21368 research outputs found
Sort by
Elementary Reading Teachers’ Experiences Implementing Individualized Instruction
Get PDFSecond-grade through fourth-grade teachers face challenges associated with implementing individualized reading instruction to address learning differences. A deeper understanding of teachers’ experiences can help inform future educational policies targeting educators who instruct struggling readers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of elementary reading teachers who use individualized instruction to support diverse learners. The study was grounded in Tomlinson’s model of differentiated instruction, which served as the guiding conceptual framework. Using a basic qualitative design, this study’s central research question explored elementary teachers’ experiences with individualized instructional practices. Data were collected through open-ended semistructured interviews with eight second-grade through fourth-grade educators who implement customized strategies to assist students experiencing reading difficulties. Data analysis consisted of identifying patterns through second cycle and in vivo coding to determine categories and common themes that address the research question and four themes were identified: (a) filling gaps through foundational skills curriculum, (b) professional development to individualize instruction, (c) Support for diverse abilities and behaviors, and (d) demands of the classroom, state initiatives, and laws. These results have potential implications for positive social change by guiding stakeholders in the strategic development of support systems and resource allocation for teachers. Such efforts may improve teacher capacity and, in turn, enhance reading outcomes among diverse student populations
Healthcare Leaders’ Effective Strategies for Shaping Organizational Culture
Get PDFSome leaders in healthcare organizations lack effective leadership strategies and practices to influence and shape organizational culture, leading to inconsistent cultural values and behaviors that undermine organizational effectiveness and employee engagement. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies healthcare leaders use to shape organizational culture and strengthen employee engagement. Using purposive sampling, seven healthcare leaders with three or more years of experience were recruited from a medical institution. Data were collected through semistructured interviews using a protocol refined with the IPR method. Using reflective thematic analysis, five themes emerged: (a) employee-engagement practices, (b) empowerment and participative decision-making, (c) change management and communication strategies, (d) case studies and qualitative research, and (e) linking culture and engagement to outcomes. Conclusions revealed that leaders who model values, foster psychological safety, share decision rights, and close feedback loops achieve higher engagement and more reliable care. A key recommendation is for healthcare leaders to map dose-response effects of training and empowerment initiatives on engagement, care quality, and cultural maturity. Implications for positive social change include transparent and learning-focused leadership practices that create safer, fairer, and more reliable care for patients, staff, and communities. By strengthening trust, reducing harm, and enhancing engagement, these routines foster equitable access, healthier workplaces, and improved the quality of care
Assessing Health Literacy in Somali Women Living in the United States with Hypertension
Get PDFHealth literacy (HL) remains a critical public health concern, particularly among immigrant populations. This qualitative study explored how low health literacy relates to hypertension (HTN) management among Somali immigrant women. Low HL and chronic conditions such as HTN continue to affect this group disproportionately, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Guided by the Health Belief Model, this research examined Somali immigrant women’s perceptions of HL, how literacy levels influence hypertension management, and the barriers they encounter when managing their condition. Five Somali immigrant women who met the criteria participated in semi-structured interviews. All spoke English, were at least 18 years old, were identified as Somali living in the United States, were legal immigrants, and were diagnosed with hypertension. Data were analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis to code and identify major themes. The three key themes confirmed that Somali immigrant women 1) perceived hypertension as an indicator of potential health risks associated with unhealthy lifestyle practices; 2) were influenced by access to reliable health information that promoted positive lifestyle modifications; and 3) encountered persistent barriers that impacted their ability to sustain healthy behaviors. The implication for positive social change highlights the importance of culturally tailored health literacy programs. Public health leaders should allocate resources to strengthen education initiatives that address linguistic and cultural barriers, enhance disease management understanding, and improve overall health outcomes among immigrant communities
Counselors’ Experience of Vicarious Trauma Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFAs caseloads increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, counselors experienced a shift to telehealth counseling and double exposure to trauma and pandemic elements. Some counselors experienced symptoms of vicarious trauma (VT). A gap in the literature existed regarding the interaction of the pandemic among clients and counselors’ experiences of VT symptoms. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore the lessons learned by capturing the stories of counselors who experienced VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research question concerned the retrospective experiences of counselors who self-reported experiencing VT symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven licensed professional counselors who experienced symptoms of VT while providing counseling for a minimum of 2 months during the COVID-19 pandemic completed semistructured interviews. John Dewey’s theory of learning, which served as the study’s conceptual framework, informed the creation of full narratives for each participant. Interview transcripts were analyzed using Labovian structural analysis to identify the beginning, middle, and end of the narratives. Additionally, the six parts of Labovian story structure—(a) the , (b) orientation, (c) complicating action, (d) evaluation, (e) result, and (f) the coda of a story—were identified. Two recommendations are (a) to promote reflective storytelling as a form of self-care for counselors after working through a shared crisis and (b) to not pathologize survival responses. The implications for positive social change include the promotion of practices and policies that acknowledge the ethical obligation for counselors to be well and act in a beneficent manner for clients, in a state of wellness
Effective Strategies Hawaiian Food Truck Owners use to Sustain Their Businesses
Get PDFFood trucks are popular choices for consumers seeking diverse cuisines and unique dining experiences, but running a successful food truck business presents significant challenges, including fluctuating customer preferences, regulatory hurdles, and intense competition. Addressing these obstacles is crucial for food truck owners to ensure the long-term viability of their enterprises. Grounded in contingency theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to explore the strategies employed by food truck owners to overcome these challenges and foster sustainable growth. The participants were six business owners of Hawaiian food trucks who sustained their businesses for at least three years. Data collection included semistructured interviews, reviews of publicly available business documents, and analyses of business websites. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: marketing strategies, customer-retention practices, and pricing approaches. A key recommendation is for Hawaiian food truck owners to distinguish customers’ specific needs by providing personalized and individualized services. The implications for positive social change include the potential for Hawaiian food truck owners to minimize business closures, retain skilled employees, and strengthen local community support
Third to Fifth-Grade Teachers’ Challenges When Teaching Reading Comprehension Skills to English Language Learners in Northern Virginia
Get PDFThird to fifth-grade teachers in a Northern Virginia Title 1 elementary school faced challenges when teaching reading comprehension skills to English language learners (ELLs) which impacted ELLs’ performance on state-mandated tests. Framed by Cummins’s second language acquisition theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore third to fifth-grade teachers’ challenges in teaching reading comprehension skills to ELLs and their suggestions for improved training and resources in a Northern Virginia Title 1 elementary school. Two research questions addressed the teachers’ challenges and suggestions for improved training and resources. Semistructured interviews were used to collect qualitative data from nine, third to fifth-grade general education teachers who have ELL students in their classrooms. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis with open coding and four themes were identified: (a) the challenges teachers face in the classroom, (b) the challenges of language barriers and acquisition, (c) teachers’ perspectives on effective and ineffective training and resources, and (d) teachers’ suggestions on targeted training and resources to improve reading comprehension skills pedagogy. The findings indicated that teachers needed more time to teach reading comprehension to ELLs, and wanted more targeted training, therefore, a 3-day professional development program was developed to help teachers acquire the expertise and skills necessary to support ELL students in their classrooms. Positive social change may result from sharing these findings with administration and teachers to integrate useful and effective reading comprehension strategies into the classroom to support ELL student proficiency and reading success
Shareholders’ Perceptions and Attitudes on Recruiting Female Board Members to Financial Institutions in the Caribbean
Get PDFAlthough research underscores the importance of having women on boards, the problem is that women remain disproportionately underrepresented in boardrooms, even in countries with mandatory quota laws. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore shareholders’ perceptions and attitudes on recruiting female board members to serve at financial institutions in the Caribbean. The agency and critical mass theories grounded this study. The participants comprised 10 shareholders, five of whom were current board members. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. Six themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) shareholders’ perceptions of women regarding board governance and decision-making, (b) shareholders’ perceptions of women’s performance, (c) shareholders’ perceptions of the challenges associated with diversity and inclusivity, (d) attitude of shareholders towards gender diversity and inclusion, (e) attitude of shareholders towards achieving gender equity in board composition, and (f) strategies in place to enhance women’s participation in board leadership. The findings indicated that while the institution embraced the inclusion of women on its board, there remained room for growth to fully integrate a critical mass of at least three to four female members. A key recommendation is for financial institution shareholders to reshape their perceptions of women by fostering greater board representation and positively impacting organizational financial performance. The implications for positive social change include the potential for financial institution shareholders to appoint more women to boards that could enhance financial and social performance, benefiting institutions and communities
Social Determinants, COVID-19, and Geographic Disparities in African American Mental Health Access
Get PDFDisparities in service use of mental health care persist in the United States, and African Americans have been disproportionately affected. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened these disparities, increasing barriers such as stigma, lack of culturally appropriate care, distance, and affordability. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental, and correlational study was to examine the relationships between sociodemographic factors and the use of mental health counseling or therapy services. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied to examine how the systemic factors in the mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem work together to influence care availability. Specifically, the study examined the relationship between race, income, education, geographic region, and the receipt of mental health services, as well as the relationship between these factors and the need for services but not their utilization. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Household Pulse Survey (COVID-19). Results showed considerable variations: Blacks (OR = 0.85; p = .001; 95% CI [0.78, 0.92]) and those in the South and Midwest (OR = 0.75, 0.76; p = .001; 95% CI [0.703, 0.804 & 0.712, 0.823]) had more difficulties accessing care. However, higher levels of education were found to be a better predictor of service use. The study’s findings reveal the intersectionality of sociodemographic factors and systemic barriers, suggesting possible ways for healthcare providers, community organizations, and policymakers to design specific, culturally compatible, and regionally tailored efforts to address these issues. Removing such gaps may help achieve positive social changes in mental health access, enhance health quality, and eliminate other healthcare service inequalities
Staff Education to Educate Healthcare Providers on Effective Communication and Support Strategies for Child Sexual Abuse Victims
Get PDFWith this project, I sought to enhance the quality of care provided to child sexual abuse (CSA) survivors by improving healthcare providers’ skills in trauma-informed communication and support strategies. The project was undertaken at a large, private behavioral health facility located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, where an assessment of the practice environment revealed a critical gap in provider training. This gap often resulted in missed indicators of abuse, limited emotional support, and poor therapeutic outcomes for children affected by sexual abuse-related trauma. To address this, the project implemented a targeted educational intervention grounded in current evidence to equip healthcare staff with best-practice skills for engaging and supporting young CSA survivors. Twelve healthcare providers (N = 12), including pediatric nurses, mental health nurses, social workers, and psychiatrists, participated in the staff education program. A pre- and post-test survey design was used to assess participants’ baseline knowledge and evaluate learning outcomes following the training. The average pre-test score was 48%, and the average post-test score increased to 77%. A paired sample t-test was conducted to determine the statistical significance of the observed change, resulting in a p-value \u3c .001, indicating a statistically significant improvement in participants’ knowledge and confidence levels. These findings suggest that structured trauma-informed education can significantly improve the ability of mental health professionals to recognize signs of abuse, respond appropriately to trauma-related behaviors, and provide empathetic, competent care
A Correlational Study of the Impact of Coordinated Care on the Management of Early Onset Dementia and Caregiver Stress Levels in Aging Populations
Get PDFHealth care administration continues to face challenges related to inefficient coordination among providers caring for individuals with early onset dementia, often leading to poor outcomes and increased caregiver stress. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how provider coordination relates to care quality and caregiver stress, using the framework of interprofessional collaboration. This study addressed two research questions: (1) What is the relationship between provider coordination and perceived quality of care for individuals with early onset dementia?; and (2) What is the relationship between provider coordination and caregiver stress?. Data were drawn from the AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving’s 2020 caregiver report. The sample included unpaid caregivers for individuals with early onset dementia. A correlational design was used. Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation. Age, gender, and income were controlled as covariates. Results showed a significant moderate positive correlation between coordination and care quality, and a significant moderate negative correlation between coordination and caregiver stress. These findings support the hypothesis that better coordination improves care and reduces caregiver burden. Implications suggest that improving provider communication and coordination can enhance care and reduce caregiver strain. At the policy level, results support investment in support programs and workforce training that promote interprofessional collaboration. Integrated care models may strengthen system performance and contribute to positive social change for caregivers and individuals living with dementia