Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Foster Care Service Barriers And Social Work Practice In The Virgin Islands, Anna Maria Clarke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative research study explored service barriers social workers encountered while working with their foster clients aging out of placement in the Virgin Islands. This study provided an understanding of the problem and seminal literature that warrants further study in the future. The foundation for this study was grounded in ecological systems theory. Data collection consisted of narrative interviews with social workers from a single government agency. Six social workers from the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands discussed the challenges they encountered while working with their foster clients aging out of placement. Key findings …

The Role Of Social Media In Supporting U.S. Citizens’ Trust In Government, Terrence M. Cole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract

This qualitative study was designed to examine citizen trust in government relations. Data consisted of information from 23 semistructured interviews from 14 consumers/clients and 9 information technology coordinators in Oakland, California participating in a 501 C3 nonprofit agency and 2019 Pew Center surveys. Data were analyzed using content analysis and cross-verified through the process of data source triangulation. Results of each group interviews in comparison to survey results from the Pew Research Center’s 2019 Trust and Distrust in America study indicated that participants demonstrated trust in social media platforms, and these platforms informed participants’ views on their trust in …

Emotional Intelligence, Self-Directed Learning, And Online Success In Adult Learners: A Mediation Model, Amanda C. Coté

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Online education has been established as a viable option for adult learners. More recently, it has been adopted by many institutions as a critical component in their long-term planning and success. Despite consistent growth rates in online enrollment, and the advantages to online learning, attrition rates for online courses remain higher than traditional (ground) courses. Bar-On’s theory of emotional intelligence (EI) and Knowles’ self-directed learning (SDL) theory have been positively linked with online academic performance and identified as predictors of learning online and life success. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to explore EI and SDL as predictors …

Differences In Turnover Intentions Between Nonmillennials And Millennials In Nonprofit Organizations, Kevin Allen Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The consequences of turnover in nonprofit organizations can be costly. Grounded in the person-organization fit theory, the purpose of this cross-sectional survey study was to investigate turnover intentions among generational cohorts in nonprofit organizations. The research questions addressed whether differences in turnover intentions existed among generational cohorts and whether job satisfaction and organizational justice perceptions influenced turnover intentions in nonmillennials and millennials working in nonprofit organizations. Survey data were collected from 192 employees from nonprofit organizations. The survey included the Perceived Overall Justice scale, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Intent to Stay scale. Data were analyzed using t tests …

Risk Factors Of Infant Mortality Disparity In Indian River County, Florida, Cecilia Miguelina Escorbore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Infant mortality in the United States is a great concern to families, communities, and professionals in the public health field. More concerning is the infant mortality racial disparity, prevalent throughout the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore risk factors of infant mortality disparity in Indian River County (IRC), Florida. Using socioecological theory as the theoretical framework, this study explored whether there is an association between infant mortality among Black infants and geographic location as well as measures of socioeconomic status (age, educational level, health insurance status, and marital status) associated with infant mortality among Black infants …

What Do The Stories Of Indigenous Youth Reveal About Their Educational Experiences?, Kenneth Paul Ealey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While the voices of Indigenous youth in other parts of the world have been sought out, no studies have specifically focused on the educational experiences of urban Indigenous youth in Canada. This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of youth-adult relationships among Indigenous youth attending urban high schools in Western Canada. The study was approached from a postcolonial perspective aligning with Native Theory. This position is grounded on the premise that the experiences and stories of participants reveal their lived realities. Indigenous youth, 18 to 21, were recruited through targeted information sessions and word of mouth. Over 30 youth expressed …

Nonprofits’ Financial Health And Healthy People 2020 California Program Outcomes, Tammie Vanessa Johnson-Lozolla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are essential for implementing U.S. health promotion policies such as the Healthy People 2020 Nutrition and Weight Status 9, 10.4, and 15.1 program goals. Obtaining and sustaining NPO funding are pervasive problems. Prior research has focused primarily on NPO financial measures without taking into consideration a conjoint assessment of program outcomes connected to their primary mission. This study examined the influence of financial, accountability, and transparency measures on a selection of California NPOs whose program goals focused on Healthy People 2020 nutritional outcomes. Using Mohr’s program theory lens, this quantitative study examined financial strategies and administrative components …

A Phenomenological Study On Adoption Disclosure Experienced By Adult Adoptees, Carmen H. Leggett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis research addressed the psychological experiences that adoption disclosure has on adoptees and their systems. In this phenomenological study eight interviews were conducted that consisted of four females and four males guided by general systems theory. Interviews were conducted via video conference, telephone, and email/telephone. Data saturation was achieved after the fourth interview as no new information had surfaced and similar responses were being echoed repeatedly from the participants. However, the interviews continued because the stories being shared by the participants were invaluable and to ensure the sampling criteria of eight participants was met. The interviews were transcribed, and several …

Use Of Machine Learning To Predict Ethical Drift In Law Enforcement, Ryan Mann

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. law enforcement agencies are facing a legitimacy crisis. Incidents of police misconduct are the subject of widespread media coverage. Officer conduct continues to be a problem despite effectiveness of candidate screening. Underlying causes of ethical drift must be understood to reduce police misconduct. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to examine the relationship between police ethical drift and agency size, officer age, officer gender, and officer education level. Ethical drift was the conceptual framework. Archival secondary data from local law enforcement agencies and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission were obtained …

Nongovernmental Organizations As Peoples Representatives In Policy Design: The Case Of The Nairobi County Government, David Maina Micro

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Constitution of Kenya mandates public participation to be observed in all processes of policy review and policy design. Despite the well-intended provision, far-reaching meaningful involvement of the public in policy development has largely failed to materialize; yet, the voice of the public in policy design remains an important success factor to inclusive and sustainable development. The purpose of this case study was to understand how public participation was influenced by the relationships between nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the Nairobi County government, while designing the Nairobi City County Public Participation Act of 2015. The theoretical framework for this study was …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Community Programs In Reducing And Deterring Juvenile Delinquency, Susan Michelle Newton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Indianapolis, the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, continues to experience a high rate of offenses committed by juvenile offenders. Community programs are in place to assist in the deterrence and/or reduction of juvenile crimes, yet the city’s crime rate continues to increase with youth being the perpetrator of many of these crimes. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceived effectiveness of these programs, which has not been adequately studied. The research questions focused on identifying which of the city’s current programs are perceived as being effective or ineffective in reducing juvenile delinquency and why so. …

Adjunct Faculty Employment And Student Success In Texas Institutions Of Higher Education, Robin L. Palmer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractJust over half of faculty members teaching in institutions of higher education (IHEs) in the United States work part time. Previous research on the relationship between part-time faculty employment and student success has produced conflicting findings and may have resulted in ineffective use of part-time faculty. The purpose of this retrospective, prediction study was to determine if the percent of part-time faculty, several institutional variables, and student demographics were significant predictors of retention and graduation rates at IHEs in Texas. Berger and Milem’s theory of organizational behavior and student outcomes grounded this study using secondary analysis of publicly available archival …

Instructors’ And Administrators’ Perspectives On Culturally Responsive Teaching In Rwandan Higher Education, Ephrard Rulinda

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Rwanda, the number of culturally minority students in higher education institutions has been increasing in recent years, yet the role of instructors and school administrators in utilizing culturally responsive teaching (CRT) methods for those students remains unclear. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe instructors’ and school administrators’ views of their roles in utilizing CRT methods. The conceptual framework for this study included CRT best teaching practices and approaches; institutional, personal, and instructional dimensions of CRT; and components of the preparation for and practice of CRT. The study was conducted at a university with three campuses …

Wrongful Conviction: Using Lived Experience To Explore Errors In Juror Cognition, Danielle Nicole Schulte Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWrongful conviction is a pressing legal and social justice issue that requires scholarly attention in the United States. The role of jurors in the criminal justice system has been empirically investigated and debated for many decades as researchers attempt to understand the juror decision-making process and how jurors contribute to wrongful conviction. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore how errors in juror cognition during decision-making led to juror reliance on narrative construction and commonsense reasoning rather than legal and judicial instruction in wrongful conviction cases. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 jurors who served on a criminal …

Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences And Empathetic Perception Of At-Risk Adolescent Youth, Sandra Short-Robbins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research involving wilderness therapy (WT) programs indicates that therapeutic wilderness or outdoor interventions have increased in popularity as alternative approaches for treating at-risk or adjudicated adolescents. However, the role that empathetic perception plays in advancing the efficacy of WT intervention absent from the majority of extant literature. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to address a gap in research involving how empathetic perception may be affected by WT program participation. The conceptual framework for the project involved ecopsychology, a branch of science that addresses the connection between human beings and the natural world. Nine young adults between …

Predicting Recidivism Following Participation In Treatment/Intervention Programs For Ex-Offenders, Shaunae Colita Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Failure to participate in rehabilitative programs during or after prison has led to increased recidivism, which, in turn, has contributed to overcrowded prisons and lack of rehabilitation services for offenders. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative, regression study was to explore the relationship between inmates’ program participation (i.e., during prison education program, during prison drug treatment program, during prison alcohol treatment program, and during prison sex offense treatment program) by and subsequent recidivism. Banduras' social learning theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. The study data were drawn from recidivism data of 38,624 prisoners who were released in 1994 …

Barriers That Influence The Underuse Of Mental Health Services By African Americans Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Pamela Gail Stackhouse-Hinsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia have longer wait times to be treated by mental health care professionals, resulting in their underuse of mental health services. This problem has motivated medical professionals to reexamine the ways in which services are rendered and then make appropriate improvements. The purpose of the study was to explore the lived experiences of African Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia and identify the reasons for their underuse of mental health services. A phenomenological research design was used to understand and explore the participants’ lived experiences of the phenomenon. Participants were recruited from an independent living facility. Purposive sampling …

Patterns Of Victimization Of School-Aged Children With Autism In The Rural Southern United States, Megan Rae Marie Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals with disabilities experience victimization at rates higher than their typically-functioning peers. Because they are often perceived as unreliable reporters, the likelihood that victimizations of individuals with disabilities are reported is low. Data regarding the lived victimization experiences of individuals with specific disabilities are scant. Grounded in the rational choice theory and Cohen and Felson’s routine activity theory, this qualitative study investigated the victimization experiences of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the rural Southern US. This study involved 21 public school students between the ages of 12 and 17 who were interviewed using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, …

The Impacts Of Open Grazing On The People Of Anambra South Senatorial Zone, Ephraim Izundu Udeagbala

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractOpen grazing is a main issue in Nigeria today, as Fulani herdsmen take farms by force with weapons like AK47s, which also affects the farmers of Anambra South Senatorial Zone. Further, there are different views on what open grazing is, which takes focus off its impacts that are detrimental to the people of the area. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the impacts of open grazing on the farmers of Anambra South Senatorial Zone. The research question aligned with the purpose of the study and examined the impacts of open grazing on the farmers of Anambra South …

Elite Theory Application To Social Privacy Concerns During Domestic Government Surveillance, George Vahn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Policy professionals would benefit from a social theory capable of suggesting policy change ramifications prior to public implementation. There is a research analysis shortfall concerning the usefulness of elite theory in modern social change. This study was an investigation of the effectiveness of elite theory to inform public policy analysts of behavioral outcomes following policy creation or change. Elite theory is the theoretical foundation that guided the framework of this study. The research question examined the effectiveness of elite theory to suggest behavioral outcomes in response to reduced personal privacy due to domestic government surveillance. A correlational research design was …

Strategies For News Professionals To Mitigate Negative Social Media Posts, Airielle J. Vincent

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Businesses use social media to promote services and products as well as connect with current and potential customers. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore and understand the strategies that effectively remedy negative social media comments, the skills used to employ remedial actions, the reasons why organizations fail to develop effective strategies, and the motivations to develop them among the participants and their organizations. The conceptual framework of this study combined elements from the skills approach to leadership and e-leadership theory. The target population included news directors, assignment managers, and executive producers who have used social …

The Influence Of Ethnicity On The Impact Of Cyberbullying Among Adults, Sarah Young

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ethnicity is a factor that predicts how a person is impacted by cyberbullying, but to date little research has been conducted to investigate this phenomenon. Some researchers have reported that individuals belonging to ethnic minorities may have a greater overall resistance to bullying behavior and bias due to stress inoculation. The purpose of this study was to determine if ethnic minority status serves as a protective factor against the negative impact of cyberbullying in adults. This research study was guided by inoculation and socio-ecological systems theories. A convenience sample of 618 American adults who use social media at least 3 …

Multiracial Graduate Students' Perceptions Of Online Doctoral Programs, Misty Jean Bryant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe retention rates for multiracial students in higher education have been the focus of researchers, student affairs practitioners, and other key stakeholders for many years. Despite the increase of this population attending online doctoral programs, the retention rates continue to remain in question. The research problem for this study examined how online multiracial doctoral students perceive the effectiveness of their online university's student engagement and academic achievement as it pertains to student retention. The theoretical framework of the study was Tinto's theory of institutional departure, which addressed student challenges in establishing positive engagement practices in their online learning environments. Data …

Treatment Disparities In Black And Hispanic Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders, Charlotte Seiji Frey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparity in diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children has been studied; however, no known studies examining disparities based on severity of symptoms have been investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the racial disparities in diagnosis and treatment that exist among children based on severity of symptoms. This cross-sectional quantitative analysis used data from the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health and the theoretical foundation was guided by the behavioral model of healthcare utilization and help-seeking behavior for ADHD. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed an overall association between race and the diagnosis and …

Understanding The Young Adult African American Male's Perceptions Of Civic Engagement, Carl Lee Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractCivic engagement and political involvement of the greater portion of the population of democratic societies are important to the maintenance of the quality of life of all members. Although 100% participation in these activities is rare, higher levels of involvement across all affected demographic groups will support a more equitable political environment in urban communities. In the midwestern metropolitan community that is the focus of this study, young adult African American males were found to participate in all forms of civic engagement at lower rates than any other demographic group. Using a critical race theory foundation, the purpose of the …

Identifying Strategies That Address Race-Based Traumatic Stress Of African Americans In Rural Mississippi, Syrenia Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There has been a dramatic increase of race-based encounters that have had an extensive health impact on African Americans. Social workers and other mental health professionals play a crucial role in working with African American adults who experience race-based traumatic stress. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify strategies to address race-based traumatic stress from a mental health perspective. Racial encounter coping appraisal and socialization theory (RECAST) guided this study where eight social workers from the local community mental health center in rural Mississippi completed an open-ended questionnaire to identify and determine culturally competent treatment strategies for African …

Rehabilitation Counseling Students' Perceived Lgb Competence: Implications For Curricula Development, Sean Meyer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous research has consistently showcased disparities in the prevalence of physical and psychiatric disabilities amongst individuals in the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community when compared to the general population. As a profession focused on assisting persons with disabilities achieve full participation in society, there is a strong likelihood that rehabilitation counselors will encounter a client who identifies as both LGB and as a someone with a disability. Therefore, multicultural counseling competence is paramount in ensuring rehabilitation counselors are prepared to provide culturally appropriate services to their clients. Applying a social cognitive theory framework, 204 graduate-level students were recruited from accredited …

English As A Second Language Teachers' Perspectives Of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy For Saudi University Students, Maysa Safi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFor many years, the integration of English language into Saudi Arabia's culture, education, and curriculum were not of importance. A gap in literature exists regarding this phenomenon of localizing regional teaching practices, or pedagogy, to better meet Saudi students' learning needs while adhering to the social, political, and cultural constraints of Saudi society. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perspectives of university-level English as a second language (ESL) teachers who have taught in Saudi Arabia concerning the use of culturally relevant pedagogy to provide students with effective and engaging instruction. The conceptual framework was based …

Therapeutic Wilderness Experiences And Empathetic Perception Of At-Risk Adolescent Youth, Sandra Short-Robbins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current research involving wilderness therapy (WT) programs indicates that therapeutic wilderness or outdoor interventions have increased in popularity as alternative approaches for treating at-risk or adjudicated adolescents. However, the role that empathetic perception plays in advancing the efficacy of WT intervention absent from the majority of extant literature. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to address a gap in research involving how empathetic perception may be affected by WT program participation. The conceptual framework for the project involved ecopsychology, a branch of science that addresses the connection between human beings and the natural world. Nine young adults between …

Regime Gender Policies And Women's Political Participation In Post Conflict Liberia, Brima Sylla

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract Patriarchy has dominated political powers in many areas of the world. Until 2006, men overwhelmingly held the highest political positions in Liberia. Female political participation started to emerge in 2006 when women began to hold top political positions. The main purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the gender policies of the administrations of Liberian Presidents Charles Taylor and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the political participation of women in Liberian politics, measured by the holding of political offices. The research question guiding this study examined the impact of the gender policies of the Charles Taylor and …