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Full-Text Articles in Education

Principals' Experiences Regarding Culturally Responsive Leadership Preparation And Practices That Promote Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Monica Brown Dec 2012

Principals' Experiences Regarding Culturally Responsive Leadership Preparation And Practices That Promote Academic Achievement Of African American Students, Monica Brown

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Culturally responsive education improves the educational success of ethnically diverse students (Gay, 2002). The research presented states the case of the need of culturally responsive leadership preparation programs that influence the practice of culturally responsive principals. Emerging evidence has found that preparation programs impact the efficacy of future school leaders (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Jackson & Kelly, 2002). A large body of literature points to persistent achievement gaps for children of color and especially for African American males and demands that school leadership preparation attend to issues of cultural competence (Dantley, 2005; Evans, 2007; Lopez, Magdeleno, & …


A Case Study In Collaborative Efforts At Spartanburg Community College, Frederick Cooper Dec 2012

A Case Study In Collaborative Efforts At Spartanburg Community College, Frederick Cooper

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The General Assembly of South Carolina radically changed the structure of secondary education with the enactment of the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) of 2005. A provision in the legislation requires post-secondary institutions to develop articulation agreements with secondary institutions in their service area(s). Traditionally, articulation agreements between secondary and post-secondary institutions have been few and far between. The question then becomes how articulation agreements are developed from the post-secondary perspective. Spartanburg Community College is one of the sixteen technical/community colleges in South Carolina. The development of articulation agreements is examined at Spartanburg Community College using the lens of …


Navigating The World Of Academia As A Mother And Contingent Faculty Member: A Narrative Inquiry, Kathryn Ledford Dec 2012

Navigating The World Of Academia As A Mother And Contingent Faculty Member: A Narrative Inquiry, Kathryn Ledford

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Although women hold many professional positions, they are still held accountable to present gendered customs like parenting children. Additionally, women who work in higher education are surrounded by masculine norms. For academic women who are also mothers like the author, many obstacles confront their management of the interlocking spheres of home, work and self. An examination of these women's narratives will illuminate how women navigate the world of academia, while maintaining our roles as mothers and individual identities.
For women who are mothers of children under six years old, and who are also contingent faculty members at four-year institutions, both …


A Dynamic Network Analysis Of Innovation And Leadership In Two-Year Colleges, Melissa Mcfarland Dec 2012

A Dynamic Network Analysis Of Innovation And Leadership In Two-Year Colleges, Melissa Mcfarland

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of leadership and its influence on innovation at a two-year college, paying particular attention to the network structure, the influence of leadership (formal and informal), and environmental influence. The goal was to learn about the nature of innovation at two-year colleges by studying the environment and leadership at these institutions, relative to theory, specifically complexity theory and dynamic network analysis, to gain an understanding of the complex dynamics that makes up the two-year college. The study looked at these influences and innovation as dynamic, changing processes between interconnected agents within …


Invisible Woman? Narratives Of Black Women Leaders In Southeastern Two-Year Colleges, Shelia Counts Aug 2012

Invisible Woman? Narratives Of Black Women Leaders In Southeastern Two-Year Colleges, Shelia Counts

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This narrative research study explored the experiences of two Black women executive-level leaders who started their careers within higher education, including two-year technical colleges located in the Southeast during the pivotal sociopolitical moments that occurred during the1960s to the1980s. The stories of these women revealed their perceptions of the barriers they faced as well as the opportunities they received for career advancement as their careers evolved parallel to the development of the technical college system itself. Qualitative procedures, including semi-structured interviews and a combined narrative analysis and analysis of narratives interpretative framework (Connelly & Clandinin, 2006; Creswell, 2009; Kramp, 2004; …


South Carolina Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Principals' Transformational Leadership In Academically Recognized And Other, High Poverty Schools, Julian Lewis Aug 2012

South Carolina Elementary Teachers' Perceptions Of Principals' Transformational Leadership In Academically Recognized And Other, High Poverty Schools, Julian Lewis

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This study investigated selected elementary school teachers' perceptions of principals' leadership. Ten South Carolina schools were selected based on the criterion of 50% or higher poverty index. Five schools included the feature of recognition by the state for academic success for one year or more over the 2003-2006 timeframe. One hundred three elementary teachers and seven of the 10 schools' principals completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire 5x-Short (Bass & Avolio, 1995a, 1995b). Given multiple data sources for this study, the question was formulated as follows: How are teacher and principal responses on the MLQ validated by principals' reports of leadership …


Adaptation Of Chinese Graduate Students To The Academic Integrity Requirements Of A U.S. University: A Mixed Methods Research, Hu Jian Aug 2012

Adaptation Of Chinese Graduate Students To The Academic Integrity Requirements Of A U.S. University: A Mixed Methods Research, Hu Jian

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The purpose of this mixed method study was to investigate how graduates originating from mainland China adapt to the U.S. academic integrity requirements. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on understanding the state of academic integrity in China. This guiding question was divided into two sub-questions, academic misbehavior commonly practiced by students in China and factors leading to these types of misbehavior. The data were collected via a web-based survey (N=300) through convenience sampling. The results from the quantitative analysis displayed the commonly practiced academic misbehavior converge on four categories: a) cheating for benefits, …


Residents' Interaction With Their College Living-Learning Peer Mentor: A Grounded Theory, Jonathan Wylie May 2012

Residents' Interaction With Their College Living-Learning Peer Mentor: A Grounded Theory, Jonathan Wylie

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This study used Strauss and Corbin's (1998) grounded theory model to describe and explain the stories of residents' interactions with their peer mentor, in a health, education, and human development living-learning community (LLC). The question answered in this study was: What is the impact of the interaction between a peer mentor and residents within a living-learning community? Two sub-questions were asked: (1) How does the peer mentor affect the living-learning community members academically? and (2) How does the peer mentor affect the living-learning community members socially?
The LLC had 43 residents, a resident director, an academic coordinator, and one peer …


Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Network Approach, Bonnie Smith Dec 2011

Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction: A Network Approach, Bonnie Smith

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This study addresses the question, 'how do network dynamics and leadership behavior influence community college faculty job satisfaction?' Using ORA's dynamic network analysis (DNA) tools, this study investigates how network interactions relate to faculty job satisfaction, how beliefs about leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships relate to network interactions, and how beliefs about LMX relationships relate to job satisfaction. A faculty network is analyzed as a whole, then clusters are identified and analyzed using standard network measurements and a belief propagation algorithms.
Results indicate that job satisfaction and perceptions of relationship with leaders are co-created within networks. Cluster which have high network …


An Examination Of Adaptive Leadership Processes Using Action Research, Margaret Bright Dec 2011

An Examination Of Adaptive Leadership Processes Using Action Research, Margaret Bright

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School districts are knowledge producing organizations faced with adaptive challenges that require new learning, innovation, and new patterns of behavior. Traditional, entity-based models of leadership rely on the knowledge of only a handful of leaders at the top of the bureaucratic ladder and fail to tap collective creativity inherent at all levels of a school or district. The purpose of this study was to engage in action research to identify emergent, interactive dynamics that resulted in a creative solution to an adaptive special education problem of closing the achievement gap for students with disabilities in one geographical area of a …


Complex Organizations: A Cultural Analysis Of A Christian College, Daniel Bennett Aug 2011

Complex Organizations: A Cultural Analysis Of A Christian College, Daniel Bennett

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The purpose of this study was to understand the emergent dynamics that shape the organizational culture of a faith-based college incorporating a comprehensive network approach. The study adapted Martin's (2002) Three Perspective Theory of Culture utilizing the Dynamic Network Analysis methodology. To understand the cultural manifestations of the organization, several networks of beliefs and agent interactions were examined.
The results demonstrated that religious values are deeply embedded in the institution and there is a rich diversity of beliefs within the institution and its subcultures. The role of resources was examined, and financial resources emerged as a crucial element that stresses …


Expanding A Validated Model: Effects And Antecedents Of Student Engagement, Barbara Nesbitt May 2011

Expanding A Validated Model: Effects And Antecedents Of Student Engagement, Barbara Nesbitt

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This study attempted to identify aspects of student engagement and capital inputs that impacted student achievement. The primary research question in the study asked: Does student engagement mediate the effects of capital inputs at the student, school, and class level to improve student achievement? The study also sought to understand how student engagement, capital inputs, and student achievement differed between White and African American students. This study used the 1990 and 1992 follow-up waves of the NELS:88 dataset. Two standardized scores defined student achievement: 12th grade reading and mathematics. The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural …


Educational Leadership And School Culture: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Effective Leadership, Pearly Milton May 2011

Educational Leadership And School Culture: A Study Of The Perceptions Of Effective Leadership, Pearly Milton

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Effective leadership has been cited as essential for creating and sustaining effective schools. Selecting, assigning, and retaining such leaders is a difficult task at best. Characteristics and/or skills deemed essential for effective leaders have been identified by researchers; however, many of our schools continue to produce results that are less than desirable. In addition, leaders who may be effective in one setting may not be in another. Research indicates organizational/school culture may be a contributing factor to the success of these leaders. Moreover, research indicates culture may have an impact on the characteristics perceived as effective/ineffective leadership attributes within these …


How Undergraduate Women At A Predominantly White Institution View Leadership: A Phenomenology, Carolyn Dupre May 2011

How Undergraduate Women At A Predominantly White Institution View Leadership: A Phenomenology, Carolyn Dupre

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Traditionally, men have been the main actors and storytellers in the history of formal education. The United States is seeing progress in recruiting women into higher education classrooms, but does this increase in numbers equate to an increase in the understanding of their experiences? Further, are we supporting undergraduate women in their growth as student leaders, both for their benefit on campus and their lives post-graduation? This study begins with a literature review of the history of education in the United States. Gender is reviewed from the perspective of various disciplines to serve as a conceptual basis for understanding undergraduate …


A Dynamic Network Analysis Of Vision In Complex Organizations, Jon Christiansen May 2011

A Dynamic Network Analysis Of Vision In Complex Organizations, Jon Christiansen

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The purpose of this study was to model the role of vision in a complex organization and the roles that agents, tasks, knowledge, roles, resources and beliefs play. For this purpose, an investigation into the current structure of this model is conducted. Additionally, this study sought to develop a better understanding of how agent's individual vision and beliefs about the organizational vision can be influenced over time. This purpose sought to identify the evolution of vision, therefore, required a method that simulates how these entities change over time. Dynamic Network Analysis was utilized to capture an understanding of the existing …


The Leadership Experience Of Female Chief Admissions Officers: A Phenomenological Research Study, Krista Timney May 2011

The Leadership Experience Of Female Chief Admissions Officers: A Phenomenological Research Study, Krista Timney

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College admissions is a highly-competitive, business-oriented, and collaborative profession where women continue to be underrepresented in leadership positions. A study is needed of the barriers that have the potential to hinder the advancement of women in this unique and challenging field, as well as the opportunities and approaches to leadership that may lead to their success. The southeast region of the U.S. was chosen for this study because it is an area where women have been successful in advancing into leadership roles in admissions. The primary research question was: How do female chief admissions officers describe their lived leadership experiences? …


Understanding Black Student Perceptions Of Targeted Student Support Services On A Predominantly White College Campus, Kendra Stewart May 2011

Understanding Black Student Perceptions Of Targeted Student Support Services On A Predominantly White College Campus, Kendra Stewart

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Black students' perceptions of their experiences on predominantly White campuses have been marred by a sense of isolation and alienation from the overall campus community. Black students do not feel they have sufficient access to important resources to satisfactorily navigate an unfamiliar campus environment. Support services for Black students, such as ethnically-themed student organizations or mentoring programs, have been implemented to react to and address such perceptions. A review of literature focused on Black student challenges on predominantly White campuses implicated the need for such support services, but there is a need in higher education to have a more detailed …


A Structural Equation Model Of Leader Attributes In The Principalship, Amy Young Dec 2010

A Structural Equation Model Of Leader Attributes In The Principalship, Amy Young

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To become a principal in South Carolina, one must have teaching experience, a master's degree, and certification in the area of primary responsibility. Beyond what is learned through coursework, internships, and certification tests, what intangible factors critically influence a principal's actions and decisions, and (ultimately) success? Trait theory begs the question of whether any of these criteria truly influences the decisions and actions of the principalship. Are there interactive traits of leadership that describe the behaviors of school principals? This study revisits trait theory by examining leader attributes relative to the principalship of South Carolina public schools. This study replicates, …


The Impact Of University Housing Construction Type On Psychosocial Development Of First-Year Students, Justin Owens Dec 2010

The Impact Of University Housing Construction Type On Psychosocial Development Of First-Year Students, Justin Owens

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The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of university housing construction type on psychosocial development of first-year students. Data were collected at a large, four-year, public, research university in the Southeast using the Student Development Task and Lifestyle Assessment. The population considered for this study consisted of first-year, traditionally-aged students living on campus within university housing at the research site for the spring of 2010. The study only considered students within three residential living environments: (a) modified-traditional residence halls, (b) adjoining suite style residence halls, and (c) super-suite style residence halls.
Multivariate analysis of covariance and analysis …


Professional Development To Promote Employee Engagement: A Multi-Case Study, Starrin Shafer May 2010

Professional Development To Promote Employee Engagement: A Multi-Case Study, Starrin Shafer

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ABSTRACT
Organizations with high employee engagement have positive outcomes in their organizational results. These organizations attained greater satisfaction from their customers, employees were more productive, and increased profits. Employee disengagement is detrimental to businesses, costing companies billions of dollars every year as a result. The suffered losses are a result of high turnover, low employee and customer satisfaction, and decreased productivity. Disengaged employees affected the overall economy in the United States by approximately $300 billion. Because employee engagement has an extensive influence on an organization's financial position, many organizations designed professional development training programs targeted at enhancing the engagement skills …


Perceptions Of Leadership Attributes Of South Carolina Technical College Presidents, Kevin Mckenzie May 2010

Perceptions Of Leadership Attributes Of South Carolina Technical College Presidents, Kevin Mckenzie

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This study examined the leadership attributes perceived to be possessed by the presidents in South Carolina's Technical College System. The participants consisted of 16 presidents and 80 subordinates that were selected by the presidents. All participants were asked to complete the Leader Attribute Inventory . Additionally, each participant was requested to identify and rank attributes needed for future leadership at their institution. Demographic data were also gathered about the participants and summarized. The survey responses were collected via United States Postal Service, transposed into spreadsheets and analyzed to determine what relationships existed between the presidents' self perception and the subordinates …


A Historical Analysis Of Property Reform Act Of 2006, David Pitts May 2010

A Historical Analysis Of Property Reform Act Of 2006, David Pitts

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The South Carolina Property Tax Reform Bill was signed into law in June 2006 creating a new way of generating money for public education in South Carolina. The Property Tax Reform Act eliminated 100% of the fair market value of 4% owner-occupied property for the purposes of taxation for school operations. Additionally, the Act increased the sales tax by 1% on most goods. Further, the Act limited a local school district's ability to raise additional revenue.
The following qualitative study used historical research design with an emphasis on oral history. The researcher used the wealth neutrality theory for the theoretical …


The College Football Student-Athlete's Academic Experience: Network Analysis And Model Development, Kyle Young May 2010

The College Football Student-Athlete's Academic Experience: Network Analysis And Model Development, Kyle Young

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A grounded theory research study employing network analysis as a means of facilitating the latter stages of the coding process was conducted at a selective university that competes at the highest level of college football. The purpose of the study was to develop a better understanding of how interactive dynamics and controlling mechanisms, such as NCAA eligibility standards, influence the academic experience of college football student-athletes. The study resulted in the development of a model that depicted the college football student-athlete's academic experience along a path of engagement that is influenced by dynamics and processes over the course of his …


An Analysis Of Working Conditions Of South Carolina Teachers And Expected Working Conditions Of Clemson University Student Teachers, Tammy Bobo Dec 2009

An Analysis Of Working Conditions Of South Carolina Teachers And Expected Working Conditions Of Clemson University Student Teachers, Tammy Bobo

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Results of the 2007-2008 South Carolina inservice teachers' survey were analyzed for levels of reported competence, autonomy, and relatedness in existing working conditions. These results were compared to the expected level of competence, autonomy, and relatedness indicated by preservice teachers in January of 2009 at Clemson University. Levels of existing competence, autonomy, and relatedness reported by inservice teachers in their working conditions were consistently higher than the levels expected by preservice teachers and these differences were found to be significantly different using an analysis of variance.
Themes revealed by principal component analysis showed similarities to the basic needs of competence, …


Roles, Responsibilities, Celebrations, And Post-Presidency Aspirations Of Female College Presidents, Almeda Jacks Dec 2009

Roles, Responsibilities, Celebrations, And Post-Presidency Aspirations Of Female College Presidents, Almeda Jacks

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Of the 3,300 university and college presidents in higher education in the United States, only 23% are held by females (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2007). The percentage of female students in most institutions in higher education is higher than those of male students.
The Central questions that guided this research study are as follows: What are the roles and responsibilities of presidents of higher educational institutions? How do presidents of higher education celebrate their professional and personal accomplishments? Additionally, what are the post-presidency aspirations of the eight women interviewed who all currently are in their first presidency position in …