Education Commons^™

Title 1 Third-Grade Teachers' Experiences With Writing Strategies To Improve Students' Writing Proficiency, Kim Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Third-grade students are not meeting minimum proficiency in opinion and informational writing, as determined by scores from the annually mandated Georgia Milestones Assessment (GMAS) in the 19 elementary schools in a local school district in central Georgia. Guided by Vygotsky’s social-constructivist perspective, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Title 1 third-grade English Language Arts teachers’ experiences with using writing strategies designed to improve students’ writing proficiency on the GMAS in the Title 1 elementary schools in a local district in central Georgia. Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 10 third-grade teachers who were chosen from …

Relating Average Teacher Salary, Student-Teacher Ratios, And Percent Of Title I Schools To Teacher Retention Rates In Georgia School Districts, Deann Webb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was high teacher turnover in Georgia school districts. Guided by the job demands-resources theory, the purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to investigate average teacher salary, student-teacher ratios, and the percentage of Title I schools in terms of teacher retention rates in Georgia school districts. Archival data were collected from 180 public school districts in Georgia and obtained from the Georgia Department of Education and the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. Multiple regression and Chi-square analyses were used to examine the relationships among variables. Chi-square analysis was used due to concerns …

Higher Education Leaders’ Perspectives About Communication Challenges During Crises, Carey-Ann Marie Balkwill

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem was that while impact and problems of crisis communication have been identified in the literature, little is known about the perspectives of leaders in higher education when facing communication issues in times of crisis. Guided by crisis communication theory and leadership theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore higher education leadership team members’ perspectives of communication challenges in times of crisis. Four research questions guided the study on the perspectives of higher education leadership team members about (a) how their own leadership and communication changed during a crisis, (b) how internal communications evolved during …

K-12 Principals Who Persist In Their Principalship Despite Challenges In Urban Schools, Monique Nicole Durham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study is the approximately 13% attrition of K-12 principals in a large urban school district in the Mid-Atlantic region, exceeding the national average. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of K-12 principals who had persisted in their roles despite the significant challenges in leading urban schools. The study was grounded in the job demands-resources theory, which posits that job demands could lead to burnout, while job resources help employees cope with challenges, thereby fostering resilience. For this basic qualitative design, data were collected from semistructured interviews with 12 …

Higher Education Faculty Perceptions Of The Strategies, Training, And Support Needed For Online Teaching, Jamie Wankier

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online teaching and learning are growing within higher education, and faculty require support and motivation to engage in professional development that provides training in transitioning from teaching face-to-face to online. The problem that was addressed through this project study was that few faculty members took advantage of the training in online pedagogical strategies at a midsized western state university (MWSU), despite survey results indicating that faculty wanted this training. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore online pedagogical strategies, training, and support faculty need and are willing to participate in at MWSU. Hall et al.’s concerns-based adoption model …

Strategies To Improve Higher Education Institutional Performance Through Predictive Analytics Implementation, Laxshaa Nadpurajah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education institutions face challenges in integrating predictive analytics due to data silos and resistance to adoption, limiting their ability to improve student outcomes and operational efficiency. This issue concerns institutional leaders, as ineffective data use can lead to declining retention rates, financial strain, and missed opportunities for growth. Grounded in the composite conceptual framework of the technology acceptance model and the diffusion of innovations theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to explore effective strategies to implement predictive analytics tools to reduce costs and improve student outcomes. The study included three higher education leaders in Ontario …

Effect Of Cycle Coaching On Middle School Math Achievement, Lauren Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this project study was that 96% of middle school students at the local district did not meet proficient level on the math state assessment (MSA). School leaders implemented coaching cycles grounded in the theory of action for teacher coaching to enhance teacher knowledge and practice and to improve student achievement; however, the effectiveness of this intervention was unknown. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the difference in MSA scores between middle school students whose teachers participated in cycle coaching and students whose teachers did not, while controlling for the previous year’s MSA score. …

Perspectives Of Probation Officers On Training To Support Women Who Commit Co-Occurring Crimes, Cynthia Stephens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of understanding about probation officers’ (POs’) training views, especially concerning female offenders, reduces training and reentry effectiveness for female criminals. This study investigated POs’ perspectives on their training to assist women with co-occurring offenses by developing a practical intervention framework to improve reentry outcomes. The labeling and dual-role relationship theories served as the theoretical foundation to answer the research question, which involved identifying the perspectives of POs on training to support women with co-occurring crimes. A phenomenological design and in-depth face-to-face PO interviews were appropriate to answer the research question. Thematic analysis occurred to identify key concepts revealed …

International Education And Workforce Readiness At Wisconsin Technical Colleges, Allisen Stojanovic

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

International education programming plays a critical role in developing workforce readiness skills necessary for today’s global economy and diverse local communities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of Wisconsin technical college graduates and leadership administrators regarding workforce readiness, international education programming, and policy. While previous research had focused on the outcomes of university or community college graduates, there has been no study that specifically examined the experiences of technical college graduates or leadership administrators as it relates to international education programming and workforce readiness. The research problem addressed the need for international education programming …

Staff Education To Improve Knowledge Of Evidence-Based Strategies For Medication Adherence, Doris Tioko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This doctoral project was a staff education initiative to address medication nonadherence among psychiatric patients, a critical issue impacting clinical outcomes, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. The practice problem stemmed from the inconsistent use of evidence-based strategies by nursing staff, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address this gap. Addressing this issue is vital to improving patient outcomes, reducing healthcare costs, and enhancing the delivery of evidence-based nursing care. The practice-focused question guiding the project was whether providing education to nursing staff on evidence-based strategies for medication adherence would improve their knowledge and confidence. The project aimed to enhance nursing …

Dual Enrollment Course Location And Retention In Higher Education, Joanne Krueger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

College students in the United States begin their higher education journey intending to graduate, but almost 37% do not earn a degree. The problem addressed in this study is that while dual enrollment has been shown to affect graduation rates in higher education positively, it was unclear if the location of dual enrollment courses, high school or college campus, influenced retention at a southwestern United States community college. Using Tinto’s student integration theory, the research question sought to discover the extent to which the location of dual enrollment courses, high school or college campus, predicts student retention to the second …

Experiences Of African American Women Working In Higher Education Leadership Positions In Predominantly White Institutions, Angela Renee Hall Carrington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite significant educational achievements, African American women remain underrepresented in academic leadership at predominantly White institutions. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences, challenges, and barriers of African American women when navigating leadership pathways. The conceptual framework guiding this study was Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory. For this basic qualitative study, purposive and snowball sampling led to semistructured interviews with 8 African American women who had at least 2 years of experience in academic leadership roles at predominantly White institutions. Participants were African American women in leadership positions at 2 predominantly White institutions in California and 3 …

Reasons Teachers Of Color Leave The Field Of Education In A Suburban School Division In Virginia, Arianne Hayes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher retention remains a persistent challenge in the field of education, with teachers of color (TOCs) experiencing disproportionately higher attrition rates compared to their White counterparts while affect schools nationwide, particularly in high-need areas. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate why TOCs left their teaching positions in Virginia. This study was grounded in job demands-resources theory and focused on the significance of the demands and available resources within a workplace. For this basic qualitative design, eight former TOCs that had at least 3 years of experience in a suburban district in Virginia participated in semi structured interviews. …

Exploring An Infection Control Game To Reinforce Learning In Health Professions Education, Stephanie Anne Lea

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Globally, there remains a high occurrence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The problem under study was the lack of information about the experiences of health professions students with a serious game on infection control. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore health professions student experiences with a serious game on infection control as a tool to reinforce learning. This study was framed by Bonwell and Eison’s active learning theory and Kolb’s experiential learning cycle. The participants were 12 health professions students who played an online serious game on infection control. The data were collected from semistructured interviews with …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Covid-19 Learning Strategies’ Influence On Reading Achievement In Title I Urban Elementary Schools, Kadian Alicia Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly intensified reading achievement challenges among Title I urban elementary school students. There was a need to understand the impact of district-implemented strategies to improve reading achievement during the pandemic. Guided by Fullan’s educational change theory, this qualitative case study explored principals’ perceptions of the influence of district strategies on reading achievement implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2021–2022 school year, particularly in Title I urban elementary schools. The study specifically aimed to explore (a) principals’ perceptions of the influence of lesson acceleration, (b) principals’ perceptions of the influence of personalized learning, and (c) challenges …

General Education Teachers’ Perceptions On Preparation And Support To Teach Students With Disabilities, Bethany Lelaurin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students with disabilities have many diverse needs that must be met for them to thrive academically and socially. The problem that was addressed in this study was that general education teachers experience challenges to meet the needs of students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore general education teachers’ perceptions on the challenges of meeting the needs of students with disabilities in an inclusive classroom setting as well as their suggestions for improved training and resources. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Rose and Meyer’s universal design for learning. For …

Community College Science Faculty’S Perceptions On Fidelity Of Implementation Of A Strategic Plan, Allison Santillo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The administration at a Mid-Atlantic regional community college in the United States created a strategic plan to increase students’ critical thinking and metacognition skills by focusing on improving students’ problem-solving skills with problem-based learning. However, the problem in this study was that the faculty’s fidelity of implementation (FOI) a strategic plan to implement metacognition instruction at a community college in the Mid-Atlantic U. S. region had not been effectively monitored. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate the FOI of metacognitive instruction to a strategic plan as perceived by the community college’s science faculty. Century et al.’s …

African American Superintendents’ Reflections Of Their Lived Experiences To Become Superintendent, Terrell M. Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through the study was the underrepresentation of African American superintendents in public school districts across the United States. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore African American superintendents’ descriptions of their lived experiences becoming and being superintendent and to gather their reflections on the underrepresentation. Elements of Super’s developmental self-concept theory and cultural identity literature formed the framework. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 active, former, or retired African American superintendents who came from K-12 public school districts across the United States and had a minimum of 3 years in the superintendency. Open coding …

Do Universities Choose The Right Strategies For X Engagement? The Case Of Six Universities In Thailand, Mathupayas Thongmak

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study is to understand how Thai public universities engage their stakeholders on X (the social media platform previously known as Twitter). This article answers the following research questions: 1) What are the X message strategies of six public universities? 2) Do they choose the most effective strategies to drive X engagement in terms of favorites and reposts?

Method: Data was automatically collected using anX analytic tool, and the potential variables were extracted semi-automatically using tools appropriate to text mining, sentiment analysis, word cloud, and so on. Posts from six universities in Thailand were investigated.

Results: …

School Counselor Wellness And Organizational Support, Pamela Spence Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Wellness is at the core of the counselor profession, yet school counselors face daily wellness challenges in the environments in which they work. Organizational support in the form of supervision and school support has been shown to mediate burnout, yet research had not investigated its mediating role in school counselor wellness. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between school counselor organizational support, as measured by the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support-Short Form, and school counselor wellness, as measured by the Helping Professional Wellness Discrepancy Scale, in a sample of 78 practicing school counselors. Results of …

Exploring The Adaptation And Implementation Of Social–Emotional Learning Programs, Jennifer Poteet

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher led social–emotional learning programs are implemented in a variety of ways to mitigate the effects of school bullying, however little attention has been paid to their academic impact on middle school students. The theories and/or concepts that grounded this study include Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) ecological theory and social cognitive theory. The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the impact of Second Step, a social–emotional learning program with 16,166 middle school students. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the relationship between student gender, ethnicity, Second Step program participation, and program fidelity on the students’ mathematics and reading assessment …

Integrating Information And Communication Technologies To Enhance High School Students’ Research Capabilities, Kareen Marie E. Palines, Jenie Mary U. Moreno, Aron G. Tatlonghari, Ruth Ortega-Dela Cruz

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Integrating information and communication technologies into research curricula can help students become more proficient researchers. Students need strong research capabilities in the modern educational environment to handle the challenges of information access and analysis. This article reveals the results of a study that explored the use of Science and Technology Academic and Research-Based Openly Operated Kiosk Stations (STARBOOKS), a program developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for use in public schools in the Philippines. The study investigated the effect of this technology on 36 purposefully selected Grade 9 students working on science investigatory projects in the Science, …

Guardians Or Bystanders? Examining School Shooting Responses In The Southern United States, Andre L. Tompkins Ed.D.

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

School shootings challenge educational safety, demanding effective leadership strategies. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers, heightened concerns about campus vulnerabilities, urging administrators to prioritize student protection. I performed a qualitative study interviewing principals, teachers, parents, and community leaders to examine their experiences addressing campus threats. The findings revealed three themes: (1) ineffective leadership affects campus safety, (2) prompt actions enhance trust in leadership, and (3) connecting with others enhances safety. In this study, I spotlight the crucial role that proactive leadership plays in building the coalitions needed to …

The Academic And Social Meaning Of Transcendental Meditation Practice For Students And Their Guardians, Holly Erica Squires

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transcendental meditation (TM) is a unique meditation practice that uses a personal mantra to help the practitioner create a quiet state of mind, greater mental clarity, better concentration, and emotional control. TM has not been examined for its value to help students academically and socially. In this generic qualitative study, high school students and their guardians were asked to describe the meaning of TM practice in their academic and social life. The competencies of social emotional learning (SEL) theory were utilized as the conceptual framework to guide the study’s methodology. Data from semistructured interviews with six students and five guardians …

Staff Education Program On Medication Reconciliation, Chika Nweze-Muoghalu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A minimum of one medication error occurs daily in the life of a hospitalized patient, which confirms the research that medication errors constitute the most significant patient safety issue and that about 20% of these errors result in patient harm. Many errors could have been averted if an accurate medication reconciliation process had been practiced. Medication reconciliation is a formal process whereby the patient’s current medication list is compared to the patient’s record or medication orders whenever the patient’s level of care changes. Framed within the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE) model of instructional design, the purpose of …

Parent-Teacher Communication In The Infant-Toddler Setting, Shaquonna A. Alston

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of understanding in terms of how to support effective parent-teacher communications in infant and toddler education programs. Early childhood educators are necessary to communicate with parents about what occurs in classrooms as parents are vital sources about what occurs in homes. The purpose of this study was to explore parent and teacher perspectives on parent-teacher communication to determine ways to improve and support home-school communication and support early learners. Bronfenbrenner's theory of ecological systems, particularly the mesosystem, which involves interactions between two or more settings such as homes and schools, guided the research. For this basic …

Barriers To The Implementation Of Learner-Centered Instruction In The Northeastern United States, Kenneth Davion Ellerbee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite ongoing attempts to consistently incorporate learner-centered practices in the elementary classroom, teachers face barriers that impede consistent implementation. The problem to be explored in this basic qualitative study was the inconsistent implementation of learner-centered instruction in elementary school classrooms. Guided by learner-centered design theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the experiences of elementary school teachers who face barriers to delivering learner-centered instruction. The participants were 15 elementary school teachers in the northeastern United States with at least 5 years of teaching experience. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Through thematic analysis, five themes were …

Female Students With Disabilities’ Perceptions Of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics Education, Toni Anne Walkowiak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The demand to increase enrollment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs has intensified globally since the early 21st century. Researchers have concentrated on the gender divide with limited research on female students with disabilities (FSwDs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore FSwDs’ perceptions of their successes and challenges with accessibility, inclusion, and support experienced in STEM education programs, as well as their recommendations for improving policies and practices in STEM higher education. The study was grounded in social identity and social learning theories. For this basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with nine …

Perceptions Of Mathematics Coaching Experience By Jamaica Secondary School Teachers, Verlaine Angela Henry-Reid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The local problem that was addressed through this study is the continued underperformance of Jamaican students taking the upper level of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), despite the assignment of coaches to support in-service mathematics teachers. The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore in-service teachers’ perceptions on the CSEC mathematics coaching received and the challenges they countered.The cognitive apprenticeship theory (CAT) was the conceptual framework. For this qualitative design, semistructured interviews with 10 in-service mathematics teachers at two Jamaican secondary schools were conducted, resulting in four themes: (a) usefulness of establishing a coaching mathematics community of practice …

High School Teachers’ Perceptions Of School Leadership Practices That Support Retention In Oregon Schools, Isaac Ej Anthony Reyes Tenorio

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While numerous studies have addressed teacher turnover, significant research gaps still exist, highlighting the need for further investigation. The problem addressed in this study was the high teacher turnover rate in a high school compared to its district counterparts in a northwest Oregon school district. Guided by Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore high school teachers’ perceptions of leadership practices that support teacher retention in a northwest Oregon school district with a high turnover rate. Twelve high school teachers currently employed in the school district with at least five years …