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2023

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Practice Size And Geographical Location And Annual Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Scores In Dermatology, Issam H. Harmouch Jan 2023

Practice Size And Geographical Location And Annual Merit-Based Incentive Payment System Scores In Dermatology, Issam H. Harmouch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the transition to value-based care in the healthcare industry using the Merit-Based Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS), small and rural physician practices still score in the poor category annually. These poor performances negatively impact funding for staffing and service availability; further, little research has focused on the factors behind these poor performance scores. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between practice size and organization geographical location on annual MIPS scores among dermatologists in the South-Central United States. The Donabedian model was used as the theoretical framework for this study that focused on the three qualities of …

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The Relationship Between College Credits Earned In A Community College Dual Enrollment Program And First-Year Grade Point Average, Johnesa Hodge Jan 2023

The Relationship Between College Credits Earned In A Community College Dual Enrollment Program And First-Year Grade Point Average, Johnesa Hodge

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased number of college credits earned in dual enrollment programs initiated concern by educators, researchers, and policymakers regarding college readiness. However, data are scarce and inconsistent across governing states and community colleges to measure college readiness and dual enrollment’s effectiveness. The purpose of this quantitative study examined early college credits earned in general education, career and technical education, college orientation disciplines, and first-year grade point average (GPA) to measure college readiness. Conley’s key dimensions of college and career readiness model grounded the study. Archival transcript data were collected from a Michigan community college for 524 former dual enrollment students. …

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The Social Construction Of Performance Enhancing Steroid Policies And Their Impact On U.S. Army Service Members, Trevor Scott Jackson Jan 2023

The Social Construction Of Performance Enhancing Steroid Policies And Their Impact On U.S. Army Service Members, Trevor Scott Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States military has seen a continued rise in the use of illicit performance enhancing substances, particularly androgenic-anabolic steroids (AAS), by service members in highly demanding occupational specialties. Despite these rising trends, there remains a lack of understanding of how U.S. Army substance abuse policy impacts service members’ motivations to use banned performance enhancing drugs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the motivations of service members who use performance enhancing AAS, as well as the impacts of substance abuse policies on those individuals. This study’s questions asked how social constructs and Army policy impacted service …

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The Linear Evolution Of Local Emergency Management Training In Response To Domestic Terrorism, Jeffrey Januchowski Jan 2023

The Linear Evolution Of Local Emergency Management Training In Response To Domestic Terrorism, Jeffrey Januchowski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis paper presents a research study in the field of emergency management. The study aims to identify training or educational needs for the emergency manager at the local level of government to effectively handle disasters. The study uses phenomenon theory with semi-structured interviews that gather data from emergency managers that have experience with major disasters and training requirements. Participants were experts in the emergency management profession with the ability to speak appropriately about the phenomenon. Research questions identified the training methods that produce the best results along with the specific hazards emergency managers may encounter. The research design used questionnaires …

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Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings Jan 2023

Help-Seeking Behaviors And Employment Hope Among Depressed Black Male Foster Care Alumni, Vanessa Jennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traumatic depression is a system of experiences where the mind, heart, and gut track happenings lingering among systemic models of prevention and intervention and personal stories. This nonexperimental correlational study aimed to provide insights into mental help-seeking and employment hope among depressed Black/African American foster care male alums. The central research question was to what degree, if any, a positive relationship exists between employment hope and seeking access to mental health-related services among male foster care alums who identify with depression. It was hypothesized that a statistically significant relationship exists. The social cognitive career theory and theory of planned behavior …

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Occupational Risk Perceptions Among Foreign-Born Construction Workers In Central Florida, Matthew Edison Law Jan 2023

Occupational Risk Perceptions Among Foreign-Born Construction Workers In Central Florida, Matthew Edison Law

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic and Latino foreign-born construction workers in the United States experience higher rates of serious injuries and fatalities in the workplace than their native-born peers. Previous research has pointed to specific vulnerabilities among this population, including birthplace, age of the worker, language barriers, and education level, but little to no research has examined addressable risk factors, such as occupational risk perceptions, among this population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the relationship between birthplace, number of years working in the United States, and occupational risk perceptions while controlling for age of the worker, language barriers, and education …

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Relationships Between Stress, Family Support, And Resources Among Custodial Grandparents In Appalachia, Yvonne Sherii Lee Jan 2023

Relationships Between Stress, Family Support, And Resources Among Custodial Grandparents In Appalachia, Yvonne Sherii Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Appalachian region has experienced a substantial increase in the number of grandparent-headed households providing care to grandchildren. Custodial parenting is not a typical responsibility for many grandparents and can be challenging. The specific problem addressed in this research study was the high level of stress experienced by many custodial grandparents. The theoretical foundation of the current study was based on Selye’s stress theory, which was introduced in 1936 and examined biological stress that he referred to as “the syndrome of being sick.” The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, and correlational study was to examine the predictive relationship that custodial …

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Mental Health Treatment And The Criminal Justice System, Susana Lehan-Trasente Jan 2023

Mental Health Treatment And The Criminal Justice System, Susana Lehan-Trasente

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The criminal justice system has established interventions for those who have mental illness and have been charged with criminal complaints. In New York State, the Mental Health Court has been established to address these issues and is to be used by all counties. However, the treatment and probation interventions vary from county to county. Saratoga County uses a Single Point of Access (SPOA) which receives referrals from the general court and probation officers. SPOA refers clients to a variety of treatment interventions available in the county. In Monroe County, the Mental Health Court refers the criminally involved/mentally ill individual to …

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Stories Of Licensed Counseling Supervisors Who Identify As Wounded Healers, Carolyn Litteral Jan 2023

Stories Of Licensed Counseling Supervisors Who Identify As Wounded Healers, Carolyn Litteral

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although a large percentage of counselors who are wounded healers eventually become clinical counseling supervisors, little is known about the effects on clinical supervision. Counseling supervisors have the responsibility of gatekeeping, managing client care, and modeling counseling for counselors-in-training; the process is likely affected by woundedness as is the counseling process. The purpose of the current qualitative narrative study was to identify the stories of wounded healers as clinical counseling supervisors to recognize how supervision is affected and influenced by being a wounded healer. The data were analyzed using the theoretical lens of existentialism and the conceptual framework of the …

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Puerto Rican Retired Teachers’ Perceptions About Their Financial Sufficiency, Rossana López León Jan 2023

Puerto Rican Retired Teachers’ Perceptions About Their Financial Sufficiency, Rossana López León

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Puerto Rico, the Teachers’ Retirement System, which has a membership of around 36,000 retired public-school teachers, is currently facing major restructuring and budget cuts, as part of a larger restructuring of all government agencies to meet the economic emergency they were facing. The recent retirement system reforms were focused mainly on cutting benefits, such as medications, Christmas and summer bonuses, and the cost-of-living adjustment. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of retired teachers regarding their financial sufficiency, and to identify their attitudes, beliefs, and opinions/feelings in light of their socioeconomic profile. The research question focused …

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Exploring Black Parents’ Perception Of Armed Teachers In School Settings, Iris Mathis-Spellman Jan 2023

Exploring Black Parents’ Perception Of Armed Teachers In School Settings, Iris Mathis-Spellman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of mass school shootings in K–12 classrooms has ignited ongoing conversations about arming teachers in school settings to prevent future tragedies and provide a safe learning environment for students. This research study aimed to understand Black parents’ perception of armed teachers in school settings. Critical race theory provided the framework to explore the impact of race and implicit bias on teacher–student social interactions when policies permit teachers to carry firearms. Accordingly, the research questions explored Black parents’ perceptions of policies allowing armed teachers in school settings. A basic qualitative design was utilized with a purposeful and snowball sample …

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Relationship Between Homelessness, Substance Use, Employment, Living On A Reservation And Tuberculosis Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Darla Mccloskey Jan 2023

Relationship Between Homelessness, Substance Use, Employment, Living On A Reservation And Tuberculosis Among Northern Plains Native Americans, Darla Mccloskey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Native Americans in the Northern Plains have a long history of tuberculosis (TB) infections. There is limited research on the causes of latent TB infections (LTBI) and TB in this population. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between latent TB and factors of homelessness, substance use, employment, living on a reservation, and active or latent TB among this population using the eco-social theory as the theoretical framework. Data from 146 TB cases of Native Americans living in the Northern Plains and diagnosed with TB from 1999 to 2019 were analyzed using chi-square tests that showed …

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Primary Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Wilson Reading Fundations Program For Struggling Readers, Kianga Tene Mckinney Jan 2023

Primary Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Wilson Reading Fundations Program For Struggling Readers, Kianga Tene Mckinney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite 3 years of implementation, educators at McKinnley Elementary School (pseudonym) did not know teachers’ perceptions about whether the Wilson Reading Fundations Program (WRFP) was helping K-3rd grade teachers assist struggling readers with becoming proficient in reading in the elementary grades. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to obtain primary teachers’ perceptions regarding how instructional components of the WRFP challenged or strengthened their instructional practices with assisting struggling readers gaining proficiency. Engelmann’s theory of instruction, Orton-Gillingham’s approach, and Engestrom’s activity theory were the theoretical frameworks that guided this study. Fifteen K-3rd grade teachers who implemented WRFP and …

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Faith-Based Leaders’ Perception On The Need For Active Assailant Contingency Planning, Tanzania Merriweather Jan 2023

Faith-Based Leaders’ Perception On The Need For Active Assailant Contingency Planning, Tanzania Merriweather

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Violence is identifiable as a common threat to public and community safety. Violent incidents have had an extensive history within society and are especially concerning when orchestrated against religious institutions. There is existing research concerning massive violent incidents in sanctuaries and churches; however, there is limited research on the perceptions of religious leaders on the need for safety planning to prepare for and combat these incidents. This phenomenological study was completed to explore the perceptions of eight faith-based leaders on the need for safety contingency planning for sanctuaries and churches. The research questions posed for this study were designed to …

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Effects Of Supermax On Inmate Mental Health: Phenomenological Experiences Of Knowledgeable Professionals, Lea Michelle Miller Jan 2023

Effects Of Supermax On Inmate Mental Health: Phenomenological Experiences Of Knowledgeable Professionals, Lea Michelle Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It may or may not be true that the conditions and practices associated with supermax sentencing are both creating and exacerbating psychological harm for the inmates who are exposed to them. To date, there is evidence that both supports and refutes the contention that supermax sentencing is psychologically harmful; thus, the literature necessitates additional research into this phenomenon. This qualitative study was conducted to add to the extant body of knowledge relevant to supermax prisons and populations by exploring the lived experiences of professionals who have worked with them. This research was conceptually based in the current understanding of social …

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Viewpoints Of Classroom Teachers On Educational Issues Of Students With Interrupted Formal Education, Farah Merzier-Baudin Jan 2023

Viewpoints Of Classroom Teachers On Educational Issues Of Students With Interrupted Formal Education, Farah Merzier-Baudin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractMost research on students with interrupted formal education (SIFE) and English language learners (ELLs) documents their struggle with higher attrition rates and behavioral issues in high school. This qualitative study was conducted to examine high school teachers’ perspectives working with SIFE/ELLs in the classroom. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) indicated that students benefit from classrooms with high social interaction among all classroom participants and appropriate scaffolding of learning materials. Although SCT and most research focused on the students’ perspectives, this research focused on teachers’ perspectives. Data were collected from semistructured, open-ended interviews with 20 participants who teach or work with SIFE/ELLs. …

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Assessing Fire Station Response And Coverage Ability In A Pennsylvania Town, Timothy Moore Jan 2023

Assessing Fire Station Response And Coverage Ability In A Pennsylvania Town, Timothy Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere was a gap in fire station response times in a Pennsylvania township. Although there were two fire stations located in the township, one area was contractually serviced by a nearby borough. Stations are staffed by volunteers, which creates problems with coverage and timely responses. The “nine-minute-90%-of-the-time” National Fire Protection Association standard was not always achieved. The purpose of the study was to determine what gaps in fire station response times or coverage existed. A risk-based methodology was used to develop a baseline in standards of coverage. Using a risk methodology with historical data helped in informing issue identification. This …

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Analyzing Small Business Strategies To Prevent External Cybersecurity Threats, Dr. Kevin E. Moore Jan 2023

Analyzing Small Business Strategies To Prevent External Cybersecurity Threats, Dr. Kevin E. Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some small businesses’ cybersecurity analysts lack strategies to prevent their organizations from compromising personally identifiable information (PII) via external cybersecurity threats. Small business leaders are concerned, as they are the most targeted critical infrastructures in the United States and are a vital part of the economic system as data breaches threaten the viability of these organizations. Grounded in routine activity theory, the purpose of this pragmatic qualitative inquiry was to explore strategies small business organizations utilize to prevent external cybersecurity threats. The participants were nine cybersecurity analysts who utilized strategies to defend small businesses from external threats. Data were collected …

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Experiences Of New Graduate Nurses Who Transitioned To Practice Using Virtual Conferencing Software, Sara Moran Jan 2023

Experiences Of New Graduate Nurses Who Transitioned To Practice Using Virtual Conferencing Software, Sara Moran

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Orientation is a pivotal moment for new graduate nurses as they transition into the acute care setting. The COVID-19 pandemic changed in-person orientation to virtual orientation, but little is known about the experiences of new graduate nurses who attended the virtual orientation process. The purpose of this qualitative interpretive descriptive study, guided by Duchscher’s theory and the technology adaptation model 2, was to understand the experiences of new graduate nurses who transitioned to practice utilizing video-based conference software for nursing orientation. Twelve new graduate nurses were interviewed using virtual conferencing software. Data were analyzed using interpretive description and then were …

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Comparison Of Cultural Self-Efficacy Between Urban And Rural Nurse Educators, Denise Rene Morris Jan 2023

Comparison Of Cultural Self-Efficacy Between Urban And Rural Nurse Educators, Denise Rene Morris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integration of an inclusive educational environment requires nursing faculty to embrace a transformational change in academics. The cultural interactions of an educator teaching in an urban district may differ from the relations experienced by a rural nurse educator. The purpose of this quantitative study, guided by Bandura’s social cognitive theory, was to determine whether there is a difference between the cultural self-efficacy scores of nurse faculty teaching in a rural location compared to those in an urban location as well as whether the demographics of age, ethnic background, and years in the nursing profession predict cultural self-efficacy scores. Nursing faculty …

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Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione Jan 2023

Male Sexual Offender Recidivism Impact On Sex Crime Investigations, Jessica Ann Muccione

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this research was to explore how male sexual offender recidivism impacted sex crime investigations. Recidivism is a widely recognized social problem that affects all of society. Understanding the influence that male sex offender recidivism may have on a sex crime investigation is key to recognizing its relationship to recidivism. The methodology used in this study was a basic qualitative inquiry to explore how male sex offender recidivism impacts sex crime investigations. Based on Hirschi’s social bond theory, the study addressed ways a sexual offender may conform to societal requirements through attachments and personal values. The application of …

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Effects Of Statewide Sex Education Laws On Health Behaviors, Adam Shane Mullis Jan 2023

Effects Of Statewide Sex Education Laws On Health Behaviors, Adam Shane Mullis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Data suggested that abstinence-only education (AOE) was not an effective form of sex education compared to abstinence plus (AP) or comprehensive sex education (CSE). However, there was a dearth of research regarding how state sex education policies affect sixth, seventh, and eighth grade student behaviors. This study involved investigating how state policies impact sexual health behaviors of this population. The theoretical framework for this study was the socioecological model (SEM), which was used to assess how policies impact sexual behaviors. Research questions involved sex education policies and their impacts on condom use as well as age and number of sexual …

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The Correlation Between Nurse Staffing And Quality Of Care Outcomes Within Nursing Homes In Mississippi, Nyeshia Nelson Jan 2023

The Correlation Between Nurse Staffing And Quality Of Care Outcomes Within Nursing Homes In Mississippi, Nyeshia Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The U.S. population aged 65 years old and older is steadily increasing. Some of thispopulation resides in nursing homes; thus, the necessity for quality care provided in nursing homes has increased. Consistent, quality care remains a constant challenge for the government, nursing home administrators, health care consumers, and researchers. Nurse staffing has been identified as a critical structural measure that affects the quality of care and outcomes in nursing homes. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between nurse staffing and quality of care outcomes in Mississippi’s nursing homes. Donabedian’s structure, process, and outcome (SPO) model …

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The Experiences Of Women In The Healthcare Profession With Alcohol Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber Olsen Jan 2023

The Experiences Of Women In The Healthcare Profession With Alcohol Use During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amber Olsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women have severe health risks associated with drinking alcohol long-term and excessively. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experience of women in healthcare positions regarding alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was informed by the theory of planned behavior. Semistructured interviews were used to gather information from participants based on their firsthand experiences with alcohol usage. Understanding women’s attitudes toward alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic can improve intervention. Data were analyzed using an inductive, thematic procedure. Participants associated their own use of alcohol with socialization, and all participants reported that they regarded …

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Predictors Of Retention Among Individuals With Hiv Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Ghana, Ivy Ama Okae Jan 2023

Predictors Of Retention Among Individuals With Hiv Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy In Ghana, Ivy Ama Okae

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Managing HIV requires lifelong therapy. Retaining clients on lifelong therapeutic antiretroviral therapy (ART) ensures the suppression of viral replication and better health outcomes. The time of the start of ART management is also a factor in determining better health outcomes for persons living with HIV. This study examined the association between initiation criteria (treat all, Option B+, and CDC T-cell count < 500) and retention on ART at 12 months for 17,974 randomly selected clients in the Ghana Health Service's HIV patient electronic database. Analyses controlled for age, gender, educational status, alcohol use, treatment/adherence monitoring, and tuberculosis disease treatment. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory guided the interpretation of the findings. Results shows that retention was positively associated with all treatment initiation criteria. Clients initiated with CD4 count ≤ 500 criteria seemed to be retained at 12 months on ART at a higher rate than initiation criteria based on Option B+ and treat all. The study results may contribute to positive social change by supporting CD4 testing for clients before initiation of ART to improve retention and ensure the availability and use of adherence counseling, no tuberculosis disease and its prevention, and low use of alcohol among people living with HIV. The results of this study may also provide opportunities for public health policy intervention efforts requiring a personalized, group-based approach to service delivery at the intrapersonal level, interconnected with interpersonal, meso, and meta factors at the community level.

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Factors Impacting College Students’ Receipt Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, Joy Yvette Payne Jan 2023

Factors Impacting College Students’ Receipt Of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination, Joy Yvette Payne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Less than half of U. S. students entering college have had a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, placing them at risk for HPV-related cancers. This study’s purpose was to identify predictors of HPV vaccination initiation in college students. Andersen’s behavioral model of health services use was used to examine the differences in predisposing, enabling, and need factors in U.S. college students ages 18–26 years who received an initial HPV vaccination in college compared to those who never received an HPV vaccination. The study was a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design using multivariable logistic regression for data analyses. Data were collected through an …

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Staff Perspectives On Parent Withdrawal From Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, Dr. Laquetta Delores Peoples Jan 2023

Staff Perspectives On Parent Withdrawal From Maternal, Infant, And Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs, Dr. Laquetta Delores Peoples

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was investigated through this study was the high withdrawal rates of families that enroll in MIECHV programs. Examining this issue provided data that will be shared with MIECHV programs to identify potential strategies to reduce high withdrawals. This basic qualitative study with semistructured interviews examined MIECHV staffs’ perspectives on the reasons for high withdrawals. The purpose of this study was to examine MIECHV program staff members’ perspectives on the reasons for the high withdrawal. The study was guided by Mowder’s parent development theory (PDT) and examined parenting as a continual process whereby parents constantly adjusted their parenting …

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Community Advocate Perspectives On Addressing Equity Gaps In Florida’S Gifted Programs, Ashley Phelps Jan 2023

Community Advocate Perspectives On Addressing Equity Gaps In Florida’S Gifted Programs, Ashley Phelps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study addressed the lack of community advocate perspectives related to efforts being made to improve bureaucratic representation for minority students who were underserved by gifted programs in Florida. The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of community advocates about efforts to improve bureaucratic representation for students underserved by gifted programs in Florida. The study was conceptually framed around Kingsley’s theory of representative bureaucracy. The research questions focused on community advocates’ perceptions related to diversity in Florida’s public school gifted programs and their current efforts to improve representation of minority students in gifted education …

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African American Women’S Experiences Coping With Stress Through Community-Based Services, Delisa V. Procks Jan 2023

African American Women’S Experiences Coping With Stress Through Community-Based Services, Delisa V. Procks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Few studies have studied how community-based services (CBS) work to mitigate the strong Black woman image (SBWI) coping mechanism for Black women to improve their mental health. The purpose of this generic, qualitative study was to understand the experiences of 10 African American women, ages 18 and older, who identified with the SBWI and had received CBS to address their stress-related coping strategies. Transactional theory of coping with stress and the SBWI approach was used as the framework to help explain how stress in terms of the SBWI impacted the response of the African American women within their environment. Data …

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Learning Support For Adult Nontraditional Learners On Campus In A Southeastern University, Philip D. Rausch Jan 2023

Learning Support For Adult Nontraditional Learners On Campus In A Southeastern University, Philip D. Rausch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem at the southeastern university study site is that adult nontraditional learners taking classes on campus are graduating at a low rate, which may indicate a lack of needed support services. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the learning support needs of adult nontraditional learners and institutional support provided and used as well as to make recommendations to eventually increase the graduation rate of this population at the study site. Tinto’s theory of student retention, specifically the aspects of institutional experiences and integrations, was used as the conceptual framework. The three research questions focused on …

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