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Leading Evangelical Seminaries In German-Speaking Europe: A Transcendental Phenomenology, Johannes Schroeder

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenology describes the essential experiences of lead administrators of evangelical seminaries in German-speaking Europe. Changes on a global scale in the educational sector are influencing the seminaries, and lead to processes of organizational academization and leadership professionalization. These developments have a profound influence on the role of the leadership of these seminaries. Each of the six lead administrators was interviewed three times to gather in-depth, thick, and rich descriptions of their lived experience with the phenomenon. For triangulation, observations, analyses of documents, and audio and visual data, as well as research memos and journals were included. The theoretical …

Experiences Of Students With Specific Learning Disorder (Including Adhd) In Online College Degree Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Seleta Bunch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Enrollment in online degree programs is rapidly expanding due to the convenience and affordability offered to students and improvements in technology. The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the shared experiences of students with documented specific learning disorders (including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) enrolled in online degree programs at a large, faith-based university in the Southeast United States. Colleges and universities must follow federal mandates as recommended by the Office of Civil Rights for students with documented disabilities in both traditional and online settings. Research is lacking in the area of understanding the experiences of students with specific learning …

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

Inclusive Education For Preschool-12th Grade Students With Low Incidence Disabilities: A Case Study Of State Leaders’ Perceptions, Charles Kemp

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this holistic single-case study was to examine the state leaders’ perceptions of the readiness for public schools to implement inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The adult learning theory (Knowles, 1990), the sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978, 1986), and the implementation science framework (Blasé, Van Dyke, Fixsen, Duda, Horner, & Sugai, 2009) provided the theoretical framework for this study. The study, set in a Midwestern state, sought to understand from state-level leaders’ perspectives the readiness for and the roadblocks to implementation of inclusive education for students with low incidence disabilities. The data for this study was …

A Case Study Of The Experiences Of Students With Disabilities Who Did Not Complete High School, Richard Wieringo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study explores the experiences of students with disabilities who have dropped out of high school, so as to identify related factors that led to their decisions. Participants included both males and females who were designated as students with disabilities at Ridgeville High School (pseudonym for a Virginia high school) and who dropped out between their third and fourth years of high school, during the 2010 to 2014 academic years. All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24. The case study was conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews, journaling, and observation of the sample population, with …

An Analysis Of The Financial Impact Of Changing Athletic Conference Affiliation Within The Ncaa, Christopher Parker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal comparative study was to provide Division I athletic programs with athletic and institutional fundraising insight when considering a change in athletic conference affiliation. The study provided descriptive data regarding athletic conference affiliation pre and post-conference change. The research evaluated if there was a significant increase in athletic and educational fundraising when changing athletic conferences. The quantitative study compared educational and athletic foundations’ IRS 990 forms for 15 NCAA Division 1 institutions that changed athletic conferences between 2012 and 2013. Data was analyzed using an ANOVA and t-tests from the institutions’ academic and athletic foundations. The …

What Are United Pentecostal Church International Women Pastors Experiencing: A Qualitative Inquiry, Cynthia Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Clergywomen make up less than four percent of the licensed ministers of the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). This phenomenological inquiry explored how female pastors of the United Pentecostal Church International described their experience of being a female in a profession where men significantly outnumber women in both pastoral and leadership positions. In an attempt to identify factors to guide clergywomen in a truer sense of what it means to be a woman in ministry, eight women serving in pastoral ministry were interviewed. After data analysis of transcribed interviews and participant journals, five findings emerged. The five main findings were …

Relationship Of Teacher Perception Of Principal Leadership Practices And Job Satisfaction In The Southeast Region Of The Association Of Christian Schools International, John Barlow

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Many studies have been conducted on principal leadership and employee perceptions in the corporate and public sector. However, there are gaps in the research regarding the relationship between the perception of principal leadership practices and one dimension of person-organization fit, job satisfaction, in the specific demographic of teachers in the Southeast Region of the Association of Christian Schools International. This study was conducted to begin the process of understanding this phenomenon. Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) five practice of exemplary leadership and the theoretical framework of person-organization fit supported the development of this study (Kristof-Brown & Guay, 2011). Teachers from the …

Master Teachers As Instructional Leaders: An Instrumental Case Study, Deborah Renee Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the role of the master teacher as an instructional leader in South Carolina schools implementing the System for Teacher and Student Advancement, formerly known as the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). This qualitative study sought to explain the role of the master teacher, how the master teacher assumes the role of an instructional leader, what support is provided by the master teacher, what issues master teachers face as instructional leaders as well as how the master teacher enhances the school environment. The focal participant in this study was a SC TAP …

Tipping Point Of Resistance: A Multi-Case Study Of The Influence Of School Culture On Classroom Positive Behavior Interventions And Support Practices, Angela Shoemake

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Public schools have seen an increase in the use of school-wide positive behavior intervention supports (SWPBIS) to address the emotional and behavioral needs of students. While SWPBIS is a validated, evidence-based practice, teachers often resist the use of this proactive intervention model claiming that they do not have the time or skills to develop interventions to address the students' challenging behaviors. The purpose of this instrumental multi-case study was to systematically explore and compare the personal experiences of staff who ended their resistance to SWPBIS and successfully implemented at the classroom level. A Georgia middle school implementing SWPBIS at the …

Leadership Qualities Necessary For Educational Leaders To Become Effective Turnaround Principals: A Grounded Theory Study, Sherri Irish

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was two-fold: to understand how educational leaders help failing schools and to generate a theoretical model to explain the leadership qualities necessary to elicit a successful turnaround. Four research questions related to turnaround principals' experiences and leadership qualities guided this study. Participants included four middle and high school principals within the state of Michigan. Participants were selected based on their involvement in successfully turning around a failing school. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and observations. Data was analyzed using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding …

Working Towards School Goals At Lion Elementary: A Phenomenological Study, Benjamin Butcher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the perspectives of educators regarding school goals at Lion Elementary. Perspectives concerning school goals were generally defined as the importance of competing priorities as described by participants. This research can inform educators about whether perspectives regarding school goals were aligned, and provide insight regarding the reasons behind similarities and differences by having considered several questions: (a) What were the perceptions of the principal and teachers regarding school goal priorities? (b) What were the main challenges they perceived for meeting school goals? (c) What factors contributed toward schools successfully meeting goals? …

Becoming A Disciple-Making Church: A Strategic Transition For Dongshin Apostle Community, Hyuk Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dongshin Apostle Community (DAC) transitioned from being a traditional church of 210 members to a hybrid church of 700 members through an organic movement called Jesus Hope Movement (JHM). In recent years, however, DAC has also plateaued in its growth due to the limitations of its institutional structure. In order for DAC to become a healthy growing church once again, it must become a disciple-making church that implements strategic biblical steps of transition that will push the church to become more organic. This thesis project will examine diverse organic factors within DAC that enabled its growth and transition to a …

Effects Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Middle School Student Achievement, Chad Knowles

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Today's teachers face more frequent and more severe challenges than perhaps any generation of teachers that have come before them. Administrators attempt to support teaching in an environment of ever-increasing accountability and dwindling financial resources with new and innovative strategies. One such strategy employed by modern educators has been the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) model for clear behavioral expectations and pyramids of intervention for targeted support for students. This study compared a middle school that employs PBIS with a middle school that does not, to determine if there was any statistical improvement realized on academic achievement. Two diverse …

The Correlation Of Social, Financial, And Academic Supports To Military Benefit Recipients' Persistence In College, Bruce Mentzer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study sought to determine the strength and nature of the relationships between social, academic, and financial support and the intent of military students to persist in higher education at a large private non-profit university. The study also collected data from nonmilitary students to note contrasting relationships and looked at overall results for the two groups combined. Multivariate stepwise models confirmed the emphasis on academic support for persistence towards degree completion with all groups. Financial aid effects varied by military, nonmilitary, and for the overall population; military students were negatively impacted by loans, nonmilitary by university scholarships, and the overall …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify teachers' perceptions of how leadership styles and practices of administration can improve the process of broad-based change in an educational organization. The study focused on the lived experiences of 12 teachers and school administrators (coresearchers) during a major change in their school district. Guided interviews were utilized in order to understand the essence of their experiences. Results indicated the importance of communication during the process of change as it relates to perceptions of involvement, buy-in, self-worth, job satisfaction, and support and impact on instruction.

The Correlation Of The Perceived Leadership Style Of Middle School Principals To Teacher Job Satisfaction And Efficacy, Jack Dale Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study addressed the idea that a middle school principal could possibly impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom through the relationship of the teacher- perceived leadership style of the principal to teacher job satisfaction and efficacy. The sample consisted of 142 certified teachers from 8 public middle schools in an East Tennessee school district. Teachers completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey, (Spector, 1994). Findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership did not have a statistically significant relationship to teacher job satisfaction. A new …

The Perceptions Of Teachers In Rural Title 1 Middle Schools Concerning The Experiences That Negatively Influence Job Satisfaction, Michael Stephen Slaven

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

A qualitative phenomenological research design was chosen to examine the perceptions of teachers concerning experiences that negatively influence teachers' job satisfaction in rural Title I schools in Georgia. Twelve middle school teachers from three Georgia school districts were interviewed. Pilot interviews and follow-up interviews were also held. Interview data was coded, codes were examined for redundancy and codes were collapsed into broad themes. Major themes related to teacher dissatisfaction included negative relationships with administrators and problems with student behavior. Major themes related to teacher satisfaction included positive relationships with colleagues, working with students, and a sense of efficacy. Problems with …

Examining The Effects Of A National League For Nursing Core Competencies Workshop As An Intervention To Improve Nurse Faculty Practice, Robin Renata Wilson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to the complex challenges facing schools of nursing, a research study was implemented to introduce nurse faculty at one small rural northeastern Tennessee school of nursing to the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators. Utilizing Kalb's Nurse Faculty Self-Evaluation Tool as a pre- and post-intervention test, 30 nurse faculty members participated in a quasi-experimental quantitative study and focus group interview. Clinical adjunct staff members participated in a test-retest process to establish tool reliability with somewhat mixed results. The overall study demonstrated that participants did exhibit a significant increase in knowledge and ability of the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse …

The Revitalization Process In A Small Rural Plateaued Southern Baptist Church, Rodney Merrill Sprayberry

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

New Zion Baptist Church is a small Southern Baptist church in rural Northeast Texas. The church has been stagnant for approximately three decades. This project is a record of the journey that the pastor and people of NZBC have traveled towards revitalization. The researcher began this project intent on implementing a strategic plan. However about half-way through the process, after evaluating the culture of NZBC, an intentional shift in methodology occurred. NZBC is a small church and therefore not a rationally structured, task driven, goal oriented organization. Instead it is a relational, biological and organic community. Therefore the process of …

Teacher Evaluation: Assessing Principals’ Perceptions In The State Of New Jersey, Robert J. Fisicaro

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation describes a study assessing New Jersey school principals' attitudes towards various characteristics of teacher evaluation and compares perceptions among sub groups. Four-hundred sixty-two building principals completed a survey which measured perceptions of four constructs of teacher evaluation that were selected from current educational theory: teacher evaluation should be founded in a partnership, differentiated for individuals, ongoing, and considerate of student learning outcomes. Principals were examined as sub groups according to gender, level of school, and years of experience. Descriptive statistics indicated that principals agreed that evaluation systems should be part of an ongoing cycle. Principals were neutral to …

A Comparison Of Student Achievement Between Missouri Professional Learning Communities Project Participants And Non-Participants, Chanda Long

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to suggest a response to the following research question: Is there a significant relationship between student scores on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) achievement test and the type of Missouri high school attended, PLC or NPLC? This study focused on two populations of high school students in the state of Missouri: those that were participants in the state’s Professional Learning Communities Project (PLC) and those that were not participants in the state’s Professional Learning Communities Project (NPLC). Both school populations were arranged in a typical ninth through twelfth grade configuration.

The means …

Comparing Leadership Scores Of Collegiate Level Basketball Players And Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (Rotc) Students, Lawrence A. Braue

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the differences in the transformational leadership practices of collegiate level basketball teams and students from an Army Reserve Officers Training Program as measured by Kouzes and Posner’s Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI) (2006). The purpose was to determine if ROTC students with formal leadership training obtained higher leadership scores on the SLPI than the basketball players who had not received formal leadership training. The study compared the overall mean scores of ROTC students who had participated in at least one year of formal leadership training and the players from a university men’s and women’s basketball team who …

The Feasibility Of Effective Online Mentoring Of School Principals, Donald C. James

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Comparing the qualities of traditional mentoring with the qualities of online mentoring, this study examined the feasibility of uniting the two mentoring approaches in the preparation of school principals. The communication and implementation of national principal preparation standards via online and face-to-face methods were ranked by four categories of key individuals (university professors who prepare principals, active principals who have mentored a novice principal, novice principals being mentored, and mentored principals) involved in the principal mentoring process. Using a pilot-tested original survey instrument, 73 individuals completed the survey indicating perceptions toward the feasibility of online principal mentoring. A one-way ANOVA …

An Assessment Of Effective Senior Level Leadership Within The United States Air Force Chaplain Service, David W. Kelley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation is to determine what leadership qualities, traits, and/or behaviors will produce effective leadership of chaplains within the Air Force Chaplain Service. Twelve senior level Air Force chaplains were assessed using three tools: the Dimensions of Leadership Profile, the Contextual Leadership Questionnaire, and Personal Leadership Interviews. Based upon the responses of the senior chaplains the results of these leadership tools will be analyzed and conclusions drawn in reference to successful leadership within the Air Force Chaplain Service.