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2020

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Articles 22441 - 22470 of 23488

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Media Exposure To Crime, Fear Of Crime, And Social Interaction Anxiety, Genea Shoulders Jan 2020

Media Exposure To Crime, Fear Of Crime, And Social Interaction Anxiety, Genea Shoulders

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In 2000, approximately 30% of all news stories in mass media focused on crime. According to research, increased exposure to the media directly correlates to an increased fear of crime; however, little research has been conducted into this influential relationship and the extent of which it could affect a person’s social interaction anxiety. Therefore, the study’s purpose was to examine the relationship and consequential impact of media exposure and the extent of which the fear of crime had on individuals’ social interaction anxiety levels. Through a quantitative approach, this study used the theory of cultivation. Question one examined the effect …

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Jaquan's Seat At The Table: Breaking Down The Barriers To Academic Success, Dianne F. Small-Jordan Jan 2020

Jaquan's Seat At The Table: Breaking Down The Barriers To Academic Success, Dianne F. Small-Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American boys who graduate from high school and college increase their chances of success in society and greatly decrease their chances of being incarcerated. The gap in academic proficiency for African Americans is concerning due to low graduation rates and high school dropout risks when compared to boys of other ethnicities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ perceptions and to gain insight into the causes of the poor performances leading to the academic achievement gap of high school African American boys. The policy feedback theory and ecological model theory were used to determine what …

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Exploring Teacher Confidence Using Behavioral Interventions In The Classroom, Etoile Denise Swift Jan 2020

Exploring Teacher Confidence Using Behavioral Interventions In The Classroom, Etoile Denise Swift

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The original purpose of this study was to conduct a quantitative quasi-experimental study to compare a treatment group of teachers with training in the cognitive behavioral ABC model to a control group and examine differences in the average count of referrals to school counselors for students who exhibited disruptive behaviors. However, due to lack of participation, this study examined teacher perceptions of their confidence to use behavioral interventions with students who are disruptive in the classroom and the relationship to the number of referrals teachers made to the school counselor. This study included 99 teachers from pre-K through 12th grade …

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The Impact Of Executive Hiring Decisions Within Homeless Services Providers, Thela Rachelle Thatch Jan 2020

The Impact Of Executive Hiring Decisions Within Homeless Services Providers, Thela Rachelle Thatch

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inequities in staffing may affect the ability of organizations to deliver social services to the homeless. As homeless services are challenged with roadblocks exacerbated by systemic racism, a focus on hiring diverse employees may impact the delivery of services to minority clients. Little is known about the effects of diverse hiring in social service programs that serve the homeless. The purpose of this study is to bridge the gap in knowledge by examining the diverse hiring practices of senior employees that hold decision-making roles that affect the delivery of homeless services. Research questions were focused on discovering participants lived experience …

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Urgent Care Centers And Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment, Drema M. Thompson Jan 2020

Urgent Care Centers And Workers’ Compensation Medical Cost Containment, Drema M. Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In response to healthcare payment policy reforms, billions of dollars in healthcare provider charges are challenged annually. Following the implementation of the Virginia workers’ compensation medical fee legislation, healthcare organizations experienced declining worker compensation medical fee schedule reimbursements and lack of profitability. Grounded in the adaptive cycle model, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies 2 urgent care center (UCC) leaders in Virginia used to increase profits after implementing the Virginia workers’ compensation medical fee legislation. Data were collected via in-depth interviews and a review of company documents. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. …

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Meat-Eating Justification And Relationship Closeness With Vegetarian Family, Friends, And Romantic Partners, Amy Vandehei Jan 2020

Meat-Eating Justification And Relationship Closeness With Vegetarian Family, Friends, And Romantic Partners, Amy Vandehei

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Omnivores often respond negatively when friends, family members, or romantic partners disclose adoption of a vegetarian/vegan diet. Examining the beliefs behind these negative responses could result in improved relationships between omnivores and vegetarians. This study examined whether the beliefs omnivores hold to justify meat-eating are related to relationship closeness. The theory of planned behavior provided a foundation with which to examine the attitudes omnivores have about meat consumption. A survey was used with 190 omnivores with existing friend, family member, or romantic partner relationships who had become vegetarian/vegan. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which meat-eating …

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Perceived Employment Barriers Involving Program Managers Assisting Unemployed Young African American Males, Michael P. Williams Jan 2020

Perceived Employment Barriers Involving Program Managers Assisting Unemployed Young African American Males, Michael P. Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

For unemployed, young, African American males who face significant barriers to jobs, public employment training centers have become a critical last option. For 2016, the U.S. federal government appropriated more than $6.9 billion to states for Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act programs and approximately $3.4 billion in federal formula funding for partner programs. The research problem in this study concerns the lack of adequate employment-based policies and programs that guide the workforce employment process between program managers and recipients, in particular, young, African American males. Guided by Ingram, Schneider, and DeLeon’s theory of social construction and policy design, this study examined …

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Curricular Policy Changes And College Readiness, Carol Ann Alexander Jan 2020

Curricular Policy Changes And College Readiness, Carol Ann Alexander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the uncertain influence of a local curricular policy change. Educators, policymakers, and communities need more data to determine the usefulness of changes in policy and practice because changes involve restructuring, resource allocation, and understanding the intended and unintended consequences of policy implementation. In the United States, fewer than 50% of high school graduates complete a college preparatory curriculum and are eligible to enter 4-year public state universities. The purpose of this ex post facto study was to investigate how a change in local curricular policy might have influenced high school graduates' college readiness …

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An Examination Of The Gestalt Group Process Using The Online Group Environment, Montrea Arndt-Verlander Jan 2020

An Examination Of The Gestalt Group Process Using The Online Group Environment, Montrea Arndt-Verlander

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social media communications provides alternatives to healthcare by presenting a platform to the public, patients, and healthcare professionals as a way to communicate health issues that could improve health outcomes (Ramezanhani, Yadegarynia, Dorodgar & Arab-Mazar, 2019). These findings suggest that there is a need for studies regarding the psychological effects of taking part in social media platforms. This phenomenological study explored lived experience involving group member support received in the online environment and the opportunity that they were afforded to experiment with feedback to gain awareness of self via blogging. The conceptual framework was Beisser's paradoxical theory of change. The …

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Human Resources' Capacity To Drive Organizational Change In Ghana, Harriet Bani Jan 2020

Human Resources' Capacity To Drive Organizational Change In Ghana, Harriet Bani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human Resource Management Departments (HRMDs) drive organizational change by implementing effective and efficient policies. This study explored staff perceptions in Ghana's Nursing and Midwifery Council (N&MC), a public-service institution, regarding the extent to which their HRMD could stimulate change by implementing the Human Resource Management Policy Framework and Manual (HRMPF&M). May and Finch's theory of normalization propelled this qualitative case study, which consisted of interviewing 23 purposively selected participants and examining secondary data from the N&MC, the Public Services Commission, HRMPF&M, other relevant legal documents, as well as relevant literature on the subject. The data analysis generated themes which were …

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Teachers' Perceptions Of Bullying And School Policy Enforcement, Angelena Elizabeth Clagon Jan 2020

Teachers' Perceptions Of Bullying And School Policy Enforcement, Angelena Elizabeth Clagon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Bullying has grown attention since the Columbine High School shooting; in April, 1999. Throughout the years, there has been an increase in aggressive behaviors including via the Internet across school districts in the United States. There was a gap in the literature regarding whether bullying-related school policies are enforced during school hours. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of middle school teachers about bullying. This study was steered by Husserl's phenomenological theory. Five middle school teachers were interviewed to gather information regarding their experiences with and perceptions of bullying based on behaviors and school policy …

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Self-Efficacy Of Older Homeless African American Men, Renee Carnithia Harvin Jan 2020

Self-Efficacy Of Older Homeless African American Men, Renee Carnithia Harvin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Older adults in the United States without permanent housing are witnessed living in shelters, cars, and on street corners in many urban centers and older adults now make up a third of the homeless population. There are stressors that may precede, or may result in homelessness, which may also affect older (i.e., age 50 or above) homeless adults' abilities to maintain their self-efficacy, a key to their self- management. This study further explored the lived experiences of self-efficacy among older homeless African American men. A descriptive phenomenological design and individual semi-structured interviews of 10 African American homeless men, aged 50 …

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Strategies Used To Mitigate Social Engineering Attacks, Lindiwe T. Hove Jan 2020

Strategies Used To Mitigate Social Engineering Attacks, Lindiwe T. Hove

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cybercriminal activity performed widely through social engineering attacks is estimated to be one of the substantial challenges the world will face over the next 20 years. Cybercriminal activity is important to chief information security officers (CISOs) because these attacks represent the largest transfer of economic wealth in history and pose risks to the incentives for organizational innovation and investment and eventually become more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined. Grounded in the balanced control theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies CISOs use to mitigate social engineering attacks within their …

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Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Impact Of Attachment Behavior Toward Therapeutic Staff Support, Karen Kotchik Hughes Jan 2020

Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Impact Of Attachment Behavior Toward Therapeutic Staff Support, Karen Kotchik Hughes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has indicated that levels of attachment behavior by individuals with intellectual disability toward professional staff in a residential setting prevent dysregulated behavior. Although challenging behaviors are not part of the diagnostic criteria for an ASD, these behaviors are frequently observed in the forms of property destruction and disruptive/aggressive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine the attachment relationship of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) toward the therapeutic support staff (TSS) assigned to their case as indicated by the display of challenging behaviors (self-injurious, stereotypical and aggressive behavior). Levels of attachment were measured by the …

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Work-Life Balance Of Rotational Workers In The Nigerian Energy Sector, Israel Olalekan Jolaolu Jan 2020

Work-Life Balance Of Rotational Workers In The Nigerian Energy Sector, Israel Olalekan Jolaolu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rotational workers in the Nigerian oil and gas industry otherwise referred to as the energy sector, are confronted with challenges and stresses of work-life balance (WLB). Using boundary theory, 15 oil and gas workers with more than 5 years of rotational work experience were recruited to examine the strategies they employed to deal with the stresses and work-life balance required for the social well-being of the workers, which translates to improved job performance in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria. The research question was designed to explore the lived experiences of rotational workers with more than 5 years in …

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Historical Trauma, Contemporary Trauma, And Type-2 Diabetes Self-Management Among American Indian/Alaska Native Women, Dorothy Ruth Jolley Jan 2020

Historical Trauma, Contemporary Trauma, And Type-2 Diabetes Self-Management Among American Indian/Alaska Native Women, Dorothy Ruth Jolley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Endemic Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is one of the leading causes of mortality among American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Trauma and stress have been shown to impact the progression of diabetes that could negatively impact health-related behaviors. Previous studies have not examined the relationship between historical and contemporary trauma and T2DM self-management among AI/AN women. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between historical loss, historical loss associated symptoms, stressful life events, microaggressions (microinsults and microinvalidations), and T2DM self-management (glucose management, dietary control, physical activity, healthcare use) among AI/AN women with diabetes. Historical trauma theory was the basis …

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Staff Engagement And Training In Supported Addiction Recovery Program For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Hannah Carlson Jurewicz Jan 2020

Staff Engagement And Training In Supported Addiction Recovery Program For Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Hannah Carlson Jurewicz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) is similar among individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and the general population, yet there is a disparity between treatment and outcomes for these two groups due to a lack of appropriately adapted treatment and staff training. The purpose of this case study was to examine how leaders in a behavioral health organization understand the engagement and training experience for staff who provide substance abuse treatment for individuals with ID/DD. Governance and operational data were collected and analyzed from internal archival sources and organizational leader interviews. Themes identified from coding indicated that …

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Child Witchcraft Accusations In Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Edmond Kesseh Jan 2020

Child Witchcraft Accusations In Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Edmond Kesseh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Child witchcraft accusations, which represent a comparatively new phenomenon in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, have caused tens of thousands of children aged 5-10 years to be abused, tortured, ostracized, stigmatized, and thrown out of family homes into the streets. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of staff of local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and other child advocacy groups who worked with young children accused of witchcraft concerning how their efforts and collaboration with the government influenced the problem. Critical theory and an attachment conceptual framework were used to analyze the effectiveness of existing …

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Understanding Behavioral Health Stigma Within The Healthcare Workforce, Jason Robert Martin Jan 2020

Understanding Behavioral Health Stigma Within The Healthcare Workforce, Jason Robert Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals who seek mental health treatment in the United States face significant barriers. One such barrier is the belief that those seeking mental health treatment are subpar people with some moral failure. One area where this phenomenon exists is the behavioral healthcare workforce. This study was conducted to understand the phenomenon of stigma that behavioral healthcare leaders exhibit toward behavioral healthcare patients using the Baldrige framework as its conceptual framework. Using a qualitative approach and case study design, interviews were conducted with 6 leaders within a large healthcare system in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area to evaluate their …

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Child Protection Workers' Experiences In Implementing Natural Mentoring With Older Foster Youth, Claudia Maxie Jan 2020

Child Protection Workers' Experiences In Implementing Natural Mentoring With Older Foster Youth, Claudia Maxie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Emancipated foster youth are at risk for increased rates of unemployment, low educational attainment, reliance on public assistance, substance abuse, behavioral issues, homelessness, unplanned pregnancies, and illegal activities. Lack of connection to a caring adult when exiting foster care and emancipated foster youth's inadequate independent living skills are critical factors that could place young people at risk. Prior studies have shown that mentoring is a means of providing foster youth with protection against psychological stress and promoting well-being; however, mentoring is not a widely used intervention in the child welfare system. There is limited research on the process of implementing …

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Relationship Between Transformational Leadership, Employee Satisfaction And Job Performance Of Virtual Workers, Alice Miller Jan 2020

Relationship Between Transformational Leadership, Employee Satisfaction And Job Performance Of Virtual Workers, Alice Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The effects of leaders on virtual employees job satisfaction and job performance is essential to virtual team success. As virtual workplaces continue to evolve, there is a need to focus research on how leaders affect virtual employees. Previous research has indicated that understanding the relationship between perceived leadership and job satisfaction is crucial as it helps create a motivated and effective workforce. However there remains an essential gap in current literature regarding leadership effectiveness on job satisfaction and job performance of virtual workers. The population group for this study consisted of 70 randomly selected virtual employees. Participants of the study …

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Integrated Threat Management: An Alternative Approach To Regional Security System For Ecowas, Farouck Mohammed-Bashar Jan 2020

Integrated Threat Management: An Alternative Approach To Regional Security System For Ecowas, Farouck Mohammed-Bashar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The onset of new and emerging threats to peace and security in West Africa has added another layer of threat to security in West Africa. There is a need for research on the interconnectedness among existing and new and emerging threats to security in the region. The purpose of this study was to explore the Economic Community of West African States' (ECOWAS') approach to its regional security management strategy. The punctuated equilibrium theory and policy feedback theory were used to conceptualize the problem within the context of ECOWAS' policy inertia and the wide range of security and sociopolitical dynamics in …

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Teacher Perceptions Of Leadership Styles And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction In Adult Basic Education Settings, Troy James Nickel Jan 2020

Teacher Perceptions Of Leadership Styles And The Relationship To Job Satisfaction In Adult Basic Education Settings, Troy James Nickel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adult basic education (ABE) teacher job satisfaction presents as a need for research to examine how the policy shifts to meet accountability requirements have influenced leadership styles in ABE settings. The study aimed to investigate the impact of leadership style (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire) on job satisfaction of ABE teachers. Additionally, specific ABE teacher demographic variables that influenced the relationship between leadership style on teacher job satisfaction were examined. The theoretical framework applied to the study was the Transformational Leadership Theory. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) and Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) were administered to 137 ABE teachers from across the …

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Experienced Barriers To Tacit Knowledge Sharing In Anglophone West Africa, Vivienne Ameh Ogbonna Jan 2020

Experienced Barriers To Tacit Knowledge Sharing In Anglophone West Africa, Vivienne Ameh Ogbonna

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public sector projects in Africa fail because of the absence, poor quality, and inadequate exchange of tacit knowledge through the project life cycle. The purpose of this research was to understand the barriers team members experience in sharing their ideas, skills, and know-how that is necessary to prevent waste and achieve successful projects. The conceptual framework for this interpretative phenomenological study was from the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. The framework served as the lens to identify and interpret the lived experience on tacit knowledge sharing of 13 project managers on public sector projects in …

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Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye Jan 2020

Social Responsibility Perceptions Of Community Flood Resilience In Nigeria, Reginald Olisa Oranye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Flooding is a severe threat to livelihoods and socioeconomic development in Ogbaru riverine communities of Anambra State, Nigeria. Limited success in the traditional approach of using predominantly structural measures, such as flood channels, to manage floods makes it imperative to explore nonstructural resilience initiatives that would potentially better protect vulnerable flood-prone communities. This study contributes to addressing the problems of ineffective flood management by developing vital social responsibility (SR) data and information that can enhance community flood resilience through individual and collective responsibilities for resilient action. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore SR perceptions of flood …

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Exploring The Impacts Of Workplace Loneliness On Criminal Justice Senior Leaders, Johanna Papa Jan 2020

Exploring The Impacts Of Workplace Loneliness On Criminal Justice Senior Leaders, Johanna Papa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This phenomenological qualitative study aimed to explore the impacts of workplace loneliness on senior leaders of various criminal justice organizations. The theoretical framework used was Descartes' views of the self-concept theory, which explained how individuals defined and described themselves within a social context. Using purposive sampling and semistructured telephone, and email interviews of 16 criminal justice senior leaders from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, this research was conducted to answer the overarching question of this study. Workplace loneliness was a professional hazard. The key findings revealed that at least 87% of the criminal justice senior leaders reported feeling or have …

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Strategies African American Stepfathers Use To Build Positive Relationships With Their Stepdaughters, Shauntele Peynado-Rogers Jan 2020

Strategies African American Stepfathers Use To Build Positive Relationships With Their Stepdaughters, Shauntele Peynado-Rogers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have shown that strained relationships between stepfathers and their stepchildren contribute to family dysfunction and stress. As the number of blended families in the United States continues to rise, it is important to determine how stepparents develop positive relationships with their stepchildren. The purpose of this study was to determine what strategies African American stepfathers use to develop positive, supporting relationships with their school aged stepdaughters. Family systems theory guided this research. The generic qualitative approach was used to conduct the study. Purposeful sampling resulted in data being collected from 7 participants using semi structured interviews. Colaizzi's 7-step method …

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A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Influencing Senor Female United States Marine Corps Officer Retention Decisions, Angel Rae Smith Jan 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Influencing Senor Female United States Marine Corps Officer Retention Decisions, Angel Rae Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The study showed factors that influenced senior female U.S. Marine Corps' (USMC) officer retention decisions. The qualitative study was based on the interpretivism research philosophy and Mobley's model of turnover and employed a phenomenological research design to identify themes regarding participants' perceptions of their lived experiences involving their professions and factors that affected their mandates to remain on active duty. The study included 11 women volunteers who had either earned membership in General Officer (GO) ranks or were competitive for within the USMC as a colonel (CV); they were recruited through purposive sampling, and data were collected through interviews. Data …

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Teachers' Use Of Technology In Lesson Planning And Presentation In Palau, Sinton Soalablai Jan 2020

Teachers' Use Of Technology In Lesson Planning And Presentation In Palau, Sinton Soalablai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School leaders must balance strong public demand for technology in schools, scarce and increasingly strained public financial resources, lack of research with clear relevance to the local context, and having to respond to real-time demands to make immediate and prudent decisions that affect long-term strategy. In recent years, the Palau Ministry of Education (PMOE) invested heavily in an expensive 1:1 tablet program but had not determined if the program produced the expected positive changes in elementary teachers' instructional delivery. Guided by experiential learning theory, the purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if the 1:1 tablet program resulted …

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The Perceptions And Experiences Of Clinical Caseworkers In Promoting Pregnancy Prevention In Foster Youth, Ruby Ann Stroman Jan 2020

The Perceptions And Experiences Of Clinical Caseworkers In Promoting Pregnancy Prevention In Foster Youth, Ruby Ann Stroman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teen pregnancy prevention has been a focus for clinical and medical professionals for many years now, and it is an extensively documented social issue, especially in the foster care system. In an effort to promote pregnancy prevention, clinical caseworkers who work with foster youth educate at-risk youth in regards to the difficulties that can be experienced as a result of teen pregnancy. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of clinical caseworkers as they promoted pregnancy prevention in foster care youth. The 6 purposefully selected respondents were all clinical caseworkers. The study used …

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