Education Commons^™

Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Restorative Practices, Janis Marie Grace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPublic school administrators use restorative practices (RPs) as a discipline intervention to reduce student expulsions and suspensions. The problem addressed in this qualitative study was that despite the implementation of RPs in a school district in the Southwestern United States, student misconduct increased. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school administrators’ perceptions regarding the use of RPs to decrease the number of student expulsions and suspensions at the school district. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Vaandering’s critical theory of restorative justice in education, which supports the need for school administrators to implement …

Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Classroom Role In Student Persistence, Courtney L. Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research into community college (CC) education shows low percentages of student persistence in many CCs in the United States. The problem addressed in this study was the low rate of students completing CC in a southeastern state and across the United States. Many CC organizations are not meeting graduation standards set forth by accrediting bodies. The purpose of this basic qualitative study using open-ended interview questions was to explore CC faculty’s (CCF) perceptions regarding their role in CC student persistence to complete the CC program. Currently furloughed CCF of this CC were interviewed to gather data on their perceptions. The …

Administrators’ Perceptions Of Their Role In Increasing Parental Involvement, Jessica Demetria Smith Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental involvement is a critical component of student academic achievement. However, parental involvement in a Mid-Atlantic school district was dwindling, specifically in elementary schools. The current study examined school administrators’ roles in involving parents in academic activities at elementary schools in the district. A conceptual framework based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s process model of parental involvement guides the study. The research questions examined administrators’ roles in increasing parental involvement, possible challenges they face when addressing low parental involvement and underlying factors to low parental involvement. In addition, the study gathered data on administrators’ beliefs about the underlying issue of low …

Early Childhood Teachers' Perspectives Of Their Relationships With Students With Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Tyesha Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

General education early childhood (EC) teachers may find it challenging to build positive teacher-student relationships (TSRs) with students with emotional behavioral disorders (EBD). There is a gap in practice regarding general education EC teachers’ TSRs with students with EBD and the support they need when teaching these students. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of general education EC teachers regarding their TSRs and the support they need when teaching students with EBD. The conceptual framework was Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory of human development. Participants were nine general education EC teachers who were currently …

Leadership Experiences With Organizational Infrastructure In Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs, Latia Greer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of buy-in is a critical factor when initiating organizational change. Although changes are necessary for growth and sustainability, leadership can be met with resistance. Early childhood mental health consultation is a solution-focused intervention to support early childcare providers and educators to improve child outcomes. The implementation of the program requires a well-defined operational model to have greater effectiveness and efficiency. The present case study explored the leadership experience of buy-in to change during the implementation of an early childhood mental health consultation school-based program in a nonprofit organization in the Midwest region of the United States. The Baldrige Excellence …

A Meta-Analysis Examining The Efficacy Of Flipped Instruction For Stem Academics, Daphne Marie Gricoski

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractImproving education, particularly for the sciences, is an important and necessary endeavor which can lead to positive social change. Education reform tends to involve updating and aligning curriculum standards without considering methodologies or teaching strategies involved. Identifying evidence-based practices to improve achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) will contribute to improving the education system. Flipped classroom instruction is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes student involvement and engagement in the learning process. There is evidence that active learning strategies improve achievement in STEM academic areas. The purpose of this study was to compare traditional lecture teaching methods to the …

Parents’ Perceptions: Strategies To Motivate Lower-Elementary Children’S Virtual Emergency Learning During Covid-19, Brittany Harden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the 2020–2021 school year, many students were forcibly shifted from traditional in-person learning to virtual emergency response learning (ERL) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this shift, many lower-elementary school students suffered socially, emotionally, and academically due to lack of infrastructure, social isolation, and the loss of direct instruction from educators. Because of this loss, many parents had different responsibilities to their children’s social, emotional, and academic well-being. Research has not provided practical, motivational strategies used by parents to motivate their lower-elementary school children during virtual ERL during COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine parents’ …

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 …

Using Reflection To Promote Success In Community College Mathematics, Sherilin Ruth Heise

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college mathematics faculty have instituted changes to address inadequate preparation of incoming students to learn college-level mathematics. However, they could do more to develop student cognitive capabilities to enable underprepared students to successfully learn college mathematics. This basic qualitative study examined the perceptions of community college mathematics instructors who made their classrooms more reflective, including using reflection as an instruction activity for students entering college underprepared to learn college-level mathematics. The conceptual framework consisted of Baxter Magolda’s epistemological reflection model of college student development and Schoenfeld’s theoretical model for teaching mathematics. Open coding of interviews with 10 community college …

First-Year Mainstream Teachers' Perspectives On Preservice Preparation In English Language Learner Instruction, Sally Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the number of English language learners (ELLs) in mainstream classrooms has significantly increased over the past decade, first-year teachers continue to begin their careers without adequate training in ELL instruction. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore first-year mainstream teachers’ perspectives of their preservice course training and field experiences in ELL instruction. The study site was a small west Tennessee school district where 32 students are currently receiving English as a second language (ESL) services. Supported by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, this study was framed by the concept of hands-on experience for learning, which is used by …

High School Educators' Perceptions Of Professional Development Needs For Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Daniel Thomas Henley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated by this study is that professional development (PD) provided for educators had not prepared them to implement behavior interventions and positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) to meet classroom management and students’ needs. This basic qualitative study was conducted to investigate the experiences of high school educators, who implemented behavior interventions and PBIS at the exemplar sample site, and to identify the supports, advantages, and barriers they encountered. Using Glasser’s choice and Skinner’s operant conditioning theories, research questions focused on educators’ perceptions and experiences with PD to identify the supports, advantages, and barriers at the exemplar site …

Practices Of Administrators And English As A Second Language Teachers For Third-Grade English Language Learners, Dr. Rochelle Danise Heslip

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem under study was that administrators were challenged to support ELL teachers because current instructional strategies did not address the gap between the academic achievement of ELLs and non-ELLs. A basic qualitative design was used to investigate how administrators supported teachers’ implementation of instructional strategies for this population. The resulting project was a 1-week professional development instructional program for ELL administrators and teachers. Wright’s self-awareness theory was used as the conceptual framework approach to examine how administrators encouraged ELL teachers to attend and use professional development because current instructional strategies did not address the gap between the academic achievement …

Academic Advising Predicting Student Persistence At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Amanda Holmes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student retention has been a problem for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for many years. Academic advising has been used to improve retention. This quantitative correlational study addressed the lack of research on the relationship between academic advising modalities, academic advising, self-assessed academic learning outcomes, and student persistence at two HBCUs. Tinto’s student retention theory framed the examination of academic advising, self-assessed academic advising learning outcomes, and student persistence. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior framed the relationship between a student’s intention to persist, predicting the student’s actual persistence to the next term. Research Question 1 examined academic advising modalities, …

Effect Of Developmental English Faculty Instructors’ Employment Status On College Student Performance In A Freshman Composition Course, Kauscha Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research attempted to determine whether faculty instructors’ employment status played a role in the success of students who are not college ready. The purpose of this study was to determine whether developmental English faculty instructors’ employment status had an effect on grades in a freshman composition course (English 101) among community college students while using functional role theory as the theoretical foundation. The quantitative study utilized two-way analysis of covariance. The research used archival data for 2,364 community college students to determine if employment status and gender differences among developmental English faculty instructors had an effect on subsequent grades …

The Perceptions Of Adult Patients Who Experience Needle Fear During Cosmetic Injections, Julia Hoy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAdult patients receiving cosmetic injections frequently experience needle fear symptoms which results in patient discomfort, suffering, and poor injection outcomes. The needle fear experience contributes to a decreased quality of life and possible avoidance behaviors involving other medical treatments requiring needles. Researchers have conducted quantitative studies which explored interventions on pain reduction but there are no qualitative studies from the perspectives of adults experiencing needle fear. The purpose of this research study was to explore the perceptions of needle fear in adult patients receiving cosmetic injections in a medical office setting. The interpretative phenomenological approach was used to provide an …

Motivation And Statistics Anxiety Among Adult Online Learners: The Mediating Role Of Self-Regulated Learning, Angela Hubbard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who experience statistics anxiety have reported struggling with academic performance, an increase in academic dishonesty, and an aversion to careers or majors that are perceived to rely on statistical skills. Research has suggested that statistics anxiety is related to lower levels of motivation; however, it remains unknown if, or to what extent, self-regulated learning skills, including management of time and effort, complex cognitive strategy use, simple cognitive strategy use, contacts with others, and academic thinking may play a role in the relationship between motivation and statistics anxiety. This research study relies on the theoretical foundation of social cognitive theory, …

Influence Of Student Evaluations On College Instructors’ Professional Practice, Veronda Hutchinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many post-secondary institutions make significant use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) to evaluate teacher effectiveness and students’ perceptions of their learning experiences in the course. However, it is unclear how teachers use SETs to inform their professional practice. Hence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how SETs influenced instructors’ professional practice at a local community college from the perspective of the instructors, which the research question was centered on. The conceptual framework for the study was the cognitive dissonance theory, because it explains the changes in the individual’s behavior through the need to reduce mental …

The Impact Of Instructor Workload On The Use Of Written Corrective Feedback, Juanita Hutchison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The personal and professional feedback instructors provide impact of their workload. Moore’s theory of transactional distance was the theoretical foundation for this study. The purpose of this study to is to examine whether number of students, number of classes, and years of online teaching experience determine what written corrective feedback types (direct and indirect feedback) instructors use. There was a gap in literature concerning number of students, number of classes, and years of online teaching experience among university instructors. The questionnaire along with demographics were distributed to 40 university instructors who were members of an accredited university. The findings determined …

The Association Between Vocational Training Programs And Recidivism In A South Florida Prison, Audrey Karlene Ives

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractTo lower recidivism, a private rehabilitation and correctional facility (PRCF) in South Florida provides educational and therapeutic programs to inmates; however, the facility reported increased recidivism rates for several successive years. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between 12 vocational training programs at the local PRCF and recidivism. The study’s theoretical framework was Hirschi’s social bond theory of attachment, involvement, commitment, and belief. The research question sought to determine whether significant associations exist between specific vocational training programs and recidivism. A convenience sample of 187 inmates who completed one vocational training program and left the …

Administrators’ Perceptions Of Knowledge Of Idea Regulations Related To Disciplining Students With Disabilities, Annette Jackson-Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThere is a nationwide concern among students, parents, and educators regarding high school administrators’ inequitable disciplinary practices and students with disabilities (SWD) policies in the U.S. The problem addressed in this study was that high school SWDs in a local Midwestern urban school district have higher rates of suspension from school than their nondisabled peers. Guided by Bandura’s social learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand local administrators’ perceptions of their knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) related to disciplining SWDs to gain insight into their decisions to suspend. The research questions …

Family Factors In Career Decisions To Enter Education Amongst Black Urban Millennials, Christian Jacobs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe interactions a student has with a teacher help form their relationship with the educational experience. Importantly, a lack of representation can greatly impact the future impression of oneself and the world. For students of color, the balance of teachers who represent their ethnic and cultural diversity in the education field is greatly skewed toward White educators. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study, which was rooted in the self-determination theory, was to examine if and to what extent various factors, including parental, household, environmental, gender, and ethnicity impact Black millennials’ decision to go into the educational field. Participant criteria …

End-Of-Life Education For Long-Term Care Nurses, Naquita Altidor Jacques

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Long-term care (LTC) nurses play a crucial role in preserving the quality of life of terminally ill patients. However, many identify deficits in skills, education, and training for end-of-life (EOL) care. The objective of this project was to educate LTC nurses caring for individuals reaching the end of their lives on EOL care. The practice-oriented question concerned whether an evidence-based educational program improved nurses’ knowledge related to EOL care and confidence in caring for EOL patients and families. The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium's evidence-based educational module was used to provide the content. Rosswurm and Larrabee’s model for change to evidence-based …

K-12 Administrators’ Perceptions Of Factors Contributing To Teacher Attrition In Rural Schools, Michelle Mcdonald

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition is a debilitating problem that plagues education, contributes to the teacher shortage, and challenges administrators to staff schools with qualified teachers. The high teacher attrition rates in rural schools in the southeastern United States were the fundamental problem addressed in this qualitative case study. This qualitative case study's purpose was to explore how K–12 administrators perceived the factors influencing teacher attrition in a rural school district in the southeastern United States. Maslow's hierarchy of needs human motivation theory, emphasizing the concepts of the hierarchy of needs, provided support for the two research questions exploring K–12 school and district …

Novice Teachers’ Perceptions Of Liminality In Building Self-Efficacy Through Technology During Covid-19 Closures, Ashley Jane Mcintyre

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic created a social-educational problem in understanding how novice teachers developed self-efficacy through technology amidst distance learning. Exploring the social-educational problem of novice teachers’ liminality and construction of self-efficacy during coronavirus-related school closures is an emerging issue that justifies further research. A gap in research and understanding currently exists regarding novice teachers’ establishment of self-efficacy and liminal experience as first-year professionals during COVID-19-related school closures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how novice teachers developed self-efficacy through technology amidst the liminal first-time experiences of distance learning. To explore this topic, three concepts were used: the …

Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives Of Job-Related Stressors And Decisions To Remain In Or Leave The Profession, Michelle Mertic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood teachers are leaving the profession at high rates, citing job-related stress as the reason for their departure. These vacancies have a detrimental effect on the children enrolled in these programs and their future school readiness. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore early childhood teachers’ perspectives of job-related stressors and how those stressors impact their decisions to remain in or leave the teaching profession. The conceptual framework used in the study was the coping-competence-context theory of teacher stress. The research questions addressed early childhood teachers’ perspectives of job-related stressors and how those stressors impacted teachers’ decisions …

Motivational Communication Strategies For Virtual Teams, Monica Metri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders may not communicate effectively to motivate their virtual teammembers to achieve goals. Leaders who lack communication strategies to motivate virtual team members can lead to dissatisfied employees and increased timelines to achieve project goals for their organization. This may adversely impact the accurate and timely achievement of goals, reducing profits and thereby, shareholder returns. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leaders' communication strategies to motivate virtual team members to achieve project goals. The participants consisted of eight virtual team leaders in the northeastern United States who successfully implemented communication …

Promoting Social Involvement To Increase The Graduation Rate Of At-Risk Students, Kenya Waters Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Graduating from high school is a step in preparing students for positive life outcomes, enabling them to participate in the economy and to engage in civic life. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and student support staff regarding cocurricular learning and extracurricular activities and their influence on the graduation rate of at-risk students. Astin’s student involvement theory served as the framework for this study. The research questions addressed how administrators, teachers, and student support staff perceived how programs at an urban high school in a southeastern state influenced the graduation rate …

Using Distributed Leadership At The Middle School Level To Improve Academic Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Kalisha Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers continues to be a major issue in most school systems across the United States, with this gap expanding as students move from elementary to middle school. Using the distributed leadership framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school principals’ perspectives on leadership practices within their instructional leadership teams that improved the academic achievement of students with disabilities. Researchers have demonstrated that distributed leadership is embodied through the collaboration of school leaders, followers, and their situation to influence organizational and instructional changes. The research question …

Workforce Development Strategies That Impact Reentry Of Released Females In New York City, Shonae L. Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Formerly incarcerated women often find it difficult to reintegrate into their communities after release. For this population, adjustment to changes directly impacts their reentry success in all areas of life. Previous research has identified significant gaps in social services for formerly incarcerated females (FIFs). Service providers' perspectives about practices and policies to address the problem are inadequate, and as a result, service provisions suffer. Therefore, this qualitative study was used to examine the shared experiences of 15 workforce development professionals who assist FIFs during their reentry process to evaluate and assess the most effective methods or policies that assist this …

Experiences Of Adult College Learners As They Acquire Digital Literacy Skills, Albani L. Milton-Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A substantial barrier to learning for adult college students over the age of 50 is technology literacy. These students may not have the digital skills required for college, which is a disadvantage for social, educational, and career development. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the learning supports and types of learning required for digital literacy development of undergraduate college students over 50 attending 4-year institutions. Data sources included interviews with 12 participants over the ages of 50 from six 4-year colleges. After the interviews were completed, six of the 12 students participated in two focus group …