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Full-Text Articles in Education

African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb Jan 2017

African American Male College Students' Experience Of College Preparation, Linda Denice Valentine-Cobb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male students have a high risk of not completing high school and not going to college. Students receive some college preparation as early as middle school, yet it is not enough to increase the number of African American male high school or college graduates. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe what 18-24-year-old African American male college students recalled from middle school and high school about college preparation, college planning, and college attendance. Critical race theory was used to reveal how outside factors such as oppression, racism, or socioeconomic status prevent African American male students from …


Assessing Learning Styles Of Adult Students In Online, Classroom, And Combination Learning Environments, Theresa M. Bane Jan 2017

Assessing Learning Styles Of Adult Students In Online, Classroom, And Combination Learning Environments, Theresa M. Bane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of Kolb's experiential learning model and learning styles (LS) in adult students of different learning environments. Previous research utilizing Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) produced results that were often contradictory to expectations based on Kolb's model. Many of these studies were limited in sample sizes or to particular participant education or career fields. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences in LS of adult students of 3 different learning environments-online, classroom, and combination (blended). A convenience sample of adult learners (N = 180) from a social media site and an online university's …


Multicultural Psychosocial Education And The Malleability Of The Epistemic Essentialist Entitativity Processes, Kathryn Marie Davis Jan 2017

Multicultural Psychosocial Education And The Malleability Of The Epistemic Essentialist Entitativity Processes, Kathryn Marie Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cognitive epistemic systems are reasoning structures that promote an individual's categorization of group members through processes known as cognitive epistemic essentialist entitativity (EEE). The propensity of these processes to become stagnant is known to lead to stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors when individuals are presented with ambiguous information about outgroup members. Educational materials about the contributions, cultural patterns, and social customs of ethnic and cultural groups can reduce stereotyping and prejudiced behaviors. However, whether being presented this material through multicultural psychosocial education in a formal setting is an effective strategy to influence the malleability of EEE processes has not been addressed …


Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt Jan 2017

Rural Colorado Drug Courts: A Program Evaluation Of Two Different Modalities, Arthur Kleinschmidt Kleinschmidt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the Colorado Judicial Branch, 78 problem-solving courts operate in the 20 judicial districts in Colorado. The Summit County and Eagle County drug court programs are located in Colorado's Fifth Judicial District and have not been previously studied. Evaluating treatment programs for effectiveness contributes to social change because it ensures individuals in need of treatment are receiving the proper services. The Eagle County drug court program had 117 participants and the Summit County drug court program had 33 participants. The Summit County Drug Court used 2 cognitive behavioral therapies: moral reconation therapy and strategies for self-improvement and change. The …


Gender Differences In Discussion Strategies Of Asynchronous Online Undergraduate Psychology Major Students, Shawna Marie Burtis Jan 2017

Gender Differences In Discussion Strategies Of Asynchronous Online Undergraduate Psychology Major Students, Shawna Marie Burtis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous studies have focused on gender differences in communication in various learning settings and have found that men and women typically communicate in different ways; however, no studies have directly investigated undergraduate psychology major students. Based on symbolic convergence theory, a survey design was in this quantitative study to examine gender differences in online discussion strategies among undergraduate psychology student majors at online universities. Focusing on 4 asynchronous online discussion strategies, the research questions addressed gender differences in discussion strategies while controlling for students' previous experience with online learning and level of study in their current program. A convenience sample …


Parental Perception Of Mobile Device Usage In Children And Social Competency, Christin Topper Jan 2017

Parental Perception Of Mobile Device Usage In Children And Social Competency, Christin Topper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parents in the 21st century are concerned with the ubiquity of mobile devices and their effects on the progression of social development. A review of the literature indicated that although digital interaction has become more prominent, limited empirical data existed on whether children who spend more time interacting in the digital realm would develop the necessary competency to handle social situations in real-life settings. Using social constructivist theory and the Schramm model of communication as the theoretical foundations, the present study examined the relationship between mobile device usage and the level of social competency in young children as perceived by …


Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Coteaching, Geeta Gupta Kadakia Jan 2017

Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Coteaching, Geeta Gupta Kadakia

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to the low passing rate of its students with disabilities, administrators at a small urban elementary school in south Texas implemented coteaching. Guided by Nonaka and Takeuchi's collaborative learning framework, this qualitative instrumental case study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of collaborative teaching in the elementary education setting. Data collection consisted of a group interview and classroom observations with a purposeful sample of 4 general education teachers and 2 special education teachers of Grades 3-5 math and language arts who were coteaching at the time of the study. Teachers' perceptions regarding the effects of their professional relationship …


Integration Into A Historically Black University: Transfer And Native Students' Experiences, Zaigham Bokhari Jan 2017

Integration Into A Historically Black University: Transfer And Native Students' Experiences, Zaigham Bokhari

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) receive the highest proportion of transfer students (TS) who encounter unique challenges to academic/social integration such as difficult socioeconomic backgrounds, insufficient support of their families, and limited access to student counseling and career guidance services on campus. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of the effects of these challenges on TS. Using the Survey of Native and Transfer Students Integration, the study collected quantitative data on measures of TS academic/social integration and qualitative data on TS personal experiences (n = 150). The results of correlation analyses suggest that (1) academic/social …


Familial Factors Predicting Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence In African American Adolescents, Cassandra Clarke-Williams Jan 2017

Familial Factors Predicting Attitudes Toward Domestic Violence In African American Adolescents, Cassandra Clarke-Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen dating violence is more prevalent among African Americans than any other racial group in the United States leading to serious health consequences for victims. However, limited data exists on how African American adolescents' attitudes and perceptions regarding dating violence are formed, and whether they are influenced by family members. The purpose of this nonexperimental correlational study was to determine whether nonverbal or verbal communication from family members predicted adolescents' attitudes and perceptions toward dating violence. Survey data from 84 African American men and women ages 18 to 24 were collected using the Normative Beliefs About Aggression Scale, the Acceptance …


Motivation Of African American Students To Persevere Academically, Stephen C. Anyaka Jan 2017

Motivation Of African American Students To Persevere Academically, Stephen C. Anyaka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American high school students face considerable personal and circumstantial challenges such as poverty, living in high crime neighborhoods, a lack of positive role models, low socioeconomic status, and social inequity in their efforts to achieve academic success. Finding solutions for persistent academic underperformance and closing the achievement disparity gap for minority children are challenging. This generic qualitative study examined the motivations of high-achieving African American high school students to persevere and achieve academic success despite their personal and circumstantial challenges. Social cognitive theory framed the study. Semistructured interview data were collected from 10 high achieving African American high school …


Education And The Development Of On-Farm Identity: Dairy Farm Women's Experiences, Amy Leigh Spangenberg Jan 2017

Education And The Development Of On-Farm Identity: Dairy Farm Women's Experiences, Amy Leigh Spangenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women throughout the world have found emancipation through education. Yet, there has been no research on the role that education plays in dairy farm women's primary, on-farm identity development and how farm women's identities develop. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine dairy farm women's perceptions of previous learning (education) and its influence on their primary, on-farm identity development. The feminist standpoint theory provided the framework for this study. A homogeneous, purposeful sample of 10 active dairy farm women were interviewed using individual, face to face, semistructured questions to answer the question: What are dairy farm women's perceptions …


The Experience Of Children Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, Melissa Scotch Jan 2017

The Experience Of Children Living With Sensory Processing Disorder, Melissa Scotch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurological condition that alters the way an individual perceives sensory information. Although the condition has been studied for more than 40 years, SPD remains a difficult condition to diagnose, treat, and live with because it affects individuals uniquely, and the symptoms can change from childhood to adulthood. For children diagnosed with SPD, the misinterpretation of sensory cues can cause difficulties in family, social, and academic settings. While there is some research on the assessment and treatment of SPD, what is missing is a deeper understanding of the family, social and academic challenges these children …


Parents' Decision-Making Process About Treatment For Their Child's Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Ponchita C. Sengider-Lopez Jan 2017

Parents' Decision-Making Process About Treatment For Their Child's Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Ponchita C. Sengider-Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) occurs in up to 16% of U.S. children and is characterized by defiant, disobedient, disruptive, and antisocial behavior toward adults or authority figures that persists for more than 6 months, which can be burdensome for parents. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how parents of a child newly diagnosed with ODD select the treatment for their child. Social cognitive theory and decision theory provided the theoretical framework. A demographic questionnaire and semistructured interviews were used to collect data from 6 parents about their decision-making process. Data were analyzed using the 7-step procedure outlined …


Elementary School Social Workers' Perspectives On The Development Of Resilience In Early Childhood, Dan Podraza Jan 2017

Elementary School Social Workers' Perspectives On The Development Of Resilience In Early Childhood, Dan Podraza

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have stressed the importance of addressing the social/emotional needs of early childhood (EC) children, including the development of resilience; however, some U.S. school personnel focus more on academics than on these needs. When young children possess these skills, they can handle social/emotional challenges later in life. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore school social workers' (SWs) perspectives about resilience in EC settings. Research questions focused on knowledge of existing programs, participants' perceptions of the successes and challenges of working with EC students, and their recommendations to improve EC students' education. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory …


Perceptions Of Adolescents Suspended For School Drug Abuse, Katherine Bomba-Edgerton Jan 2017

Perceptions Of Adolescents Suspended For School Drug Abuse, Katherine Bomba-Edgerton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School drug use has been attributed to the annual suspension of thousands of secondary adolescents, subsequently contributing to poor academics, low graduation rates, and continued school drug use. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the experiences of former adolescents who engaged in school drug use. Social learning theory suggests that behaviors observed from within the environment may later be modeled. Using Bandura's social learning theory, 10 participants, 18 years old and older responded to open-ended questions about how they processed school drug use. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the responses to the open-ended questions were coded and analyzed. …


Teachers' Experiences With And Perceptions Of Single-Gender Instruction Of African American Students, Kymberli Robinson Chandler Jan 2017

Teachers' Experiences With And Perceptions Of Single-Gender Instruction Of African American Students, Kymberli Robinson Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a large, urban district in western Tennessee, African American students perform considerably lower in math, science, and reading than other districts. Several teachers in western Tennessee are using single-gender instruction as a practice, but little is known about its effectiveness in addressing the needs of African American students. Currently, there is a gap in scholarly and practical understanding of the effects of single-gender classrooms on the academic success of African American students in western Tennessee. This exploratory qualitative case study examined the experiences shared by teachers who use single-gender learning to educate African American students in secondary schools in …


Behavioral Impacts Of Father Absence On Middle School African American Boys, Ivy J. Johnson Jan 2017

Behavioral Impacts Of Father Absence On Middle School African American Boys, Ivy J. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Father absence is the experience of children who grow up in households without their biological father. The African American population experiences the highest level of father absence of all demographic groups in the United States. Research shows that father absence influences school behavior. There is a lack of literature evaluating the extent to which father absence affects children, particularly African American boys, at different stages of development. This quantitative study was used to evaluate how father absence affected school behavior of African American boys, ages 13-15, in the middle school setting, in Houston, TX. Guided by attachment theory, the research …


The Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms And Levels Of Lifestyle Activity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Michael D. Gatson Jan 2017

The Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms And Levels Of Lifestyle Activity Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Michael D. Gatson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying depressive symptoms in community-dwelling elders has been problematic, due to a lack of resources and training for health clinicians. Previous researchers have indicated that older adults who engage in physical activities can prevent, or mitigate depression, but no model has included this variable in conjunction with factors such as lifestyle or sociodemographic characteristics. In this study, a predictive design was used with a regression analysis. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms and the different factors identified in the literature as significant contributors to its prevalence among older community-dwelling adults. Erikson's theory …


Factors That Influence School Counselors' Intent To Use Online Counseling, Sarah Heather Golden Jan 2017

Factors That Influence School Counselors' Intent To Use Online Counseling, Sarah Heather Golden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owing to advancements in technology, online counseling has become a viable option for counselors to provide counseling services to diverse populations. Despite the expansion of resources, a gap in research exists pertaining to a school counselor's intention to use online counseling. Furthermore, online counseling is an underused tool owing to a variety of unknowns, attitudes, ethical and legal concerns, and lack of training associated with online counseling. The underuse of online counseling becomes problematic because youth, who may be more receptive to support via the Internet, remain underserved if school counselors are not using this tool. The purpose for this …


High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett Jan 2017

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …


Non Medical Prescription Drug Use In Rural Communities And Social Work, Izetta Mounice Briggs-Bolling Jan 2017

Non Medical Prescription Drug Use In Rural Communities And Social Work, Izetta Mounice Briggs-Bolling

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study explored the roles and responsibilities of social workers providing services to nonmedical prescription drug users (NMPDU). Researchers have indicated NMPDU disproportionately affects people living in rural communities. The overarching research question sought to explore the concerns of social workers when providing services to patients coping with NMPDU in the rural community of Ulster County, New York. The intention was to examine systemic challenges facing rural social workers when attempting to decrease morbidity risks and increase the health of Ulster County residents. A total of 7 social workers participated in 3 focus groups to explore their ideas for defining, …


Terrorism And Parents' Experience Of Children's Schooling In Nigeria: A Phenomenological Study., James Ovu Urien Jan 2017

Terrorism And Parents' Experience Of Children's Schooling In Nigeria: A Phenomenological Study., James Ovu Urien

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Nigeria, displaced non-Muslim parents living in refugee camps face difficult decisions regarding the schooling of their teenage daughters, who are potential targets of Boko Haram terrorist activities. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to qualitatively explore a deeper understanding of the lived experience of displaced non-Muslim parents in Nigeria concerning the schooling of their teenage daughters. Prospect theory provided a theoretical foundation for the study. The theory holds that decision-making is based on the perceived value of gains and losses under risk conditions, rather than solely the perceived final outcome of the risk. The research questions …


Emotional-Social Intelligence: Development During Online And On-Campus Holistic Healthcare Programs, Bradley J. Boute Jan 2017

Emotional-Social Intelligence: Development During Online And On-Campus Holistic Healthcare Programs, Bradley J. Boute

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As with traditional healthcare providers, emotional-social intelligence (ESI) plays a role in the holistic practitioner-client relationship. It is important to determine if students in holistic healthcare programs increase their ESI, and subsequently better serve their clients. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to determine if online education can develop students' ESI at levels similar to that of traditional programs. This study is based on the theory of ESI and transformative learning theory. The sample consisted of 95 students in an online program and 61 in a traditional program. Multiple linear regression, ANCOVA, and Pearson Correlation's were used to …


Violent Aggression Exposure, Psychoemotional Distress, Aggressive Behavior, And Academic Performance Among Adolescents, Joyce Renee Evans Jan 2017

Violent Aggression Exposure, Psychoemotional Distress, Aggressive Behavior, And Academic Performance Among Adolescents, Joyce Renee Evans

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sixty percent of youth indicate exposure to violence. Such exposure is a noted risk factor for youths' well-being, including cognitive, emotional, and behavioral development. However, there is a gap in the literature regarding whether exposure to violence predicts impaired academic performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to test a model with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional sequelae of exposure as mediators of the relationship between exposure to violence and academic performance among adolescents who are at risk for exposure and attend inner-city high schools. Ninety-nine students, primarily female and African-American, in Grades 10 to 12 at two public schools …


Competition And Academic Entitlement, Linda L. Parker Jan 2017

Competition And Academic Entitlement, Linda L. Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a university or college setting, academic entitlement occurs when a student thinks that he or she may deserve an acknowledgement that has not been earned. By understanding the potential contributions, negative effects on the student, faculty, and administration can be avoided. Using the social learning theory and cognitive evaluation theory as the framework, the purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between competition, an activity in which only one or several will win a contest or accolade. Amazon's Mechanical Turk was used for the recruitment of 552 students residing in the United States, from freshman to doctorate …