Education Commons^™

Educators’ Perceptions Of The Reading Initiative For Student Excellence Professional Development, Arkadia Johnson Armour

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Grade 3–5 students in southeastern Arkansas are reading below grade level despite the efforts of educators. The study explored educator perceptions of the Reading Initiative for Student Excellence (R.I.S.E.) professional development, in which educators learn about Science of Reading (SOR) instructional strategies and how to implement them in the classroom. The conceptual framework used for the study was Bandura's social cognitive theory. Research questions addressed how the R.I.S.E. professional development improved teaching methods to support students' reading achievement in low socioeconomic schools, as well as educators' perceptions of the R.I.S.E. professional development to support student achievement in low socioeconomic schools. …

Effect Of Covid-19 On Comprehensive Predictor Exam Scores And Nursing Program Scores And First Generation College Students, Heather Marie Austin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic forced nursing education programs to change traditional face-to-face teaching to virtual education and simulated experiences. Therefore, research is needed to determine how this change affected nursing students’ academic performance and their performance on standardized exams. The purpose of this three-part study, guided by Knowles’s adult learning theory, was to determine if there was a difference in Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) students’ performance on: (a) Assessment Technology Institute (ATI) Comprehensive Predictor (CP) scores, (b) end of program scores, and for (c) CP scores for first generation students before the COVID-19 pandemic compared with nursing students’ scores …

Teacher Perceptions Of Disproportionate Suspensions Between Minority And White Students, Tanika Rachelle Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout public schools in the United States, minority students continue to receive more disciplinary consequences compared to other groups of students. The problem addressed in this study was the persistence of discipline disproportionality between minority students and White students at a public U.S. middle school, even with recent efforts such as the implementation of the positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework. Guided by the theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the persistence of this discipline disproportionality between minority and White students and ways to improve the use of PBIS …

How College Faculty Experience Designing Blended Courses They Teach, Judy Bauer Puritt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning has been growing and evolving in higher education since the early 2000s. Despite extensive quantitative research examining blended course use and exploration of how students experience blended-courses, more situated, local research about faculty members’ experiences was needed. The purpose of this qualitative study was to develop a deeper understanding of faculty members’ experiences during the decision-making process in designing blended courses they teach. The conceptual framework was grounded in Engeström’s activity theory to allow an exploration of individual agency within a specific community setting. Faculty members’ decision-making experiences and perceptions were explored using an interpretive description methodology. A …

College Students’ Perceptions Of The Importance Of Student Engagement In Online Courses, Alicia Beasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have identified high dropout rates in online courses for the past several years with few strategies for improvement. The problem addressed in this basic qualitative study was that peer socialization and engagement are challenges in online courses. The purpose of this study was to understand how far utilizing social media improved student socialization and engagement in online courses thus resulting in increased student success. This study used the conceptual framework of engagement theory, which states that students must be meaningfully engaged in learning activities through interaction with others and worthwhile tasks. The research questions addressed student perceptions about the …

Perceptions Of Experienced African American Male Principals Of Supports Needed To Improve Their Instructional Leadership Skills, Vance M. Benton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male principals frequently are placed in low-achieving schools but provided limited support. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of experienced African American principals regarding the support they receive to improve their instructional leadership skills as a way to improve student academic achievement. The social cognitive career theory and the transformative learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study. The research questions for this study examined principals’ perceptions of how they were being supported, the challenges of getting support, and how their support could be improved. Nine experienced African …

Midwestern K-8 School Principal Perceptions On Retention Strategies For African American Teachers, Sherrie Berry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition of African American teachers which outpaces the effectiveness of existing retention strategies used by principals is a documented issue in U.S. public schools. The problem addressed through this study was that K-8 principals in one midwestern school district were challenged to implement strategies to retain African American teachers. Guided by transformational and distributive leadership theories, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of K-8 school principals in the local setting about the challenges they faced retaining African American teachers and strategies required to increase retention. Five K-8 school principals who had at least one …

Exploring Student Loan Borrower’S Financial Decisions After Florida Enacted Statute 1009.45, Vijantie Michelle Boodoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Florida implemented Statute 1009.45 as of July 1, 2017, to require colleges and universities to provide annual student loan debt notifications to students to inform them about their student loan obligations. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how college students in the State of Florida make financial decisions about their education, focusing on the influence of the notifications and what additional supports would help them improve their decision-making. There was a gap in the literature in identifying what information students were using from the notification. Rational choice and human capital theories were used for the conceptual …

Prodigy Game And Third-Grade Mathematics Achievement In An Urban Setting, Christina D. Brooks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students in Urban District 1 were not meeting grade level learning outcomes in mathematics on state- and district-administered benchmark assessments. The purpose of this study was to determine if including a specific educational video game (EVG), Prodigy, in mathematics instruction with third-grade students would influence students’ math achievement as measured by the districts quarterly Star Math benchmark assessments. The research question looked at the difference in students’ benchmark assessment scores for mathematics between third-grade users and non-users of the video game learning software Prodigy during the 2017–2018 school year. The use of EVGs as an instructional strategy was examined through …

Human Service Professionals’ Perceived Ability To Support Title I Schools During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Dewayne Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human service professional practitioners (HSPPs) who work in Title I schools help students overcome challenges including absenteeism and behavioral problems and serve as liaisons between the school, family, and student. The pivot to online education during the COVID-19 school shutdowns meant that HSPP services also pivoted. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to understand how HSPPs perceived their ability to serve Title I students during the pandemic through the lens of Bandura’s self-efficacy theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 HSPPs who delivered services to Title I students before and during the pandemic. Participants reported their service delivery …

Campus Administrators’ Perceptions Of Their Influence On The Success Of Instructional Coaching Programs In Urban Elementary Schools, Sakinah S. Burroughs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Education and Human Sciences

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Sakinah S. Burroughs

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Robert Flanders, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Kenneth McGrew, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Cleveland Hayes, University Reviewer, Education Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

An Exploration Of The Longevity Of High School Principals Tenure In California, Steven David Caminiti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has focused on the various reasons why high school principals leave their positions, yet minimal research has been done on the reasons why they stay. The problem of inconsistency of high school principals’ tenure within the first 4 years of service was addressed in this study. Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory was used in this exploratory case study to explore the perspectives of eight high school principals in one region of California who continued to serve for 4 years or more through a strengths-based approach to the problem. Research questions were focused on the motivators that high school principals …

Women Superintendents’ Mentoring Experiences And Attainment Of The Superintendency, Araceli Chavarín

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in the school superintendency in the United States may be attributed to a lack of role models, mentoring, and educational networking. The problem that this study addressed is the lack of insight into how mentoring influences women’s attainment of the superintendency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the mentoring experiences women superintendents identified as important in their lives and work. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Higgins and Kram’s developmental network. The research questions in the study explored how women superintendents describe mentorship experiences in their careers and describe …

Teachers’ Experiences Using Phonics Instruction In Korean Elementary School Classrooms, Jung-Hye Choi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public elementary schools in the Republic of Korea (Korea) do not reliably include phonics in their third and fourth grade English language curriculum. Therefore, examining how teachers are currently including phonics instructions in the classroom could significantly impact the level of reading skills acquired in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Korea. This basic qualitative study addressed what teachers needed to reliably and competently teach phonics in Korean public elementary school districts, what difficulties they encountered, and what kind of support could effectively ameliorate said difficulties. The conceptual framework for this research was provided by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory …

Social Workers’ Role In School Discipline Of Black Male Students, Teresa L. Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators enforce various forms of school discipline, including office referrals, suspensions, and expulsions, as strategies to maintain safe learning environments for students and staff. Over four decades of research indicate Black male students experience more consequences and receive tougher school discipline than their peers of other races. School discipline potentially causes adverse outcomes for students. Schools employ social workers to support behavior and academic needs of students. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of school social workers in their role in school discipline of Black male students. The theoretical framework used for this study …

Principals’ Leadership Role In Supporting Culturally Responsive English Language Learner Programs, Lawrence Cowger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners face different challenges in accessing relevant curriculum content compared to native English speakers. There is limited research on effective strategies that teachers use to ensure learning outcomes among English language learners. The purpose of this case study was to explore the leadership strategies that principals implement to support teachers’ culturally responsive strategies when working with English language learning (ELL) students. Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) was the basis of the conceptual framework, using research from Walker and five CRSL concepts. The research questions focused on school leadership and how administrators support teachers of ELL programs using CRSL. …

Relationship Between Mentorship And Career Advancement: African American Women In Higher Education Leadership, Torialyn Draper Crook

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is the underrepresentation of African American women in higher education leadership positions in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore to what extent mentorship predicts the career advancement of African American women in higher education leadership positions in the United States. Guided by Kram’s mentoring framework, 74 African American women who applied and obtained career advancement in the past 5 years in higher education leadership positions completed Toland Mentoring survey. The logistic regression model results showed statistical significance X2(1) = 38.911, p < .001, meaning mentoring was a predictor of career advancement for African American women. The Nagelkerke R2 = .54 indicates that 54% of the variation in getting advancement or not was based on mentoring. The recommendations for further study include comparing female and male mentoring, establishing best practices at institutions where the presence of African American women in higher education is increased, and exploring the effectiveness of formal mentoring programs at institutions of higher education. Mentorship can lead to positive social change by cultivating an institutional climate that reflects the overall student population proportionally. From a social change perspective, increasing the mentorship opportunities of African American women within higher education institutions can provide crucial role models and reveal new approaches to address the populations they represent.

Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Online Student Engagement, Teri R. Cruzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low student engagement and high attrition rates in online classes were observed at community colleges in a Western U.S. state. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore online faculty members’ perceptions of student engagement and how they described their teaching practices and experiences. The study was grounded in the community of inquiry, a collaborative and constructivist model, which posits that social, cognitive, and teaching presences are critical to engagement and online learning. Data were collected from 10 online faculty members who provided responses to an online qualitative survey. Data analysis involved coding by hand in several stages to …

Nursing Faculty Experiences With Interactive Games And Gaming And Student Preparedness, Laura S. Dana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although instructional strategies to enhance student learning is a critical component of the faculty role, nursing education has been slow to incorporate games and gaming into the learning environment. The primary purpose for this qualitative phenomenological research study was to explore the lived experiences of nursing faculty of associate degree programs, specifically regarding the use of games and gaming as interactive, experiential teaching and learning strategies. This study was designed to answer the question, “What are the lived experiences of faculty who use games and gaming as instructional approaches in associate degree nursing (ADN) education.” Through one-on-one interviews via Zoom …

Accelerated Courses And Barriers To Persistence For Traditional-Age College Students, Clarissa Davis-Ragland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOffering 8-week courses in a traditional 16-week semester schedule supports degree completion; however, traditional-age students, who belonged to Generation Z, at a Southwest community college indicated a preference for 16-week courses. The problem investigated in this study was that traditional-age college students experienced barriers to completing accelerated 8-week courses at this institution. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the in-class and out-of-class barriers these college students experienced that impacted their motivation to persist in accelerated 8-week courses. The conceptual framework was Rendón’s validation theory, which described students’ intentional, proactive affirmation by in- and out-of-class college agents. …

Emergency Department Operational Strategies, Joyce W. Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractEmergency Department Operational Strategies by Joyce W. Davis MBA/MHA, Pfeiffer University, 2011 BS, North Carolina A&T State University, 1980

Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration

Walden University December 2022

Elementary General Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Effective Math Instruction For Students With Disabilities, Donna Denk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Barriers to implementing effective math instruction have been a focus of scholars because they are a problem in

supporting students with disabilities. Researchers have demonstrated that general education teachers often have little

knowledge about effective interventions for students with disabilities and the barriers to achieving such instruction. The

purpose of this study was to investigate and understand general education teachers’ perceptions of effective math

instruction, and barriers to it, for fourth and fifth grade students with disabilities. The conceptual framework was based on

Baroody’s stages of math fact acquisition, which predicates that three developmental stages should be the basis …

Faculty Experiences Using Synchronous Videoconference Technology To Assess Student Psychomotor Performance, Heather Disney

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Psychomotor skills are an essential aspect of physical therapy (PT) education. Recent studies supported using videoconference technology (VCT) for psychomotor instruction, but research on the use of VCT for psychomotor assessments is limited. Determining VCT’s usefulness for psychomotor exams is vital to establish best pedagogical practices. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the faculty experience using synchronous VCT to assess PT student’s psychomotor skills. The conceptual framework for this study was the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). The research question investigated how PT educators described the psychomotor skill assessment of students using …

A Phenomenological Examination Of African American Men’S Experiences In Community College, Abdulhalim Faruq

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe community college, given its accessibility and affordability, has become the institution of choice for many African American men pursuing academic, vocational, and technical advancement. However, African American men attending community colleges are less likely to graduate and persist than their European American male and female peers. Limited research exists on academic persistence among African American men attending community colleges and their academic self-efficacy. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of African American male community college students regarding their academic persistence, formal and informal interactions with their instructors, and self-efficacy. Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy …

Barriers To Completing Bachelor’S Degrees For Nontraditional Nebraska Students, Melba Dinorah Fix-Padilla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractNontraditional students in Nebraska colleges have lower graduation rates than traditional students. Approximately 40% of nontraditional students at a private college withdraw before completing a degree. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover barriers preventing nontraditional students from completing a degree. The conceptual frameworks were Tinto’s student integration model and Bean’s student attrition model, which involve financial, social, and academic completion resources. Research questions involve financial, social, and academic challenges preventing nontraditional students from completing a degree. The sample consisted of eight nontraditional undergraduate students between the ages of 25 to 65, an undergraduate administrator, and a focus …

Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face In Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships, Deborah Sue Fingerhut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Education

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Deborah Fingerhut

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Joanna Karet, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Sydney Parent, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Leslie VanGelder, University Reviewer, Education Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

Abstract Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face in Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships by Deborah Fingerhut

MA, Mills College, 1983BS, California State University, Sacramento, …

Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Implementing Student-Centered Instructional Practices In Reading Comprehension, Gloria Nnenna Edeh-Okwuosah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that the English as foreign language teachers in five government elementary schools were not consistently instructing in a manner that contributed to a student-centered learning environment when teaching reading comprehension. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of English as foreign language teachers in the five government elementary schools regarding implementing student-centered instructional strategies when teaching reading comprehension. Weimer’s learner-centered teaching served as the conceptual framework. The research questions focused on English as foreign language teachers’ perceptions regarding implementing student-centered practices when teaching reading comprehension. Data were collected …

Perceptions Of English Language Arts Teachers Related To Low Student Performance On The Parcc Assessment, Melissa Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem explored in this study was the low achievement of third grade students on the English Language Arts (ELA) Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Assessment (PARCC). The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore teacher perceptions about third grade students in one charter school who were consistently scoring low on the PARCC assessment in ELA. The conceptual framework for this study was Vygotsky's Social Constructivist Theory. Vygotsky's Social Constructivist theory suggests that when learners are engaged in the process of learning, they are able to learn from the person who is presenting the …

Current School District Administrators’ And Math Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teacher Buy-In For Problem-Based Learning In Middle School Math, Kelly Riley Hastings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-Based Learning (PBL) in middle school math classrooms is a topic that has not been well-researched, even though math scores in the United States have been declining. In a school district in the Southcentral United States, the local problem was that teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math classes was unknown, as current literature regarding administrator and teacher perspectives on teacher buy-in is limited. The purpose of the study was to explore current school district administrators’ and math teachers’ perspectives of teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math in a Southcentral U.S. state. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory contributes …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Use Of Cognitively Guided Instruction In Mathematics Classrooms, Irin Sultana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary teachers in California were tasked to use cognitively guided instruction (CGI) strategies in mathematics classrooms, but it was uncertain if they had the self-efficacy, confidence, resources, and support to do so consistently. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate K-5 teachers’ perceptions about their self-efficacy and confidence in using CGI strategies in the mathematics classroom and what resources or support they felt needed to implement CGI strategies successfully. Bandura’s social cognitive theory, which emphasizes four sources of self-efficacy, was used for the framework analysis. Research questions supported teachers’ self-efficacy and confidence through research questions- What challenges …