Education Commons^™

The Identification Of Successes And Barriers In Establishing Professional Learning Communities From Principals' Perspectives, Katie Carol Clarke

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify the successes and challenges in establishing professional learning communities (PLC) within 25 school districts in southwest Minnesota. Data was generated by school principals completing a closed-ended online survey that revealed degrees of implementation of PLCs. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and provided a foundation for the development of semi-structured focus group questions. This was a sequential mixed methods study, as the quantitative data was first collected followed by obtaining qualitative focus group data. Themes were generated during data analysis of the focus group questions and findings revealed successes and …

Leadership Curricula Of Professional Athletic Training Programs, Elizabeth Drake

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Nationally-recognized athletic training organizations have identified leadership knowledge, skills, and competencies as essential for athletic trainers to be successful in the current healthcare environment and to help advance the profession of athletic training. However, little is currently known regarding the methods and the extent of leadership development in athletic training professional preparation programs. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine student and faculty perspectives of the extent and ways that athletic training professional preparation programs address leadership in their curricula.

Data were obtained via surveys completed by 71 students and 83 athletic training professional level program directors. Overall, …

Reaching An Invisible Minority: A Survey Of Admissions Department Leaders' Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Student Outreach Efforts And Campus Climate In The Upper Midwest, Pollard David Sorquist

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students face challenges and barriers to higher education that heterosexual students do not. Many of these challenges are rooted in negative high school experiences of LGB youth, such as social stigmatization and family rejection. Additionally, LGB students have historically been excluded from admissions office outreach considerations. This has resulted in structural and symbolic barriers in secondary and post-secondary institutions. These barriers limit LBG student access and also limit available resources to support the successful transition to higher education institutions. Higher education admissions leaders have a unique opportunity to reach out to and actively support LGB …

Student Assessment Of Professor Effectiveness, Roger Emil Knutson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Despite progressive changes, subtle sexism is still present in modern society. The present study used role congruity theory to explain how subtle sexism influences the ratings students provide for professors. Participants were presented with fictional scenarios where professor gender was manipulated and source of a mistake (student versus professor) was manipulated. For each scenario, students provided ratings of competence, likability, and likelihood to take another class with the professor. Multiple t-tests revealed no difference in student ratings between female professors and male professors who made mistakes and between female professors and male professors overall, although there was a significant difference …

Determining Effective/Ineffective: The Barriers Facing Minnesota Teacher Remediation, Matthew John Hillmann

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This dissertation investigated the attributes of effective and ineffective teachers, the conditions that would prompt Minnesota principals to recommend an ineffective teacher for remediation, and barriers that prevent Minnesota principals from remediating ineffective teaching. The mixed methods study used the iterative Delphi technique to gain consensus of an expert panel of 16 Minnesota principals on these topics. Three surveys were administered with participants able to review raw survey data prior to the second and third round surveys. The study aligned with previous research about the barriers principals face when attempting to remediate an ineffective teacher, which has stated that time …

Implementing Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports At The Secondary Level, Sheri L. Allen

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) at the secondary school level. The study used a mixed-method research approach. Concurrently, a qualitative survey about PBIS implementation with a quantitative open-ended question identifying how to improve implementation was administered to all secondary staff at one middle school. While the results affirmed that the four systems of PBIS were in place, this dissertation provides recommendations for implementation and how to improve implementation in a Midwestern middle school.