Educational Psychology Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Single Fathers Of Children With Autism In Trinidad, Merisha Shirwell Margaret Seepersad

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With an increase in diagnosis rates of autism in Trinidad, more parents of children with autism, especially single fathers, face numerous challenges on a daily basis. There is a lack of research on this topic and therefore an inadequate understanding of the experiences of Trinidadian single fathers as primary caregivers for children with autism. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and depict the lived experiences of single fathers of children with autism. Social support theory was the guiding conceptual framework to explore and understand how single fathers effectively manage their daily challenges. Ten single fathers from Southern …

Effect Of Whole Brain Teaching On Student Self-Concept, Heather Winona Schulte Clark

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Sufficient research exists indicating that the brain mechanisms involved with use of whole brain teaching (WBT) techniques will likely lead to improved academic achievement and that academic self-concept (ASC) is both a cause and consequence of academic achievement. However, it is not known if there is a relationship between WBT and ASC. Given the benefits derived from positive ASC, it becomes important to assess WBT as a predictor variable of positive ASC. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between different levels of exposure to WBT techniques and the mean difference in ASC, as measured by …

Student Perceptions Of Flipped Learning In A High School Math Classroom, Daniel Strohmyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flipped classrooms are implemented in more schools each year, particularly in courses requiring increased teacher guidance for mastery. While a foundation of research related to pedagogy and academic outcomes exists, research is limited surrounding student perceptions of the social and learning culture during flipped learning. The purpose of this study was to explore high school math students' lived experiences of flipped learning related to content and instruction, critical thinking, and collaboration and interactions. A phenomenological design was employed using a conceptual framework combining cognitive load theory, sociocultural learning theory, and schema theory. Students from two public high schools in the …

Examination Of The Mediating Role Of Student Engagement On The Relationship Between Personality And Academic Success For Hispanic College Students, Fernando Chapa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Traditionally, college and universities have relied on achievement indicators to estimate students' potential for success. More current researchers have demonstrated that other noncognitive factors provide incremental predictive validity to traditional achievement measures in predicting student success. This study is intended to contribute to the scholarly work in this regard by examining the mediating role that student engagement has on the relationship between Big Five personality traits and student success for Hispanic, two-year college students. First factor analysis derived four factors of engagement: Mental Activities, School Opinions, Collaborative Learning, and Student Services. Mediation models showed that there was a negative relationship …

Individual Characteristics As Predictive Variables Of The Level And Impact Of Contrapower Harassment Of Faculty Teaching In Schools Of Pharmacy, Joel M. Epps

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A review of literature documents that higher education faculty are likely to be the target of student harassment. A scenario in which a person of lesser power in an organization harasses a person of greater power is known as contrapower harassment. Students' acts of harassment range from mild incivilities to aggressive and threatening behaviors. The purpose of this quantitative web-based survey study is to document (a) the prevalence of contrapower harassment in a sample of U.S. pharmacy school faculty (n = 110), a previously unstudied population, (b) gender differences in faculty experiences of contrapower harassment, (c) faculty characteristics which may …

The Effectiveness Of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies ( Paths) When Used Once Per Week In Therapeutic Day Treatment, Beth Cherish Wilson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) is an intervention program for children with behavioral and emotional deficits, designed for use, and shown to be effective when used in the classroom a minimum of 3 times per week. However, in some settings, as in the current study, PATHS is being used just once per week. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine whether PATHS was beneficial in helping elementary school aged children improve their behavioral and emotional health when implemented once per week in a group therapy setting. PATHS was developed based on cognitive behavioral theory, which focuses on improving …

The Use Of Online Supplemental Materials In College Courses To Improve Retention, Amy Lynn Hennings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-generation college students continue to have lower retention and success rates in colleges and universities, reducing their likelihood of staying above the poverty line. The study tested Bandura and Vygotsky's social cognitive theories of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and student ability to self-pace in the classroom. The purpose of this study was to explore if offering supplemental online materials to traditional class delivery, which can be self-regulated and self-paced, impacted students' success rates in the class and semester-to-semester retention. Using a quasi-experimental method, first-semester college students, in a small private liberal arts college (N = 678); were compared on use of supplemental …

Associative Relationship Among Mindfulness, Academic Grades, And Affective Outcomes In Adolescence, Elena Ksendzov

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents navigate through escalating academic and social pressures while undergoing major physical and psychological changes. Concerned with behavioral, mental, and emotional challenges of youth, educators seek to expand approaches to promote learning success. Research founded in mindfulness theories has suggested that mindfulness positively and significantly correlates with psychological and physical health, work performance, decision-making ability, and emotional regulation, and may be a factor in learning. Two theoretical viewpoints on mindfulness, Western- and Eastern-based, formed the conceptual framework for this study, which aimed to examine associative relationships between mindfulness and academic achievement, and between mindfulness and affective outcomes for the general …

High School Teachers' Perceptions Of Mental Health And Adolescent Depression, Christine Ann Breuer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adolescents have a high rate of untreated mental health issues, specifically related to depression. Current literature does not indicate the impact of teachers' attitudes toward mental health on their decisions to refer students for services. This study provides understanding specifically, how teachers' beliefs about mental health, as well as their age, gender, ethnicity, years of education, and years of teaching, were analyzed to determine the impact each these characteristics had on the decision to refer a student for services. 92 high school teachers participated in this quantitative study by completing a survey measuring their attitudes of mental health, and then …

Parent And Principals' Perceptions Of Cyberbullying In 21st Century Rural Elementary Schools, Kathleen Virginia Hosterman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cyberbullying is a common form of harassment and aggression engaged in by today's youth. This phenomenon is affecting primary-school-aged children as technology devices are now made available to elementary school students in rural settings. Based on the framework of Bandura's social cognitive theory, this mixed methods project study included a survey to quantitatively investigate the associations between parental knowledge of the phenomenon of cyberbullying and children's grade levels, and a focus group to gather qualitative data from school principals regarding their perceptions of the extent and impact of cyberbullying in 4 rural elementary schools in Massachusetts. Due to highly skewed …

The Impact Of Co-Teaching On The Graduation Test Scores Of Students With Disabilities, Jeannette Lynn Stach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the U.S Department of Education, co-teaching is an intervention used to give students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum while in the general education classroom. It's necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of co-teaching as it relates to academic performance. However, there has been a dearth of research on quantitative studies related to co-teaching and their results have been inconclusive. This quantitative study explored whether co-teaching has a positive effect on academic performance compared to collaborative teaching, and adds to the literature in this area that is considered current. On an annual basis from 2002 to 2011, …

Promote Comprehension In The Reading Classroom, Antoine Kevin Flanigan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students at 3 elementary schools in the southern region of the United States struggled with or failed to meet grade-level expectations in reading comprehension. School district leaders had little understanding regarding the perceptions of educators, care givers, and community supporters on the strategies to increase reading comprehension. To address that gap, the purpose of this study was to explore participants' perceptions regarding reading strategies and comprehension instruction practices in the local setting. The conceptual framework was based on the elements of Fisher's and Frey's work: (a) effective teaching in reading strategies, (b) reading instructional comprehension practices, (c) effective caregiver involvement, …

Middle School Teachers' Experiences With Teaching Self-Regulation Skills To Adolescents With Disabilities, Jessica Traylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that adolescents with disabilities often lack self-regulated learning skills. Current research further indicates that explicit teaching of self-regulation skills is beneficial to adolescents with disabilities. The site of this study was a local middle school in rural Georgia that did not assess whether or not teachers were explicitly teaching self-regulation skills to adolescents with disabilities. It was unknown, therefore, whether adolescents with disabilities were learning self-regulation skills in school and whether teachers faced problems in teaching these skills. The study sought to explore this gap in knowledge and practice. Zimmerman's self-regulated learning theory and Bandura's self-efficacy theory served …

Evaluating Positive Psychology Curriculum Among Nontraditional Students In A Foundational Course, Ruth Hilton Rhodes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Positive psychology emphasizes growth, adaptive functioning, and human potential. The present study contributes to this literature by examining the impact of exposure to a positive psychology curriculum among nontraditional students taking foundational courses in a career college. Mixed methods were utilized to assess changes in student well-being and goal setting quantitatively through pre- and post-tests of the Authentic Happiness Survey and the Satisfaction with Life Scale as well as identifying emergent themes from qualitative analysis of student reflections and written assignments over a 9-week term. Twenty-five students participated in foundational courses, which placed an emphasis on positive psychology. Paired samples …

Cultural Relevance In An English Language Learners' Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study, Katherine L. Roe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colleges and universities typically provide remedial reading coursework for English language learners (ELL) to develop academic reading proficiency. However, a disproportionate number of ELLs fail to exit remedial classes. Prior research has indicated cultural relevance can motivate and stimulate learning; however, the extent to which a culturally relevant classroom curriculum makes a difference in the ELL classroom experience has not been fully explored. This study describes the experience of cultural relevance in an academic reading ELL college class. Moll's funds of knowledge was used as the conceptual framework in a qualitative case study to examine how cultural strengths and knowledge …

College Transition Experiences Of Homeschooled Women, Jeanine L. Sanclemente

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During the past 40 years, the U.S. homeschooling population rose exponentially. The results of homeschooling need to be studied further so that parents, legislators, and higher education leaders can make prudent and well-informed decisions regarding homeschooled students. No studies have been completed that focus on the unique experiences of homeschooled women as they transition to college in terms of academics, forming new relationships, and individuating from their families. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore academic and relational processes during the transition to college. In this qualitative dissertation based on constructivist design and in the conceptual framework of …

Exploration Of Perceptions Of Marriage Dissatisfaction Among African American Couples, Terrence Schofield

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Perceptions of Marital Dissatisfaction Among African American Couples

by

Terrence Schofield

MS, Walden University, 2012

BS, Knoxville College, 1994

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

Clinical Psychology

Walden University

August 2016

Small Learning Communities And High School Academic Success, Jeremy Eugene Warren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Thousands of students drop out of high school every day in the United States and the repercussions affect more than just the individual. Research on smaller learning communities (SLC) reveals increased student achievement, as well as improved teacher perception of student engagement. Student attendance, grade point average, and standardized test scores have been seen to improve within the SLC. In addition, graduation rates for students enrolled in a SLC have revealed increases, but this research focuses on the SLC as an intervention for any student. The current research targets at-risk students in an educational climate of sparse resources, and an …

An Interpretive Phenomenological Investigation Of The Meaning Of Job Satisfaction Among Veteran Special Educators, Raeann Barnes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The attrition rate among special education teachers is ranked among the highest in the education profession. Retaining teachers early in their careers continues to be a concern due to increased job responsibilities, larger caseloads, challenging student behaviors, minimal support from colleagues, increased paperwork, and diminishing resources. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the meaning of satisfaction special education teachers made of their careers. The transactional model developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) can help to explain how the occurrence of stressful events can impact an individual. A purposive sample of 9 tenured, certified special education teachers currently …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Treatment Impacts On Academic And Social Performance, Mark Allen Russell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of treatment approaches for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) examined through social, behavioral, and academic performances. Guided by Barkley's unifying theory of ADHD, a static-group comparison design was used to compare students receiving pharmacological treatment, psychosocial therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and a pharmacological-therapy combination. Archival data was obtained on middle and high school students diagnosed with ADHD (ages 11-18, N = 103). Data included GPA; number of disciplinary referrals; and Behavior Assessment System for Children-Teacher Rating Scale (BASC-2 TRS) scores of externalizing behavior (e.g., defiance, aggression), internalizing behavior (e.g., anxiety, depression), general school …

Exploring Barriers To The Generalization Of Social Skills Interventions For Children Diagnosed With Asd: A Qualitative Analysis Of ‘Youth Engagement Through Intervention’, Zachary Shindorf

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many children who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty with social skills and maintaining friendships. In turn, many social skills interventions have been developed to aid in the treatment of children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD, however, have difficulty generalizing the skills learned in social skills interventions to more natural settings like the home and school. This study, therefore, explored the barriers to the generalization of a social skills intervention, Youth Engagement Through Intervention (YETI) for children with ASD. Barriers to the generalization of YETI were explored through the qualitative examination of parents’ acceptability of the …

Evolving Into Studio, Andrew S. Gibbons Iii

Faculty Publications

Instructional design is practiced in a real-world setting; it should be learned in a setting like the one where it is practiced. As the practices themselves change, it becomes more natural for this to happen. This study of one design instructor’s experience over nearly 50 years demonstrates a path of evolution out of teaching design in a standard classroom, in which practice is secondary to didactics, into a studio setting, where didactics tend to occur after the student has experienced a need.

Teacher And Student Perspectives On Facilitating A Sense Of Community Through An Online High School’S “Shepherding” Program, Jeffery Drysdale, Charles R. Graham, Jered Borup

Faculty Publications

Student disconnectedness remains a serious concern in K-12 online learning—especially in programs where students take most or all of their coursework online. In this research we examined a “shepherding program” designed to encourage a sense of community among teachers and students at an online charter school. Every online teacher served as a “shepherd” for 20 to 25 students and worked to establish close relationships with each student. Data was collected through 5 teacher focus groups, 5 one-on-one teacher interviews, and 10 one-on-one student interviews. A qualitative analysis using Rovai’s sense of community framework examined how the shepherding program influenced shepherd-student …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Institutional Drivers And Barriers To Blended Learning Adoption In Higher Education, Wendy W. Porter, Charles R. Graham, Robert G. Bodily, Daniel S. Sandberg

Faculty Publications

The authors previously proposed a framework for institutional BL adoption (Graham, Woodfield, & Harrison, 2012), identifying three stages: (a) awareness/exploration, (b) adoption/early implementation, and (c) mature implementation/growth. The framework also identified key strategy, structure, and support issues universities may address at each stage. In this paper, the authors applied that framework as well as Rogers' (2003) diffusion of innovations theory to determine the degree to which institutional strategy, structure, and support measures facilitate or impede BL adoption among higher education faculty. In addition, the authors explored whether higher education faculty's innovation adoption category affects which measures facilitate or impede BL …

An Analysis Of The Curriculum Requirements For K-12 Online Teaching Endorsements In The U.S., Laura Mcallister, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

This study examined existing K-12 online teacher preparation programs in the United States to ascertain the degree to which teachers are prepared to function in online/blended classroom learning environments. This study used a content analysis approach. Research specifically targeted online teacher preparation programs implemented in institutions of higher education. The researcher collected data from state offices of education and institution deans through email surveys inquiring about the existence and capacity of K-12 online teaching endorsements, course descriptions, and other course documents.

Online Student Perceptions Of The Need For A Proximate Community Of Engagement At An Independent Study Program, Darin R. Oviatt, Charles R. Graham, Jered Borup, Randall S. Davies

Faculty Publications

Research suggests that collaborative learning designs, which require interaction with teachers and peers, can promote engagement and learning for online courses. Many K-12 students seek supplemental online courses to meet graduation requirements and desire flexibility, which often conflicts with required interactions. This paper asserts that online independent study learners may create a proximate community of engagement (PCE) to provide the benefits of collaboration and interactions. Using the adolescent community of engagement (ACE) framework as a lens for identifying interactions, this study surveyed K-12 independent study students to assess their perception of the need for interaction with a support community while …

Embracing The Danger: Accepting The Implications Of Innovation, Jason K. Mcdonald

Faculty Publications

Instructional designers are increasingly looking beyond the field’s mainstream approaches to achieve desired outcomes. They seek more creative forms of design to help them invent more imaginative experiences that better reflect their vision and ideals. This essay is addressed to designers who are attracted to these expanded visions of their profession. Innovative approaches to design can be considered dangerous, at least to the status quo. The author first discusses why this is so, and then explains how embracing the danger—accepting the risks that accompany originality and innovation—might also be what allows designers to develop experiences consistent with the high-levels of …

The Added Value Of Conducting Learning Design Meeting To The Online Course Development Process, Denise Shaver

Faculty Publications

Do you find it challenging to have discussions with instructors about designing online courses and best practices in teaching? This article will highlight key components to conducting effective Learning Design Meetings. It outlines techniques used by our institution in engaging faculty in a discussion regarding better use of Learning Management Systems (LMS), storyboard layout, learning outcomes, student engagement, learning activities, formal assessments, and content delivery. Learning Design meetings have proven to be a compelling manner of decreasing faculty resistance while exposing instructors to best practices in pedagogy, andragogy, and online learning. Instructional Designers (IDs), Instructional Facilitators (IFs), and Course Authors …

The Prominence Of Affect In Creativity: Expanding The Conception Of Creativity In Mathematical Problem Solving, Eric L. Mann, Scott A. Chamberlin, Amy K. Graefe

Faculty Publications

Constructs such as fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration have been accepted as integral components of creativity. In this chapter, the authors discuss affect (Leder GC, Pehkonen E, Törner G (eds), Beliefs: a hidden variable in mathematics education? Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2002; McLeod DB, J Res Math Educ 25:637–647, 1994; McLeod DB, Adams VM, Affect and mathematical problem solving: a new perspective. Springer, New York, 1989) as it relates to the production of creative outcomes in mathematical problem solving episodes. The saliency of affect in creativity cannot be underestimated, as problem solvers require an appropriate state of mind in order …