-
Death Anxiety, Depression, and Coping in Family Caregivers
Veronica Semenova
Previous research suggests a relationship between caregiving and depression associated with negative impact on the caregivers’ health; however, there remains a gap regarding possible relationships among depression, death anxiety, and coping in family caregivers. In this quantitative study, participants included 46 family caregivers. Multiple regression analysis identified significant relationships between death anxiety, depression, coping, and duration of caregiver experience.
-
Student Wellness and the Residency Experience
Joseph Spillman, Laura R. Haddock, and Michelle Perepiczka
This project surveyed MS Mental Health/Marriage Couple and Family /Career residency students. Data was collected over the course of two year s of residencies in a variety of geographic locations to determine what impact the residency experience had on the ProQuol Compassion Satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress levels of Walden Master’s counseling students. The goal was to use the information to assist Walden faculty in the training, education, and personal support of counseling students in their professional and personal growth and development.
-
Encouraging Corporate Social Responsibility in Rayong, Thailand
Christina Spoons and Mark Gordon
A review of literature revealed a gap in research on effective ways to promote corporate social responsibility in the Rayong province of Thailand where the Integrated Refinery and Petrochemical Company (IRPC) is located. This case study used purposeful sampling of eight key informants in a CSR program designed to help restore the environment surrounding the refinery, increase cooperation and good will between IRPC and surrounding villages, and make better use of local resources.
-
The National Online Faculty Survey: Who Is Doing Research?
Lee Stadtlander, Martha Giles, and Amy Sickel
Preliminary results of the National Online Faculty Survey (N = 236) are reported. Data from 99 individuals (41.9% of the sample) who reported conducting research in the past 2 years (not own dissertation or thesis) are explored. 45% reported doing their research online. Characteristics of the researchers and studies are discussed.
-
The Internationalization of Counselor Education in Tibetan School Communities in India
Mark D. Stauffer
This qualitative case study adds to the Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) research base on culturally sensitive practices when internationalizing counselor education. It examines why and then how Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) school and mental health counselors synthesize Western mental health with Buddhist philosophy and practices.
-
Changes in Quality of Life and Physiologic Measures in Heart Failure Patients Related to Gender and Race
Linda Steele
Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem, with approximately 6 million people currently living with HF in the United States. It is estimated that HF will cost $39.2 billion annually (2012) inclusive of health care services, medications, and lost productivity. Two nonmodifiable risk factors for developing HF are race and gender. HF is a complex cardiovascular illness associated with diminished quality of life, decreased exercise tolerance, and increasing disease severity. This study examined the relationship between quality of life and selected physiologic variables and race aand gender on 54 patients over a six month time period.
-
Ethical Decision Making Considering Stakeholder Interest
Sheila Hadley Strider
A focus on short-term profit as an exclusive measure of business success has led to an erosion of stakeholder trust and opened the door for ethical misconduct. This study explored attributes of ethical conduct by business leaders and developed a process for decision making taking stakeholder interest into account.
-
The Pedagogical Role of Reggio-inspired Studios In Early Childhood Education
Laura Tuthill
This qualitative study aimed to describe, interpret, and appraise Reggio Emilia’s approach to education, particularly in regards to studio time, a place in the curriculum when art is prominent. This study examined two preschool sites, one in Colorado and one in Missouri. Data collection methods included observations, interviews and the collection of artifacts. The findings suggest that Reggio-inspired studios help preschool-aged children learn to use materials as ‘languages’ to express their thinking, questions, feelings and ideas.
-
A Regional Study of Finger Flutings in 12 Paleolithic Caves
Leslie Van Gelder
Finger flutings were lines drawn with fingers and hands in caves during the Upper Paleolithic (10-40,000 B.P.). They contain a wealth of forensic evidence about who created cave art. This study examined 12 caves in Northern Spain. Findings included new sites, presence of children, and new knowledge on social interaction.
-
Concurrent Mixed Methods in Online Higher Education Evaluation: A Pilot Course Evaluation Case Study
Alice A. Walters
The research is a multiple case study evaluation of two online pilot graduate writing courses using a concurrent mixed methods design. Concurrent mixed methods provides an approach to capturing the complexity of multiple stakeholder perspectives. Qualitative interviews and surveys with open and closed-ended questions are used with stakeholders for a comprehensive evaluation strategy.
-
Church-Based Health Care Initiatives in East Baltimore, Maryland
Valerie Warner-Collins
A qualitative case study that investigated the perceptions of clergy regarding their roles, and those of the church, in health care advocacy. Questions emanating from the research literature were piloted to 4 expert jurors before distribution to 17 main participants. The results indicated that barriers to health care access was predicated on clerical perceptions of the role of the church, severed relationships between collaborators, and several faulty and systemic factors of prior partnerships.
-
Identifying Discrepancies between Expertise and Expert Status in Academic Virtual Communities of Practice
Beate Baltes
An online university facilitates the interaction of faculty and the relationship they develop with each other in virtual Communities of Practice (vCoP). One of the unique features of vCoP is that not all participants have to be actively contributing but nevertheless, all participants can benefit from the accumulated knowledge and experience. However, due to the un-moderated nature of vCoP, it isn’t guaranteed that only valid and credible information is being shared.
-
The Impact of Micromessaging on Performance and Productivity in IT Environments
Richard Brown
A quantitative correlational study that examined the relationship among micromessaging behavior and organizational culture of IT professionals. Hypotheses were tested using data collected from 181 members of the Association for Information Technology Professionals (AITP). Results indicated that micromessaging behavior had a statistically significant relationship in certain organizational cultures.
-
An Analysis of Distributed Leadership Implementation In Schools
Edward F. Burgess IX and Mitch M. Olson
Many policymakers have sought greater levels of success in schools by implementing more distributive models of leadership, yet many have not achieved desired outcomes. This grounded theory study uncovers what happens within a school organization as it moves from a traditional leadership model to a district mandated distributive leadership model.
-
The Relationship Among Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Styles of Law Enforcement Executives
Gregory Jr. Campbell
A quantitative correlational study that examined the relationship among leadership styles and emotional intelligence (EI) of law enforcement executives. Hypotheses were tested using data collected from 139 members of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Results indicated that EI had a statistically significant relationship with six leadership styles factors.
-
Implementing a Culture of Care to Build Student/Teacher Capacity
Tom Cavanagh
During the 2010-2011 school year, a research and professional development project was conducted with members of an urban school district in upstate New York to adopt restorative justice principles, focusing on relationships, by creating a Culture of Care in individual schools and throughout the district.
-
Ten Years After E-Government Act: A Policy Evaluation
Olu Faokunla
This study evaluates the implementation, efficiency, and impact of E-Government Act (EGA) (2002) in the United States federal government, ten years after its promulgation. It critically assesses agencies’ execution of the provisions of the law whose goals and objectives emphasize the use of information and communication technologies for governance.
-
The Potential of Social Media as a Vehicle for Social Action
Guillermo J. Farfan
Social network services (SNS) are potentially full of social capital, yet it remains unclear how to use SNS to generate productive social behavior. This proposal seeks to study how SNS users establish and foster a sense of community online. Identifying those features can be useful in encouraging pro-social participation offline.
-
Adolescent Girls’ Perspectives on Their Relationships with their Nonresident Fathers
Andrea Francis
Eleven adolescent girls participated in this multiple case study exploring fathers’ influence on their academic performance, self-efficacy, and personal resilience.
-
Online Faculty Teaching Effectiveness and Quality Indicators
Christine Frazer
Distance education programs in nursing are growing in increased numbers. Online programs range from associate’s to doctoral nursing degrees. With the growing number of distance education programs in nursing, nursing faculty need to be competent and possess the skills necessary for online teaching effectiveness. Student learning and achievement of outcomes is fostered through effective teaching strategies. Currently, from the perspective of how faculty view online teaching effectiveness and what constitutes quality, more needs to be known.
-
Factors Influencing Advancement of Women Senior Leaders in Aerospace Companies
Camille E. Garrett-Howard
This phenomenological qualitative study was performed to explore what professional and personal factors might have led to promotional opportunities of women into senior leadership roles. The problem researched in this study was the limited number of women in senior leadership positions in the aerospace industry.
-
Vipassanā Meditation and Teacher Decision-making
Jeffrey Ronald Glogowski
A grounded theory study about the process and effect Vipassana Meditation has on teacher stress and decision-making. The emerging concepts included equanimity, awareness, observation, detachment, flexibility, and engagement supporting the theory of the anicca perspective on the decision-making process. The impact can affect relationships, pedagogy, and classroom management.
-
High-fidelity Simulation in Ensuring Clinical Success for Senior Maternity Students
Susan Hall
Nurses arrive in hospital settings poorly prepared to provide quality patient care. To address this problem, the researcher compared the effectiveness of using high-fidelity simulation (HFS) in addition to traditional hospital-based clinical experiences versus traditional hospital-based clinical experience alone. Results indicated that HFS supports clinical success.
-
Health Perception and Behavior Changes in Survivors of the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Mona Hanania
The Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a severe illness with a 40% mortality rate. Improvements in care have reduced deaths but led to an increasing number of survivors who experience chronic adverse effects. However, there are no published studies that have evaluated changes in health perceptions and behavior in ARDS survivors. We sought to determine changes in health-related perceptions and behaviors in ARDS survivors. A sequential mixed methods study was conducted to examine changes in health perceptions and behaviors in ARDS survivors. Respondents were registrants at the ARDS Foundation, a non-profit patient support and education organization. Findings from interviews conducted with ARDS survivors during the initial qualitative phase were used to construct a quantitative survey instrument, which was completed by 229/513 (45%) registrants. Changes were reported in the following behaviors before and after ARDS: diet (34% and 31% consumed more fruits and vegetables, respectively, now than before ARDS, while 4% and 6%, respectively, said they consume less), physical activity (64% exercise now vs. 50% before, p<0.01), alcohol use (2.3+7.6 drinks/week now vs.4.2+10.6 before, p<0.001), and medical care needs (10.6+15.5 doctor visits now vs. 3.7+6.8 before, p<0.001). ARDS survivors reported mostly positive health perception and behavior changes after their illness.
-
A Case Study Examination of a Dropout Prevention Program from the Perceptions of Teachers
Chastity Williams Lasley
This qualitative case study explored six teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy, instructional and motivational approaches, and bonding with students that precluded noncompletion at a high school dropout prevention program. Data were collected through interviews and classroom observations. The findings revealed that teachers’ high self-efficacy regarding student retention, connectedness, and attachment were important factors in preventing dropout.
