Education Commons^™

First-Year Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Mentor Program In A Southeastern School District, Taylor L. Castaldo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many educators are leaving their teaching positions, especially in the early years of their career. This has led many states and districts to mandate teacher mentor programs for new teachers with the hope of retaining these teachers. However, even with these mentor programs, new teachers are continuing to leave their positions, which affects the district, the school, its employees, and the students. A lack of knowledge about teachers’ experiences as mentees in mentoring programs limits a state’s ability to improve programs. This study was conducted to address this gap in knowledge. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore …

Perceived Multicultural Self-Efficacy As A Predictor Of Competency In Social Justice Advocacy Among U.S. School Counselors, Damon D. Chambers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School counselors who engage in advocacy work may experience barriers when attempting to challenge oppression; hence, they need specific skills to advocate efficiently and effectively. Despite the trend in conceptual articles surrounding school counselor advocacy, little is known about how school counselors’ multicultural self-efficacy predicts school counselors’ social justice advocacy practices. This study addressed this gap in the literature by exploring factors related to school counselor social justice advocacy; that is, multicultural self-efficacy. Multicultural self-efficacy and advocacy competence have had an integral role in fostering school counselors’ abilities to identify and support the needs of diverse student populations within the …

School Contextual Conditions That Influence Newly Hired Teachers To Remain Or Leave Their School District, Faith Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A suburban school district in the midwestern United States experienced concerning teacher attrition rates of teachers with 5 or fewer years of experience. The gap in practice addressed in this study was that district administrators had little knowledge about how newly hired teachers experienced the contextual conditions that occur at their schools and how these experiences influenced the teachers to leave or remain employed in the district. The purpose of the basic qualitative study was to provide information to district administrators that they could use to develop and apply practices, programs, and policies to provide school contextual conditions that support …

How Elementary School Principals Manage Their Workload, Cynthia Ann Mccabe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary school principals in a suburban, Mid-Atlantic public school system may face challenges when balancing their workload. This problem is significant as an elementary school principal’s workload could contribute to ineffective leadership. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how these principals balance their workload and obtain their perceptions of the administrative support required to meet the daily challenges of their job. The conceptual framework is Gronn’s distributed leadership model which is based on the purposeful sharing and disseminating of leadership responsibilities. The research questions explored how elementary school principals describe the challenges they have in balancing …

Perceptions Of Preservice And Mentor Teachers Of Gaining Pedagogical Content Knowledge In Phonics And Phonemic Awareness, Penelope Maureen Montfort

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has shown that, although phonics and phonemic awareness predict reading success, a majority of early learners still lack these skills. Research also showed that a majority of preservice teachers (PSTs) in early childhood education teacher (ECTE) may not have gained adequate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in phonics and phonemic awareness during their mentored practicums. This may have contributed to kindergarten students’ poor performance in phonics and phonemic awareness on the national literacy assessments between 2015 and 2018 in one education district in Guyana. These students are not prepared for reading success. Using a basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were …

Effective Business Survival Strategies Among Women-Owned Small And Medium Enterprises After A Natural Disaster, Clorinda Valentina Sanders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Women business owners (WBOs) who experience natural disasters face significant challenges, such as disruption of business operations, damage, or detriment to infrastructure, decreased revenue, and low customer confidence. WBOs are concerned with business continuity and the social and economic impact of natural disasters in their communities. Grounded in the resource-based view and marketing entrepreneurship theories, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies WBOs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) use to survive a natural disaster. The participants were four women SME owners in northeast Florida who implemented strategies to maintain business continuity during and after …

Narrative Inquiry Into Postsecondary Transition Outcomes For Young Adults With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Eric R. Sarrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to struggle with community engagement despite decades of research and policy initiatives addressing postsecondary transition. Evidence shows that persons with IDD are engaging in employment, postsecondary education, independent living, socialization, and other roles at significantly diminished rates, yet little data exists describing this participation in the voices of those affected. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to describe community integration of persons with IDD in the decade following postsecondary transition in their own words. Critical disability theory was used as a lens to explore the successes and failures of public …

Teachers’ Perspectives Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning In The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, Constance Marie Bahn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IBPYP) curriculum for students ages 3–12 is implemented using inquiry-based learning. There is a lack of understanding about primary international teachers’ perspectives about their implementation of inquiry-based learning in this setting. The purpose and research question of this basic qualitative study addressed the identified lack of understanding about international IBPYP teachers’ perspectives in an urban setting in the International Baccalaureate Africa, Europe, and Middle East region about their implementation of inquiry-based learning. The Reggio Emilia approach served as the conceptual framework of this study. Data were gathered from 11 participants through semistructured interview questions, …

Strategies For Competitive Advantage In Small Construction Businesses, Syheed Fields

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Management and Technology

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Syheed Fields

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. Michael Lavelle, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. Carol-Anne Faint, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Dr. William Stokes, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and ProvostSue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

AbstractStrategies for Competitive Advantage in Small Construction Businesses by Syheed Fields

MLD, The Pennsylvania State University, …

Servant Leadership On Burnout Among Physicians In Residency Training, Karen Grant-Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physicians in residency training (PIRTs) in the United States are facing extreme burnout. The prevalence of burnout among physicians in residency training may cause adverse consequences such as medical malfeasance, alcoholism, or suicide due to physical and mental exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to analyze the servant leadership style of physician trainers and burnout among PIRTs in academic medical centers in the United States to ultimately increase wellness and thereby mitigate burnout. Servant leadership was the theoretical foundation for this study. This research investigated whether servant leadership characteristics of physician trainers played a statistically significant role in burnout …

Early Hearing Screening Policy And Deaf Children’S Language Acquisition, Marla Hatrak

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The federal Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act (EHDI) guarantees medical and communication interventions for deaf children and audiological, medical, and language intervention data collection. However, the policy and its implementation have not been analyzed in regard to policy goal attainment of deaf children’s language acquisition. A qualitative case study was conducted to analyze seven federal- and state-level early hearing screening policy websites and implementation and intermediary documents to assess the federal and state policy formation and implementation of EHDI. In addition to the document assessment, data were collected from interviews to obtain the perspectives of two early childhood educational …

K–12 Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Development In Instructional Technology, Angel Ann Hunt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational organizations have experienced a transition from traditional to digital, online, or blended learning instructional platforms. Scholarly literature lacks research studies pertaining to the perceptions of kindergarten–12th-grade (K–12) teachers regarding professional development (PD) to support use of instructional technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate K–12 teachers’ perceptions of PD that supports the use of instructional technology. The conceptual framework for this study was Puentedura’s substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition model. Research questions were designed to explore K–12 teachers’ perceptions of PD to support the use of instructional technology. Participants included nine K–12 teachers who participated …

Information And Communications Technology Integration In Bahamian Public High School Biology Classrooms, Cynthia Carmen Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

More research on information and communications technology (ICT) use for teaching and learning is needed, particularly since the almost global transition from traditional face-to-face to virtual classrooms forced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem addressed in this current qualitative project study was the reported challenges experienced by teachers integrating ICT into the delivery of the biology curriculum in Bahamian public high school classrooms. The purpose of the study was to explore the biology teachers’ ICT integration into their virtual classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was grounded in the technological pedagogical and content knowledge conceptual framework. Three research questions …

Early Childhood Stakeholders’ Perspectives On Parent Empowerment To Successfully Transition Children To Formal School, Tawanda Randolph

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have suggested that empowered parents may be more helpful successfully transitioning children to formal school. The problem investigated in this basic qualitative study was that educators located in a Southern region of the United States were not empowering parents with the knowledge, skills, and sense of self to become engaged in their children’s educational transitioning needs. This study also addressed a gap in practice consisting of school stakeholders’ perspectives on parent empowerment to build their capacities to successfully transition children to formal school. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory and Kim and Bryan's parent empowerment theory framed this study. The research …

Identifying What Transformational Leadership Elements Principals Are Utilizing To Retain Kindergarten To High School Teachers, Johnny Ray Vahalik

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher turnover in a large urban school district exceeded the state average annually from 2016 to 2020. Previous studies and local evidence indicate a gap in practice might currently exist, consisting of principals not making the best use of the most effective transformational leadership elements to consolidate and increase teacher retention. While many researchers agree that principal leadership has had the most significant influence on teachers’ decisions to stay in or leave their schools, there is a gap in the literature on what principal leadership practices influence teachers’ decisions to stay or leave. The research question that guided this study …

Teachers’ Perceptions And Preparedness For An Active Shooter Incident, Abiar A. Nattah

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Schools in the United States need to be prepared for a possible school shooting. However, the types of planning and security measures differ across states and there is not a national policy center or central authority that standardize the quality and feasibility of the safety and security plans. Little research exists on teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for active shooter incidents. The purpose of this qualitative generic study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of preparedness for an active shooter incident. The purpose of this study was to understand teacher’s feelings of safety and their perceptions on how their school trained school …

Tech-Savvy Educators’ Perceptions Of Using Smartphones For Self-Directed Professional Development, Matinga E. Ragatz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The proliferation of the smartphone has encouraged educators, particularly the tech savvy, to seek personalized learning options in lieu of the absence of individualized professional development (PD) offerings provided by their academic institutions that are not based on short-term whole group instruction. Although smartphone use has attracted the attention of researchers, not much has been examined about how educators use the device to enhance their learning. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of tech-savvy educators regarding smartphone use for informal self-directed PD. The conceptual framework of the study was the 3 x 3 model …

Early Childhood Directors’ Perspectives Regarding Barriers To Childcare Quality Improvement, Charlotte Richards

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood childcare program directors face barriers that impede program quality, but there is a lack of research exploring these barriers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors regarding barriers they encounter as they attempt to implement quality improvements to rate at the highest, 3-star level in the state quality rating and improvement system (QRIS). This study was grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which notes the influence of environmental systems on the development of young children. The research question explored the perspectives of early childhood childcare center directors’ regarding …

Principals’ And Coaches’ Perspectives On Leadership Practices And Instructional Coaching, Shona Sandlin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education reform is the driver for changes in principal leadership practices. Instructional coaching is a common lever used to meet reform mandates but has had inconsistent results. The problem in practice is little is known about how principals use leadership practices to establish effective instructional coaching in their school building. The conceptual framework used in this study was the distributive leadership framework, which was used to analyze how leadership skills are distributed throughout an organization to meet overall goals. In this study, the principals and the instructional coaches were asked to perceive and describe the principal’s leadership practices that influence …

Mediating Effects Of Self-Esteem And Sense Of Flourishing On The Relationship Between Social Network Addiction And Motivated Strategies For Learning, Debbie Denise Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study with college and university emerging adult undergraduates (N = 189) aged 18–24 tested the social learning and flourishing theory hypotheses, examining to what extent the relationship between social networking addiction (SNA) and student-motivated strategies for learning are mediated by self-esteem (M1) and a sense of flourishing (M2). Four instruments were used: the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Diener’s Flourishing Scale, and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. A nonexperimental cross-sectional quantitative parallel mediation research design to assess the literature implications indicated that emerging adults endure biopsychosocial damages when excessive, problematic, or addictive patterns in …

Students With Disabilities Use Of Online Learning Accommodations In Higher Education, Marcus Anderson, Jr.

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Special education researchers and practitioners have increasingly demonstrated that disability accommodations may afford students with disabilities (SWD) enhanced opportunities for academic success. However, disability accommodations have primarily been designed and delivered within the context of the traditional classroom settings in higher education. This basic qualitative study explored how students registered with disability services describe access to online learning accommodations in higher education. Two research questions were created: exploring accommodations in online learning that students perceive as contributing to their academic success and understanding accommodations that students perceive as essential to overcoming existing barriers contributing to their academic success. Universal Design …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

The Effect Of Parental Socialization On The Postsecondary Plans Of Latino/Hispanic Students, Nilda Ivette Rosario

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Latino/Hispanics are one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, yet they are underrepresented in higher education. Grounded on the social cognitive theory and the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler model, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental expectations, parental involvement, parental self-efficacy, and postsecondary planning of Latino/Hispanic students. The research questions were formulated to determine whether parental factors among Latino/Hispanic parents can predict postsecondary educational outcomes among Latino/Hispanic students. A quantitative correlational research study design was used. The target population was Latino/Hispanic parents residing in the United States with at least one child …

Middle School Teachers’ Experiences Using Internet-Based Technology In Literacy Instruction, Shelly Butler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractResearchers found that the integration of internet technology into K–12 classrooms can improve student outcomes. Self-reported statements from 15 teachers and district survey results at the local setting, a rural school in a Southern state, indicated that sixth- through eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teachers were not making effective use of research-supported internet resources in literacy instruction and assessment, and it is not known why. The purpose of this explanatory, qualitative case study, which included Knowles’s theory of adult learning as a framework, was to understand how ELA teachers were using internet resources in literacy instruction. The research questions were …

Elementary Teacher Perceptions Of Blended Learning In The Digital Classroom, Sarah Cummings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Blended learning is an instructional model in which instruction is delivered using a combination of traditional teaching methods and online learning materials such as digital textbooks, virtual textbooks, and teacher-made videos. The problem was that elementary teachers in local schools were not implementing blended learning as intended by the school’s improvement plan. The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of elementary teachers in Grades 3-5 who have experience using blended learning. The framework for the study is the complex adaptive blended learning system (CABLS) because it helps examine the blended learning elements and the changes that result …

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 …

Factors That Influenced Post-Secondary Faculty Members' Use Of A D2l Learning Management System, Nadia Navene Edmondson-Kelly

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2019, the college administrators at a large 2-year college located in Canada implemented a Learning Management System (LMS) policy for all instructors. The goal of the LMS policy was for faculty members to demonstrate committed professionalism and high degree of competence in teaching. The problem was that instructors underutilized the LMS to provide feedback to students, make course content available in a variety of accessible formats to students, and promote student engagement in learning. In this study, the factors that influenced instructors’ use of the LMS in accordance with the LMS usage policy were explored. The expanded technology acceptance …

Teacher Perceptions Of Appropriate Norms For Smartphone Use During Class, Tara N. Morrin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The increase in smartphone use among U.S. adolescents has become a significant concern. Self-regulating smartphone use is difficult for adolescents, as notifications from social media and entertainment apps provide a sense of instant gratification. Addressing problematic smartphone use has become urgent given that adolescents’ physical and mental health has declined, including increased obesity, anxiety and depression, and smartphone addiction. Learning is also impeded when students continuously shift attention between course content and their smartphones, preventing the brain from engaging in the deep thinking necessary for long-term memory storage, retention, and retrieval. However, it is more common to see smartphones present …

Elementary Special Education Teachers’ Perception On Technology Adoption In The Shift To Online Learning, Samuel Sykes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Elementary special education teachers are required to provide online learning instruction to students with disabilities as schools are navigating through the COVID -19 pandemic with a lack of information as to how to do so successfully. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of elementary special education teachers in a school district in the southeastern United States on their pedagogical and technology concerns regarding the shift to online learning for students with disabilities. This study’s conceptual framework was based on Roger’s diffusion theory and concerns-based adoption model. The research questions addressed elementary special education teachers’ …

Employee Training Strategies For New Technology Implementation In Small Business, Eddy Varela

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to implement new technology creates a barrier to success for small businesses. Small business owners must create competitive advantages by implementing new technology as there is a need to maintain an advantage when competing in the local market economy. Grounded in the human capital theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the employee training strategies small business owners use to implement new technology. The participants were five small business owners in Central Florida who used employee training strategies to implement new technologies Data were collected using (a) semistructured interviews, (b) member checking interviews, (c) …