Digital Commons Network^™

Staff Education To Prevent Falls In Long-Term Care Facilities, Shekinah Gleason

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this staff education initiative, I focused on fall prevention in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) by reinforcing the Morse Fall Scale fall risk assessment tool. Falls in LTCFs are a significant concern, leading to injuries, hospitalization, and declining residents' quality of life. The practice problem stems from insufficient staff training, contributing to inadequate patient care and an increased risk of falls. The practice-focused question was used to explore whether education about fall prevention measures and guidelines improves long-term care nurses’ knowledge and intent to follow these guidelines; a total of 23 participants were involved in this project. Pre- and post-education …

The Effects Of Counseling On Patient Usage And Satisfaction With Wearing Hearing Aids, David Frazier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Hearing aids are a vital intervention for managing hearing loss, yet their adoption remains disproportionately low across age groups. Only 30% of adults aged 70 and older and a mere 16% of adults aged 20 to 69 who could benefit from hearing aids report ever using them. This study explored whether counseling and education, within the framework of aural rehabilitation therapy (ART), could improve hearing aid satisfaction and usage rates. Participants with mild-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated using the Satisfaction with Amplification in Daily Life (SADL) questionnaire, which was administered during hearing aid fittings to gauge the effectiveness of …

Middle School Teachers’ Lived Experiences With Stress Post The Covid-19 Pandemic, Patrice Crenshaw Richardson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe middle school teachers’ lived experiences with stress and coping post the COVID-19 pandemic. The theory guiding this study was Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress as it was developed to examine stress and coping factors in occupational environments, including educational settings. This theoretical approach helped to contextualize and bring developmental understanding to middle school teacher stress resulting from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants for the study were recruited through researcher sharing of study information via Facebook utilizing criterion and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect data …

Staff Education To Improve Quality Of Life For Patients With Dementia, Vanessa Ann Soda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that is incurable and unpredictable. Patients with dementia experience a decline in functional abilities, communication, and social skills. Fifty-five million people worldwide live with dementia with over 6.9 million people over 65 years of age diagnosed in the United States. The practice problem identified by a 25-bed assisted living facility in the north-central United States was staff’s lack of knowledge of dementia diagnosis, person-centered care approaches, and optimal care strategies supporting a positive quality of life for patients with dementia. The practice-focused question addressed whether an education program consisting of evidence-based practices using the …

The Influence Of Health Literacy Education On Black Women With Chronic Illness: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study, Nicole Bonds

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of the role health literacy education has on Black women (BW) with chronic illness managing their health at the Undiagnosed and Diagnosed Rare and Chronic Illness Support Group (URCIS) in the United States. The theory that guided this study is the health belief model (HBM), as it suggests that before a person adopts a healthy behavior, they go through six stages first to determine if the behavior change would benefit their health. This study showed the research participants followed the HBM framework as they perceive the threat of illness …

Societal Gender Norms' Influence On Music Education, Lindsey N. Folsom

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study uses a phenomenological design to answer the question: How do students and educators perceive the influence of gender on instrument choice, ensemble participation, and student socialization opportunities inherent to ensemble participation? The theoretical framework for this study is Lev Vygotsky’s social development theory. Data was collected using interviews and surveys from K-12 teachers and college instructors. The data is analyzed using qualitative methods such as coding and triangulation. The results of this study and its potential to significantly inform and shape music education practices will provide research on teacher and student perspectives on the influence of societal …

A Phenomenological Study: The Role Of The Elementary School Counselor, As Perceived By The Elementary School Teacher, Krista L. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of the phenomenological qualitative study is to describe elementary school teachers’ perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors within the Greenbrier County School District. E. G. Williams’s trait-factor theory is the guiding theory for this study. Three research questions guide this study: How do elementary school teachers perceive the role of school counselors, what roles and responsibilities of elementary school counselors do elementary school teachers feel they utilize most in their school, and what do elementary school teachers perceive to be the needs of their school related to counseling? Eight to fifteen teachers from nine …

Balance And Blend: Quality Of Life And Work-Life Balance In Military Reservist Band Directors, Jeremy Ryan White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite the research on work-life balance and stress management in various fields and stages of life, the perspectives of music educators serving in the military as part-time reservist musicians have yet to be explored. Teachers with a desire to serve in the military may find the part-time status appealing, as most duties are performed on weekends or during the summer. While there are many benefits to serving one’s country as a reservist, this second career may place added stress on the service members and their families. This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study will gather data via qualitative surveys collected from Military …

School Principals’ Perceptions Of Hiring School Counselors, Wendy Carol Vaughn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School principals are the primary hiring authorities in U.S. K-12 public schools when employing school counselors. Despite the expansion and diversification of schools’ qualifications, characteristics, and roles, there is a gap in knowledge about principals’ hiring perspectives, priorities, and specific criteria. These elements provide vital information for school counseling educational programs and organizational advocacy for hiring school counselors based on current standards and qualifications. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions of school principals regarding the hiring of school counselors. Targeting the research question “What are the perceptions of principals interviewing and hiring school counselors …

Transforming Education: The Impact Of Dance/Movement Therapy In School Settings, Emily Viprino

Expressive Therapies Theses

Abstract

The author will examine the application and effectiveness of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) programs in school settings. DMT offers a unique, non-traditional approach to therapeutic counseling that may be more accessible for some students and could help reduce barriers and hesitation to participate in counseling for others. By integrating movement and other forms of art expression, DMT uses a multi-modal approach to therapy. It also provides opportunities for students to engage in physical movement during the school day. The literature explored in this thesis will include studies on expressive therapies in schools that aim to improve student learning and behavior …

Connecting Through Context: A Culturally Relevant Mental Health Resource For K-12 School Counselors, Erica Knebel

Master's Projects and Capstones

This field project, Connecting Through Context: A Culturally Relevant Mental Health Resource for K–12 School Counselors, explores the intersection of decolonial theory, culturally relevant pedagogy, and school-based mental health practices. Rooted in both personal and academic experiences, the project addresses the significant gap in culturally responsive mental health resources for immigrant and refugee students, with a personal emphasis on those from Southeast Asian backgrounds. With nearly 27% of the U.S. student population being immigrants, traditional Western mental health models, centered on talk therapy and medication, often fall short in effectively supporting culturally diverse students. Through a literature review grounded in …

A Tale Of Two Organizations: San Francisco & Tokyo, An Analysis Of Urban Youth Poverty In The Developed World, Arturo Paredes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study analyzes the experiences of low-income youth in terms of their access to educational opportunities in connection to their social mobility, the study focuses on two highly prosperous cities: San Francisco and Tokyo specifically dwelling into some affected population groups and overall neighborhoods where low-income populations are clustered in. The study delves into youth poverty as a complex phenomenon facing communities and its direct implications for the lives of youth in the context of educational experiences and its connection to socio-economic outcomes. By focusing on two organizations addressing this issue in each of the contexts, the study highlights interventions, …

Breaking Barriers: How Reusable Menstrual Products Can Enhance School Attendance And Education For Girls In Kenya, Talia Jacobson

Master's Theses

In Kenya, statistics show that at least one in ten girls who are of the age of puberty miss school during their menstruation hindering their ability to finish schooling, secure a stable employment, and live independently. This thesis aims to highlight the issue of girls missing school due to their menstrual cycle, a problem that persists globally despite being solvable. The primary focus is on how reusable sanitary products, such as reusable pads, can aid girls to stay in school longer by addressing affordability and accessibility issues associated with commercial products, while also offering environmental benefits. The question guiding my …

Downstream Delays: Effects Of Flooding On Childrens Education And Time Use In Peru, Miki Robert Izu

Master's Theses

Flooding is a major cause of destruction and economic loss affecting over 80 million people annually. Flooding during childhood can lead to educational setbacks with long term economic impacts. This study investigates the causal impacts of flood shocks on educational achievement and children's time use using the Young Lives Survey, a panel dataset surveying children in Peru over 19 years of childhood. This study finds that flooding causes a temporary positive "spike" in girls hours of labor immediately after a flood which subsides by three to six years after flooding. The additional hours of labor does not reduce hours of …

Cultural Competence Among Nursing Faculty And Staff Utilizing An Educational Course To Promote Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Individually And Within The Baccalaureate Nursing Program, Jessica Shippee

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

Nurse educators play a pivotal role in fostering cultural competence among nursing students. The purpose of this quasi-experimental project was to provide an educational course to help nursing faculty and staff identify implicit bias, develop cultural competence, and recognize the importance of incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into practice. A pretest-posttest design collecting demographic data and the Healthcare Provider Cultural Competence Instrument (HPCCI) was given to 21 participants, the course was six-hours and delivered over two days. Participants were asked the day of, before the intervention, to complete the instrument and immediately after the intervention on the second day. Varying …

Thinking Long-Term: Nursing Education On Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics, Arslan Amir Rashid

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects

Background Schizophrenia cases and their associated healthcare costs have drastically increased over time in the United States. Antipsychotic nonadherence is a primary contributor to the high rates of relapse and rehospitalization among adult patients with schizophrenia. The development of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) has positively impacted medication adherence, however, this treatment modality is still underutilized in practice due to barriers, such as physician and patient negative attitudes toward LAIs and lack of education. Nurses hold a unique position to potentially change practice and address some of the barriers to LAI usage. Local Problem A Mental Health Rehabilitation Center in California …

Staff Education For Nurses And Mental Health Technicians, Aminah Shanell Abdikadir

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Restraint and seclusion persist as considerable hazards to both patients and healthcare personnel in some mental health institutions. These interventions correlate with heightened trauma, injury, and extended duration of stay. The goal of the project was to instruct nurses and mental health technicians in verbal de-escalation strategies to diminish incidences of restraint and isolation as part of a practice reform initiative. Ten staff members engaged in pre- and post-training evaluations to assess knowledge, confidence, and readiness to apply de-escalation tactics. Data were examined using paired t tests. Results indicated statistically significant enhancements in staff knowledge, and confidence along with willingness …

Capturing The Intersection Of Black-American, Muslim Males And Education: Exploring Their Attitudes, Perceptions, And Lived Experiences Within An Islamic Consciousness, Kirk A. Talib-Deen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation explored the lived realities of Black-American, Muslim males and their attitudes, perceptions, histories, and endurances toward higher learning in America. It attempted to join and contribute to the more significant, historical, and extant conversations and literature on Black-American males and education, as well as their successes and failures. This dissertation adds to the dearth of literature on the intersection of Black-American, Muslim males, and education, and using jazz as an epistemological way of navigating and organizing the content, the research works to uncover, locate, and define an Islamic consciousness. While negating racist histories concomitant with the American narrative …

Being In Community With Children And Engaging Their Full Range Of Civic Capabilities. A Response To "Learning To Talk And Listen In Elementary Social Studies: Exploring A Third-Grade Teacher’S Decision To Use Classroom Talk For Community Building", Katherina A. Payne

Democracy & Education

Early childhood social studies should open opportunities for children to make sense of their social world; the civic question of how we live together is central to the social world. Elementary classrooms are uniquely positioned to support democratic civic education given the amount of time children and adults spend together, the emphasis placed on cultivating a positive classroom community, and children’s capabilities to cultivate relationships full of care and concern for people from outside their close familial relations. In response to Lo’s (2025) examination of a third-grade teacher’s use of discussion to engage in contentious topics while cultivating a sense …

The Roles Of Productivity, Emotions, And Identities In Classroom Discourse. A Response To "Productive Discussion Across Political Differences: Understanding Students’ Experiences With Comfort And Discomfort Within Structured Discussions Of Public Policy Issues", Anne-Lise Halvorsen, Thomas (Tomás) Aviles

Democracy & Education

“Productive Classroom Discussion across Political Differences: Understanding Students’ Experiences of Comfort and Discomfort within Structured Discussion Strategies” offers a fresh perspective on high school classroom discussions by centering the role of emotions–in particular comfort and discomfort–and their relationship to students’ identities. In this response, we describe how this perspective on emotions and identities is vital and humanizing. We then build on the study’s considerations of emotions and identities in discussion, particularly for students from marginalized backgrounds, and offer additional perspectives about the purpose, format, and framing of these kinds of discussions.

Toward Discussion Facilitation That Enacts Collective Care. A Response To “Teaching Dobbs Where Divisive Concepts And Abortion Are Restricted”, Jenni Conrad

Democracy & Education

For both teacher candidates and teacher educators, facilitating discussions of contested issues in hyper-polarized climates remains a heavy lift. This response to “Teaching Dobbs…” celebrates the successes apparent in Geller’s team’s work and identifies key features that supported it. While cautioning readers against adopting avatar rehearsals elsewhere, I distill four themes of planning and enactment that show clear promise for broad transference in teacher education. Drawing from research exploring the interfaces of justice-oriented, practice-based, and democratic social studies scholarship, I offer pedagogical and logistical considerations for other teacher educators and researchers engaged in this ambitious and necessary work to sustain …

Learning To Talk And Listen In Elementary Social Studies: Exploring A Third-Grade Teacher’S Decision To Use Classroom Talk For Community Building, Jane C. Lo

Democracy & Education

With mounting polarization in the political arena and media sources, trust of one’s neighbors and of teachers are facing increasing strain in the United States. Furthermore, teachers continue to struggle with how to teach high-quality, nuanced, social studies, especially in the elementary setting, where time and resources for social studies has been depleting for decades (e.g., Fitchett et al., 2014; Heafner, 2018). Within this context, this study presents a case of a third-grade teacher who chooses to use discursive talk as a way to support high-quality social studies and to build community in her classroom. Findings suggest that classroom talk …

Productive Discussion Across Political Differences: Understanding Students’ Experiences With Comfort And Discomfort Within Structured Discussions Of Public Policy Issues, Gregory E. Mcavoy, Paula Mcavoy, Rachel Waltz, Emily Grace

Democracy & Education

This study investigates the effectiveness of two pedagogical strategies—deliberation and debate—in fostering productive political discussions among high school students, with a focus on overcoming affective polarization. Paying attention to students’ comfort, engagement, and willingness to participate, this study employs a mixed-method approach using data from surveys, observations, and interviews with students participating in a civic immersion program in Washington, DC. Using deliberative theory and the concept of “productive classroom discussion across political differences,” the research explores the extent to how students perceive each strategy as productive, as well as their experiences of comfort and productive and unproductive discomfort. Additional attention …

Fostering Open-Minded Political Engagement Through Online Interscholastic Discussions: Toward Reducing Affective Political Polarization, Brett L. M. Levy, Alina Lewis

Democracy & Education

This study explores how political discussions among diverse youth can support students’ open-minded political engagement. For this study, we collaborated with two teachers to adapt and enact instruction aimed at supporting students’ discussion of controversial issues across political, geographic, and cultural boundaries. During an instructional unit exploring various ways to strengthen our election system, students engaged in discussions with their classmates and with peers from another school via an online video discussion board. We collected data through observations and interviews. Our findings indicate that the instruction enhanced students’ understanding of their political bubbles and their motivation to engage in boundary-crossing …

Teachers’ Beliefs About Asl And Its Impact In The Classroom, Cecilia Echevarria

Honors Scholar Theses

This study explores American Sign Language (ASL) teachers’ beliefs and experiences, and how they influence their instructional approaches and goals for their students. Despite ASL’s growing presence in education as a world language, minimal research has examined ASL teachers’ perspectives and how they shape classroom practices. Through semi-structured interviews, six ASL teachers – three Deaf and three hearing – this research identified four major themes: challenges teachers face in the classroom, cultural takeaways, best teaching practices, and persistent systemic issues affecting ASL’s status in education. Findings suggest that regardless of hearing status, teachers prioritize cultural awareness and respectful engagement with …

Experiences Of Low-Risk, Low-Need Participants In A Gender-Neutral And Inclusive Domestic And Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Program, Kenneth W. Robison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditional batterer intervention programs often prioritize male-perpetrator-female-victim models, thereby overlooking diverse relationship contexts and marginalized populations. Understanding participants’ experiences is essential for researchers, policymakers, counselor educators, and practitioners to develop alternatives to one-size-fits-all gender- specific strategies, which aligns with the call for more robust evidence-based practices. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological qualitative study, guided by van Manen’s framework, was to explore the lived experiences of low-risk, low-need participants who completed a gender-neutral and inclusive domestic and intimate partner violence intervention program. The research answered what essential themes emerged from the participants’ lived experiences. Data were collected from (n=8) participants …

Staff Education To Improve Gestational Diabetes Knowledge In Family Practice Staff, Lawretta Udogadi Aghomon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The project was a staff education program on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) that was carried out in an outpatient primary health facility to help improve staff knowledge of GDM. GDM is a pregnancy complication where women with no history of diabetes become hyperglycemic during their gestational period. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of mothers giving birth who received a diagnosis of diabetes during pregnancy has increased in the last 10 years. Limited healthcare staff knowledge is a constraint in preventing the increase of GDM incidence. The practice-focused question was: Among healthcare staff at a …

Behavior Analysts’ Training And Practices Regarding Cultural Diversity: A Replication And Extension, Tania M. Valdez-Nuguid

Theses & Dissertations

Culturally responsive care, which involves adapting assessment and treatment methods to reflect the culture of individuals served (Sue & Torino, 2005), is crucial for client success, especially for minoritized and marginalized groups. This study replicated and extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by surveying behavior analysts on their training, perceived competence, and practices in culturally responsive care. We extended Beaulieu et al. (2019) by including open-ended questions regarding culturally responsive practices and barriers faced in delivering culturally responsive care and offering the survey in Spanish. Participants reported feeling skilled and comfortable providing culturally responsive care, with increased training across various modalities. …

Principals' Views Of The Mississippi Department Of Education's Administrator Growth Rubric, Emma Hughey

Honors Theses

Principals have a significant impact on student achievement in their schools. Having an effective principal can increase student test scores across grade levels and subject areas. Having a reliable way to measure principal effectiveness and guide principals to become more effective is important for improving school performance. Mississippi’s evaluation tool for principals is called the Administrator Growth Rubric. This research surveyed 194 public school principals across Mississippi to determine their thoughts on the Administrator Growth Rubric and how it might be improved. Fewer than half (43%) of the respondents believe that the Administrator Growth Rubric is a good evaluation tool …

Storytelling: A Natural Mnemonic, Hailey Stephens

Honors Theses

The present study explored the effectiveness of storytelling as a teaching method in enhancing memory performance for educational material compared to traditional lecture-based instruction. Memory plays a crucial role in learning, and effective teaching strategies should facilitate information encoding, retention, and retrieval. Storytelling, an ancient yet often overlooked pedagogical tool, has been shown to engage students emotionally and cognitively, making presented content more memorable. In the present study, participants were randomly assigned to either a storytelling-based instruction group or a traditional lecture group. Both groups received instruction on the ASSURE Model and were tested immediately after the lesson and again …