Educational Leadership Commons^™

Inclusive Settings In Belizean Primary Schools: A Focus On Teacher Practices, Katherine A. Curry, Jentre Olsen, Ed Harris, Candy Garnett, Dian Danderson

Journal of Global Education and Research

Educators in Belize are charged with ensuring that all Belizeans are given an opportunity to acquire a quality education that promotes personal development and productive citizenship. Consequently, Belizean law now requires all children from ages five through fourteen to attend at least eight years of primary school. Students with special needs have historically not received accommodations in the education system, so many teachers struggle with meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities in these inclusive settings. This qualitative case study explored teaching strategies and contextual factors in inclusive primary classrooms in Belize and was conducted in the form of …

How Did School Administrators Manage The Crises During The Covid-19 Outbreak?, Sadegul Akbaba Altun, Mustafa Bulut

Journal of Global Education and Research

The focus of this research was to investigate how school administrators in Turkey managed the crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which was a deadly threat for humanity worldwide. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) Did schools have a crisis plan? 2) If yes, how was the plan implemented in a crisis situation?; 3) What kind of changes were made in the plans?; 4) What should administrators do in such crisis situations?; and 5) What was done in the COVID-19 outbreak? The research was conducted as a qualitative case study which involved 105 school administrators. Due to the …

Examining Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach In Low-Income Schools Upon Completing A Master Of Arts In Teaching Degree, Aisha Collins

Dissertations

Recent teacher shortages after the 2020 to 2022 COVID pandemic disruption of education systems have increased interest in Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) targeting teacher candidates who obtained earlier degrees in fields other than education. This mixed methods research project employed surveys and semi-structured interviews to examine perceptions of early career teachers who completed a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) preparation program in a midwestern U.S. urban, low-income setting. These MAT EPP program completers described their views of their preparation program, including the EPP’s perceived strengths and areas for improvement framed by Danielson’s four domains of teaching responsibility: Planning and …

Examining The Frequency And Implementation Of Validation Techniques: A Content Analysis Of Edd Dissertations In Educational Leadership, Lester A. C. Archer, Ya-Hsin Hsiao

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper describes a content analysis used to examine educational doctoral degrees (EdD) dissertations in a U.S. university. The purpose of the study was to get a better understanding of the validation techniques utilized in dissertations published by EdD students. Forty-nine dissertations were selected and examined for research methodologies, research design, and elements of vigorous validation techniques. The most frequently found methodology was quantitative (n = 30; 61.22%) followed by qualitative (n = 13; 26.53%). Among the quantitative studies, the most frequently used design was survey (n = 18; 60%). The most frequently used design in qualitative …

Hormone Replacement Therapy In Postmenopausal Women, Do The Benefits Outweigh The Risks?, Rachel Scott

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Hormone therapy has been a hotly debated topic for decades. There have been countless studies celebrating and vilifying the use of hormone replacement in postmenopausal women. Initially, the research focused on the prevention of hot flashes, and mood dysphoria. As time has passed, there are new indications, such as the prevention of cognitive decline, improving bone density, and preserving a more youthful appearance. However, the risks must not be underestimated. These include a higher incidence of blood clots and breast cancer. The results suggest a more balanced view. One that focuses on the individual woman seeking care, and her very …

Overview Of The Proceedings Of The 2022 Inclusion In Science, Learning A New Direction, Conference On Disability (Island)

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

From The Editors..., Todd Pagano

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

No abstract provided.

Equalizing Postsecondary Transition For At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services: A Chance To Succeed, Karla R. Sanchez

Dissertations

Postsecondary transition can be difficult for At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services (APYRSES). Special educators supporting postsecondary transition often manifest traditional and institutionalized forms of oppressive education while dismissing collective values and beliefs.

This qualitative case study examined the beliefs and attitudes shared by three special education teachers after being introduced to a justice-focused, humanizing intervention to facilitate postsecondary transition for APYRSES. The conceptualized intervention was grounded in liberatory educational frameworks and drew from critical, culturally affirming, sustaining, and humanizing theories that foster cultural reciprocity, self-determination skills, and antiracist social–emotional justice learning to afford opportunities for APYRSES to succeed. The …

Racism Without Race: The Racialization Of Middle Eastern And North African Students At U.S. Colleges, Hannah Mesouani

Dissertations

Although a growing body of literature covers the experiences of international students at U.S. colleges, the stories of those who do not fit into the U.S. racial schema remain untold. This study examined how Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) students understood their racial identities given the United States’ tense history with Islam and the MENA world. Using foundational texts on critical race theory, current scholarship on Arab Americans and foreign-born students, and facets of the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS), this study examined the experiences of MENA students who study amid a national backdrop of xenophobia and racialized Islamophobia. This …

Utilizing New Technologies To Measure Therapy Effectiveness For Mental And Physical Health, Jonathan Ossie

Dissertations

Mental health is quickly becoming a major policy concern, with recent data reporting increasing and disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation. One specific population that is especially high risk for these issues is the military community because military conflict, deployment stressors, and combat exposure contribute to the risk of mental health problems.

Although several pharmacological approaches have been employed to combat this epidemic, their efficacy is mixed at best, which has led to novel nonpharmacological approaches. One such approach is Operation Surf, a nonprofit that provides nature-based programs advocating the restorative …

Special Education: Inclusion And Exclusion In The K-12 U.S. Educational System, Erik Brault

Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Education defines students with disabilities as those having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities. Previous research has found that students with disabilities placed in inclusive environments perform better academically and socially compared to students with disabilities who are placed in segregated environments. Yet, we know that inclusion in K-12 general education classrooms across the country is not consistently implemented.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the effects, if any, of general education high school teachers’ personal and professional experiences and knowledge on their attitudes toward educating …

Leadership Styles In Ncaa Division I Athletic Administration And Their Relationships To Job Satisfaction, Valerie Gomez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

As an industry, college athletics has become a focal point of much attention and scrutiny as a result of increasing moral and ethical scandals, as well as lucrative media and personnel contracts. Scandals such as admissions fraud, academic cheating, and financial crimes are a cause for concern regarding the leadership within Division I athletic departments. Organizational and individual outcomes have been associated with leadership. While extant research has focused on the leadership of coaches and the athletic director, the leadership of the senior-level leadership team has been largely neglected. Given the structure of many Division I athletic departments, the senior-level …

When Culturally Responsive Practices Meet Social-Emotional Learning: A Guide For Educators, Sharon Ju-Ting Cheng

Master's Projects and Capstones

Many educators hope to give their students quality and well-rounded education while balancing all the contents they need to learn. Social-emotional learning (SEL) and culturally responsive teaching, however, are two areas that teachers seem to struggle with (Stark et al., 2021). Teachers have encountered situations where it was difficult for them to support their students due to the cultural differences between the teacher and student (Heineke & Vera, 2021). This lack of professional development in the culturally responsive aspect is concerning.

The shortfall of training leads to failure to apply these practices into schools. For newcomer students, who are usually …

'Formation In Distinctive Dimensions Of Our Way Of Proceeding': Preparation Of Lay Directors Of Works In Jesuit Schools, Perry T. Petrich Sj

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to determine how lay directors of works in Jesuits West secondary schools can be formed to best serve as faith leaders. The study consisted of secondary research in which interview data and surveys from studies on lay formation in Jesuit universities and lay leadership of Bay Area Catholic High Schools were used to determine whether or not formation of lay directors of works in faith leadership is possible, what the objectives of that training should be, and how that training can be offered. This analysis determined that lay formation is both possible and necessary. …

Interest Convergence And Neoliberalism: Effects On Entry-Level Staff Of Color Who Perform Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In Higher Education, Jesse N. Avila

Master's Theses

Higher education was not originally built to benefit people of color. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are many ways in which universities seek to change higher education. However, higher education has a staff retention problem and is at risk of losing more than half of its current workforce. Retention problems also impact entry-level staff of color who perform DEI in universities. Through a lens of interest convergence and neoliberalism, this qualitative study gathered the experiences of entry-level staff of color who perform DEI in student affairs, looked at how their experiences are shaped by the structures of the university, and …

Leading Department Causes Of Acculturative Stress Among International Students At A South Jersey Public Institution, Meagan Kathleen Mcferren

Theses and Dissertations

The study in this paper was conducted at Rowan University, a South Jersey public institution founded in 1923. The purpose of this study was to collect data regarding various university departments that might cause and affect acculturative stress in international students and determine which area has the greatest impact on the students’ stress levels at the university. During the 2022-23 academic year, I distributed an anonymous online survey to the majority of Rowan international and domestic students, both undergraduate and graduate, to better understand their perspectives of specific campus resources and departments. In this paper, I state my questions as …

Accreditation, Affordability, And Accessibility Of New Non-Profit Colleges In The United States, Adam Braus

Master of Science in Education | Master's Theses

Time-series data analysis demonstrates that the number of new colleges has dropped off gradually since its peak in the 1960s, and precipitously after the 1990s. The total number of new colleges is severely depressed, and among new colleges, religious, for-profit, and public colleges have started at a rate of 5x the number of private, secular, and non-profit ones. Interviews with contemporary secular, non-profit college founders and accreditation experts suggest that accreditation is the primary barrier to starting a new college. If we view higher education as an oligopoly or “cold cartel,” it explains the gradually falling quality and precipitously rising …

Equity And Inclusion For Gender Diverse Middle School Students, Xiaoyan Nadler

Master of Science in Education | Master's Theses

About a third of teenagers experience an anxiety disorder, with steadily increasing numbers (McCarthy, 2019). LGBTQ+ students have a history of being a group without a voice because the dominant gender classification was a binary male or female model. They have seldom dared to express and identify their real selves. According to Lewis (2020), this form of oppression could make them feel unwelcome, overlooked, and unsafe, eventually creating tremendous anxiety. This qualitative research focused on understanding what creates an inclusive and safe learning environment for all students, including students who identify as LGBTQ+. Interviews were conducted with students, parents, and …

Pragmatist Thinking For A Populist Moment: Democratic Contingency And Racial Re-Valuing In Education Governance, Kathleen Knight-Abowitz, Kathleen M. Sellers

Democracy and Education

We examine school governance in populist era, using contemporary readings of pragmatist philosophy. We are in a “populist moment,” a time of uprisings and movements of the demos making political claims (Mouffe, 2018). School officials in the U.S. are subject to an array of political demands in the form of protests and campaigns. We focus on the struggles around critical race theory in K–12 schools. Glaude (2017) has advocated pragmatism’s use in light of racial revaluing and democratic struggle. Rogers’ work (2009) has highlighted inquiry, founded on contingency, in the face of disagreement and power struggles. These scholars show us …

Connection Before Correction: The Impact Of Restorative Practices On Students With Disabilities, Katrina Shirley

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

As an alternative to zero tolerance discipline policies that focus on punitive, exclusionary, and often predetermined consequences for a disruptive behavior, many educators in schools across the United States have started implementing restorative practices (RP) in their classrooms. RP focus on building relationships and classroom community. Educators implement RP as a preventative behavioral strategy for community building, but also as a responsive strategy to handle conflict in order to repair harm and restore relationships. Current research on RP include quantitative studies, many resulting in a reduction of exclusionary discipline, or qualitative studies with participants in middle and high school. This …