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The Great Turning: A Call For Systems-Thinkers, Gabriella M. Demarce

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

David Orr, in an article on ecological intelligence reminds us that the modern world was shaped by people who did not understand that our social and economic systems could not coexist with the rest of the biological or natural systems on Earth (Orr, 1994). My research is rooted in Orr’s argument and discovering ways to shift this degrading paradigm. With my belief in the power of education in empowering youth and my background in environmental and climate change studies, I see a future in great need of people who holistically understand the functions of all types of systems and can …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Of Healthcare Professionals Working In Schools Regarding Tickborne Disease Prevention And Lyme Disease In New York State And Maryland, Kristen Howard

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Ticks, Lyme disease, and other tickborne diseases are a concern of public health entities in Maryland and New York State. Children are at an increased risk of contracting a tickborne disease. Healthcare professionals working in schools (HPWS) are often front-line providers and health educators for school-aged children. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices of HPWS regarding ticks and tickborne disease is currently unknown. While there are educational materials available, uptake and use of these programs is also unknown.

Use And Perception Of Beyond-The-Classroom Learning Skills By Students In High School, Alyssa Nicolina Yusko

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

College readiness in the United States is a multifaceted and complex concept, with many contributing factors that often overlap, and many students leave high school and enter college lacking the skills or knowledge necessary to succeed in higher education. This study investigates a set of study skills and self-management skills related to college readiness. I label this set Beyond-the-Classroom Learning Skills (BCLS). I investigate these skills as they relate to factors of cultural capital both in the home and at school. Using the theory of cultural capital, I determine probable sources of cultural capital in each of these settings and …

Secondary School Principals' Orientations Toward And Uses Of Data For Improvement, Lisa Cala Ruud

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This descriptive and multiple case study was designed to explore and understand secondary principals’ role orientations and decision-making regarding data, evidence, and research in three urban-suburban called “positive outlier schools” (POS). POS are New York State schools that are identified as exemplars in closing educational opportunity and outcome gaps among diverse high school youth, including African American, Hispanic/Latino, and English language learner students (ELLs).

Qualitative Analysis Of Occupational Therapists’ Reflective Notes On Practicing Their Skills In Building And Maintaining Therapeutic Relationships, Farzaneh Yazdani, Amy Stringer, Laya Nobakht, Tore Bonsaksen, Kellie Tune

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Previous research has shown that occupational therapists have increased their self-efficacy for using self intentionally in therapeutic encounters. However, experiences related to such changes have not yet been explored. The authors developed a therapeutic use-of-self training workshop to support the confidence and competence of practicing occupational therapists in using the Intentional Relationship Model and possibly enhancing their self-efficacy for therapeutic use-of-self. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of practicing occupational therapists in transferring learning from a training workshop focused on the therapeutic use-of-self into real world practice. Thirteen occupational therapists participated in the workshop and subsequently …

Perceptions Of High School Principals About Improving African American Male Academic Outcomes, Andre Lavelle Credit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the African American male students’ academic achievement gap and the principals’ strategies to overcome this problem were investigated. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to assess the viability of the different strategies that principals have put in place in their respective schools with the aim of improving the academic outcomes of African American male students. The study was guided by the theoretical foundation of culturally responsive teaching, which ensures effective diversity management through the cultural resources of teaching. The research questions addressed 3 major components: the principals’ self-perceived beliefs and attitudes toward enhancing the …

Exploring The Impact Of Entrepreneurship Education Program On Current Graduate Entrepreneurs, Ruth Oluwatoyosi Abioye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nigeria produces up to 500,000 graduates from multiple disciplines every year from its educational institutions however, most of these graduates fail to possess the 21st Century skills and competencies that are required to be effective in the workforce and are therefore considered unemployable. The current general qualitative study employed the theory of planned behaviour and the theory of social construction in order to examine the role of entrepreneurship education and its impact on the graduates in the country. Semi structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 recent graduates from Covenant University’s entrepreneurship education programs and who are …

Educating Staff On The Benefits Of Vitamin D Therapy For Multiple Sclerosis, Cheniece Harris

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Clinical competency is an important factor when delivering care to those with chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D therapy through diet, supplements, and sunlight may decrease physical complications. The gap in practice this doctoral project addressed is the lack of education provided to healthcare professionals to promote the benefits of vitamin D. The project examined whether registered nurses who are provided education on the benefits of vitamin D therapy can apply the knowledge into the plan of care for patients with MS within 6 months versus those provided no education. Paradigms and models that were used include the …

The Impact Of Faculty Bullying On Associate Degree Nursing Students, Angela M. Vitale

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying is prevalent in the profession of nursing, impacting the quality of health care and health care costs. The foundation of bullying, in the profession of nursing, may be attributed to bullying behaviors in nursing academia among nursing faculty and nursing students. Using Bandura’s social learning theory, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between bullying behaviors of nursing faculty and bullying behaviors of nursing students in associate degree nursing programs. Seventy-one randomly selected registered nurses who graduated from associate degree nursing programs in the past 5 years completed an online Incivility in Nursing Education-Revised survey. Spearman’s …

Perceptions Of White Mountain Apache High School Graduates About College, Tyler Rush Bangert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Very few high school graduates from the White Mountain Apache Reservation go on to college, and it is not known what perceptions may contribute to a decision not to attend college. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study is to investigate these perceptions, including cultural values and family obligations. The framework of this study is founded on Tribal Critical Race Theory, also known as TribalCrit, which came out of Critical Race Theory (CRT). TribalCrit posits that colonization (Western European peoples colonizing Native American lands and peoples) is endemic in society. Seventeen White Mountain Apache tribal members who had graduated …

Clinical Practice Patient Education Guideline For Elective Induction Of Labor, Allison Keleske

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2018, the state of Florida had a cesarean section birth rate of 38.3% which was the 3rd highest in the nation with the national average being 31.9%. Elective induction of labor (EIOL) involves the initiation of labor for convenience and not because of medical necessity. EIOL carries risks for the mother and fetus, including an unplanned cesarean section. The problem identified in this project was the lack of informed decision-making by pregnant women related to risks, benefits, and management of EIOL. Using the Informed Decision-Making through Engagement Model, the purpose of the project was to develop an evidence-based clinical …

Survey Of Teachers’ Use Of And Preferences For Professional Development Regarding Available Technology, Shannon Main-Petelka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in a medium-sized school district is the lack of data regarding what currently accessible technology and technology learning activities (TLAs) teachers use, have access to, and for which technology and TLAs they desire professional development (PD). There is a gap in practice in that technology directors lack data-based plans for PD. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to analyze teachers’ ratings of technology access, use, and desire for PD including the correlation between teachers’ use of technology and their previous PD hours as well as between teachers’ desire to use technology and their location in their …

Case Study Of Teachers’ Instructional Practices Among Eighth Grade Students With Disabilities, Lashaundon Perkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Academic achievement of students relies heavily on a student’s reading proficiency. The college-and career-readiness reading test results of 8th grade North Carolina students did not meet expectations during the 2016-2017 school year. The overall reading performance of 8th grade North Carolina students who have shown achievement at or above proficient was 30%, which is below the national average. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the instructional practices of special education teachers in a low performing school in the eastern region of North Carolina. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Research questions addressed …

Association Between Obesity, Socioeconomics, Mental Illness, And Education In Native American Communities, Darrell D. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity is a profound health epidemic that adversely affects the health of all ethnicities. This growing health crisis has been found to be linked to several chronic diseases such as stroke, diabetes, and several forms of cancer. As in Native American populations, increased morbidity and mortality rates associated with obesity prevalence in minority populations has been linked to variables such as income, education, mental illness, and age. The purpose of this research was to examine the association of obesity with socioeconomic status, education, mental illness, and age in Native American populations. The theoretical framework used in this study was based …

Experiences Of Low Income African American Grandparents Raising Their Grandchildren, James Agboola Abolarin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractLow-income African American grandparents raising their grandchildren are faced with multiple challenges psychologically, financially, and emotionally. Four out of five African American custodial grandparents live below the poverty line and with mental problems, such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression. The main research question focused on the experiences of low income African American custodial grandparents, living with diagnosed mental health issues while raising their grandchildren, and dealing with a restricted access to mental health counseling services. Bowen family system theory was adopted as the theoretical framework, and a phenomenological-hermeneutic methodology was used. A total of seven low income, custodial …

Perspectives Of Colombian Higher Education Deans And Faculty Directors On Transformational Leadership, Darling Viviana Delgado Alban

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership emerges as a powerful force in the effort toward achieving quality education. The transformational leadership style inspires leaders to work toward a common goal to create change. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore higher education deans’ and faculty directors’ perspectives on their practice of transformational leadership in higher education institutions in Colombia. Transformational leadership theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected from semi structured interviews with 6 higher education deans and 6 faculty directors. Findings from coding analysis revealed 7 themes: leadership commitment, shared vision, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual …

What Do The Stories Of Indigenous Youth Reveal About Their Educational Experiences?, Kenneth Paul Ealey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the voices of Indigenous youth in other parts of the world have been sought out, no studies have specifically focused on the educational experiences of urban Indigenous youth in Canada. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of youth-adult relationships among Indigenous youth attending urban high schools in Western Canada. The study was approached from a postcolonial perspective aligning with Native Theory. This position is grounded on the premise that the experiences and stories of participants reveal their lived realities. Indigenous youth, 18 to 21, were recruited through targeted information sessions and word of mouth. Over 30 youth expressed …

Middle School Science Teachers’ Experience With The Change To Inquiry-Based By Instruction, Patricia Adams-Gouthro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Middle school science teachers in a Northeastern urban school district incorporated an inquiry-based curriculum (IBC) using the full option science system (FOSS) to improve instruction; however, the teachers struggled to change their teaching practices. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ experiences with and their changes in instructional practices using the FOSS curriculum. The concerns-based adoption model was the framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on identifying the levels of use, stages of concern, and experiences and needs teachers had using the FOSS curriculum. A purposeful sample of 14 middle school science teachers, …

The Lived Experiences Of Clinical Nursing Faculty With Student Performance Anxiety, Heather Lapoint

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nursing shortage in the United States has led to a call for nursing education reform. Current clinical educational methods precipitate nursing student performance anxiety (PA). PA can inhibit the clinical judgment, reasoning, critical thinking, and the adaptability required for advancing healthcare initiatives and reducing the nursing shortage. PA has not been defined nor addressed in undergraduate nursing education. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of associate degree (AD) nursing program faculty in addressing student PA as it occurs in the clinical setting. Specifically, how faculty define PA and recognize, address, and assess …

Getting The End Of Life Care Conversation Started, Lisa Ann Mccabe-Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEducation is needed among the health care collaborative team to address the lack of end of life conversation, the underutilization of hospice leading to patients’ end of life wishes not being met, the increased depression among bereaved loved ones, and the increased health care costs at the end of life. Nurses reduce the patient’s physical and emotional stress by helping guide conversations and answer questions to meet the needs of patients and their loved ones. This project addressed the practice-focused question to determine if nursing knowledge and expressed intentions about end of life care increase as shown via the difference …

Impact Of Education On Hiv Testing Among African American Women In The United States, Florence Matimbah Mbangowah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Improved and increased human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing among African American women in the United States could facilitate early detection of the virus. The purpose of this cross-sectional quantitative study was to determine if there was a significant association between HIV testing participation and education level (i.e., high school, college, post-college level) based on access to healthcare after accounting for insurance, income, employment, marital status, English language proficiency, and vision quality. The integrated theory of health behavior change, the theoretical framework used for this research, proposes that changes in health behavior can be improved by various factors such as fostering …

Children’S Development And Crisis: Comparing Developmental Best Practices Against Aid Program Curricula, Martha Baker

CMC Senior Theses

Using the monitoring, evaluation and learning for adaptive management model (MEL4AM), this paper examines how international organizations translate productive criteria for early childhood development (ECD) into emergency response programming for children. Early childhood is a crucial developmental time in individual’s lives and adverse experiences undermine, among other things, language development, self-regulatory capabilities, and child-caregiver interactions. International aid organizations are operationalizing the research on ECD best practices into site-level programming. This thesis examines whether the developmental needs of these children in crisis are being met through these efforts and offers two in-depth case studies: Sesame Workshop’s intervention for Syrian refugee children …

Racism In A Broken Special Education System, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

This is an excerpt from my book, ‘Essential Learning Theories: The Human Dimension’ published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2021.

Disclaimer: The special education teachers I have had the privilege to work with over the years are making a difference lives of their students. However, they are often trapped in a system that is broken. This system puts limitations on what they are able to accomplish. In this chapter (article), I am referencing this larger system. I am not referencing any particular school, school district, university, or teacher preparation program.

A disability is not disorder or deficit; rather, it is …

Growing Green Minds: Implementation Of A School Garden & Nutrition Program For The Freedom Area School District In Rural Wisconsin, Marissa Schuh

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Most children in the U.S. consume too few fruits and vegetables which is putting them at risk to develop obesity and other lifestyle diseases. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that individuals should increase the amount and variety of fruits and vegetables consumed in order to prevent weight gain and other chronic diseases. Research shows that garden-based educational programs can increase children’s fruit and vegetable intake as well as change their preferences and attitudes towards eating and trying new fruits and vegetables. Incorporating a garden and nutrition curriculum into a school setting is an ideal opportunity to improve children’s …

The Perception, Usage, And Knowledge Of Moringa Oleifera In Mare-Brignol, Haiti After Increased Education And Access, Preethashree Anbukkarasu, Phillip Saad, Nichika R. Holdrum, Chinelo Germain, Leticia Ebihara, Archi Patel

Digital Repository: Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence

No abstract provided.

Shifting Education From Theoretical To Practical, Juan Ledesma Mendoza

CGU Theses & Dissertations

My parents always emphasized the value of education and the opportunity it could breed. With this in mind, I set out within my community and hometown, teaching at the very same high school I graduated from. My background directly shapes the educator I am, the values I hold, and the biases that may impact me. Through student research, I was able to look at three case studies and glean insight as to how to better serve my specific kids. I reflected on my community, school, and classroom allowing me to inspect the different layers impacting my students and how to …

Enacting A Culture Of Access In Our Conference Spaces, Adam Hubrig, Ruth Osorio, Neil Simpkins, Leslie R. Anglesey, Ellen Cecil-Lemkin, Margaret Fink, Janine Butler, Tonya Stremlau, Stephanie L. Kerschbaum, Brenda Jo Brueggemann, Anonymous, Cody A. Jackson, Christina V. Cedillo

Women's & Gender Studies Faculty Publications

The article offers information on periodical's rhetoric and writing studies conference held in September 2020. Topics discussed include prioritizing access in the service of love, justice, connection and liberation; proposing expansive frameworks for access in designing accessible writing classrooms and professional events; and major principles of definition of access, which reflect access's complexity and liberatory potential such as dynamic, relational and intersectional.

Faculty As Global Learners: Off-Campus Study At Liberal Arts Colleges, J. Gillespie, Lisa Jasinski, D. Gross

Faculty Authored and Edited Books & CDs

This co-authored collection offers valuable insights about the impact of leading off-campus study on faculty leaders’ teaching, research, service, and overall well-being. Recognizing that faculty leaders are themselves global learners, the book addresses ways that liberal arts colleges can more effectively achieve their strategic goals for students' global learning by intentionally anticipating and supporting the needs of faculty leaders, as they grow and change. Faculty as Global Learners offers key findings and recommendations to stimulate conversations among administrators, faculty, and staff about concrete actions they can explore and steps they can take on their campuses to both support faculty leaders …

And Still They Rise: Lessons From Students In New York City's Alternative Transfer High Schools, Mica Baum-Tuccillo, Varnica Arora, Alison Holstein, Michelle Fine

Publications and Research

And Still They Rise is the first systematic analysis of alternative transfer schools in New York City – alternative educational spaces that keep their doors open to a range of students who seek an education despite past academic struggles. The report blends a qualitative and quantitative review of 842 students’ responses to a participatory survey that asked about goals, desires, obstacles, and what they found at transfer schools. In this report we present the stories and the statistics across schools, elevating silenced stories that lay behind the misnomer “at risk." We review data that shows how deeply students appreciate their …

Know Before You Play: Associations Between Race, Education, And Hiv Susceptibility, Anfa Mohamed Diiriye

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Black women are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. This paper analyzes the associations between race, education, and HIV susceptibility, furthering previous research to understand if educational attainment reduces HIV susceptibility and if reduction patterns are similar for Black and White women. The CDC’s National Survey of Family Growth 2015-2017 was used to analyze associations using binary logistic and multiple regression models. HIV susceptibility was operationalized through four measures: condom use, having a partner with concurrent sexual relationships, having had an STD, and age at first sex. Black women were not found to be significantly more susceptible to …