adult undergraduate students. Constructivist views on epistemological development theory and on transformative learning theory formed the conceptual framework. The guiding research questions addressed ways that distance higher education instructors intentionally support epistemological development and transformative learning in their adult undergraduate students and best practices for doing so. Data were collected …

Effects Of A Blended Basic Telemetry Course On The Telemetry Reading Proficiency Of Newly Licensed Registered Nurses, Joan Yankalunas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telemetry interpretation is a common skill required by registered nurses (RNs) to take care of patients in an acute care setting. Telemetry education guidelines are needed because there are no established standards for the amount, type, or scope of education needed for RNs who take care of patients on continuous telemetry monitoring. The purpose of this retrospective analysis design study, guided by Benner’s skill acquisition model and Kirkpatrick’s learning outcomes measurement theory, was to (a) determine the effect of a blended telemetry course, which is a combination of eLearning and an instructor-led class, on the telemetry reading proficiency of RNs …

Teachers’ Perspectives On Positive Behavior Intervention And Support In The Classroom, Corlett Pinnock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) is a data-driven approach to promoting productive student behaviors and learning. A key facet of sustainable success when using PBIS is evaluation. More insight is needed on the perspectives that teachers have about PBIS and as well as details about whether and why it is accepted. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perceptions of teachers at 3 high schools in Western Jamaica as it relates to a PBIS pilot program. Twenty-six teachers from 3 schools in Region 4 in Jamaica were interviewed with the aim of understanding how teachers received …

Age Differences In Effect Of Collaboration Of Care Activities On Student Behaviors, Ronda Lynn Stevens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over 18 million children in the US have mental health problems and 70% receive the care in the education sector. The Collaboration of Care (CoC) approach is widely used to address these needs. However, the body of knowledge to date does not focus on relationships between the use of a CoC in a school environment nor examines school-based outcomes. This study examined a specific CoC, called the Collaboration of Services for Youth (COSY), to see if there was a positive association between participation in COSY and changes in attendance, behavior, and academic performance among 52 public-school students, ages 5-16, and …

Charter School And Traditional Public-School Performance Scores In Washington, D.C., Nelita J. Tribble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student performance data reporting between traditional public schools (TPS) and public charter schools (PCS) is not uniform and cannot easily be compared by enrolling parents. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if achievement scores of students in TPS and PCS can be used to uniformly compare student performance. The theoretical base for this study was contingency theory by Fiedler. The research question sought to answer if academic outcomes in TPS were statistically significantly different from PCS in English/ Language Arts for Elementary school students. This descriptive study used English/ Language Arts performance scores based on the Partnership …

Electronics And Computer Sales: Brick-And-Mortar Retail Strategies To Increase Revenue, Thomas Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The growth of online retailing threatens brick-and-mortar retail revenues. Brick-and-mortar retail leaders who fail to increase revenues risk insolvency. Grounded in the theory of change, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore effective strategies electronics and computer brick-and-mortar retail leaders use to increase revenue in response to competition from online retailers. The participants comprised 6 electronics and computer brick-and-mortar electronics retail store leaders in San Diego, California, who effectively used strategies to increase revenues. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, company information, financial data, and web site documentation. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the …

A Systematic Review Of The Literature On Bedside Shift Reports, Dana Wickersheim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn 2017, The Joint Commission issued a sentinel event alert regarding inadequate nurse hand-off communication. Inadequate hand-off communication can lead to medication errors, delay in treatment, falls, and wrong-site surgery. To help ensure safe handoff of care between nurses by involving the patient and family, bedside shift report was created. Bedside shift report was developed to help improve patient safety and quality, patient experience of care, nursing staff satisfaction and time management, and accountability between nurses. Despite the implementation of bedside shift report in nursing practice, it continues to be inconsistently applied, which poses risks to patients and can lead …

Identity Negotiation In Multilingual Contexts: A Narrative Inquiry Into Experiences Of An African Immigrant High School Student, Lydiah Kananu Kiramba, James Oloo

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Background/Context: Inclusion of African immigrant youth voices in educational and research discourses remains rare despite the steady growth of this population in the United States over the past four decades. Consequently, the multilingual abilities of these youth remain typically unnoticed or ignored in the classroom, and little is specifically known about their histories, cultures, expectations, and achievements.

Purpose: Using the narrative inquiry approach and the Natural, Institutional, Discursive, Affinity, Learner, and Solidarity (NIDALS) theoretical lens, we explore the lived experiences of one African immigrant high school student in the midwestern United States.

Research Design: Using narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, …

Improving The Patient Experience With Communication, Pauline Adora Salmon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A quality patient experience is one of the highest priorities for hospitals as patients and families are looking to healthcare providers to meet their demands for quality service. The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measures the extent to which providers effectively communicate pertinent information such as communication about medications. On a 20-bed intermediate care unit, the HCAHPS item scores relating to nurse communication and communication about medicine were inconsistent and, on most occasions, were below the comparison benchmark of the 50th percentile when compared to other like hospitals. The purpose of this quality improvement project …

Probation And Parole Officers’ Experiences Addressing Criminogenic Needs Of Adult Felony Offenders, Maria L. Stephenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Probation and parole officers (PPOs) deviate from evidence-based practices implemented to reduce recidivism among adult felony offenders. PPOs fail to adhere to risk-need assessment results during case management, but prior research has not established the reasons for this deviation. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of PPOs implementing the risk needs responsivity (RNR) model by addressing the criminogenic needs of adult felony offenders. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Lipsky’s street-level bureaucracy theory, Becker’s labeling theory, and Andrews and Bonta’s RNR theory. This study involved in-depth, individual, semistructured interviews with 6 participants. The data were …

Content Area Teachers’ Perspectives And Practices In Reading Instruction In Grades 9-12, Nedgra Abbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A rural school district identified a problem among high school content classrooms of insufficient attention to instruction aimed at enabling students to comprehend content area text material. Concerns about attention to reading instruction in content classrooms are also evident on the national level. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perspectives and reading instructional practices of secondary content area teachers in math, science, and history. The conceptual framework of self-efficacy guided the study, as the perspectives of the teachers revealed what motivated them to move beyond their pedagogical comfort zone to meet the needs all students. …

Obesity, Physical Activity, And The Place Of Residence Among Latinos, Chanda Mcneal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is one of the most costly chronic, but preventable, diseases that has increased in prevalence in the United States. Obesity is known to be related to a lack of physical activity and the conditions in which people are born and live. Although adult Latino men and women have the second highest obesity rate in the United States, researchers have not explored place of residence as a factor in understanding Latinos’ health status. Therefore, the purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between obesity and Latinos’ place of residence and physical activity, and …