Digital Commons Network^™

Becoming Racially Aware: A Social Process Of (Re)Constructing An Alternative White Identity, Ashley Sobke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Structural and systemic mechanisms reinforce institutionalized racism, whiteness, and white supremacy in the United States. These mechanisms prove adaptable and resilient, shifting and changing to continuously restructure and reinforce the material reality that people experience within a racialized social order. White people's incomprehension of complicity in racism and privilege, along with color-blind ideologies, perpetuate racialized disparities resulting from this social order and render white superiority as "normal" and "universal." This underlies an often internalized sense of normative, white American identity interconnected with racism and white supremacy. In a society where many white Americans remain sheltered from and/or resistant to acknowledging …

On The Phenomenon Of Populism And Extremism In The Balkans, Mustafa Cerić

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper is based on my personal experience of war and peace in Bosnia. The basic notion is that it is easier to start a war than to stop it. Thus, postwar recovery or peacebuilding is not easy. But thanks to open-minded people who have been all along against a mythical populism that caused the bloody war against Bosnia and its autochthon people, the peace, although unjust, was reached after all. The focus here is on the idea of pluralism in Bosnia as an opposite to "populism" and "extremism." For a positive narrative like pluralism is a good way to …

Firm-Level Political Risk And Corporate R&D Investment, Emmanuel Boah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I examine how firms make R&D investment decisions during periods of political uncertainty. To minimize stickiness and overly generalized assumptions, I employ quarterly data. I find that firms invest more in R&D when facing high levels of political risk. The results suggest that this positive relationship between political risk and R&D investment is more pronounced for competitive and politically sensitive firms. Additionally, the positive association is evident among firms with higher growth opportunities and more liquid assets. The results are robust to the test for correlation, addressing endogeneity, and alternative proxies adopted for the variables of interest. Overall, the findings …

Teachers’ Perceptions About The Transition To English (T2e) Program In Bridging The Literacy Gap At The Elementary Level, Hilda Sarfo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study delves into the perceptions of Ghanaian teachers regarding the effectiveness of the bilingual literacy program – Transition to English (T2E) – in addressing the literacy gap at the elementary level. Recognizing the significance of second language acquisition for early-grade learners in multilingual communities, the research focuses on investigating the expectations and sustainability of the program. The study involved in-depth interviews with 11 Ghanaian teachers from three public basic schools who have experience with the T2E and one private school who has no experience. The findings of the study confirmed the pivotal role of the T2E in supporting young …

Dental Claires: Contrastive Language Image Retrieval Search For Dental Research, Tanjida Kabir, Luyao Chen, Muhammad F Walji, Luca Giancardo, Xiaoqian Jiang, Shayan Shams

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Learning about diagnostic features and related clinical information from dental radiographs is important for dental research. However, the lack of expert-annotated data and convenient search tools poses challenges. Our primary objective is to design a search tool that uses a user's query for oral-related research. The proposed framework,

Chatgpt: Exploring The Role Of Cybersecurity In The Protection Of Medical Information, Maad Mijwil, Mohammad Aljanabi, Ahmed Hussein Ali

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI. It is trained on a dataset of conversational text and can be used to generate human-like responses to prompts in a variety of languages and formats. It can be used for tasks such as chatbots, language translation, and text completion. The role of ChatGPT is to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or context. It can be used in a variety of applications such as chatbots, language translation, text completion, and question answering. Additionally, it can be fine-tuned for specific tasks such as generating product descriptions or summarizing articles. …

Prioritizing Intellectual Property’S Freedom To Operate, Margaret Chon

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

“Luminescent As An Anglerfish”: Creative Writing As A Strategy For Building Figurative Language Skills In School-Aged Children, Dana Fitz Gale

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This pretest/ posttest nonequivalent groups study explored the relationship between classroom-based creative writing instruction and the figurative language abilities of fourth grade students. Figurative language is widespread within the oral and written discourse of K-12 classrooms and is an essential component of higher-level language and literacy development.

Despite the prevalence of non-literal language in educational settings and its relevance to children’s academic and social success, research concerning best practices for teaching non-literal language remains scarce. A few studies have suggested that creative writing may be an effective vehicle for fostering figurative language in children. Poetry writing seems especially promising, since …

A Comparative Study On Critical Thinking Skills Of Isec And Non-Isec Teachers In Institutions Of Higher Education In The North Of China, Liqin Tang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Critical thinking (CT) has become a main focus in the higher education and is viewed as one of the essential skills for students to succeed in the 21^st century. Many studies focus on Chinese students and their CT skills. There is a scarcity of research targeting teachers’ CT. However, teachers are the key to successful education and they play a crucial role in any education reform. Teachers’ perception, attitude, and experience impact the educational practice. Therefore, it is imperative to examine teachers’ CT.

This study utilized a non-experimental causal-comparative methodology with an explanatory mixed methods research design. The purpose …

Micropolitics Of Urban Informality And Street Vendors In Kolkata, Tathagata Chatterji, Archit Sinha, Atanu Chatterjee, Anjita Paul

Socio-Legal Review

Street vending activities received formal legislative recognition in India, with the Parliament enacting the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act in 2014. Since then, the judiciary has sought to uphold the rule based order through the implementation of the Street Vendors Act. However, on-ground implementation of the progressive legislation remains challenging, and vendors continue to face harassment. Looking through the prism of “political society”, this article explores micro-level network politics around street vending in Kolkata. First, it discusses how the city’s political economic context played a role in the mobilisation of the vendors to resist …

Teacher Strategies For Reducing The Achievement Gap For Ell Students, Stephanie Diane Collins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn influx in Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in Atlanta public schools has led to a broadening of the achievement gap between ELLs and native English speakers, causing higher failure rates and fewer career possibilities for Hispanic ELLs upon school completion. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the kinds of strategies K through eighth grade teachers use to reduce this achievement gap, specifically in English and math. Vygotsky’s social learning theory guided this study, a key aspect of which is the role dialect and language play in determining a student’s development. The study focused on how …

Screening For Depression In Immigrants In Their Host Country, Hortense Bissila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe initial need for care for depression is greater for immigrants, who encounter linguistic, cultural, structural, and attitudinal hurdles to mental health care that render them more susceptible to increased levels of depressive symptoms compared to populations of hosting country. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to educate frontliners in the community on how to assess for depression in immigrants in culturally congruent ways. This project addresses gap in mental health care practice that needs urgent redress in promoting self-cultural competence and raising awareness to assess for depression on immigrants. To meet the aims of the …

Gender Dynamics In The Management Care Of Internally Displaced Persons: The Boko Haram Insurgency, Evelyn Kikelomo Ikuenobe Otaigbe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Boko Haram asymmetric insurgency and warfare have decimated the Northeastern region of Nigeria and its neighboring environs of Chad, Niger, and Benin. The purpose of this study was to explore the peculiar socioethnic and cultural challenges encountered by female victims of Boko Haram terrorism at internally displaced persons camps in Abuja, Nigeria, including challenges in functioning, relocating, and acclimating back into society. A phenomenological approach was applied to understand participants’ lived experiences. Data collection occurred through interviews and observation. Data analysis involved the synthesis of narratives, and generation of themes. Among the emergent themes were poor feeding; lack of …

Andragogical Methods And Teaching Strategies Used In Community College Composition Courses, Octavia Thorns-Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A midwestern community college utilized a corequisite model to accelerate students’ developmental education that allows adult learners to take developmental writing and English composition simultaneously. First-year composition instructors had no formal training at the college on andragogical methods and teaching strategies to foster successful completion in developmental and first-year composition courses. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the andragogical methods and teaching strategies of six successful full-time and adjunct developmental writing and first-year composition instructors as well as what these instructors need to improve their approaches with these students. The study was grounded in a conceptual …

Screening For Depression In Immigrants In Their Host Country, Hortense Bissila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe initial need for care for depression is greater for immigrants, who encounter linguistic, cultural, structural, and attitudinal hurdles to mental health care that render them more susceptible to increased levels of depressive symptoms compared to populations of hosting country. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to educate frontliners in the community on how to assess for depression in immigrants in culturally congruent ways. This project addresses gap in mental health care practice that needs urgent redress in promoting self-cultural competence and raising awareness to assess for depression on immigrants. To meet the aims of the …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Telehealth Versus N95 On Nurse-Patient Communication, Tony Christopher Bloomfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Telehealth and face masks are some of the infection control measures nurses use while attending to patients. Nurses provide the most patient care in hospital settings and thus spend the most time with patients in their recovery journey. Because communication is paramount to the role nurses play as health care professionals, there is a substantial need to investigate how infection control measures affect the quality of nurse-patient communication. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to describe the relationship of methods aimed at maintaining social distancing between nurses and patients to nurse-patient communication and to compare differences in the …

Perspectives Of Middle School Teachers About The Use Of Virtual Reality For Learning Spanish, Betty N. Ukera-Kajoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Foreign language education in the United States has historically produced poor outcomes, with very few language learners achieving communicative competence. The increasing global demand for multilingual professionals makes the issue a salient one. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of U.S. middle school Spanish teachers about the use of virtual reality (VR) as an instructional tool for developing communicative competence in Spanish language. The research question, which was informed by Canale and Swain’s communicative competence theory, and educational technology theory by Huang, et al., addressed middle school Spanish teachers’ perspectives regarding their use of …

Latinx Parents’ Mental Health Advocacy Efforts In School Settings, Christine R. Durfee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latinx parents want to participate in their child’s education plan but are faced with increased challenges since the 2016 anti-immigrant policies amplified the disparities in utilizing mental health services. Latinx parents want to collaborate with school psychologists and mental health providers to help their children but do not readily trust them based on their negative past experiences. Therefore, Latinx parents struggle to receive academic accommodations for their children with mental health challenges. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to address this gap and explore the lived experience of Latinx parents who advocate on behalf of their children with mental …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Gifted And Talented African American Alumni From A Steam Program, Hanan R. Hameen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore perceptions of gifted and talented African American former high school students who are alumni of an exemplar STEAM program in a major urban city on the eastern seaboard with culturally relevant instruction regarding curricular and instructional practices for academic success. The conceptual framework was Ladson-Billings’ constructivist theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. Three research questions guided this study. Through a basic qualitative research design with a typological approach, semi-structured virtual interviews with 10 participants were conducted. Emergent themes from data collection were feelings of isolation due to uninvolved teachers and peers, cultural …

Academic Acculturation, Linguistic Diversity, And Inclusivity In Online Adult Learning, Jeannie Elizabeth Headley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem of practice addressed in this study is that online writing tutors in higher education are challenged to support multilingual adult online learners in the development of standard academic writing, including learners of different English dialects. The purpose of the qualitative basic study was to explore the challenges writing tutors face while supporting multilingual adult online learners in the development of standard academic writing. Social constructivism theory was used to bridge the gap between old concepts and new concepts of writing pedagogy used by participants to mitigate linguistic diversity challenges. Seven one-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with writing center …

Grade 3 Teachers’ Perceptions Of Challenges And Supports In Addressing Socioemotional Needs Of African American Students, Lavina Nicole Covin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Empirical evidence from researchers suggested that socioemotional learning is essential to academic success, reducing negative behaviors, and building confidence and resilience. The problem explored in this basic qualitative study was that Grade 3 teachers in Title I schools were not adequately equipped to handle African American students’ socioemotional and mental health needs. Guided by Seligman’s positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of 10 local district Title I Grade 3 teachers regarding the challenges they face, and support they need to provide adequate socioemotional and mental health interventions …

Thematic Analysis Of Online Predatory Grooming Behavior Among Male Offenders, Ryan Christopher Dronek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media sites, gaming platforms, and online communication tools have been integrated into children’s everyday lives. This has created a new avenue for child predators to identify, communicate, and victimize children. Just as the internet and the ability to communicate online have evolved, predatory grooming behavior has evolved as well. This qualitative study aimed to identify predatory grooming themes and the thematic stage progression for online male offenders who target child victims using online chat rooms. O’Connell’s typology of cyber sexploitation and online grooming practices was used to explore online child predators’ grooming themes and stage progression. Nine male Wisconsin …

The Interrelationship Between Sensorimotor Deficits And Maladaptive Behavior In The Classroom, L B Marie Filion

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Mainstreaming special education students has created challenges for teachers, resulting in significant lesson time allocated to classroom disruptions related to maladaptive behavior. This correlational study examined the extent to which specific sensorimotor deficits predict maladaptive behavior among special education students (aged 8-12 years) based on archival data of teacher assessments in New Zealand. Piaget’s cognitive and affective development theory was used as the theoretical foundation. Results from standard multiple regression demonstrated that higher levels of sensorimotor deficits (vision, touch, taste and smell, body awareness, balance and motion) predicted high levels of maladaptive behavior (internalizing, externalizing, and overall maladaptive behavior indices); …

Understanding The Impact Of Special Education Programs On African American Males, Jacques Houssou

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAfrican American males placed in special education programs their entire time in high school often experience stigmatizing feelings of lack of self-worth and self-esteem as adults. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and better understand the influence special education programs may have on African American males’ self-esteem and self-worth. Becker’s and Lemert’s labeling theory and Baumgartner and Jones’s and Gould and Eldredge’s punctuated equilibrium theory guided this study. The focus of the research questions was the influence of special education programs on African American males’ learning experiences and the changes needed. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques …

Non-Native Educators’ Interpretation Of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy With Mojave Students, Cellina Marie Reyes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe non-Mojave teachers are struggling to implement culturally responsive pedagogy practices to meet the educational needs of Fort Mojave students from a rural reservation. Research indicates that all students should be provided with responsive pedagogical practices that allow them to be engaged in the classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study is to investigate how non-Mojave classroom teachers are implementing culturally responsive pedagogy and what their perceived needs are when teaching Fort Mojave students in an elementary school located in southwestern, Arizona. Culturally responsive pedagogy was used as a practical theoretical framework through the incorporation of Gay’s four teacher …

Understanding Teachers’ Perceptions Of Pedagogy In Teaching Mathematics To English Language Learners, David Suh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of socially and linguistically varied students at two local high schools in a southwestern state located in the United States has greatly increased. Since the 2018-2022 school years, English language learners (ELLs) scored low on the state achievement mathematics test scores. The problem was teachers were challenged to support the mathematics achievement of Grade 9-12 ELLs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of the teachers’ challenges in supporting the mathematics achievement of Grade 9-12 ELLs. The conceptual framework for this study was Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which helped to inform the study in giving …

Understanding African American Mothers’ Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Autism-Related Services For Their Autistic Children In Rural Communities, Brandi J. Treadway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study aimed to address the gap in the literature related to understanding African American mothers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the available services provided to their children diagnosed with autism living in rural communities. The theoretical framework used for this study is the racial formation theory as a lens for completing this study. The research question explored African American mothers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of autism-related services provided to their children with autism in rural communities. The research design chosen for this study is a generic qualitative design using semi-structured interviews for data collection from 10 African American mothers …

Relationship Between Food Insecurity, Depression, And Race/Ethnicity Among U.S. Adults Aged 60–69 Years, Patrick E. Crandon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Food insecurity (FI) and depression among older populations in the United States are public health concerns. Although FI has declined in the United States, it is a psychosocial stressor prevalent among the growing population of adults over 60. It is unknown to what extent FI contributes to depression among racial/ethnic minorities in this population. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships between FI and race and depression among U.S. adults aged 60–69 years when adjusting for other variables. The social-ecological model was used to understand the interplay between individual and environmental factors that may …

Teachers’ And Education Leaders’ Perspectives On Using Technology To Develop Vocabulary Among Kindergarten English Learners, Nelsy J. Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearch has shown that technology-mediated interventions in education can increase students’ understanding of academic vocabulary. However, it is not known how teachers provide opportunities for kindergarten English learners (ELs) to learn vocabulary using technology, and school leaders support teachers in this endeavor. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand teachers' and school leaders’ perspectives on opportunities for kindergarten ELs to use technology to develop vocabulary in an urban school in the southwest United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Cummins’s theory of basic interpersonal communication skills and cognitive academic language proficiency. Using purposeful …

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. …