Digital Commons Network^™

African American High School Graduates’ Perceptions Of Their African American Principal’S Leadership, Patricia Mitchell Marzett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a need to increase high school graduation rates for African American students, decrease dropout rates, and narrow or close the achievement gap between African American students and White students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to determine the perceptions of African American students who graduated from high school regarding the leadership of their African American principal. Delgado and Stefancic’s critical race theory and Bass’s transformational leadership constitute the conceptual framework for this study. Nine participants who graduated from high schools led by an African American principal were interviewed, and transcripts were analyzed using in vivo coding. …

Sociopolitical Determinants Of Parental Acceptance Of Childhood Vaccination In Abuja, Nigeria, Lawrence Madu Ohammah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the efficacy of vaccines, some parents still reject vaccination of their children, resulting in low vaccination coverage, a greater burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and high infant mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sociopolitical determinants of vaccination status among children, aged 0-24 months, and identify the factors that drive vaccine hesitancy. The social ecological model served as the theoretical framework. The study research design was a quantitative cross-sectional survey. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data from parents and caregivers in 384 randomly selected households from 48 settlements in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Social Work Practice In Suffolk, Va., Porcha Lynn Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-known disorder that children are increasingly diagnosed with, but the school setting is still unprepared for this disorder. Research has also shown that there is still a need for school staff be more educated and trained on this disorder so that they can see how the environment, including the school setting, plays a significant role in increasing the symptoms including adding to the stigma. The gap in literature found that the social expectations that shape the school environment can create a challenge for children with an ADHD diagnosis and contribute to the stigma …

Strategies To Enhance Department Store Improvement Of Brand Marketing, Theodore Turner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, 46% of retail businesses fail to increase revenue due to ineffective marketing strategies. Retail business leaders who do not implement successful and viable strategies are at a high risk of failure. Grounded in Alderson and Cox’s marketing theory and Bastos and Levy’s marketing-driven branding functional standards, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies department store marketing managers use to improve brand marketing. The participants were 5 department store marketing managers in the Northeastern region of a metropolitan area in Virginia who improved the brand image of their retail stores. Data were …

Perceptions, Potholes, And Possibilities Of Using Digital Voice Assistants To Differentiate Instructions, Adrian A. Weir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Access to technologies and understanding the potential uses of technology to differentiate instruction have been a concern for the teachers and students in a local school district located in the southeastern United States. Despite the emergence of digital voice assistants (DVAs) as tools for instructions, teachers lack knowledge and strategies for using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify teacher knowledge and strategies employed among special education (SPED) teachers using DVAs to differentiate instruction in their classrooms. The concepts of Carol Tomlinson’s differentiation theory and Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework served …

Maternal Discrimination Stress And Negative Birth Outcomes Among Black Women, Quantrilla Y. Ard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black women are more than twice as likely as White women to experience losing their infants in the first year of life. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine relationships between maternal discriminatory stress and negative birth outcomes such as preterm delivery, low birth weight, very low birth weight, and infant death among Black women with varying levels of education. This study was grounded in critical race theory and Black feminist theory, positing that Black women are the sum of intersecting identities that shape their world view. A sample of 107 Black women were recruited by convenience and …

Compassion Fatigue And Police Use Of Force, Amanda K. Devan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Compassion fatigue is a natural response to caring, where burnout and exhaustion result from helping professions which includes police officers. Exposure to trauma and stress increases the risk of developing compassion fatigue in helper professions and may have negative implications on overall mental health and physical well-being. However, not much is known about the behavioral effects of compassion fatigue among police officers during use-of-force incidents. The purpose of this study was to examine whether compassion fatigue in police officers is predictive of use-of- force incidents. The theoretical foundation was Figley’s theory of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Survey data were …

The Impact Of Boko Haram Insurgency On The People Of Borno State, Chris Kaiser Granville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although researchers have examined the causes and impacts of terrorism in Nigeria, there is no known research on the impact of Boko Haram’s insurgency on the people of Borno State based on their lived experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the social, political, and economic consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency on the people of Borno State. The study’s theoretical framework was based on the relative deprivation theory; the theory was used to diagnose the problem of the Boko Haram insurgency and articulate possible alternative solutions. The central research question concerned the adverse effects of the …

Alternative Therapy For Veterans Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shannon Rae Hill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An increasing number of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has led to an increased demand for treatment within the Veteran Affairs health care system. Presently, veterans diagnosed with PTSD receive psychotropic medications and intermittent therapy sessions. Nurses are challenged to educate veterans about other health care issues based on verbalized side effects from prescribed PTSD medications limiting veterans’ ability to focus. Identifying alternative treatment options may improve treatment choices, reduce side effects, and promote positive outcomes for veterans with PTSD. This systematic review provided evidence-based practice information by addressing whether alternative therapy such as biofeedback would improve the …

Parental Perceptions Of Family Communication Within The Context Of Modern Technology, Litermin Joseph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increasing dependence or reliance on the usage of technology to connect with each other is influencing family communication today. Face-to-face family communication is becoming more and more devalued. Considering the value of family communication, parents should play the most important role of sustaining it to enhance family relationship. Using the family systems theory as a foundation, the purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand parental experiences concerning family communication within the context of modern technology. This study used purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews from 7 U.S. citizens, men and women aged 30-55, from St Lucie County, Florida. …

Sexual Consent Perceptions Of Child Sex Offenders Who Experienced Childhood Sexual Abuse, Traci Lordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sexual consent is the necessary and mutual permission of 2 parties to engage in age-appropriate sexual activity. Child sex offenders (CSOs) target children, an age group who is not legally or ethically permitted to engage in or provide consent to sex. Yet, CSOs overstep all sexual, consensual, and moral boundaries to commit a sexual offense against a child. In this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study, CSOs’ perceptions of sexual consent and the experiences of their own childhood sexual victimization shaped their conceptualizations of sexual consent were explored. The conceptual framework of implicit theory was used to gain the detailed and …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy’S Influence On Instructional Strategies, Dr. Lynn Marie Love-Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Urban high school literacy teachers are concerned with being prepared to teach incoming, culturally diverse ninth-grade students. More specifically, teachers have difficulty with implementing culturally responsive instructional strategies (CRIS) in urban high school literacy classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the challenges of using CRIS in urban high school literacy classrooms. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory was the conceptual framework that informed this study, suggesting that students learn, and teachers instruct based on social experiences in thinking and interpreting the world. The guiding research question was concerning how high school teachers apply CRIS to address the …

Strategies For Implementing E-Learning Solutions In Ghana’S Public Universities: A Delphi Study, Joyce Manu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of qualified university applicants are denied admission into mainstream public universities in Ghana each year mainly due to lack of physical space on campuses, but e-learning has been identified as a way of increasing admissions. However, there have been no strategies for implementing solutions to e-learning, and so this study was conducted to identify these strategies. The conceptual framework comprised of status quo bias, culture, and resistance to change. A qualitative modified Delphi approach was used for the study with three rounds of surveys. The 11 panelists were administrators and/or professors who had been in their positions for 2 …

Design Strategies For User Interfaces In Virtual Reality Environments, Jennifer Maple

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The virtual reality market is rapidly increasing and is projected to drastically expand soon as more head-mounted displays are released to customers. These changes have made it more critical that organizations have adequate user interface strategies. Yet there is still a lack of research on how to design quality virtual reality user interfaces that result in positive user experiences. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to identify design strategies software developers use to create user interfaces for virtual reality environments. Constructionist and constructivist theories served as the conceptual frameworks. The participants consisted of 6 developers from 3 different …

Effective Strategies Nonprofit U.S. Leaders Use To Assess And Mitigate Occupational Fraud, Fahim Mazumdar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud can negatively impact nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizational leaders in the United States who lack the strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud are at high risk of incurring loss due to fraud. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud triangle theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies nonprofit officers use to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in a nonprofit organization. The participants comprised 2 internal auditors in the northeast region of the United States who effectively used strategies to assess and mitigate occupational fraud in the …

Political Spectacle And Twitter Usage By 2016 U.S. Presidential Candidates: A Content Analysis, Robert William Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Political polarization in the United States increased dramatically in the 21st Century and

the resulting partisan divisions impeded compromise necessary for effective governance. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to examine whether, and to what extent, Twitter usage by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump contributed to political polarization during the 2016 U.S. Presidential race. Political spectacle, developed by Murray Edelman, served as the conceptual framework. Political spectacle involved the creation of an alternative universe of facts and interpretations to isolate opponents. A qualitative case study research design was employed to explore the Twitter usage by Hillary Clinton …

Risk Perception Of Terrorism And Individual Preparedness In Thailand, Pinida Neenlapathna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since 2001, terrorist incidents in Thailand have caused more than 6,600 deaths and nearly 13,000 people have been injured. The Thai government has employed various counterterrorism measures, but there is little attention paid to terrorism awareness and preparedness. Following the tenets of social cognitive theory, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the predictive relationship between the risk perception of terrorism (i.e., perceived probability, perceived seriousness, perceived impact, perceived coping efficacy, perceived government preparedness, and perceived frontline responder preparedness) and individual preparedness among Thai people. The study was conducted with a convenience sample of 327 Thai adults who …

Association Of Working Therapeutic Alliance And Psychopathy In Civilly-Confined Sex Offenders, Kearie Ann Newman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the past decade, researchers have focused attention on the therapeutic alliance (TA) and its impact in treatment outcomes. The literature on TA has been focused primarily on its impact on the client’s participation, the accomplishment of goals, and treatment completion. However, very little of this research includes individuals who have psychopathy. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative survey study was to explore the relation between the level of psychopathy (high versus low) and TA ratings of 16 therapists and 64 clients in the population of convicted civilly-confined male sex offenders. Bordin’s theory grounded the study. Data were gathered from …

Sanctuary: Understanding Immigrant Victimization Reporting, Jonathan Joseph Niksarian

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the criminal justice system, the victim possesses the power to determine if crime goes unreported. The problem addressed by this study is if sanctuary type policies have an effect on victimization reporting by immigrants. The theoretical framework was based on Appleton-Dyer and Field’s interpretation of social exclusion theory. The key research question was focused on the perception of legal aid providers’ perception of immigrants’ victimization reporting determination. This qualitative phenomenological study included interviews with 4 legal aid providers who worked for an organization designed to serve victimized immigrants seeking relief. The data were coded and analyzed manually. Findings revealed …

Impact Of Kenya’S Public Debt On Economic Stability, Liston Willy N. Njoroge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Kenya’s public debt has grown rapidly, precipitating debate on its impact on economic performance and causing public anxiety. The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to investigate the long run and causal relationship between Kenya’s public debt and economic growth. Keynesian theory, Ricardian equivalence theory, and neoclassical theory provided the framework for the study. Research Questions 1 and 2 addressed the causal relationship between public debt and select covariates as independent variables and real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate as the dependent variable. Research Question 3 addressed the relationship between primary budget balance and public debt. …

Exploring Gender Dysphoria Among Active-Duty Transgender Service Members In A Right-To-Serve-Openly Military, Ralph Ogburn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. Department of Defense’s June 2016 directive-type memorandum 16-005 permitting transgender service members to serve openly in the U.S. military disqualifies transgender personnel with a history of gender dysphoria from serving in the military unless a licensed medical doctor certifies that they have been free from significant distress for 18 months. Research has illuminated the prevalence of gender dysphoria among military veteran transgender members due to their military experiences, but not in active-duty military. Informed by role theory and minority stress theory, the purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis study was to explore role conflict and stress in the …

Adult Attachment For African American Women Who Have Mothers With Borderline Personality Disorder, Elizabeth Uchechi Onyeali

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects that borderline personality disorder (BPD) can have on the loved ones of those who suffer from the mental illness is significant and can be deleterious and enduring. Maternal BPD can adversely impact mother-daughter relationships by fostering abnormal connections and insecure attachment bonds. This is particularly the case for African American mothers, of whom research suggests that the early attachment bond between them and their daughters significantly shapes how their daughters behave, perceive themselves, and relate to others. The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how the experiences of being raised by a mother diagnosed …

Program Evaluation Of A Black Barbershop Health Outreach Campaign, Berkina Denise Porter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Black-owned barbershops in the Black community lack barber administered interventions to provide education and health screenings to Black men. Increasing knowledge of health assessments in a black barbershop setting increases the number of health screenings and preventative care among Black men. Grounded in general systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative summative program evaluation was to explore the extent to which a nonprofit Black barbershop health program aligns with the Health Research (HR) program objectives. The evaluation was performed for a nonprofit organization located in Maryland, 6 years after the organization implemented the HR Program Network of barbers and salon …

Predictors Of Condom Use Among High School Students In North Carolina, Danielle Cierra Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The spread of sexually transmitted diseases is a major ongoing public health issue in North Carolina. Adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 years have consistently contributed to this trend. Researchers have found that condom use among high school students has decreased. High school students continue to engage in sex with multiple partners, with lack of knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, even though sex education and prevention programs have been recommended. The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the predictors of condom use among adolescents. The socioecological model theoretical framework was applied to guide this research involving …

Optimizing Body-Worn Camera Usage For Desired Outcomes And Solutions, Andre Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Body-worn camera (BWC) use in the application of the law enforcement function has become a novelty during the last few years in the United States. BWCs are being implemented in localities without adequate research about community perceptions. Moreover, very few studies have been conducted about the perceptions of community members in a particular area about these devices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to better understand the perceptions and beliefs of community members from different backgrounds about BWCs. The research questions entailed learning about current perceptions regarding BWCs and how these devices impact trust, safety, and accountability. Social …

Reducing Payment-Card Fraud, Chares R. Ross

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Critical public data in the United States are vulnerable to theft, creating severe financial and legal implications for payment-card acceptors. When security analysts and managers who work for payment card processing organizations implement strategies to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud, they protect their organizations, consumers, and the local and national economy. Grounded in Cressey’s fraud theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies business owners and card processors use to reduce or eliminate payment-card fraud. The participants were 3 data security analysts and 1 manager working for an international payment card processing organization with 10 …

Exploring Trust In Cloud Computing For A Governmental Organization In Ethiopia: A Case Study, Estifanos Abebe Seyoum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizations face a rapidly changing environment that forces them to seek high computing power. The problem was how to overcome factors that cause managers at governmental organizations in Ethiopia to be reluctant to trust cloud computing, while some managers overcame this lack of trust. The purpose of this qualitative, single case study was to provide a deeper understanding of how a governmental organization in Ethiopia overcame the factors that adversely influenced managers of other organizations to the extent that they distrusted and decided against adopting cloud computing. The population for this study was comprised of 12 managers from a governmental …

Stress And Coping Methods In Law Enforcement Personnel, Brandon M. Sheard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A notable problem exists within law enforcement due to the lack of mental health assistance offered for police officers, as well as little to no literature available pertaining to officers in law enforcement who may have mental health issues. Without proper coping methods, there is a higher possibility of suicide among police officers. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate why officers were choosing to not seek mental and behavioral health assistance, as well as determine factors that could both prevent as well as encourage officers to seek mental health assistance if needed. Grounded in the …

The Experiences Of Noncustodial Fathers Enrolled In The Georgia Fatherhood Program, Patricia Ann Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal child support program was designed in the United States in 1975 to reduce the amount of public assistance that is needed by collecting child support from noncustodial fathers. Due to financial barriers, many noncustodial fathers face challenges in paying their child support consistently. Noncustodial fathers are referred to Fatherhood Programs when they are delinquent in paying their child support. While extensive research was conducted on the impact of child support delinquency on families, very little focus has been placed on the challenges that noncustodial fathers face when attempting to complete Fatherhood Programs. The purpose of this generic qualitative …

Food Advertisements And Access To Primary Care And The Impact On Family Food Decisions Made By Women, Linda Soriano-Copelin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women are responsible for preparing family meals in 71% of American households. The meal choices that women make has an impact on lifestyle choices for themselves and their family. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the extent to which food advertisements and access to primary care influence a woman’s food-making choices. The first question focused on how exposure to food advertisements on television may impact the food choices of women. The second question asked how food advertisements affect women’s eating habits. The third question asked how access to primary care impacts food decisions. The theoretical framework integrated the …