Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Perceived Effects Of Online And Hybrid Learning On The Experiences Of Students In Nigerian Universities, Amaechi Ugwu

Theses and Dissertations

Recent years have seen an apparent increase in the popularity and acceptance of online and hybrid learning as alternative models of learning at universities and other institutions of higher education in Nigeria. However, there is doubt whether the increase in popularity and acceptance of online and hybrid learning has translated to better learning conditions or satisfaction for students and graduates of higher education. These issues among others have made online and hybrid learning models to represent an area of growing academic interest by scholars. The main purpose of this study was to explore the perceived effects of online and hybrid …

Learning Technology Professors’ Experiences With National Science Foundation (Nsf) External Grant Funding In Higher Education, Mitchell Gurick

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences of learning technology professors with National Science Foundation (NSF) external grant funding focused on education. The study investigated stories related to using NSF grants by learning technology professors across the United States, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It enumerated the need for collaboration between industry, government, and higher education institutions (HEIs). The study aimed to establish how more grants lead to increased opportunities for learning technology professors to pursue academic research and impact society. The research questions were: What outlier stories emerge from learning technology professors by securing NSF grant funding? How …

Understanding Needs: Facilitating Faculty Support For Formal Assessment Processes In Higher Education, Terrance Cao

Theses and Dissertations

Prior literature discusses how conflicting beliefs regarding assessment, competing workloads, and a lack of formal assessment resources may contribute to faculty reluctance to engage with formal assessment processes. There is a gap in research on exploring assessment leader-faculty relationships through the lens of Leader-Member Exchange Theory and how that may affect participation in formal assessment processes. To address this gap, the researcher implemented a qualitative, phenomenological study to interview faculty about their lived experiences in working with formal assessment processes and interacting with assessment leaders. The goal was to discover emerging thematic categories regarding faculty perceptions of formal assessment processes …

Teaching First-Generation Newcomers In Charter High Schools: Teachers’ Perceptions Of Students’ Barriers, Teaching Practices And Strategies, And Teaching Supports, Daniel Loh

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers in the United States are experiencing challenges linked to the increasing number of immigrant students entering schools. Los Angeles County Charter schools are among the country's most diverse, with many immigrant students. Although first-generation and immigrant students’ education barriers and teacher challenges are documented, little is known about teachers' experiences with newcomer students, a particularly vulnerable group. This phenomenological study explored charter high school teachers’ lived experiences concerning their teaching challenges and perspectives on the barriers for first-generation/newcomer immigrant students, their descriptions of the strategies and practices used, and their perceptions of the support they receive. Twelve teachers from …

Photovoice As A Reflective Pedagogy For Undergraduate Community Psychology Students, Shereé Bielecki

Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of former Community Psychology (CP) undergraduate students who participated in a degree program at a California university. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how former Community Psychology undergraduate students describe their experiences using reflective Photovoice activities to learn about and become involved in social justice. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were in social justice theory, pedagogical practices related to teaching social justice using Photovoice, and the practice of self-reflection in college classrooms. Two primary research questions guide the inquiry: 1) How do former Community Psychology …

Examining Women’S Persistence In Stem: A Mixed Methods Study Of Autonomy, Competence, Relatedness, And Sociocultural Influences On Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics, Heather Midori Saigo

Theses and Dissertations

Several decades of effort have improved the participation of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but the gender gap remains. Researchers have found diverse reasons for women’s underrepresentation in STEM, but less is understood about factors supporting persistence. This study’s purpose was to understand how women persist in STEM, through the lens of self-determination theory. Self-determination theory posits that persistence improves when one’s needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness are satisfied. This embedded mixed methods study provides evidence of how autonomy, competence, relatedness, and sociocultural factors influence women’s persistence in STEM. Using network and snowball sampling, the researcher …

Perceptions Of Classroom Technology Use Among Adult English Learners, Mandy Chien

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess adult English Learners’ perceptions of using Microsoft Teams in classes. Specifically, the study aims to explore the strength and direction of the correlation between the elements of the technology acceptance model (TAM) and using Microsoft Teams in English language courses. This study addressed the following research question: What are the strengths and directions of the correlations between the elements of the technology acceptance model and the use of Microsoft Teams among adult ELs?

The researcher utilized a quantitative methods approach to investigate the relationship between TAM variables and the use of Microsoft …

Utilizing Social Media As An Assistive Technology Tool For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Meaghan Donahue

Theses and Dissertations

The number of children diagnosed with autism has continued to rise since 2000 at startling rates, leading to an increased need for schools to discover innovative ways to meet the unique learning needs of these students. Technology has proven to be adaptable and successful in teaching social skills to children with autism. Assistive technology and the continuing development of online platforms offer unique opportunities for children with special needs to access the general education curriculum. This combined with the increased usage of social media among school-aged children, make it a potential tool for learning. Understanding how social media can be …

Exploring Leaders' Sensemaking Of Emergent Global Norms For Open Science: A Mixed Methods Discourse Analysis Of Unesco’S Multistakeholder Initiative, Lisa Cuevas Shaw

Theses and Dissertations

In November 2021, all 193 United Nations Member States adopted the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Recommendation on Open Science (UNESCO, 2021a), which signaled a shared commitment to globally recognized standards for open science. However, as with other normative instruments established by intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as UNESCO, the ways in which local, national, and regional leaders will implement the recommendation can and will vary (Finnemore, 1993). Top-down and bottom-up coordination across international stakeholders in the research system is critical for the framework to be effective in driving global policy implementation and enabling sustained research culture change. …

How Technology Mediated Social Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Case Study, Rashi Seth-Parmar

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in California were forced to shut their doors to students and staff during spring semester 2020. The school closures forced teachers to migrate their lessons to online platforms and forced students to learn using various online modalities. Students no longer had the traditional access to their teachers, administrators, or peers, which caused an imbalance in their social learning. This phenomenological qualitative study offers administrators and teachers best practices in fostering student social learning while utilizing distance learning or online learning specifically for K-12 students. The best practices are derived from the lived experiences of …

Examining Alignment Of Leadership Education And Observed Practices: A Study Of Leadership Studies Department Chairs, Sara Zare

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how leadership studies academic department chairs’ leadership is influenced by their discipline and their professional identities as leadership educators. This study is an exploration of the alignment between leadership theories and practice. Two conceptual frameworks informed this study: (a) the leadership educator professional identity development (LEPID) model (Seemiller & Priest, 2015) and (b) the four frames model (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Using the LEPID model, this study investigated the intersection of leadership education professional identity dimensions and the leadership role of the leadership studies academic department chairs. Bolman and Deal’s (2017) four frames model was used …

Women Of Color In Higher Education Institutions: Strategies To Attain Administrative Leadership Positions, Oghenemano O. Evero

Theses and Dissertations

Race and gender continue to be contributing factors to the disparity and lack of representation that exists among higher-education leaders. This study examines the lived experience of women of color to identify the strategies they utilized to attain administrative leadership roles at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Participants included women of color leaders with at least 5 years of experience in higher education and in a leadership role. Participants also had advanced degrees. Using a narrative inquiry design, the study involved semi structured interviews to gather data from the sample population. The seven (7) women of color HEIs administrative leaders …

Characteristics Of Leadership Of Selected Historical Leaders In Music Education In The United States With An Exploratory Study Of The Explicability Of These Characteristics To Modern Music Education Leadership In Elementary Schools, Ashley Loren Stringfield

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multicase, qualitative study dissertation was to describe how the leadership characteristics of the founders of the Music Educators National Conference (MENC) inform today’s music educators’ leadership abilities. During the 1907 Keokuk conference the founding members discussed the first set of guiding principles for various subjects within the music discipline including chorus, band, and piano. For this study, the research questions are focused on the similarities in leadership styles of music education leaders past and present. Suggestions for improvement of teacher and administrator leadership characteristics were revealed by the leaders themselves.

Eight public elementary school music teachers …

A Global Perspective On Mindfulness-Based Interventions In Schools, Rebecca H. Laff

Theses and Dissertations

The practice of mindfulness, which originated in ancient Buddhist philosophy, has gained popularity in secular society through the work of Western researcher Jon Kabat-Zinn. Kabat-Zinn's focus on using mindfulness to help chronically ill patients cope with stress soon expanded into non-clinical areas, including education. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) adapted from Kabat-Zinn’s work, have been utilized in schools since 2005, but there has been a lack of systematic research on the effectiveness of MBIs in classroom settings globally. To address this gap, this critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) study conducted a comprehensive literature review of quantitative and qualitative studies from around the world …

International Students’ Perception Of The Development Of Their Digital Academic Writing Identity Based On Their Participation In An Intensive English Language Program, Francesca L. Nesfield

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. economy receives consistent and increasing benefits from international students in higher education, an estimated $41 billion during the 2018-2019 academic year. However, the existing research literature has failed to determine whether Intensive English Language Programs (IELP) adequately prepare these students for college-level composition in digital mediums. The objective of this study is to distinguish the perceptions of how academic digital composition and identity were developed among international students relative to their experiences in an IELP. This dissertation research sought to understand the cultural perspectives of international students around a) their digital writing identity, b) digital composition in academia, …

The Experiences Of Spanish-Speaking Latina Immigrant Mothers When Participating In The Individualized Education Plan For Their Children With Disabilities, Veronica Ferrufino

Theses and Dissertations

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there has been an increase of students receiving special education services in U.S. public schools in the last 20 years (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Parents are active participants in the educational decision-making process for their children with disabilities, providing Federal laws procedural safeguards for parents to participate in and make decisions concerning their children’s education. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to research the experiences of Spanish-speaking Latina immigrant mothers who have children with disabilities attending public school in California. This study sought to recount the experiences of …

An Application Of Lewin In A Trans-Pandemic World: A Narrative Inquiry In A Case Study With A Suggested Model For The Future, Chandler Barksdale Ewell Caldwell

Theses and Dissertations

Change is constant in today’s post-pandemic world. This is truly evident in online business success with entrepreneurs that defy past limitations and rely on future vision. This study purposely attempts to identify and qualify the impact of stylized change focused leadership in response to workplace changes during the variant challenges of the corona virus pandemic. The relevancy of Lewin’s organizational change model in today’s new normal provides the foundation for this research. Data were gathered through interview with a purposive sample of 12 managers executives and team members from a public sector organization. Evolving through an iterative process of evaluation …

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: Fair Evaluation And The Role Of Decision Makers, Mona Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine fair evaluations and the role of the decision-makers in the reasonable accommodation process. In many instances, fair evaluations in the reasonable accommodation process which disabled employees experienced, were challenging and looked upon as perceived discrimination in decision-making process. A review of the literature identified further clarification and insight into educating decision-makers about the disability laws, and then altering their behavior in granting reasonable accommodations. The literature progressed with discussions surrounding why every qualified disabled employee should be accommodated as long as the reasonable accommodation is not an undue hardship to the …

Leadership Strategies For Building High-Performing Faculty Teams In Technology-Focused Higher Education Departments, Liz Hollerman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the leadership strategies academic leaders of technology departments in higher education may use to build high-performing faculty teams. The objective of the study was to discover the most effective ways for fostering faculty ingenuity in curriculum reform for a technology-focused program. In addition, the literature review presents The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership by Kouzes and Posner (2019) as the theoretical basis for this study. Literature uncovered thirteen effective leadership elements for building high-performing teams (Friedman, 2021; Katzenbach & Smith, 2005). The research subquestions for this qualitative study were organized around Kouzes and Posner's model of leadership. …

Examining How Entrepreneurial Educators’ Perspectives And Lived Experiences Have Shaped Their Pedagogical Approaches In Secondary Education, Latonya Wiley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenology study is to explore the perspective of entrepreneurial educators in Southeast Louisiana who teach students in grades 9-12, related to how their entrepreneurial experiences have influenced their pedagogical approaches. There is a gap in our knowledge and understanding of how the lived experiences of entrepreneurs can affect teachers' instructional approaches to introduce the art of entrepreneurship in its many manifestations. The Constructivist learning approach and Kolb's experiential learning theory (1984) are influential in this dissertation. The theoretical framework for this study is an experiential learning theory which helps us understand the impact of the …

Women Of Color In Higher Education Institutions: Strategies To Attain Administrative Leadership Positions, Oghenemano O. Evero

Theses and Dissertations

Race and gender continue to be contributing factors to the disparity and lack of representation that exists among higher-education leaders. This study examines the lived experience of women of color to identify the strategies they utilized to attain administrative leadership roles at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). Participants included women of color leaders with at least 5 years of experience in higher education and in a leadership role. Participants also had advanced degrees. Using a narrative inquiry design, the study involved semi structured interviews to gather data from the sample population. The seven (7) women of color HEIs administrative leaders …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences And Teaching Strategies Of Private Music Instructors Working With Elementary School Students, Ana Maria Fusu-Kommidi

Theses and Dissertations

The lack of consistent elementary musical education in the United States has sustained a steady demand for private music instruction. Private instruction, however, does not usually align with the general music education standards, or the school requirements. There is a lack of research about private music instructors’ role in music education for elementary-aged students. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and teaching strategies of private music instructors who supplement elementary students' school-based music education. The two research questions were

RQ1: What are the experiences of private music instructors who supplement elementary students' school-based music education?

RQ2: …

She Leads Business Education: A Phenomenological Study On The Career Development Of Female Deans Leading Aacsb-Accredited Business Schools In America, Rachel Staples Guettler

Theses and Dissertations

As women advance into leadership roles in America, there is a demand for career development research to deepen understanding of strategies for overcoming obstacles and maximizing opportunities. This study investigated 13.4% of the population of female Deans of AACSB-accredited business schools in America through qualitative inquiry. During this study, 157 of 540 American business schools with AACSB accreditation were led by female Deans. A female perspective was interpreted through the framework of Career Development Theory revealing the internal and external forces impacting career development chronology, experiences, contexts, behavioral patterns, beliefs, and leadership of women who have become Deans. Gender-related and …

Best Practices Utilized By School Counselors In Increasing Latino Male College Readiness, Robert Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to identify best practices incorporated by secondary school counselors in California high schools that promote, support, and increase college-going identity and foster a supportive college-going environment for Latino male students. The researcher used a phenomenological qualitative study to capture the best practices and strategies academic counselors utilize to overcome the challenges of increasing Latino male academic achievement and college readiness. The findings of this study suggest that practices such as building supportive and caring environments, developing a college-going culture, increasing college readiness opportunities for Latino males, and targeted support increase college readiness among Latino males. Recommendations from …

The Meta-Leadership Inventory: Developing A Valid And Reliable Instrument For International School Leaders, Matthew D. Wilkens

Theses and Dissertations

International school leaders must be prepared to steer their schools through ongoing crises and changes, regardless of the factors creating the crises and the need for swift change. To achieve the best possible outcomes from these dynamic situations, international school leaders must strategically deploy skills and abilities delineated by the Meta-leadership framework developed by Marcus et al.(2015). This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument that measures the Meta-leadership competencies of international school leaders: the Meta-leadership Inventory for International School Leaders (MLI-ISL). This instrument development study involved a three-phase design. An initial set of items based on a …

Social Capital And Leadership Competencies Of Recent Kenyan Immigrant Leaders In The United States And Canada: Relational, Structural, And Cognitive Perception, Dorcas Cheruto Mworsho

Theses and Dissertations

Academic research on immigrant social capital indicates that the social capital gained from a country of origin is not easily transferable to a host country (Hopkins, 2020; Hou et al., 2018; Tegegne, 2015). The debate has gained recognition in the recent past as more developed countries continue to receive an increasing number of immigrants. Kenya is among the countries that continue to experience a global surge of professionals immigrating who have settled in North America. Research reveals that some known social connections within host countries are exploitative and detrimental to Kenyan immigrants who try to access meaningful leadership positions that …

Exploring Digital Portfolios And Their Effects On Test Scores, Dithmar Kenneth Rualo

Theses and Dissertations

Many educators in the field are looking for ways to grade their students. Many of our youth can learn new concepts and attain academic growth but have difficulties in the traditional lecture-based classroom. Digital portfolio incorporation in our secondary classrooms may be a solution to engaging learners through various interactions using online learning tools, interaction with peers, and their teachers. This exploratory study investigated the current value of digital portfolios in improving academic performance in today’s classroom. Much of the trend was popular ten years ago. The research explored how current educators in the secondary school setting feel about the …

The Experiences Of Parents In A Christian Spiritual Parenting Program, Zili Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Christians face a rising problem in faith transmission to the next generation (Kinnaman & Hawkins, 2016). Research indicates that younger generations are less religious than their parents in many countries, especially in the U.S. (Pew Research Center, 2018b). Even though most American Christians say that faith is vital in their life, educating children in religion is critical because it provides moral guidance and appropriate values (American Enterprise Institute, 2019). However, most Christians find it challenging to perceive and articulate the relationship between faith and daily life even though they attend church regularly (Bunge, 2008). Also, many parent-child spiritual programs organized …

Is Online Course-Taking Helping Or Hindering Students With Disabilities In U.S. Community Colleges?, Francisco Expression Narciso Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Students with disabilities in U.S. community colleges continue to disproportionately experience lower degree attainment compared to students without disabilities. Furthermore, students with disabilities are twice as likely to choose community colleges for postsecondary education compared to four-year colleges. Students with disabilities in postsecondary education endure learning barriers including inflexible instruction, inaccessible content, and intimidating and unsafe learning environments. The purpose of this study is to address the increasing achievement gaps for students with disabilities in community colleges. Specifically, this study intended to answer the question to what extent, if at all, does online course-taking impact degree attainment for students with …

What Is A Book: Best Practices For Literacy Specialists To Engage K-5 Students In Reading, Cydnee Clarke Patterson

Theses and Dissertations

Student success is closely related to student engagement and literacy instruction, which can positively or negatively impact a student. It has been documented that children motivated to read have a strong sense of reading efficacy and academic competence (Wigfield et al., 2015). This research study addressed the skills needed by literacy specialists to engage students in reading. This study sought to determine the best practices used by literacy specialists identified as highly effective in engaging K-5 students in reading. While issues and challenges of literacy education have made it to the forefront for many educational agencies, there are still gaps …