Education Commons^™

Wounded Warriors And Their Transition To The Community College Classroom, Virgil Nathaniel Adkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many postsecondary institutions face challenges when veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) enroll in college and become student-veterans. Staff and faculty may need to better understand how to accommodate these student-veterans as they transition from military to student life. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of 3 groups at a Texas community college regarding classroom accommodations for student-veterans with PTSD or TBI: (a) student-veterans with PTSD or TBI, (b) the faculty, and (c) the disability counselors. Schlossberg's theory assessing an individual's assets and abilities in transition was the conceptual framework for …

Promoting Nurses Management Of Night Shift Sleepiness, Sunday Iken Okundolor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses are largely unaware of the problems of night-shift-nurse sleepiness and available strategies to manage night-shift sleepiness. The purpose of this project was to examine nurses' self-perception, awareness of sleepiness, and current strategies to manage this problem in the emergency medicine department of a major academic hospital in the western United States. The validated de-identified Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) was used to measure the prevalence and intensity of night shift nurses' sleepiness prior to the development of an educational program on strategies to manage sleepiness. Of the 164 registered nurses surveyed, 72 (43.9%) reported sleepiness greater than 7 on the …

Wright's Competency Model And Quality And Safety Competencies, Staci Shanks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Competent nurses are instrumental in assuring that a patient receives safe patient care of the highest quality. Patient care that lacks quality places patients at risk of poor health outcomes and results in negative financial impacts for the organization. The purpose of this staff education project was to develop nurse competency education for a facility's competency program, which merged the Wright competency model with quality and safety education for nurses' competencies. The nurse competency staff education program was evaluated by the organization's stakeholders for inclusion in the competency program. The whole-part-whole model, Knowles's adult learning theory, and Lewin's change theory …

Exploring Perceptions Of The Transition From Health Science Practitioner To Academic, Maryanne J. Stewart

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transitioning from a clinical practitioner to an educator in the health sciences is a difficult task for many professionals. Although, clinically, these individuals have achieved a level of expertise, they are not necessarily trained to teach in a classroom setting and may find it difficult to transition into their role as novice. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine faculty members' preparedness during their transition to academia and their perceptions of the need for more support during the first 5 years of teaching. Vygotsky's and Dewey's theories of social constructivism and Knowles's assumptions of adult learning provided …

Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers often lack the experience and skills to provide children with supports necessary to foster academic and social skill development. Professional development can improve ECE teachers' skills, but ECE trainers often lack understanding of adult learning principles, known as andragogy. Knowles' conceptual framework of andragogy was used to explore the knowledge and use of andragogical principles of 8 ECE trainers selected via criterion-based purposive sampling. The research questions focused on ECE trainers' knowledge and use of andragogical principles. Three cases, each consisting of 2 or 3 live professional development trainings for early childhood educators, were used …

African American Christian Senior Pastor's Beliefs About Mental Health Treatment, Trinaa L. Copeland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the African American community, the Black Church and its clergy have served as gatekeepers to formal mental health treatment. Little is known about the beliefs of African American Christian senior pastors about mental health treatment and their personal views influencing their counsel to congregants seeking support through the church. This transcendental phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of African American Christian senior pastors in relation to how they understand mental health treatment and provide it to their congregants. The research questions explored three areas: (a) the senior pastors' experiences in rendering mental health treatment, (b) the senior pastors' personal …

Admission Members' Perceptions Of Predictive Validity Of The Graduate Record Examinations, Janet Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparate student academic outcomes and program access is a problem at Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs in the Northeast United States The current admission committee members at the case university did not know institution leaders' rationale for eliminating the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) criterion. The decision to exclude the GRE as an MPA admission requirement was enacted prior to their respective tenures. The program leadership expressed interest in exploring research-based admission criteria to enhance student access and predictive outcomes. Supported by critical pedagogy and humanist theories, the purpose of this case study was to investigate admission committee members' viewpoints …

Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Around Assessment, Mary Sue Durr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significance of professional development (PD) is acknowledged in research studies as essential to implementing rigorous state standards. Although the literature recognizes that PD is a crucial component in improving teachers' knowledge and skills, some teachers at a midsized urban public elementary school in the southern United States did not see the benefit of attending PD. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary special education teachers' perceptions of PD around assessment. Guided by a framework based on Chen and McCray's whole teacher approach to teacher PD, this basic qualitative study was designed to understand how these elementary special …

Factors Contributing To Military-Veteran Student Success, Charlene Sutton Cofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The enrollment of military/veteran students at U.S. colleges and universities is growing steadily; however, factors affecting their academic success need further investigation. Guided by Tinto's student integration model and Bean and Metzner's model of nontraditional student attrition, the relationships between student characteristics and academic success for military/veteran, and civilian students were investigated. For this nonexperimental study, preentry characteristics (military/civilian status, race/ethnicity, age, gender, transfer credits) as well as 1st-year academic performance (total terms attended and grade point average [GPA]) archived in 393 students' records were examined to determine whether these variables predicted 4 student success measures: retention after 1 year, …

Qsen Competency Confidence Levels In Two Groups Of New Registered Nurses, Yvonne A. Davila

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare agencies and stakeholders expect registered nurses to be competent at all times. When nurses are not confident in competencies, negative patient outcomes can occur. The purpose of this quantitative quasiexperimental with posttest only study was to investigate Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competency confidence levels of 2 groups of new nurses who had 5-6 months of clinical experience. Framed by the Duchscher theory and the QSEN framework, the research question was developed to examine the differences between QSEN competency confidence levels of new nurses who participated in a prelicensure program plus a residency program and nurses who …

Compass Placement Assessment And Student Attrition At A Community College, Leslie Morris Samuel Griffiths Ii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Considerable research has been conducted regarding the usefulness of placement testing in community colleges. Many stuides show that using the COMPASS exam may lead to students' unsuccessful course completion. To better identify the factors that may result in reduced attrition, the relationship between attrition and placement testing was studied. Using Tinto's student retention model and employing qualitative methodology, this study explored the perceptions of students and faculty regarding whether COMPASS placement assessment predicted future student success in first year courses at a community college that reports higher rates of attrition when compared to other area community colleges. After completing interviews …

Improving The General Education Development (Ged): Retention And Completion Rates Of Low Income Adults, Kimberly Mashaun Rice

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining adult education students has been a growing concern. The new GED requirements have generated low completion rates for a free GED program in a 3-year period, in a non-profit agency in a Southeastern state. Instructors are concerned about this problem and need to understand the factors that are inhibiting adult learners from successfully attaining their GED. This qualitative research design was the most appropriate to answer the research questions to determine the experiences that caused the adult learners to not complete the program and identify potential educational strategies needed to improve retention. Sticht's functional context theory was the conceptual …

Mentor Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Mentoring Strategies, Paula Tomlinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators at a public high school in Southeastern United States depend on mentor teachers to minimize the attrition rate among beginning teachers, yet the strategies implemented by mentors lack definition and clarity. The purpose of this study was to explore mentor teachers' perceptions of effective mentoring strategies and their needs when mentoring new teachers. Maslow's humanistic learning theory guided this bounded basic qualitative study. The research questions focused on the mentoring strategies mentor teachers perceived as effective and the needs of the mentors. Ten high school mentor teachers, who currently mentor new teachers, were purposefully selected to participate in individual …

Effect Of Attendance On The Performance Of Day And Evening Students, Kerry-Ann Alicia Barrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several studies posit a positive relationship between class attendance and student performance. Grades for students enrolled in Introduction to Management during the fall 2015 semester at a community college in Jamaica revealed that evening students on

average scored a grade higher than students enrolled in the day sections. Lecturers noted day students missed more classes than evening students but the relationship between attendance and performance was not known. The purpose of this correlational study was

to determine the relationship between attendance and performance, measured by grades. Guided by Knowles's theory that adults are self-directed, this study was designed to explore …

Admissions Criteria And First-Year Completion Rates In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Allison Divine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs in the United States experience high attrition rates in the first year. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between preadmission factors and first-year ADN program completion rates at one college in the south central United States. Constructivist theory provided the framework for the study. Archival data for 228 students from one ADN program were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results indicated a statistically significant association between prerequisite grade point average (GPA) and first-year program completion. An increase in the number of incoming students ages 25 years and …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Gun Violence Perpetrated By Young Men, Birda Garrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In three low socioeconomic urban communities of Greenwood (pseudonym), young men's lack of education provides dim prospects of employment, possibly causing the young men to turn to gun violence. The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions of concerned clergy, law officials, and members of a Neighborhood Watch organization regarding the factors that contribute to gun violence in the southern communities in the United States. The conceptual framework for this study was Bandura's modeling theory. The central research question addressed how the community stakeholder groups described their perceptions regarding gun violence among young male adults. For this qualitative …

Exploring Nontraditional Learner Engagement And Motivation Through Music Integration, Jessa Rae Hershner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in population of nontraditional adult learners paired with a demand for multisensory learning created a need for further research in best pedagogy in higher education. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the central question on how the integration of music, lyrics, or music videos into higher education classrooms affected the motivation and engagement levels of nontraditional adult learners. The conceptual framework was based upon self-determination theory, andragogy, multiple intelligences, and visual literacy. A multiple case design was used to collect data from 8 nontraditional higher education students. Data were collected via telephone interviews …

Education Plan To Empower Wound Care Nurses For Evidence-Based Practice, Patricia Stevenson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Non-healing wounds can claim thousands of lives and costs billions of dollars each year, and nurse-led wound clinics are becoming necessary to fill a gap in care for patients with wounds. Even among certified wound nurses using evidence-based clinical protocols, key considerations of care are being missed. Therefore, this project was focused on developing and validating a new biofilm education module for certified or certification eligible wound care nurses. The aim of the module was to boost clinical assessment knowledge and improve patient outcomes. Benners skill acquisition model informed the development of this project. The design of the project also …

The Experiences Of Sailors With Antiterrorism Force Protection Training At Off-Installation Sites, Jessica Harrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Enhancing antiterrorism force protection (ATFP) training at off-installation sites to allow employees to survive a life threatening situation is a necessity after recent events at such military installations. However, little is known about how service members perceive their current ATFP training experiences and how those experiences impact their self-confidence for responding to a threat. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how current training experiences impact confidence levels in learning basic security fundamentals to respond to a threat, as well as possible training changes that might improve confidence levels. This study used social constructivism, andragogy theory, heutagogy, and …

The Relationship Between Formal Evaluations And Online Adjunct Faculty Teaching Practices, Euwanna Antoinette Heard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increased enrollment of adult learners in colleges and universities that offer online

programs has provoked a need for skilled online adjunct faculty. Administrators at online

universities in the Mideastern region of the United States have sought to better

understand the relationship between formal evaluations and teaching practices of the

online adjunct faculty. Guided by the theory of adult learning, the purpose of this study

was to determine the relationship between formal evaluations of the teaching practices of

online adjunct faculty and their professional development. A correlational study was

completed to determine the association between online adjunct faculty's perceptions of …

Nurse Practitioners' Experiences With Role Transition: Supporting The Learning Curve Through Preceptorship, Viktoriya Y. Pleshkan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The nurse practitioner (NP) role transition is difficult and ill-supported before and after graduation. Although preceptorships are essential in supporting a NP's role transition, there is a paucity of data on student and novice NPs' experiences with their role transition and how it is supported through preceptorships. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and describe the meaning of NPs' role transition experiences while in a preceptorship before and after graduation. Schlossberg's transition theory and the cognitive apprenticeship models were used to guide the exploration of concepts of role transition and preceptorship. One face-to-face, 3 Skype, and …

Psychosocial Impacts On Young Adult Haitian Immigrant Students In The United States, Lucien Eugene Pierre, Ph. D.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Many young adult Haitian immigrant students (YAHIS) move to the United States

hoping to achieve better lives. This growing population faces many challenges when

acculturating to a new country and educational system. Some obstacles include

inadequate family and social support, language barriers, limited education, distinct

cultural values, a lack of academic materials, a shortage of Haitian teachers, and

inadequate educational programs. These psychosocial factors often prevent Haitian

immigrants from succeeding in U.S. schools. This study explored YAHIS' experiences of

acculturation and education as they relate to these psychosocial factors. Qualitative

phenomenological techniques, guided by Adlerian theory, revealed the assumptions, …

Experiences And Practices Of Environmental Adult Education Participants, Cindy Fitzwilliams-Heck

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Awareness of the sustainability of our natural resources is a continuing concern. Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) workshops ensure educators' have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, these workshops have rarely been monitored. Specifically, it appears no researchers have focused on the reflective experiences of an EAE PD workshop on educator participants at least 5 years after participation. This basic qualitative study used telephone interviews of 8 past participants to explore whether and how they perceive their behavior changing in relation to natural resources conservation years after …

College Teachers' Perceptions About Teaching Global Competency, Izabela Agata Majewska

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National and international organizations emphasize the importance of teaching global competence in American higher education as a way of preparing students for the rigors of a globalized workforce. Lack of nation-wide educational initiatives aimed at providing institutional guidelines for assessing international relations (IR) courses for this skill acquisition requires colleges to rely on their own resources and ingenuity. Presently, no course assessment methods for gauging global competency attainment exist at Florida College. The purpose of this study was to investigate faculty perceptions of instruction and learning of global competence. Mezirow's transformative learning theory was the conceptual framework that guided this …

Inclusion Teachers' Perspectives On Coteaching, Allison Nunes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The coteaching classroom has grown with the influx of special needs students in general education classrooms. New state and federal laws mandated the need for collaboration when instructing special education students, and middle school teachers in a Northern New Jersey school district are experiencing challenges with the implementation of coteaching in inclusion classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of collaboration challenges that resulted from coteaching in the classroom. The key research question of this study involved general and special education teachers' lived experiences in relation to the inclusion classroom and their attitudes and …

Factors Affecting Employee Persistence In An Online Management Development Certificate Program, Todd D. Chester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An important approach to prepare new managers for increased responsibility is participation in online management development programs; however, there is a lack of information about the factors that affect employee completion of these programs. This study addressed how chief executive officers (CEOs) can implement these programs to rapidly develop new managers who are qualified to serve in the leadership roles left behind by many retirees. This qualitative descriptive case study explored employees' perceptions about persistence in an online management development certificate program at a U.S. nonprofit organization. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory and Rovai's composite persistence model provided the conceptual framework for …

Employee Perceptions Of Effective Training Strategies, Stephen Lindsay Satterfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The following study was undertaken because there was a need to establish whether training information at a local guarantor was relevant to employees and clients. Utilizing transformative learning theory, the purpose of this case study was to explore what the guarantor's employees and management require for new account advisors by conducting open-ended interviews with the guarantor's employees. The guarantor's director secured collections contracts and a long-term enrollment advising contract with a new online university. For the guarantor to have trained account advisors, managers must know what kind of training is necessary. Secondly, the university enrollment is growing, and that could …

Academic Challenges And Success Strategies Of Students With Dyslexia Seeking A Two-Year College Degree, Mary Joyce Taylor-Talley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Dyslexia is a learning disability that hinders a person's ability to process elements of reading and writing. Although younger students with dyslexia often receive remedial education and accommodations, dyslexic college students may not receive assistance targeted to their individual needs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to ascertain the challenges that might impede the academic success of college students with dyslexia and identify strategies used by academically successful dyslexic students at a 2-year college. Knowles's theory of informal adult education and self-direction provided the conceptual framework for the study. Using a case study design, 10 current college students …

College Instructors' Perceptions On Coteaching, Theresa Da Costa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coteaching is a teaching strategy that requires 2-teachers to collaborate in developing a course syllabus, selecting materials, and assessing students' work. The research problem, addressed in this study, was an appeal to educate the diverse adult population whose needs could not be addressed through traditional instructions at Rex College. Because of a high number of enrolled adult students, coteaching at Rex College was used to improve student success for academically underprepared students in a Set for Success program. The purpose of this study was to examine the coteaching strategies used at Rex College so that teaching guides and/or professional training …

Perceived Factors That Influence Adult Learners' Persistence And Retention In Adult Basic Education, Evelyn Idoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining students, particularly in the 16- to- 24-year-old category, is a constant challenge for adult basic education programs nationwide. Educators need to understand factors that affect adult learners' experiences, have a better understanding of ways to motivate adult students in a nontraditional school setting to enhance their engagement, and apply research-based techniques and targeted, practical strategies to improve student persistence. The primary objective of this case study was to investigate the perceived factors that students considered influential on their persistence and retention in adult basic education programs. Knowles's andragogy theory and Tinto's persistence theory were the theoretical frameworks for this …