Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese

Theses and Dissertations

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This study utilized a quantitative research design to examine the physical and psychological factors of the work environment that can influence a community college student affairs professional’s motivation to pursue continued professional learning. Through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s Field Theory and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value Theory, I designed a 58-item survey (N = 41) …

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 Leadership Laboratory: Exploring The Use Of Case-In-Point Pedagogy To Develop Complex Thinking In Leaders, Erica Corley Jackson

Dissertations

Leadership scholars have identified a growing gap between the complexity of 21^st century organizations and the capabilities of individuals in positions of leadership to adequately address these challenges. This gap has contributed to a so-called complexity crisis—a situation in which the demands placed on those in leadership positions increases “at a rate that significantly outstrips the rate at which” leaders are cognitively developing (Rich-Tolsma & Oliver, 2016, p. 1). One way to respond to this growing need for complex adult thinking is through metacognitive development initiatives. However, finding educational methods to promote metacognitive development has proven to be …

An Exploration Of Black Women Faculty Members' Faculty Development And Career Advancement Experiences Within A Pwi, Monica N. Guient

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

At a large, research-intensive, predominantly White university, in this qualitative case study, Black women faculty members’ experiences with and perceptions of institutionally sponsored faculty development activities in relation to career advancement was explored. The career advancement of faculty members from underrepresented and minoritized populations—particularly Black women—is ultimately impacted by the racialized and gendered disparities among tenure-track and tenured professors in research, service, and teaching. Unique to this study is the exploration of how Black women faculty members experience the human resource development practice of faculty development while also gathering information from the institutional leaders who oversee and guide institutionally sponsored …

Becoming A More Empathetic Leader And Person, Rachel Shellstrom

Undergraduate Honors Theses

When defining empathy, the most common definition is “stepping into someone else’s shoes.” Along with this definition, many also share that it is important to have empathy and be an empathetic person. Yet, when thinking about its importance and this definition, a few questions arise: can we actually step into someone else’s shoes? Can we truly understand what someone else is feeling and experiencing if we are not them or do not hold the same identities that they do? Through a deeper exploration of existing empathy building certificate programs and empathy research, this thesis project explores these exact questions and …

Innovative Behavior; Raising Awareness For Creative Behavior In Education To Cultivate An Innovative Approach In Vocational Education., Jeanette Janine Matser

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

_{Innovative Behavior; Raising Awareness for Creative Behavior in Education to Cultivate an Innovative Approach in Vocational Education.}

The development of a rubric for innovative behavior in teachers is related to encouraging the status of creativity in the innovation process. It is powerful to use feedback to create a more creative approach in schools, it helps teachers to think creatively and how to cultivate a more innovative approach in the classroom. It creates and structures conversations among teachers interested in teaching and assessing creativity.

This project presents a background and the development of a rubric and a complimentary booklet to self-test …

Students’ Perceived Cultural Intelligence Outcomes Based On Their Participation In Undergraduate Courses That Embed Short-Term International Travel: A Case Study, Margaret Arrison Nolan

Graduate Theses & Dissertations

Cultural intelligence (CQ) refers to an individual’s capability to successfully adapt to new or unfamiliar cultural settings (Earley & Ang, 2003). The purpose of this study was to gain a holistic and comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of CQ within the context of higher education pedagogy. This study explored undergraduate students’ perceived outcomes of CQ based on their participation in full semester courses that embedded short-term international travel (SIT). The researcher conducted a qualitative, phenomenological case study that explored, in depth, the nuances of students’ shared lived experiences in SIT, and how these experiences intersected with students’ perceived CQ outcomes …

The Impact Of Training And Development On Employees In The Northeast Region Of Florida State Government: An Evaluation Of The Northeast Region Professional Development Training Program, Sandy Beaumont

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Critical positions in state government are oftentimes understaffed. Researches have studied the factors that lead to staff shortage such as low salary, high caseloads, and a stressful environment. Therefore, it is challenging to keep those positions filled at maximum capacity. In state government, employees are the organization’s human capital requiring investment to retain a quality workforce. Investment of training and professional development in addition to training of normal work duties are vital to the endurance of employees. Government seeks for ways to improve its workforce and to obtain long-term quality employees without salaries and other financial incentives that are comparable …

Teacher Hiring And Placement At The Elementary School Level: The Challenges Of Implementing Strategic Human Resource Management Practices, Brittany Nicole Walker

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Decades of research emphasizes the importance of staffing schools with quality teachers, as this will have the largest impact on student achievement (Mason, Schroeder, 2010). With high teacher turnover rates in addition to shrinking qualified candidate pools, the hiring process holds great significance (Tooms, 2004). This case study explored how one school district hires and places elementary school teachers. This study follows a qualitative case study approach using documents and interviews as data collection methods. Recently, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) has made the transition from business to educational literature. This study explored two concepts, including fit and flexibility from …

Exploring The Impact Of Diversity Training On The Development And Application Of Cultural Competence Skills In Higher Education Professionals, Kendra Cabler

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years the terms diversity and inclusion have become major buzzwords across industries and fields of study. Within the field of education broadly, and higher education in particular, a shifting student demographic can be seen across the country. Issues of equity and inclusion have become central complexities for present day educational strategists, and organizations committed to cultivating a culture of inclusion must do so with intentionality. In the context of higher education, this often requires the intentional development of professionals within a particular college or university. There has been a great deal of research concerning the development of cultural …

Emotional Intelligence Instruction For Millennials In Undergraduate Education, Jason M. Pollett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the improvement, if any, of emotional intelligence scores of students who participated in and completed the specified professional development seminar. In addition, this study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional intelligence subscales of students enrolled in a professional development seminar that focuses on enhancing the emotional intelligence. The research design for this study was an ex post facto, quasi-experimental correlational quantitative research design. Data from the 371 students who enrolled in the Professional Development Seminar course during academic years 2015-2017 served as the sample for this study.

This study focused on …

Exploring Alumni Valuation Of An Undergraduate Leadership Program, John D. Egan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored alumni’ valuation of an undergraduate leadership program by gaining an understanding of what leadership learning and leadership behaviors transferred into their work environments. The alumni graduated from the same university in the southeastern United States, and while enrolled completed a four-year, co-curricular leadership program. In this mixed methods study, eight participant alumni engaged in semi-structured interviews as well as completed the Leadership Practices Inventory. Alumni perceived that leadership experiences, learning community, classroom learning, peer coaching, and intentional reflection were the most valuable attributes of the program. The leadership learning that effectively transferred to work environments included collaboration, …

Revealing The Human Resource Development Discourse: A Mixed Methods Study Of Similarities And Differences In Academic And Practitioner Language, Or Labels-In-Use, Holly D. Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Woven within the pages of HRD’s historical literature, a variety of scholarly voices can be found drawing attention to the increasing inconsistency in the language of the field. Within the literature, we also find evidence of a long-standing discord and debate regarding the field’s definition and identified boundaries. This is the first study that attempts to elevate the conversation of HRD’s definition to that of an exploration of what is shared, and what makes the discipline’s members unique. Utilizing Li’s (2009) lens of disciplinary identity and elements of Gee’s (1999) theory of Discourse, this study presents a concept of what …

The Influence Of An Electronic Attendance Monitoring System On Undergraduate Academic Success, Charles Childress

Dissertations

Investing in human capital development increases education levels, workplace skills, and boost individual abilities. Undergraduate students who attend class and perform well are more likely to get jobs, due to their development of workplace skills. State governments, as the funding bodies for public universities, are finding it beneficial to increase the number of college graduates because a citizenry that is prepared for the job market is ultimately good for the state. States recognize that an increase in education can produce job opportunities for citizens. University administrators can employ tactics to increase graduation rates, one of which is monitoring students’ class …

Exploring Diversity Workforce Experiences Of Ahrd Alumni, Kayce Croy

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Diversity plays a crucial role in everyday life, especially in academic and workplace settings. Despite increased attention to the value of diversity across settings, institutions of higher education, businesses, and organizations often do not provide adequate diversity initiatives to prepare students and employees for life and work in diverse environments. Therefore, to understand diversity education practices from formal college education and workforce experience, alumni who have graduated within the last five years from the Adult Education/Human Resource Development (AHRD) graduate program at James Madison University (JMU) were surveyed.The current study utilized a mixed methods survey approach that provided data on …

Initial Evidence Of Construct Validity Of Data From A Self-Assessment Instrument Of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (Tpack) In 2-Year Public College Faculty In Texas, Kristin C. Scott

Human Resource Development Theses and Dissertations

Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) has been studied in K-12 faculty in the U.S. and around the world using survey methodology. Very few studies of TPACK in post-secondary faculty have been conducted and no peer-reviewed studies in U.S. post-secondary faculty have been published to date. The present study is the first reliability and validity of data from a TPACK survey to be conducted with a large sample of U.S. post-secondary faculty. The professorate of 2-year public college faculty in Texas will help their institutions meet the goals of the state’s higher education strategic plan, 60x30TX. In order to do …

A Mixed-Methods Study: Self-Efficacy And Barriers To Participation In Workplace Wellness Programs, Massiel Perez-Calhoon

Dissertations

America needs a healthy workforce to sustain the country. The scourge of obesity continues to plague Americans despite government initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act and wellness programs in the workplace to combat this epidemic. However, despite initiatives to make America healthy, barriers continued to impede the nation’s health. Lack of awareness and sensitivity to what motivates individual participants versus group participants built formidable barriers to accessing all workplace employees equitably. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the intent of this study was to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and the impact on participation and engagement when …

Improving The Education Of Leaders: An Exploratory Case Study In An Undergraduate Business Leadership Course Focused On Gender, Kanina Blanchard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This exploratory case study is conducted in an undergraduate leadership course at a business school in Ontario. The research develops an understanding of how former students value and are influenced by leadership education that teaches a breadth of knowledges (instrumental, hermeneutic and emancipatory) and focuses on participants’ perspectives of how gender and inequality continue to impact the practice of leadership in Canada. By using document analysis and semi-structured interviews, findings emerge which provide insights into how changes in curricula and pedagogy may better prepare students of leadership to navigate the ethical and social complexities in today’s workplace.

A Mixed-Methods (Quantitative-Qualitative) Study To Identify The Perceived Level Of, Zeky Zardo

Dissertations

Different approaches to developing leaders have been established through various forms of self-assessment, action learning, and education and training activities (Smither et al., 2005). The existing body of research on the impact and success of college and university leadership development programs focuses heavily on undergraduate leadership programs and not graduate-level programs such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or the doctorate. The purpose of this mixed-methods (quantitative–qualitative) study was to identify the perceived level of transformational leadership skill development by students enrolled in a doctoral program in organizational leadership. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to …

The Relationship Between University Employees’ Work Engagement And The Perception Of Their Influence On Student Integration And Retention, Janea Sims Mcdonald

Dissertations

The retention of college students is an issue that affects the student, the university, and the workforce. When a student does not graduate, they often either earn less over the period of their lifetime, or are unable to find a job. The workforce is affected because this means fewer qualified applicants to fill positions. Universities are impacted in many ways, including financially. Lower retention rates lead to less income from tuition and decreased funding from state and federal sources which base funding formulas on performance outcomes (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014).

One way to increase the likelihood of student …

Creative Collaboration On A Creativity Book, Jane Harvey

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Based on existing roles as writer and designer, two Master’s students partnered on one project. This project was dually about the creative product and creative process. The final product result is a book on creativity, but much of the project learning was about collaboration during the creative process itself. The project included the creation of written and visual content and a production-ready book layout on the subject of creativity. This paper describes the process followed to create a fast reading, jargon-free book with a special academic end section.

Reflection On An Intercultural Communication Workshop For Japanese Executives: Doing Business With U.S. Americans, Kristine E. Menn

MA TESOL Collection

"Vérité en deçà des Pyrénées, erreur au-delà"

(There are truths on this side of the Pyrenees that are falsehoods on the other)

Blaise Pascal (Moran, Harris & Moran, 2007, p. 2).

This paper is a reflection on an intercultural communication workshop developed for sixteen upper-level Japanese executives who work with their U.S. American counterparts in a U.S.A.-based global corporation. This training session was only one part of a much larger training program initiative which was carried out in five countries in Asia as well as in several locations across the U.S.A. Throughout my paper, I will apply the …

Teaching And Non-Teaching Staff Job Satisfaction, Jason Curl

Ed.D. Dissertations

This study focuses on the problem of attrition of teacher in the modern educational system, and the effect job satisfaction has on teacher attrition. Job satisfaction was examined for teaching and non-teaching staff in a high school setting to determine is difference between the employees using the Minnesota Satisfaction Survey Short Form. Analytical methodology was implemented utilizing a MANOVA to examine difference between teaching and non-teaching groups. Results indicated that there was a significant higher level for teaching staff for overall and intrinsic job satisfaction. Extrinsic job satisfaction yielded no significant difference between the groups. Furthermore, Dimensional statistics were employed …

The Teacher Pay For Performance Phenomenon, Deborah Viscardi

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this dissertation research was to explore the link between teacher motivation and performance-based compensation. This topic has been a controversial issue over the last decade across the country. There is a critical need for more research on teacher pay-for- performance systems, especially as it relates to motivation, student achievement, and the profession of teaching. Qualitative in design, the intent of this research study was to make meaning of teachers’ perceptions about the influence of performance-based compensation on the profession and practice of teaching. This study extends the current understanding and adds to the discussion of compensation policy …

Interpreting, Stephanie Jo Kent

Doctoral Dissertations

What do community interpreting for the Deaf in western societies, conference interpreting for the European Parliament, and language brokering in international management have in common? Academic research and professional training have historically emphasized the linguistic and cognitive challenges of interpreting, neglecting or ignoring the social aspects that structure communication. All forms of interpreting are inherently social; they involve relationships among at least three people and two languages. The contexts explored here, American Sign Language/English interpreting and spoken language interpreting within the European Parliament, show that simultaneous interpreting involves attitudes, norms and values about intercultural communication that overemphasize information and discount …

Compelled To Be Connected: An Ethnographic Exploration Of Organizational Culture, Work-Life Balance, And The Use Of Mobile Workplace Technologies, Kristopher J. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an ethnographic exploration of organizational culture, work-life balance, and the use of information and communication technology ("ICT") in the work and home settings. The researcher was embedded for nine weeks within the Information Technology ("IT") department at the corporate headquarters of a mid-sized manufacturing firm in the upper Midwest. The espoused values of the organization proved contradictory, one favoring work-life balance and the other requiring that employees be available to work anytime and from anywhere. The behaviors observed provided insight as to why employee actually used ICT after hours--because it was required of their role and/or because …

School Web Sites And Teacher Employment Interest, David Theodore Freeman

Dissertations

The Internet has changed the way many organizations, including public and private schools, recruit and select employees. It has also changed the way many people research and pursue employment opportunities, including those seeking positions in education. The school Web site is often the medium of first contact between a school or school district and a potential employee. That first contact can influence the potential employee’s decision to actively pursue employment with a school or a school district.

This research measured the reactions o f preservice teachers who visited three grade-level appropriate school Web sites of “poor,” “average,” and “best” distinction. …

A Study On Differentiated Staffing In The First Class Districts Of Washington State, Edward C. Tiegs

All Master's Theses

It was the purpose of this study (1) to examine the literature on differentiated staffing; (2) to determine the status of differentiated staffing in the first class districts of Washington State; (3) to compare the authorities' description of differentiated staffing to an actual pilot program implemented in Washington; (4) to determine the attitude of the certificated staff towards differentiated staffing in each building included in the study; (5) to determine if teachers and administrators in the buildings included in the study felt the differentiated staffing utilization of teachers improved instruction significantly more than was the case under traditional staffing; (6) …

A Study Of The Non-Salary Monetary Benefits Available To The Public School Teacher Of Washington, Richard Bruce Elliott

Graduate Student Research Papers

It was the purpose of this paper to bring to light some advantages of teaching in the State of Washington not directly tied to salaries, but certainly affecting the amount of disposable income the teacher will have after paying certain rather fixed expenses, both during his active teaching career and after retirement.