Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Cultural Sensitivity In The Performance-Based Learning Environment, Monique Matleen Hazzard-Robinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Georgia Department of Education requires students to earn 4 course credits in the area of mathematics in order to graduate from high school. Academic success for mathematics students in a school district in southern Georgia has been encumbered because teachers lack cultural competency in mathematics instruction, which has hindered minority students from developing reasoning, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills needed to earn these required math credits. The purpose of this project study was to examine teachers' perceptions of using culturally relevant teaching strategies to influence the academic performance of minority students in the mathematics classroom. The conceptual framework was …

Early Strategies Of Kindergarten Teachers And Administrators To Lessen The Literacy Gap, Kirstin A. Rossi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Proficiency in literacy is paramount during a child's education. Lacking proficiency can have lasting effects. At both the state and local level, continuing gaps in student achievement in literacy have been documented. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to focus on kindergarten teachers and administrators' early literacy strategies, specifically current practices in early literacy skills and possible resources needed in early literacy to lessen the gap between White students and ethnic minority and students who qualify for free/reduced meals. The constructivist framework was the platform used to investigate teacher and administrator understanding of the 6 early literacy skills, …

A Case Study Of Student Success In Physical Therapist Assistant Programs: A Systems Approach, Penelope Lescher

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Graduating sufficient numbers of healthcare providers to fill the needs of an aging population in the United States is a major social concern. To address this problem physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs need to improve their graduation rates to keep up with the demand for qualified personnel. Applying Senge's theory of effective systems, 1 medium-sized community college with an average pass rate of over 90% on the National Physical Therapist Assistant Examination (NPTAE) was selected to address the research question: What are the systems factors and how do they operate together to support student success in an associate degree PTA …

Attention Deficity Hyperactivity Disorder, College Students, And Identity, Jeanne Vandenberg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing societal problem that has been increasing among college students. Previous research on this population is limited and even fewer studies focus on women. The purpose of this quantitative study is to understand the developmental task of ego identity status for female college students with and without a diagnosis of ADHD based on Erikson's psychosocial theory. The study used the Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status (OMEIS) to measure identity diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement status as a means to assess identity status in female college students. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, independent …

Critical Soft Skills To Achieve Success In The Workplace, Gloria A. Meeks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The focus of this study was a problem identified by human resources directors and managers in a medium sized community in the southeast of the United States. The problem was that some college graduates are not equipped with the necessary soft skills to be successful in the workforce. Executive directors and human resources managers brought this problem to the attention of the career center directors in the community. Goleman's theory of emotional intelligence was the theoretical framework to ground this study. This study involved purposeful sampling to select 9 human resources directors from local companies. To investigate soft skills in …

Higher Education Leaders' Transformative Learning And Leadership Experiences Responding To Student Drug Abuse, James Vernon Battin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Today's academic and social environment creates uncertainties, new roles, frequent changes, and challenging situations for student affairs academic leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore how student affairs academic leaders described their recent challenging experiences in addressing student drug abuse in higher education. The conceptual framework was based on adult transformative learning theory and applied transformative leadership perspectives. An interview format with open-ended questions was used to explore the experiences of 8 student affairs leaders who had faced challenging situations in the context of student drug abuse. A qualitative interpretive analysis was used that involved open coding of …

The Gap Between Engineering Education And Postgraduate Preparedness, Abdulla Farah Warsame

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Engineering students entering the workforce often struggle to meet the competency expectations of their employers. Guided by constructivist theory, the purpose of this case study was to understand engineers' experiences of engineering education, deficiencies in practical skills, and the self-learning methods they employed to advance their technical and professional competencies. Working engineers were asked about their experiences overcoming practical skill deficiencies and bridging the gap between education and practice. Interviews with 15 chemical, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineers were analyzed by coding for common statements and identifying themes. Firsthand experiences of the participants captured 3 themes: overall perceptions of engineering …

Instructional Strategies Of Effective Mathematics Teachers Of African American Upper Elementary Students, Susan Warthen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

National assessments have revealed that African American students do not demonstrate proficiency in mathematics to the same degree as their White counterparts; however, some teachers are able to guide their African American students to mathematics success. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the instructional strategies of teachers who have been successful in promoting mathematics achievement in African American students. This study was guided by a single research question that focused on the instructional strategies used by teachers whose African American upper elementary students demonstrated proficiency in mathematics on a state standardized test. Feuerstein's mediated learning experience …

Teachers' Attitudes Toward Inclusive Classrooms, Brenda Lyons Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

Some teachers have negative attitudes toward teaching students with learning disabilities in the regular classroom. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the attitudes of regular classroom teachers regarding several aspects of inclusive education (IE), as well as how teacher education, training, and experience contributes to the teachers' attitudes towards IE. The research was guided by Cooper and Fazio's (1984) reformulation of the theory of cognitive dissonance. A sample population of 135 classroom teachers was used. The participants completed the Scale of Teachers' Attitudes toward Inclusive Classrooms survey instrument and a demographic survey, which were analyzed through …

College Instructors' Experiences Transitioning To Inverted Classroom Instruction, Glenda Maria Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lecture methods in higher education continue to be the most often used form of lesson delivery, although they seem to be less effective in promoting adult students' learning and engagement. Many higher education instructors have incorporated inverted classroom (IC) methods to increase student engagement and learning. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to gain an understanding of college instructors' decision-making processes and experiences transitioning from lecture-based instruction to IC and the factors attributed to that transition. Knowles's andragogy theory, Kolb's experiential learning theory, and Rogers's diffusion of innovations provided the conceptual framework for the study. Eight college-level instructors …

The Development And Validation Of A Novice Nurse Decision-Making Skills Education Curriculum, Joanne Stephanie Simmons

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice nurses (NNs) are entering critical care environments with limited knowledge, skills, and decision-making expertise. They are expected to care for complex patients in a dynamic healthcare setting. The research question for this project examined whether NNs improve their knowledge and skills by participating in a nursing decision-making skills curriculum. The purpose of the project was to develop and validate a nursing decision-making skills education curriculum working in an intermediate critical care unit. Taba's instructional theoretical model was used to guide the new curriculum development along with current evidence based practice found in the current literature. Scaffolding approach theory encouraged …

University Educators' Instructional Choices And Their Learning Styles Within A Lesson Framework, Lucille Mazo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research on learning styles often focuses on the learning style of the student; however, the learning style of the educator may affect instructional choices and student learning. Few studies have addressed the lack of knowledge that exists in universities with respect to educators' learning styles and a lesson framework (development, delivery, and debriefing). This sequential mixed methods study explored university educators' conscious, reflective instructional choices as they related to learning styles application within a lesson. Two theoretical frameworks and one conceptual framework drew on Kolb's experiential learning theory; Bloom's, Reigeluth's, and Gagné's instructional design theories and models; and Fiddler and …

Student Incivility And Its Impact On Nursing Faculty And The Nursing Profession, Tamara Lynette Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Incivility disrupts the learning environment for nursing students and faculty, and contributes to the national nursing shortage since many nursing faculty reportedly leave academia because of disruptive student behaviors. Academic leaders at a midwestern college of nursing are concerned by the increasing number of students engaging in uncivil behaviors and are seeking solutions. Using Clark's conceptual model, which holds that incivility can be mitigated with effective communication and engagement, this qualitative case study was designed to understand what faculty perceive as the cause of student incivility, and what actions they believe would decrease these uncivil behaviors. Data were collected from …

Implementing Elementary School Next Generation Science Standards, Kathy Kennedy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards requires developing elementary teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge of science and engineering concepts. Teacher preparation for this undertaking appears inadequate with little known about how in-service Mid-Atlantic urban elementary science teachers approach this task. The purpose of this basic qualitative interview study was to explore the research questions related to perceived learning needs of 8 elementary science teachers and 5 of their administrators serving as instructional leaders. Strategies needed for professional growth to support learning and barriers that hamper it at both building and district levels were included. These questions were considered …

Technology Integration By General Education Teachers Of English Language Learners, Marie Simone Anglin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a growing population of English language learners (ELLs) in elementary schools across the United States, and a current academic achievement gap between ELLs and non-ELLs. Researchers have found that integration of Web 2.0 tools has benefitted ELLs in language learning settings, outside of the general classroom. The research problem addressed in this study, based on TPACK, explored general education teachers' experiences with integrating Web 2.0 technology to support academic language acquisition by ELLs and revealed the successes and challenges the teachers encountered. The 6 female participants in this qualitative interview study were required to have experience (a) as …

A Study Of Instructional Methods On Fourth Grade Reading Achievement, Benita Jessup

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a significant percent of 4th grade students read below the basic level. In one elementary school students participated in additional reading instruction as intervention for students scoring basic and below basic on the state standardized test. The purpose of this ex post facto non-experimental quantitative study was to determine the effectiveness of direct instruction versus fluency (repeated reading) instruction on the reading achievement of 4th grade students. This study is based on the theory of automatic information processing in reading and the theory of prosody. The overarching research question for this study …

Discipline Patterns In A Public-School District With A History Of Disproportionate Suspensions, Barbara M. Slingerland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nationwide concerns include disproportionate discipline referrals and suspensions of certain student groups and the associated negative student outcomes. The state's department of education cited a school district for suspending Black students with disabilities (SWD) at more than 3 times the rate of all other student groups; yet, the complex nature of the disciplinary disproportionality in this district was unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate how student-related characteristics including race/ethnicity, gender, age, grade level, disability status, and school location, may predict number of discipline referrals, types of discipline referrals, and types of suspensions issued to students. Guided by …

Improving Depression Screenings For Adults Living With Hiv/Aids Through Education And Training, Shermanda Brumfield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are 4 times more likely to have a diagnosis of depression than persons without HIV. The specific problem at a rural clinic in a southern region of the United States, was a lack of continuity in the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) screening procedures that made sure that PLWHA were screened, identified, and referred. Early identification and treatment can help patients cope with barriers that affect health outcomes. The purpose and goal of this project was to develop and implement an evidence-based depression screening protocol to improve clinical staff practices and adherence to the PHQ-9 …

The Effects Of Organizational Restructuring And Acceptance Of Change On Employees' Motivation, Eve Maria Fleming

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Numerous internal and external factors drive decisions to undertake organizational restructuring; according to senior management, restructuring is part of a strategic change. The purpose of this qualitative, exploratory, case study was to examine the effects of organizational restructuring on university employees' behavior towards restructuring and change in the effectiveness of the institution. The conceptual framework drew on the social change theory, a primary triad model, and a congruence model for organization problems to frame the guiding questions: how does restructuring impact employees' motivation and acceptance of change and how does the employees' acceptance of change affect the institution's effectiveness? From …

Teachers' Theories Of Teaching And Learning And The Use Of Math Interventions, Nicole P. Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the academic gap between students with learning disabilities (LD) and their nondisabled peers, schools continue to educate students with LD in regular education classrooms. In secondary math classes, such as Algebra 1, students with LD have high percentages of failure. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between teachers' personal theories of teaching and learning and their use of math interventions. Fox's (1983) theoretical framework of teaching and learning was used as a conceptual lens. Surveys were administered to 20 high school math teachers in an urban Northeastern U.S. school district. An ordinal logistic regression …

Experiences And Barriers For Patient Safety Officers Conducting Root Cause Analysis, Cynthia Lightner

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that, when unintentional harm to patients in outpatient and hospital settings occurs, root cause analysis (RCA) investigations should be conducted to identify and implement corrective actions to prevent future patient harm. Executives at a small healthcare consulting company that employs patient safety officers (PSOs) responsible for conducting RCAs were concerned with the low quality of RCA outcomes, prompting this postinvestigation assessment of PSOs' RCA training and experiences. Guided by adult learning theory, the purpose of this study was to assess PSOs' RCA training and investigation experiences by examining self-reported benefits, attitudes, barriers, and time since training, and the …

Relationship Between Student Characteristics And Attrition Among Associate Degree Nursing Students, Wendy Elizabeth Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High nursing student attrition has been a pervasive problem in the nursing program at the research site of this study. The purpose of this project study was to investigate the relationship between attrition and nursing student characteristics, including age, gender, ethnicity, English as Second Language (ESL) background, licensed practical nurse (LPN) licensure, grade point average (GPA), the number of preadmission college credits, and the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) scores. This correlational study of archival data was guided by Jeffreys's nursing undergraduate retention and success model and included a convenience sample of 240 students admitted to the program between …

Overcoming The Challenges Of Retaining Novice Teachers In A County Public School By Ernst Albert, Ernst Albert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining novice teachers in a Northeast Florida county public school is an ongoing challenge. Research indicates that 14% of new teachers will leave the field within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the major factors that contributed to this unique group of novice teachers' decisions to continue to teach at the school during their first 5 years in the field. The societal model served as the conceptual framework for this study of factors affecting teacher turnover, with emphasis on teacher and school characteristics in relation to teacher attrition. Data collected from 9 interviews and an …

Increasing Inclusive Students' Achievement Through Use Of Usatestprep's Integrated Learning Systems, Roslynn Darnell Elom

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Integrated learning systems (ILS) are effective ways to increase academic achievement for students, including those with disabilities. However, many teachers do not fully or properly implement this type of educational technology in their classroom teaching. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to examine the perceptions of high school educators and administrators toward ILS use. The study was grounded in Ely's conditions of change theory. Research questions focused on educators' perceptions of barriers toward implementation of an ILS in the classroom. Participants included 8 inclusive secondary school teachers and 2 local administrators in a rural school system in …

The Role Of Leadership In Changing The Culture Of An International School To Be Inclusive Of Students With Special, Simon Norman Gillespie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educating a diverse student population is a core principle of international school education. Historically, many international schools have had admissions policies that excluded students with special learning needs. However, admission policies have changed to require more inclusiveness and school support for a wider range of students and for effectively meeting their needs. The study was based on change theory. Of interest was how school leaders best supported the change process to create the conditions for success in the context of changing admissions policies. Research questions targeted strategies that supported change and student success that were used to change the culture …

Teachers' And Parents' Perceptions Of Special Education Referral For African American Students, Darlene Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Patterns of representation of African Americans in K-12 special education programs vary across the United States. A school district in Arizona has a 13% African American population, yet the African American special education representation is 17%. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to generate an understanding of the processes related to special education referral and assignment of African American elementary students as perceived by 7 teachers and 6 parents in the school district. Inductive analysis including open, axial, and selective coding led to the categorization of three themes: complexity in the referral process, inadequate teacher-parent communication and lack …

The Needs Of Custodial Grandparents In Helping Their Grandchildren Experience School Success, Rex Sawyer Ward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a local middle school, twice as many students were being reared by their grandparents than in each of the other 3 schools in the study district. Most of these students were experiencing academic and social issues; increased understanding of the issue was needed to address these problems. Using a phenomenological approach, this project study explored the lived experiences of grandparents of skipped-generation households and school employees who interact daily with skipped-generation households. Epstein's theory of parental involvement undergirded this study, and semistructured interviews were used to gather data from 15 grandparents and 15 school employees. Interviews were transcribed, open …

Examining The Barriers To The Continuing Education Of Early Childhood Teacher Assistants, Colleen Louise Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 required teacher assistants (TAs) to obtain their child development associate (CDA) credential by September of 2015. TAs who had not obtained their CDA within the required timeframe were either demoted or terminated from their positions. However, with the increase of working parents, the need for quality early childhood education has risen. In this project study, the barriers TAs confront in regards to their decision to continue their schooling to obtain a CDA credential were examined, as were the factors that deterred or prevented them from enrolling in or completing a …

Effect Of Summer Bridge Programming On Students' Performance On The Texas Success Initiative Assessment, Consuela Michelle Cooper

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Summer bridge programs (SBPs) have been used as a means of increasing students' college readiness and academic skills. University Southeast implemented a SBP in 2013 for students placing into developmental courses on the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSIA). However, researchers have found mixed results when evaluating the effectiveness of SBPs, and at University Southeast, it has not been investigated. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the difference in TSIA score gains between first-time-in-college students with developmental-level test scores who attended a three-week SBP and those who did not. Tinto's longitudinal model of student departure guided the study …

Perceptions Of Administrators, Teachers, And Coaches On Instructional Coaching: Implications For Instructional Practices, Tosha Latrece Quattlebaum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching is designed to positively impact instructional practices, yet not enough is known about whether administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches have similar perceptions about this approach. The purpose of the case study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches concerning instructional coaching, the impact instructional coaches have on instructional practices, and barriers encountered by instructional coaches. Guided by Knowles' theory of andragogy, the research questions were designed to explore the relationship between collective and individual actions of adult learners when acquiring information and learning new concepts. The case study involved a purposeful sample consisting of …