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Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

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Exploring The Meaning Of School Bullying Among Parents Of Victimized Children, Mildred Peyton Jan 2015

Exploring The Meaning Of School Bullying Among Parents Of Victimized Children, Mildred Peyton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying in American schools has increased to what some have considered an epidemic and is a major problem among youth. Bullied youth experience poorer mental health and lower school performance, in comparison to those who are not bullied, and the growth of bullying has raised concerns from parents, schools, policy makers, and human-services professionals interested in prevention and intervention of bullying behaviors. The purpose of this study was to explore how parents whose children experienced school bullying perceived school administrators, teachers, antibullying school policies or programs, and their family's dynamics, to better understand the parents' internal experiences. The theoretical framework …


Addressing Gaps In Student Reading: Read 180 Program Evaluation, Shonda Patrice Pittman-Windham Jan 2015

Addressing Gaps In Student Reading: Read 180 Program Evaluation, Shonda Patrice Pittman-Windham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students are reaching middle school 2 or more years behind in reading ability. As a result, they are unable to meet state testing standards. In 2007, the READ 180 program was implemented at an urban middle school in Virginia to address the reading gaps of these middle school students. The purpose of this sequential mixed-method program evaluation was to analyze the reading success of 30 READ 180 students and the perceptions of 4 teachers who taught the READ 180 curriculum. The theoretical framework that served as a basis for this study was Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, which holds that …


Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Process Of Integrating Technology, Diana June Thompson Jan 2015

Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions Of The Process Of Integrating Technology, Diana June Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators in a rural K-5 school district provided leadership, technical assistance, and technology resources to increase teachers' use of technology to improve student achievement. Despite these efforts, teachers incorporated technology on a limited basis and some teachers reported they were unprepared to integrate technology. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to examine teaching practices and teachers' perceptions of technology integration in their daily lessons. The conceptual framework for this study included technology integration and constructivism, a theory based on observation and scientific study about how people learn. A purposeful sample of 10 K-5 teachers who integrated technology …


An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Caregivers' Support For Their Preschool Children's Language And Social Skills Development, Sheri Stein Blum Jan 2015

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of Caregivers' Support For Their Preschool Children's Language And Social Skills Development, Sheri Stein Blum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some children have difficulty communicating due to a lack of age-appropriate language and social skills. Researchers have explored how music and language share features that shape language processing. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological analysis was to explore the experiences of caregivers of preschool children who participated in a music-based program and to understand their perspectives related to children's language and social skill development. Learning style and sensory integration processing theories were used as framework to provide foundations of skills in this study. Research questions addressed caregivers' choices related to this program for their children, their experiences of their children's …


Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The Response-To-Intervention Program, Alfred Saldivar Lopez Jan 2015

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The Response-To-Intervention Program, Alfred Saldivar Lopez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was designed to address teachers' difficulties implementing Response-to-Intervention (RtI) program strategies at a low-performing school in south Texas in response to students failing to meet statewide assessment standards in reading. This exploratory case study investigated the perceptions of Grades 3 and 4 teachers to assist in understanding a pathway to increase higher fidelity of RtI implementation and improve student academic performance. Knowles's theory of andragogy and Lewin's change theory provided the framework for the study. The study included interview data from 6 purposefully selected Grades 3 and 4 teachers supplemented by document reviews of professional development (PD) presentations …


College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken Jan 2015

College Retention Connections With Multiple Influencing Factors, Jamie Esther Mccracken

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are many challenges associated with student retention. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) has focused on determining the factors affecting student retention across its campus and distance course delivery formats in order to improve student retention. The purpose in this study was to explore the extent to which age, course delivery, technical ability, and financial background determine retention at SMWC. Retention and attrition models of Tinto and Walleri laid the foundation of this study. Qualitative data on technical ability were collected from 69 students who responded to the survey instrument on Survey Monkey. Quantitative data on retention, age, course delivery, and …


Teacher Intent And Involvement In Incidents Of Student Bullying: A Multiple Case Study, James Michael Petrakis Jan 2015

Teacher Intent And Involvement In Incidents Of Student Bullying: A Multiple Case Study, James Michael Petrakis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public awareness of the negative impact of bullying on adolescents has increased due to social networking and news media reports. Prior research on bullying has focused on the prevalence of bullying in public schools, yet few studies have explored teacher intent, constructive or punitive, and teacher involvement in incidents of bullying. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teacher intent and teacher involvement in responding to student bullying. The conceptual framework was based on Bandura's social learning theory and Marshall et al.'s conceptual model of teacher intent and involvement. The central research question asked how teacher intent and …


Exploring Selected Online And Face-To-Face Course Inclusion Of Faith Integration In A Business Administration Program, Ellen A. Sorberg Jan 2015

Exploring Selected Online And Face-To-Face Course Inclusion Of Faith Integration In A Business Administration Program, Ellen A. Sorberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students enrolled in face-to-face and online business administration courses at a Midwestern Christian college were provided faith-integrated opportunities; however, the challenge was to maintain consistency in providing the online courses with similar faith integration as the face-to-face courses. It was unknown whether the same faith-integrated opportunities were provided in face-to-face and online courses. Kohlberg's cognitive moral development and Fowler's spiritual development theories grounded this qualitative bounded case study. Research questions focused on whether instructors taught the same faith-integrated content in online and face-to-face classes, and whether online and face-to-face students received the same faith-integrated experiences. A purposeful sample was gathered …


An Assessment Of Middle School Teachers' Efforts To Integrate Technology Effectively, Plas Williams Jr Jan 2015

An Assessment Of Middle School Teachers' Efforts To Integrate Technology Effectively, Plas Williams Jr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study focused on a middle school that, according to the website of its district, should be classified as Target Tech, which is the highest level of technology integration on the Texas School Technology and Readiness (STaR) chart. The middle school has failed to meet this goal in 3 out of 4 focus areas. This mixed method project study investigated how teachers at the school currently use technology to support their teaching and student learning, situations under which teachers would use more technology, and specific technology trainings teachers have taken. The theoretical framework for this project study, diffusion of innovation, …


Elementary School Teacher Perceptions Of Using Formative Strategies To Improve Instruction, Deborah Peterson Bennett Jan 2015

Elementary School Teacher Perceptions Of Using Formative Strategies To Improve Instruction, Deborah Peterson Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Standardized test data from a southern suburban elementary school showed lagging student scores behind those of students from similar settings. These scores suggested a disconnection between teachers' understanding of and practice in formative assessment. Bloom's revised taxonomy, backward design planning theory, and differentiated learning theory guided this study, which focused on how elementary teachers use formative strategies in the classroom to inform instruction. Data collected through face-to-face interviews from 10 teachers were transcribed and organized in codes and themes. Member checks were then used to ensure credibility of interpretations. The key results showed that these 10 teachers used many formative …


College Leve Inqury Learning's Influence On Later Science Thinking Behavior, Eric Gordon Chesloff Jan 2015

College Leve Inqury Learning's Influence On Later Science Thinking Behavior, Eric Gordon Chesloff

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Society needs scientists who can collaborate to become keener analysts so that they might better inform citizens. College students who are well educated in science are likely to become better analysts. The purpose of this grounded theory constructivist-oriented study was to illuminate the influence of undergraduate freshman inquiry learning on thinking skills in science courses during the senior college year. The conceptual framework involved the 3 components of the cognitive learning cycle: exploration, concept invention, and application. Research questions concerned college seniors' perceptions of their freshman process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) experience in general chemistry and its influence on their …


Student Perceptions Of Effective Learning Strategies For National Council Licensure Examination Preparation, Lori Jean Johnson Jan 2015

Student Perceptions Of Effective Learning Strategies For National Council Licensure Examination Preparation, Lori Jean Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine efficacious instructional strategies that the New England Community College (NECC) nursing program could implement in the curricula to improve National Council Licensure Examination Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) first-time pass rates. Effective strategies from students and nursing program faculty had used were investigated. Such strategies support student nurses in their efforts to succeed on the first administration of the exit examination. The rationale for this study and resulting project was that they could improve NCLEX-RN first-time pass rates and positively impact the local hiring of qualified nurses. Guided by Knowles's adult learning theory, key …


Skype As A Scaffolding Tool For Underprepared Freshmen English Composition Students, Conswellor Denise Ogden Jan 2015

Skype As A Scaffolding Tool For Underprepared Freshmen English Composition Students, Conswellor Denise Ogden

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nontraditional students enrolled in online courses tend to drop out within their first year because they do not have the basic literacy skills or essential college skills needed for success. They often need the guidance of an online instructor. The purpose of this case study was to explore the perceptions of instructors and students about the effectiveness of Skype as a scaffolding tool for increasing academic achievement for underprepared students in online remedial English composition courses through interactions with their instructor. The conceptual framework included Bruner's cultural-psychological theory of education, Vygotsky's social constructivist theory, and Siemens's connectivism theory. The study …


Faculty Willingness To Complete Information Technology Training On Course Management Systems, Audrey S. Pereira Jan 2015

Faculty Willingness To Complete Information Technology Training On Course Management Systems, Audrey S. Pereira

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The literature suggests that information technology (IT), including Course Management Systems (CMSs), allows higher education faculty members (HEFMs) to adopt better methods for teaching and learning, and that training contributes to adoption. However, many HEFMs are unwilling to complete IT training on the CMS, contributing to low adoption rates. Yet, little is known about what influences HEFMs to complete IT training on their institution's CMS, even though CMSs are widely available. The purpose of this study was to address this gap in the literature through a quantitative, cross-sectional study of HEFM perceptions of CMS characteristics, based on Rogers' diffusion of …


Correlates Of Knowledge-Sharing Behaviors Among Public Housing Authorities, Phat Huy Pham Jan 2015

Correlates Of Knowledge-Sharing Behaviors Among Public Housing Authorities, Phat Huy Pham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Over the last decade, researchers and practitioners have contributed to the body of knowledge on improving business operations among public housing authorities. However, effective knowledge-sharing processes within a public housing organization remain deficient. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the correlations between employees' perceptions of trust, organizational fairness, supervisors' competency, and employees' willingness to share knowledge. Understanding the factors that predict employees' willingness to share knowledge is imperative to developing leaders' best practices. Social capital theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. Seventy full-time employees and leaders of the housing authorities in the State of …


Examining The Lived Experiences Of Child Welfare Workers, Rebecca Merle Dameron-Brown Jan 2015

Examining The Lived Experiences Of Child Welfare Workers, Rebecca Merle Dameron-Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of a homogeneous group of frontline child welfare workers in Los Angeles, CA. Data were collected using recorded in-depth, open ended interviews with 10 participants. Critical incident technique was used to collect data on specific incidents. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical framework used. Five themes emerged during the analyses which are the main findings of this study: (1) Organizational factors contributed to the challenges and stress of the job, (2) participants shared a belief that management did not value them, (3) participants' morale and workloads were adversely affected …


Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary Children's Internalizing Symptoms When Experiencing Parental Wartime Military Deployment, Letitia Henson Jan 2015

Teacher Perceptions Of Elementary Children's Internalizing Symptoms When Experiencing Parental Wartime Military Deployment, Letitia Henson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military wartime deployment of parents has a powerful and potentially damaging impact on their young children. As tours lengthen and deployments of military parents become more frequent, the possible negative effects on the children increase proportionally. This quantitative, comparative study evaluated internalizing symptoms among 220 young children who had a parent currently on military deployment and a parent who returned from military deployment compared to a control group of same age peers whose parents were nonmilitary. Using the theoretical frameworks of attachment theory and ambiguous loss theory, the study investigated 3 internalizing symptoms: Anxiety/Depressed, Withdrawn/Depressed behaviors, and Somatic Complaints among …


A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of Heterogeneously Grouped Inclusion Students At Southeast High School, James Paul Ferry Jan 2015

A Mixed-Methods Investigation Of Heterogeneously Grouped Inclusion Students At Southeast High School, James Paul Ferry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion education led to academically-homogeneous grouping of students at southeast high school. Administratively, the decision was made to increase rigor, inclusion students would be grouped heterogeneously in senior economics classes. Guided by Dewey's pragmatic theory, the purpose of this sequential, explanatory, mixed method study was to investigate whether a significant difference exists in the course passing rates, end-of-course test (EOCT) scores, and graduation rates between inclusion students in heterogeneous classes and those in homogeneous classes and how participants perceived the grouping. Archival data (N = 42) on student instructional grouping, passing rates, EOCT scores, and graduation rates were analyzed using …


Self-Efficacy, Cultural Competence, And Perception Of Learning Environment In Traditional And Interprofessional Education Physical Therapy Curricula, Laura Smith Jan 2015

Self-Efficacy, Cultural Competence, And Perception Of Learning Environment In Traditional And Interprofessional Education Physical Therapy Curricula, Laura Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interprofessional education (IPE), a concept that brings students from different health care professions together in the learning process, has been adopted by some physical therapy (PT) schools as an alternative to traditional PT-only curricula. Both approaches have the goal of improving patient outcomes for an increasingly diverse population. There was a void in the research comparing IPE and traditional curricula in PT education. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of adult and social learning theory, the purpose of this study was to examine differences in students' self-efficacy, cultural competence, and perceptions of the learning environment based on curricular type and prior …


An Offender's Perspective Of Correctional Education Programs In A Southeastern State, Boderick Bennett Jan 2015

An Offender's Perspective Of Correctional Education Programs In A Southeastern State, Boderick Bennett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many offenders are incarcerated in U.S prisons with the intent of rehabilitation; however, a majority of these offenders will be released with limited options for employment. Recidivism has been linked to unemployment. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine the lived experiences of 20 offenders involved in correctional education programs while incarcerated to explore their correctional education experience within the context of postincarceration employment. The theoretical foundation of this study was based on Bandura's self-efficacy theory. Narrative data were elicited pertaining to offenders' perceptions of past education experience, correctional education experience, and their perceived impact of the …


Contextual Factor Profiling: Teacher-Created Classroom Website Design In Texas High Schools, Carolynn Mortensen Jan 2015

Contextual Factor Profiling: Teacher-Created Classroom Website Design In Texas High Schools, Carolynn Mortensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With increasing student access to technology and the Internet, Texas school districts have invested in content management systems (CMS), improved technology infrastructure, and professional development with little research available about best practices and current use of class websites. Using the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) framework, this study investigated how contextual factors predicted the number of website components related to the teacher information, communication, classroom management, and teaching content section of a class website designed by a Texas high school teacher. This quantitative, predictive correlational research design included data collected from a proportional allocation of 191 Texas high school teacher …


Implementing Technology For Science Classrooms In São Tomé And Príncipe, Maria Dolores Rodrigues Jardim Jan 2015

Implementing Technology For Science Classrooms In São Tomé And Príncipe, Maria Dolores Rodrigues Jardim

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative bounded case study was designed to understand how technology integration in schools could be addressed in a first-wave country. The integration of educational technology in São Tomé and Príncipe (STP), a first-wave agricultural civilization, can narrow the divide between STP and third-wave information age societies. The conceptual framework was based on theories of change, learning, and context. Toffler’s wave theory described how societies changed while Fullan’s change theory examined how the people might change. Roger’s diffusion of innovations addressed how processes change. Bandura, Vygotsky, and Siemen provided the framework for the learning within the model of change. Finally, …


White Novice Teachers' Perceptions Regarding Their Preparation For Teaching Culturally Diverse Students, Karen Marie Spader Jan 2015

White Novice Teachers' Perceptions Regarding Their Preparation For Teaching Culturally Diverse Students, Karen Marie Spader

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a Midwestern university, White novice teachers struggled to be prepared to implement culturally responsive pedagogy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore White novice teachers' perceptions about how their higher education classroom experiences had equipped them for teaching a culturally diverse population of students. The theoretical/conceptual frameworks of this study were White identity development theory, a multicultural education framework, culturally relevant pedagogy, and the motivational framework for culturally responsive teaching. Data were collected by interviewing 8 White novice teachers to convey their perceptions of teaching culturally diverse classrooms and how these perceptions influenced their behaviors. Data were …


Recent Graduates' Perspective On The Efficacy Of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences, Holli Sowerby Jan 2015

Recent Graduates' Perspective On The Efficacy Of Nursing Simulation Laboratory Experiences, Holli Sowerby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

It has become progressively difficult to find suitable clinical placement for nursing students. To help meet this need, local schools of nursing are turning to high-fidelity simulation manikins to substitute for clinical experience. There is a lack of research that explores recently graduated nurses' perceptions about the efficacy of simulation experiences. Guided by the constructivist theory, this qualitative case study identified how recent RN graduates viewed simulation experiences and whether associate's-degree RN program graduates and bachelor's-program RN graduates viewed simulation differently. Nine recent graduates participated in individual face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and grouped into 5 major themes in …


Perceptions Of Teachers On Instructing Remedial Mathematics Students, Christy Leigh Defilippis Jan 2015

Perceptions Of Teachers On Instructing Remedial Mathematics Students, Christy Leigh Defilippis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Approximately 12% of students at the study middle school failed to reach proficient levels on state assessments in mathematics from 2010-2012. Poor performance on assessments can limit future mathematical trajectories and opportunities for students. One of the causes for failing to meet proficient levels on mathematics assessments could be the inconsistent use of teaching practices targeted at supporting lower achieving students; according to such reasoning, a consistent use of research-supported practices could result in improved student performance. Kolb's experiential learning theory, Vygotsky's social development theory, and Maslow's motivation theory provided a framework for this case study. Interviews and observational data …


Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Standardized Testing And Remediation On Students With Disabilities, Janie M. Mora Jan 2015

Teachers' Perceptions Of The Impact Of Standardized Testing And Remediation On Students With Disabilities, Janie M. Mora

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At ABCD High School, students with disabilities (SWDs) pass state-mandated English High School Assessments (HSA) at a lower rate than do their nondisabled peers, even with remediation. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers' perceptions of appropriate remediation for preparing SWDs for the English HSA. The theoretical foundation for the study was based on social constructivism with an emphasis on individual experiences. The 3 key research questions investigated how teachers perceive their role in the delivery of remediation, how they describe the remediation program, and what factors they say influence their ability to remediate SWDs effectively. Data were …


The Effects Of Differentiated Instruction On The Achievement Scores Of Struggling Fourth Grade Readers, Carol Elaine Boges Jan 2015

The Effects Of Differentiated Instruction On The Achievement Scores Of Struggling Fourth Grade Readers, Carol Elaine Boges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Identifying an effective instructional strategy to remediate struggling readers is a goal for educators. Differentiated instruction (DI) has received much attention as a possible strategy to rectify literacy problems, but quantitative research on its effectiveness is limited. This quantitative study used a quasi-experimental, nonequivalent, pretest-posttest design to determine if DI provided a significant difference in reading comprehension scores between struggling readers instructed with DI strategies and students instructed with whole group strategies. Philosophies grounded in cognitive constructivism constituted the theoretical framework for this study which examined the archival STAR reading assessment pre- and posttest instructional reading level scores of 120 …


School Principal Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Taleshia Lenshell Chandler Jan 2015

School Principal Attitudes Toward The Inclusion Of Students With Disabilities, Taleshia Lenshell Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusion is a philosophy and practice of educating students with and without disabilities in the same learning environment. Previous researchers have indicated that principals play a key role in implementing successful and effective inclusive programs. However, there remains a gap in the literature regarding the attitudes of principals and assistant principals toward including students with disabilities at both elementary and secondary school levels. Therefore, the purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study, based on transformational leadership theory, was to examine the attitudes of principals toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms. An electronic version of The Principals' …


The Implementation Of Curriculum Mapping At A Private High School, Ellen E. Dutton Jan 2015

The Implementation Of Curriculum Mapping At A Private High School, Ellen E. Dutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Using curriculum mapping to align the expected curriculum and the actual curriculum has been demonstrated as an effective approach for ensuring educational equity for all students. To improve student achievement, a private high school in the Midwest implemented curriculum mapping to better align curriculum and eliminate gaps and repetition between and within grade levels. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine fundamental implementation strategies for the mapping process and teachers' and administrators' perceptions of those strategies. The theoretical framework was based on change theory. Data were collected from 10 participants through individual interviews and observations. Teachers and administrators …


The Perceptions And Experiences Of General Education Teachers Toward Cotaught Inclusion Classes, Beth Milhoan Feustel Jan 2015

The Perceptions And Experiences Of General Education Teachers Toward Cotaught Inclusion Classes, Beth Milhoan Feustel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This project study addressed the low rate of general education teachers volunteering to coteach inclusion classes at a large urban high school in southeastern Georgia. This low volunteer rate caused administrators at this school to assign general education teachers, who did not opt in, to coteach inclusion classes. Teachers' efficacy was negatively impacted when they were required to teach classes that they did not volunteer to teach. The model of cooperative teaching advanced by Bauwens, Hourcade, and Friend's work served as the conceptual framework for this intrinsic case study. The purpose of the study was to examine how general education …