Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Emotional Intelligence And Leadership Development In Principal Efficacy, Lorine Olivarez Bazan

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, public schools have seen an increase in obstacles and challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and school leaders have had to pivot and adjust to meet these ever-changing demands (McLeod & Dulsky, 2021). Principals in today’s schools have had to discover new and innovative ways to successfully lead, motivate and support their school communities. This emerging leadership includes the leader’s ability to utilize emotional intelligence and leadership skills effectively and intentionally.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to take a deeper look at investigating the school principal’s utilization of emotional intelligence and effective leadership skills. This …

A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Elementary Principals’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership, Cathy De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined the perceptions of one principal and 10 teachers from a school district in the Rio Grande Valley regarding how leadership is distributed in their schools through the lens of distributed leadership. This study contributes to the small body of literature regarding teacher leadership to foster dialogue and potentially provide opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles. Recently, the expectations for schools have increased to the extent that leaders are now expected to ensure all students are learning at prominent levels. Today’s public-school principals may benefit from the support of teacher leaders. Results of …

Analyzing How Resiliency, Family Support, And The College Assistance Migrant Program (Camp) Contribute To Latina/O/X Migrant Farmworker Students' Ability At A South Texas Hsi To Continue Into The Second Year Of Study And To Degree Completion, Angelica Yvette Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study is to identify the primary difficulties Latina/o/x migrant farmworker students face compared to non-migrant farmworker students regarding completing higher education and how they can overcome those barriers. Latina/o/x migrant farmworker students experience educational inequity that affects their potential to continue into higher education successfully. Although there is extensive research that analyzes the CAMP program effectiveness, migrant farm-worker students experiences, and the difficulties faced by migrant farmworker students in education, there is a gap in the literature that focuses on migrant farmworker students and their success in …

Texas School Social Workers: Demographics, Work Characteristics, Job Satisfaction, And Work Barriers And Facilitators, Astrid Gandaria

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the demographics, and job, services, responsibilities, barriers, facilitators, and satisfaction of Texas school social workers. A survey was emailed to Texas school social workers identified on a state list. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used to compare and discuss quantitative and qualitative data obtained. The data reveal consistency with existing school social work literature related to demographics and provided novel information on work characteristics, job satisfaction, work barriers and facilitators, and program preparation of school social workers. The data shows school social workers are highly involved …

Forecasting Retention Among At-Risk College Freshmen Students Through Completion Of A Stem Intervention, Edna Orozco

Theses and Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) areas are one of the fastest-growing majors in the nation, engineering, is projected to add the second largest number of new jobs from 2016 to 2026 with 140,000 new jobs (Torpey, 2018). Unfortunately, there is a disparity between enrollment and graduation rates (Chen, 2015; Lucas & Spina, 2022). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) (2017) despite all the research done throughout decades to improve the issue of retention in STEM areas about half of the students who pursue a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) will either leave or …

Implementation Of Dual Language Programs For Emergent Bilinguals: Understanding Instructional Decisions Of Elementary Principals, Susana Marlet Arredondo

Theses and Dissertations

According to the United States Department of Education (2017), the number of K-12 Emergent Bilingual students (EBs) has been increasing over the years; in the year 2014 – 2015, there were over 4.8 million English Learners in our country. Therefore, a new norm for many school districts has been to incorporate Dual Language Programs to close the learning gaps between this subgroup and non-English Learners. There are different models used under Dual Language Program models such as the 90:10 and 50:50 model approach. Moreover, other districts provide a Dual Language Program for all students, not just English Learners. The purpose …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Instruction And Educational Technology In Higher Education, Raul Nick Cabrera

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to obtain faculty perceptions of online instruction and educational technology in higher education. Data was collected from eight participants through interviews and open-ended questions at a higher education institution. Results showed that faculty consider that online instruction is only possible for certain programs and that it’s only for certain student populations. In addition, faculty perceive online learning environments as a repository for class information and serve as a communication medium between instructor and student. Furthermore, faculty believe that there is no substitution for traditional teaching methods regardless of the educational technology available. Theoretical and …

An Examination Of Factors Impacting Student Decisions To Engage In Physical Activity At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Glenn R. Gray

Theses and Dissertations

College students at a large south Texas university have proven consistently that they have a higher-than-average Body Mass Index (BMI), spend less time per week engaged in physical activity, and in general feel that they are less healthy than students in a national cross-sectional survey of college students by the American College Health Association (ACHA, 2021). This project investigates the barriers to activity and the motivators to engage in activity. In this cross-sectional study, the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 and the Barriers to Being Active instruments along with a demographic survey have identified motivators and barriers. The collection of basic demographic …

The Relationship Of Graduating Students (Alumni-To-Be)’S Sense Of Belonging And Their Intent To Give Back To Their Alma Mater At A Hispanic Serving Institution (Hsi) In South Texas, Lanlan Alvarado

Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions are increasingly relying on funding from the private sector (Council for Aid to Education, 2013) as state funding to higher education has decreased in recent years. Bridging the gap between university financial needs and available funding has become a high priority. In the process, higher education institutions have enlisted their advancement offices towards such bridging efforts by systematically bringing in financial support from donors, alumni, corporations, and foundations.

Funding from private sources fluctuates with changes in the macro-economic environment, laws, and regulations, as well as shifts in philanthropic interests in the public. Alumni giving constitutes a substantial …