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Are The Housing Staff Alright? A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Examination Of The Experiences Of On-Campus Student Housing Professionals Through The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan J. Chibanga

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

College and university housing professionals served a role they were generally underprepared for as long-term crisis managers during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted and shifted higher education operating structures on a grand scale, and housing staff were asked to continue operating on-campus housing facilities throughout the ever-changing response to COVID-19. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of housing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the collective experiences of 21 participants three major threads emerged: comfort in the unknown, a need for connection and community, and relentless resilience. Each of these …

A Phenomenological Study Of Successful Superintendent Retention In A North-Central New Mexico School District, Adán G. Delgado

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Superintendent of Schools is uniquely critical in a school district due to its tremendous effect on the operational and cultural bearing of the organization (Myers, 2011). Superintendent turnover can hinder district reform and improvement (Grissom & Andersen, 2012; Marzano, 2006). The United States and New Mexico struggle with superintendent retention and northern New Mexico is especially plagued with short superintendent tenure (Grissom & Andersen, 2012; NMPED Stat Books, 2021; Sawchuck, 2022). In this study, I investigated the initial selection and subsequent interactions and relationships between school board members and superintendents. Using a phenomenological approach, I interviewed two superintendents and four …

Indigenous Student Responses Of Resiliency To Adversity, Aaron Billie

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to analyze the responses of Indigenous students as they experience situations that are adversarial and precarious. One of the goals of this study was to empower voices of Indigenous students in providing an avenue to share their genuine stories of resilience. I served as both researcher and mentor as I applied a Navajo framework to the analysis of the data known as Nitl‘iz Saad bee Hozho Iina Sila (NSBHIS), or beautiful lifeways exist within the language of precious elements. The four areas of this framework held up the salient outcomes from the research which …

Understanding The Academic And Socio-Cultural Experiences Of Academically Underprepared Males And The Risk And Protective Factors Influencing Degree Attainment In A Community College System, Diego J. Trujillo

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study aimed to identify the risk and protective factors that influence persistence, retention, and degree attainment among academically underprepared male students at a community college in Northern New Mexico. Understanding the context of developmental education was deemed crucial for this research, as open-access institutions, particularly community colleges, serve as the starting point for many students' educational journeys. Evaluating the experiences and educational pathways of these students is of great importance to address the existing achievement gaps. The research focused on understanding the experiences of these students and the factors that hindered or supported their persistence and degree completion.

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Being Culturally Relevant And Responsive: A Comparative Analysis Of The Girl Scouts Of Usa Leadership Experience Program To The Diné Philosophy Of Hózhó And The Kinaaldá, To Illuminate Leadership, Rekindle Identity, And Revitalize Language Among Diné Girls, Deborah J. Belone

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

How does analytically comparing the Girl Scouts of the United States of America’s (GSUSA) Leadership Experience program to the Diné philosophy of Hózhó (harmonious way of life) and the Kinaaldá (female puberty ceremony) positively affect the unique diversity of each Diné girl and give attention to leadership skills, self-identity, and the Diné language? This is the research question that guided this research study of comparative analysis. In addition, there are three subquestions: (a) How does aligning the GSUSA Leadership Experience program to the Diné philosophies of Hózhó and the Kinaaldá build leadership skills, positive self-identify, and a healthy social and …

Student Perceptions Of Participation In Socratic Seminars At A Paideia School, Kurt A. Schmidt

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological study considered Socratic seminars and student perceptions. Research on Socratic seminars considers student achievement, but lacks students’ perspectives. This study’s purpose is to describe seminar participation for students at a Paideia School. Research questions include 1) “From the students’ perspectives, and based on their personal judgments and perceptions, what is it the lived experience for high school freshmen and sophomores who regularly participate in Socratic seminars?” and 2) “What effect does regular participation in Socratic seminars have on students’ perceptions of their own engagement in school?” Fourteen students were interviewed. Analysis yielded four themes: Open Exchange of Ideas …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of New Mexico Charter Leaders Through The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nadine T. Torres

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus has impacted the educational landscape in unbelievable ways. The changes to the learning environment in schools required leaders to obtain and exercise different competencies. New Mexico charter leaders are leading in the new normal of public education. With the additional roles, requirements, and expectations brought on by the pandemic, leaders cannot return to their prior leadership practices. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and give voice to the lived experiences of NM charter leaders working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative of the participants highlighted four major themes: …