Education Commons^™

Teacher Retention: Perceptions Of Teachers And School Administration In Rural Schools In Nebraska, Andrew Offner

Dissertations and Theses

Teacher retention has become a major challenge for schools over the past several years. Rural school districts have become increasingly short on staff and are struggling to retain the staffs they have. The study had four purposes: (a) to determine teachers' perceptions of the factors leading to their retention, (b) to determine administrators' perceptions of the factors leading to teacher retention, (c) to determine differences in perceptions of teachers and administrators based on personal characteristics, and finally, (d), to determine the differences between teachers' and administrators' perceptions of factors retaining teachers in rural school districts. This quantitative study examined the …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Instructional Coaching, Judith Salazar

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional coaching focuses on increasing the effectiveness of instructional practices. However, little is known concerning the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding the role of instructional coaching related to student performance. This basic qualitative study was conducted to analyze the perceptions of administrators and teachers within one region in Texas. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 16 participants—eight administrators and eight teachers—using a researcher-designed questionnaire regarding the effectiveness of instructional coaching in addressing achievement gaps among African American, Hispanic, and European American students. Fullan’s coherence framework provided the basis for data analysis. Data collected from the interviews were analyzed and four …

Public School Administrator Perspectives Of Social Media Impacts On The Students They Serve, Alonzo Stotler

Honors Projects

Interviews with high school administrators on the effects social media has on adolescents and schools.

Culturally Relevant Practices And Community: Increasing Minority Leadership In School Administration To Improve School Climate, Cassandra Suggs, Joy N. Rogers

Dissertations

This dissertation and research looks into the area of Culturally Relevant Practices and Leadership in K-12 schools and the potential effect on all students in having minority leadership present. The research dives into interviews of teachers, hiring leaders, district leaders and building leaders. It also uses survey results from over 700 students, with the central theme of the questions around school safety, climate, culture, support, academics and a sense of belonging. The research purpose was to look into the potential positive effect on students and staff, if Culturally Relevant Practices and hiring of minority leadership was in place within school …

Black Female Higher Education Administrators: A Perspective On The Influence Of Microaggression On Work Engagement, Renee Ojo-Ohikuare

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of gender and racial microaggressions and how those experiences impact work engagement from the perspective of the Black woman higher education administrator. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Black women with current professional mid- or senior-level administrative positions in higher education institutions who had personal experiences of microaggression in the workplace and its impact on work engagement. A phenomenological methodology was used to reveal the lived experiences of these women. The results of the analysis uncovered six themes that described the experiences of microaggressions, the stereotypes of Black women, impacts …

How Exemplary Special Education Administrators Lead From The Heart Using Mark Crowley’S Four Principles (Building A Highly Engaged Team, Connecting On A Personal Level, Maximizing Employee Potential, And Valuing And Honoring Achievements) To Accomplish Extraordinary Results In Their Schools, Aimee Barnard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary district-level special education administrators lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and specific ways in which district-level special education administrators implemented and used Crowley’s (2011) four principles of heart-led strategies to understand the specific experiences and actions of the district-level special education administrators in relation to Crowley’s leading from the heart framework. …

Writing Instruction For Multilingual Learners, Leticia Kiwan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the benefit of three key elements of instructional writing strategies: structured writing, visual learning, and collaborative tasks to assist Title 1 middle school site administrators and teachers in assessing the impact of the instructional writing strategies for multilingual learners to achieve reclassification to Fluent English Proficient.

Methodology: The qualitative case study included a thorough analysis of one-on-one interviews with seven teachers and seven administrators with more than three years of experience in a middle school from the Sacramento area.

Findings: Examination of the data indicated the following findings: (1) …

Current School District Administrators’ And Math Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teacher Buy-In For Problem-Based Learning In Middle School Math, Kelly Riley Hastings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-Based Learning (PBL) in middle school math classrooms is a topic that has not been well-researched, even though math scores in the United States have been declining. In a school district in the Southcentral United States, the local problem was that teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math classes was unknown, as current literature regarding administrator and teacher perspectives on teacher buy-in is limited. The purpose of the study was to explore current school district administrators’ and math teachers’ perspectives of teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math in a Southcentral U.S. state. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory contributes …

Influence Of Student Evaluations On College Instructors’ Professional Practice, Veronda Hutchinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many post-secondary institutions make significant use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) to evaluate teacher effectiveness and students’ perceptions of their learning experiences in the course. However, it is unclear how teachers use SETs to inform their professional practice. Hence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how SETs influenced instructors’ professional practice at a local community college from the perspective of the instructors, which the research question was centered on. The conceptual framework for the study was the cognitive dissonance theory, because it explains the changes in the individual’s behavior through the need to reduce mental …

Administrator Knowledge Of The First Amendment Rights In A School And How To Improve Legal Literacy Through Self-Efficacy, Stuart E. Wrzesinski

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the legal literacy of school administrators and the lack of mandated training regarding school law, specific to the First Amendment. With continual changes in education school administrators can function as the change agent for schools through the lens of self-efficacy. This dissertation is organized into three bodies of work. Paper 1 is a review of literature specific to legal literacy and First Amendment rights in schools. Additional research on self-efficacy theory is presented as a potential catalyst for increasing legal literacy in schools. Paper 2 documents data based on survey questions specific to legal literacy within the …

Perceptions Of Secondary Administrators: Looking At Their Experiences And Practices Supporting Science Instruction, Venicia Ferrell

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Secondary school administrators play a vital role as instructional leaders, specifically those that are aimed at improving students’ learning of science content (Hill & Grossman, 2013). Unfortunately, administrators rarely have a background in science (Halverson et al., 2011). Little is known about an administrator's knowledge of science practices and their ability to support science instruction at the secondary level. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the relationship between the structure and focus of an administrator’s instructional roles and their capacity to foster quality science support and instruction for teachers and students. Administrators' perceptions of effective support actions …

Elementary Administrators’ Perceptions Of Support For Novice Alternatively-Certified Teachers In High-Poverty Schools, Kelle Wilson Lofton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Novice alternatively-certified teachers are hired to teach in high-poverty schools at a higher rate than traditionally-certified peers. These teachers are often unprepared to teach in challenging environments and struggle to manage their classrooms and achieve student academic success. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to investigate elementary school administrators’ perceptions of support for novice alternatively-certified teachers in high-poverty schools in a southern U.S. state. Burns’s transformational leadership paradigm informed the study. The research questions focused on how elementary principals and assistant principals perceived transformational practices to support novice alternatively-certified teachers in high-poverty schools. Data were collected using …

Experiences Of Implementing Developmental Education Redesign In Mississippi Community Colleges: An Administrators’ And Faculty’S Perspective, James Rush

Dissertations

Each year, after graduating from high school or after a number of years in the workforce, millions of students in America make the choice to further their education. Students who enter higher education are faced with the decision of choosing from a diverse pool of institutions that provide an array of services to meet the needs of a changing society. Many students entering institutions of higher learning are in need of some developmental instruction or course in order to complete their degree and/or training. Because of the integral part that developmental education plays in higher education, the cost versus effectiveness …

Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWI) has long been a point of concern in higher education. Midwest Community College (MCC), a PWI, 2-year public institution, has a problem of retaining African American faculty employed by the college. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American faculty retention practices at MCC since little is known about the African American faculty experience at PWIs. Delagado and Stefancic's critical race theory conceptual framework of counter storytelling, Whiteness as property, interest conversion, and critique of liberalism guided this study. A qualitative case study research …

Perceptions Of African American Faculty Retention Practices In Community College, Kyle Huntington Bright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The retention of African American faculty at predominantly White institutions (PWI) has long been a point of concern in higher education. Midwest Community College (MCC), a PWI, 2-year public institution, has a problem of retaining African American faculty employed by the college. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of African American faculty retention practices at MCC since little is known about the African American faculty experience at PWIs. Delagado and Stefancic's critical race theory conceptual framework of counter storytelling, Whiteness as property, interest conversion, and critique of liberalism guided this study. A qualitative case study research …

Secondary School Administrators' Preparation As An Lea Representative In South Carolina, Chastity B. Evans

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research has suggested that many principals are underprepared and that some lack any background from coursework and field experience which may be required to exert strong leadership in special education (DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003; DiPaola, Tschannen-Moran, & Walther-Thomas, 2004), but the number of students receiving special services is on the rise. The purpose of this research study is to determine how secondary school administrators are prepared to make legally and ethically defensible decisions as the authorized LEA representative.

If school administrators are expected to be effective in their role as the authorized LEA representative, it is vital that they …

Support Provided By Administrators For Mathematics Teachers: A Case Study Of One North Louisiana High School, Jessica M. Hunter

Doctoral Dissertations

National and International assessment results as well as general student unpreparedness for college and beyond in terms of mathematical abilities indicate a need for increased student achievement in mathematics (Hart, 2005; National Center for Education Statistics, 2017; Peterson, Woessmann, Hanushek, & Lastra-Anadon, 2011). The purpose of the study was to explore effective leadership traits of secondary school administrators that foster and support teachers of mathematics. Research specifically made connections to instructional and transformational leadership practices, actions, and traits. This exploration was investigated through a case study using interviews completed by high school educators, administrators, and district leaders.

A sample of …

Transformational Leadership Practices And Student Achievement In Diverse Urban Elementary Schools, Matilda Maria Mendez-Keegan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The relationship between transformational leadership and student academic achievement in diverse urban elementary schools is under-researched. However, studies have indicated that there are no evident gains in student achievement when administrators and teachers differ on views of effective leadership practices. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between teachers' perceptions of administrator leadership practices and student achievement in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics within diverse elementary schools. Burns's seminal theory on transformational leadership was the theoretical framework for this study. The research questions were designed to explore the relationship between teachers' perceived rating of transformational …

Influence Of Administrators Support On Third Grade Student Behavior In Schools, Alicia Vink

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research indicated that teachers' perceptions of administrator support behaviors, behavioral interventions, and students' classroom behaviors have a strong connection to students' academic outcomes. A lack of administrator support practices present challenges to teachers' effectiveness and students' academic and social success. The purpose of this quantitative study was to address the relationships among teachers' perceptions of administrator support, the FAST (Families and Schools Together) behavioral intervention program, and teachers' perceptions of student classroom behavior. Spillane's distributed leadership theory was used as a framework. The data were a subset of archival data from a target population of approximately 200 teachers working at …

The Me You Do Not See: The Experiences Of African American Administrators And Double Consciousness, Matasha Jordan

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This qualitative study focused on the experiences of 10 African American professionals, five males and five females, in educational administrative positions. The purpose of the study was to show how African American educational administrators perceived double consciousness and describe how they navigated or negotiated their race when working with Caucasian stakeholders in educational organizations. The administrators participated in two interviews, answering questions on race, socioeconomic status, differences between Black and White leadership and lifestyles, culture, and double consciousness. The theoretical framework of this study included elements of critical race theory and culturally sensitive research approaches to support a narrative inquiry. …

Teachers' Perceptions Of School Training On Positive Behavior Supports For Behavior Intervention And Discipline, Kyle Gibson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School staff was concerned that disruptive student behaviors at an urban, middle school in central Ohio had continued even with positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) implementation and professional development (PD) for more than 4 years. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perspectives of school training on the implementation of the PBIS system. Skinner's reinforcement theory and Bandura's social learning theory served as the conceptual frameworks for this study. Specifically, this study explored the training of teachers using the PBIS framework in diminishing students' negative behaviors. This study used triangulated data from interviews, observations, and document analysis. …

Dynamic School Psychology: Perceptions Between School Psychologists, Teachers, And Administrators On School Psychology And Paradigm Shift Theory, Homero Flores

Education Dissertations

The purpose of this research paper is to gain current perceptions of school psychology services and paradigm shift theory in school psychology by school psychologists, teachers and administrators within public school systems. The paper will focus on the history of school psychology, federal legislation, and IDEA. Surveys were collected from school psychologists, teachers and administrators regarding perceptions of school psychology and paradigm shift theory in school psychology services. Although the results were non-significant, results of the surveys indicate similar results to previous perceptual surveys. While teachers and administrators would like more services in general from school psychologists, school psychologists remained …

Career Paths, Barriers, And Professional Experiences: A Comparison Study Of Physical Therapy Program Directors In The United States, Tamara Nancy Gravano

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The entry-level degree for physical therapists today is a professional doctoral degree. It is similar to a medical degree program where the expected outcome of its graduates is clinical practice, and there is no formal training in academic teaching or administration. The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership characteristics, styles, and behaviors of accredited Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program directors (PD) and to gain a better understanding of their preparation and path to program leadership. The survey instrument was sent electronically to all program directors of accredited DPT programs in the United States (N=233) and the …

Teachers’ And Administrators' Perceptions Of The Characteristics Of Effective Leadership For K-12 International Schools, Travis S. Smith

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the characteristics of effective leadership for K-12 international schools. The data produced three themes; these include emotional intelligence, the ability to establish school culture, and administrative mindset. The literature review focused on the survey data points of humor, cultural intelligence, and vision embedded within these themes. The research findings are intended to advance the knowledge of leadership for K-12 international schools.

Remedial Education Programs And Student Success: Perceptions Of Faculty And Administrators At Hbcus, Tenora J. Simonez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine factors that contributed to student success in remedial education as perceived by faculty members and administrators at one public HBCU in the University System of Georgia. The five specific areas that contributed to student success and were identified for review were administrative factors, curricula and instructional models, academic support services, importance of placement tests, and the impact of financial issues. Each of these areas was represented in literature regarding the histories of remedial education programs and HBCUs, recent federal and state admissions and fiscal changes, and instructional best practices of remedial …

An Exploration Of The Impostor Phenomenon And Its Impact On Black Women Administrators In Higher Education In The South, Marian Muldrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies document Black student and faculty underrepresentation in higher education and the obstacles blocking their access to the classroom either as students or as instructors. As Black women students work toward graduate degrees, Black women administrators are needed so these students can see their identity reflected in their academic leaders.

As a result, this study focused on the particular challenges that limit upward mobility to senior-level administrative positions and highlighted some of the obstacles and conflicts that arise when Black women pursue leadership positions at institutions of higher education. The highlighted historical events related to education, as well as …

Preferences For Intrinsic And Extrinsic Sport Motivators Of Mississippi's Public Sschool Teachers, Jason Hugh Rayborn

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if Mississippi’s teachers teach for the same motivational reasons that athletes practice their sport. Certified teachers (N=380) from Mississippi were asked to complete a modified version of the Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) survey. This modified version of the instrument, the SMS-II-ED, included 18 questions from 6 different extrinsic, intrinsic, and a-motivational subgroups and one qualitative question for a total of 19 questions. Preliminary demographic items included teacher’s grade level taught (K-5, 6-8, 9-12), years’ experience (1-10, 11-19, 20+), and previous high school or collegiate sport participation (yes or no).

Descriptive statistics were …

How Do Administrators Of New York City Early Intervention Programs Conceptualize And Implement Family-Centered Care?, Jennifer M. Longley

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Family-centered care, the mandated delivery approach outlined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C, is considered best practice in providing services to families with children under three with special needs. It has been shown to benefit children and families through numerous positive outcomes. Yet, family-centered care is not implemented in all programs universally, and significant variation exists in how programs deliver family-centered services, to the detriment of families. Much of that variation can be attributed to programmatic leadership, as administrators establish the philosophy, policies, practices, and organizational climate of an agency.

This project intended to build on the …

An Examination Of How Feminist Perspectives And Generational Differences Lnfluence The Leadership Practices Of Women Administrators In Higher Education, Marlene Kowalski-Braun

Dissertations

This study explored how feminist perspectives and generational differences influence the leadership practice of women administrators in higher education, specifically, how they lead and create institutional change. It examined the experiences of seven women who identified as feminists, who were part of Generation X, and who were at the mid-level, aspiring to senior-level, or in senior-level positions.

Phenomenology was the qualitative methodology used in this study to uncover how these women made meaning of their feminist and generational identities. The approach was grounded in feminist methodology and utilized feminist standpoint theory to legitimize women as “knowers.” It drew on a …