Education Commons^™

Exploring The Curriculum And Institutional Contexts Of Stem Future Faculty Programs, Amy Mae Forester

Dissertations and Theses

While there are a multitude of contributing factors, under-represented student success in STEM appears to be critically interdependent with teaching and learning practices that are responsive to diverse epistemologies and inclusive pedagogies. However, the professional literature has yet to identify a set of faculty development best practices that might guide the field. Furthermore, the institutional supports required to drive the success of STEM-oriented future faculty programs remain unknown. This inquiry proposal intended to address these concerns through a critical comparative qualitative study in seeking evidence-based practices and institutional elements of STEM faculty professional development programs that support diverse graduate and …

Principal Literacy Leadership Perspectives And Practices, Megan Patricia Shay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current elementary data from a large suburban district in the eastern part of the United States demonstrate that less than half of students in Grades 3 through 5 are demonstrating sufficient literacy achievement as measured by state assessments. This problem is of great concern since strong literacy achievement is fundamental to student success in school and preparation for college and career. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of elementary principals from this district on their role and practices as leaders in their students’ literacy achievement. The conceptual framework for this study is Murphy’s model …

The Lived Experiences Of High-Performing Black Male Students With Advanced Placement Courses, Griselda Almonte-Delgado

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Black male students are underrepresented in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Studies on the perspective and experiences of high performing Black male students with Advanced Placement (AP) is limited. Available research indicates that high performing Black students are enrolled at half the rate of White students both nationally and locally in Advanced Placement (AP) courses (Dept. Of Civil Rights, 2021). Research uncovers multifaceted factors influencing enrollment, ranging from personal motivation to systemic barriers. To qualitatively address this dissonance, this research used Attribution Theory as its framework to examine the lived experiences and perceptions of eight high performing Black male students from …

Perceptions Of Georgia Alternative School Principals Regarding Their Leadership Preparation Programs, Anterro Graham

Ed.D. Dissertations

Abstract

Alternative schools were characterized by numerous risk factors that impacted

student learning, teacher retention, and access to essential resources. The

implementation of self-efficacy was crucial in tackling and successfully finishing

difficult tasks. Studies were scarce regarding the impact of school principals'

self-efficacy on their leadership behaviors when running an alternative school.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how principals perceived their

self-efficacy, which was influenced by their participation in principal preparation

programs in Georgia. Additionally, I examined the impact of self-efficacy on their

leadership behaviors, the risk factors associated with leading an alternative

school, and how principals …

Women Doctoral Students In Computer Science: Nevertheless, They Persist, Shannon L. Mccoy-Hayes Edd

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Throughout millennia systemic restrictions have prevented women from full participation in science. Even now, with science ubiquitous to life as we know it, double standards impact women’s access and equal participation in STEM. Computer science (CS) is one STEM field where women remain significantly underrepresented in both academia and the workforce, yet despite decades worth of semi-annual reporting, there is still no consensus as to why. A survey was deployed to twenty-nine institutions inviting women doctoral students in CS to participate in personal interviews. Six women from different institutions at different stages of their programs responded. Qualitative interviews using phenomenological …

The Impact Of Dual Credit On Student Success: A Mixed Methods Study At A Texas University, Jennifer D. Coker Goddard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2015, the number of students enrolled in dual credit coursework in United States (U.S.) schools had reached over 1.4 million, a 68% increase over the previous few years (Field, 2021). By this year, 88% of U.S. high schools offered dual credit programs, and 34% of students enrolled in dual credit coursework, indicating a steady growth in dual credit programming (Rhine, 2022). Furthermore, 27% of public high school students in Texas earned credit for dual credit coursework (Villarreal, 2017). Despite significant growth in dual credit coursework offerings, limited knowledge of the effectiveness of these programs in preparing students for post-secondary …

Defining Faculty’S Role In Supporting Student Mental Health Needs In Higher Education, Erica B. Riba

Student Theses

The subject of mental health among college students has been prevalent for decades. Today, college students are facing more challenges to mental wellness than ever before. Faculty are often the first and only point of contact for many students. Faculty have a role to play in supporting student mental health, but that role has not been clearly defined. This study aims to bring clarity to some of these critical issues and offers a lens into this broad topic from faculty themselves. A mixed-methods design was used for this study. 889 people who have downloaded The Jed Foundation’s Faculty Guide to …

Teacher Leadership And Principal Turnover In Elementary Schools: A Deductive Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study, Kenneth Salazar

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study investigates the impact of principal turnover on teacher leadership, using mixed methods to analyze teacher leadership in low and high principal turnover elementary schools. Data collection includes teacher surveys and interviews with principals in four low turnover and four high turnover schools. Quantitative results indicate significant differences in teacher leadership, while qualitative findings reveal themes such as teacher professional development, support, leadership opportunities, anxiety, and sustainability. Mixed methods results suggest the need for increased time to develop trust between principals and teachers, greater teacher involvement in school leadership, more opportunities for teachers to share leadership, and a better …

Indigenous Leadership: Leading The Journey So Others Follow, Ophelia M. Sanchez

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Leadership is a ceremony. All leaders need to envision a sense of purpose as the journey begins. I examined interactions among attitudes, perceptions, and decisions through Indigenous female leaders’ personally identified leadership styles and how to integrate Indigeneity for positive change in their environment. The purpose of this study was to help guide school leaders through initiating educational change and to give courage to Indigenous female leaders to continue to lead or step into leadership. In exploring these interactions, I examined Indigenous women’s leadership experiences, values, and beliefs. This study provided valuable insight to women of all ages, educators, school …

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Learning Spaces, And Sacred Places As Factors For Native American First-Year Students In Higher Education, Danielle E. Yepa Gunderson

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Native American undergraduate students have the lowest college degree completion rates, between 0.7% and 1%, of those earning an undergraduate degree (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). The purpose of this study was to contribute to the research literature to improve college success by answering this research question: What are the experiences of first-year Native American college students when Indigenous land acknowledgement, dedicated learning spaces, and sacred spaces are present on their campus? This research was a baseline exploratory study that utilized a quantitative approach to survey first year, Native American students at nine public higher education institutions in the …

But I’M A Good Person: The Resistance Of White Emotionality Exhibited By Offenders Of Racialized Incidents, When Addressed By Student Conduct Practitioners, Anne Mullarkey Sawa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experience of American conduct practitioners in their process of responding to reported racialized incidents. A diary method was used for participants to capture their experiences and interactions with the person(s) harmed and the offender. Of particular focus was the response of the reported offender when confronted by the conduct practitioner regarding their role in the incident. This study sought to determine in what ways resistance was exhibited by the offender, if at all, in addition to what strategies conduct officers employed when responding to resistance by the reported offender. A total of ten …

Politics, Policies, And Procedures: The Iron Triangle Of Implementing Education Reform, Clint Reardon Jr

Honors College Theses

Education is often seen as a living thing, something that should grow and change with time. However, for far too many people who experience education from both within the school structure and for those who experience education from outside the school structure it can often seem like the educational system is stagnate, dying, and in some cases dead. One shared reason for this perception is perceived barriers in education that stifle creativity and allow educational systems to grow, adapt, and change to meet the needs of the students they serve. This study set out to identify what those barriers are …

A Qualitative Study Focused On Understanding P-12 School Leadership Through The Perceptions Of P-12 Educators And Leaders, Amanda Lorraine Pederson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This qualitative study was conducted to understand the perceptions of school leadership through the lens of P-12 educational leaders (superintendents and principals/assistant principals) and P-12 teachers. The focus was on the perceptions of important qualities and characteristics of effective school leaders. The study examined how P-12 educational leaders and P-12 teachers viewed leadership and what they identified as important skills and characteristics for effective educational leadership. The Minnesota Department of Education Teacher Evaluation of Principals was used as a guide to understand the characteristics and skills P-12 school leaders are expected to demonstrate. An email was sent to schools in …

School Leaders Supporting Undocumented Asian And Black Students, Lorena Tule-Romain

Education Policy and Leadership Theses and Dissertations

There are 5.6 million K-12 students who are either undocumented or living with at least one undocumented parent (Passel & Cohn, 2018). In 2021, FWD.us estimated that approximately 620,000 K-12 students are undocumented; 34% of these students migrated from countries in Asia, sub-Saharan African, and Caribbean countries. These students have unique needs in schools, such as support for lower frequency language services, wraparound supports, and classroom curricula that should account for their cultural heritages and traditions. While scholars have conducted research on the largest group of undocumented students, Latinx, existing knowledge of the students coming from Asian and African countries …

A Phenomenographical Study Of One School’S Efforts To Improve Student Reading Skills And Parent Literacy Support, Karey L. Williams

Dissertations

Providing early literacy training for children is a vital part of establishing the foundation for the learning they will do for the rest of their lives, so it is important that we do the right work from the start. Unfortunately, too many children are still reading below grade level by third grade, and instead of reading to learn new materials, they are still trying to learn to read. At Van Buren Elementary School, there are many challenges for students and teachers. The school’s Free and Reduced lunch rate is over 86%, the students receiving English to Speakers of Other Languages …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of The Experience Of A College Merger On Employee Engagement, Satisfaction, And Burnout In Faculty, Staff, And Administrators At Minnesota North College, Molly Elise Franz

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Higher education institutions were becoming more competitive due to meeting the needs of changing demographics of prospective students, increasing costs of tuition, fees, and operations, meeting workforce demands, providing access to high quality technology tools, and more. A merger process impacted employee engagement, satisfaction and burnout. It was important for administrators in higher education to create and maintain a supportive and inclusive culture for employees, especially during each stage of the merger process. It was also important to clearly communicate the purpose of the merger, and to provide employees an opportunity to engage with the planning and implementation stages of …

The Concept Of Leadership During Climatological Crisis: A Comparative Case Study Of Puerto Rico Higher Education, Aniello Alberti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During times of climatological crisis, leadership is a crucial component of postsecondary education administrators’ arsenal, specifically regarding their ability to execute strategies in action plans aimed at restoring the normal operations of institutions. This comparative case study aimed to examine how strategies in crisis leadership plans were implemented in Puerto Rico's higher education system, focusing on the experiences of key administrators in two higher education units who managed the response to the impacts of the 2017 Hurricane Maria. The conceptual framework for this investigation was grounded in Blanchard and Hersey's situational leadership theory and Bass’s transformational theory. In-depth interviews were …

A Teacher And Her Language Minoritized Students In A Translanguaging Mathematics Classroom: Activating And Suppressing Our Full Linguistic Repertoires For Increased Mathematical Reasoning And Sense-Making, Ana M. Bogota

Education Doctorate Dissertations

This study delves into translanguaging practices within a mathematics classroom led by a bilingual teacher and attended by language minoritized students. Grounded in translanguaging theory and practices, it investigates the dynamic language interactions between teacher and students, shedding light on the activation and suppression of linguistic features within purported “named languages.” Utilizing diverse data sources, such as audio-recorded lessons and student interviews, the study uncovers patterns in classroom language use. Results highlight the prevalent utilization of the full linguistic repertoire by both teacher and students, especially in elucidating mathematical concepts and fostering conceptual understanding. Furthermore, the study examines how translanguaging …

The Relationship Between Mentorship, Career Pathways, And Success In The Superintendency: A Comparative Study Of Men And Women Educational Leaders In Minnesota, Kristin Dehmer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The superintendent position is the most visible and influential in K-12 Education, responsible for regional, state, and sometimes national educational policy. Despite the majority of teaching positions being held by women, approximately 75% of superintendent positions are held by men (Glass, 2022). In Minnesota, only 22% of women hold superintendent positions (Men=77%) (MASA, 2023). This study examined career pathways and access to mentorship of men and women in Minnesota, analyzed through a theoretical framework of critical feminist theory and a secondary framework of social capital theory. All participants held a current Minnesota Superintendent license, and included current superintendents, retirees, aspiring …

Teacher Initiated Collaboration In Community: A Case Study Considering Communities Of Practice At A Title I Middle School, Katherine Stewart

Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates how faculty members in a Title I middle school engage in collaborative practices to enhance professional growth without formal professional learning. Framed within a descriptive lens (Merriam, 1998) and informed by Brown and Duguid's Community of Practice (CoP) framework (1991), the study addresses two research questions: (1) How do teachers collaborate to improve their practice outside formal professional learning? (2) In what ways do these methods reflect the elements of CoP: working, learning, and innovating? Through data analysis, the study reveals that teachers predominantly collaborate on student behavior and classroom management, with curriculum being a …

Leadership Practices And Instructional Strategies To Advance Student Achievement In Title 1 Elementary Schools, Paula Michelle Watson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative single case study aimed to explore how administrative team members perceived their leadership practices and instructional strategies that advance student academic outcomes on annual mathematics and literacy state assessments. Transformational leadership was the conceptual framework for data collection and analysis. Three research questions focused on how elementary administrative team members perceived leadership practices to advance student achievement in mathematics and literacy, their perceptions of the effectiveness of the leadership strategies used, and their perceptions of instructional strategies used to advance student achievement in mathematics and literacy. This single case study included the cases of three elementary school administrative …

Childcare Teachers’ Perspectives Of State-Required Training And Available Professional Development, Christina L. Kastl

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem affecting Oklahoma’s child care teachers is that the required state trainings and available professional development (PD) are not meeting their needs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to obtain child care teachers’ perspectives of the state’s required training and available PD. The theoretical foundation of this study was based on project-based learning (PBL) theory. The PBL theory supports active in-class learning that allows teachers to continually learn new concepts for their students and provides in-class training and coaching. Three research questions guided the study: What are early child care teachers’ perspectives of the Oklahoma-mandated training. What are …

Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions Of Professional Development In An Urban School District In Liberia, Moses Blonkanjay Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to the low academic performance of Liberian students, in 2013, the president of Liberia declared that the education sector needed to be overhauled. Consequently, the education minister launched a nationwide professional development (PD) program. Despite the PD initiatives, academic performance in an urban school district (USD, a pseudonym) has not improved. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Liberian secondary teachers' perceptions on the strength, weakness, and recommended improvements of the PD at USD. The theoretical framework that guided the study was Mezirow’s transformational learning theory. The key research questions were focused on the secondary school teachers’ …

Shaping Tomorrow’S Ethical Leaders, Christina M. Secrist

Masters Theses, 2020-current

This qualitative research study sought to explore the essences of ethical leadership by reviewing existing theories and frameworks, the characteristics and behaviors of ethical leaders, the leadership styles that portray an ethical component, the motivations of ethical leaders, and the self-efficacy of emerging leaders when faced with challenging decisions of an ethical nature. A thorough literature review was completed in an effort to gain a better understanding of how research studies have defined ethical leadership over the last couple of decades. Transcendental phenomenological interviews were conducted with four self-identified ethical leaders across the industries of agricultural manufacturing, a global non-profit …

Principal Leadership From A Settler Canadian's Perspective, Cheryl Ricco

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee’s (TRC) Calls to Action #7 and #63 focus on the Indigenization and decolonization of schools to create positive change for Indigenous students. To address these specific Calls to Action in an Ontario Catholic elementary school, a critically responsive transformative school leadership approach is required. This approach emphasizes individual and organizational reconciliation that seeks to improve Indigenous students’ academic achievement and well-being in the current colonial structures of the Ontario education system. To create an awareness of these structures, Catholic school leaders must acknowledge their own Settler Canadian identity. In doing so, they develop authentic relationships …

Prioritizing Belonging For Pk-12 Families On Financial Assistance In Private Schools, Deana Clapp

Doctorate in Education

This dissertation examined the experiences of 10 families of students in PK-12 private schools leveraging financial assistance (FA) to afford tuition and seven school FA staff who worked with families. Current literature is prominent in higher education but scant in the PK-12 milieu. Moreover, qualitative studies examining student experience in higher education have only recently begun unfolding. Drawing from a qualitative phenomenological study with an interpretivist, critical approach, this study discloses school belonging and marginalization sentiments vis a vis the power of school practices and policies to shape student and family experience. This study shares the vulnerability of private PK-12 …

Rural Realities And Equity In Vertical Transfer Pathways: Reshaping Policy Discourses In Higher Education Articulation Agreement Policies, Tobby Joshua Bragdon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past 2 decades, scholars have made efforts to critically examine challenges in vertical transfer pathways for community college students transferring to 4-year institutions (Handel, 2011; Jain et al. 2020; Strempel, 2013). Though there are many challenges in vertical transfer pathways, credit loss, and extended graduation timelines can have the most significant effect on the economic and social mobility of minoritized students. Articulation agreement policies were developed with the intention to reduce credit loss in the vertical transfer between community colleges and public 4-year institutions (Brint & Karabel, 1989; Cohen, 1995). Acknowledging the cyclical nature of large sociopolitical discoursess, …

Addressing The Educational Leadership Crisis: The Factors That Support Principal Retention, Christopher Tracy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The United States (U.S.) is facing a crisis in preK-12 Educational Leadership that is having a negative impact on schools across our nation (Harbatkin & Henry, 2022). Principals are leaving their administrative positions before they have a chance to make lasting positive changes (Levin, et al, 2019). This cycle leaves schools constantly in flux as they continue to rebalance and reorganize after each new leader steps into their building. As a principal arrives in a new position, they work to gain an understanding of the school processes and procedures, meet and develop relationships with the staff, and get to know …

How Elementary Teachers Come To Hold And Maintain A Restorative Mindset Toward Students: A Phenomenology, Ashley B. Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Elementary school personnel have both an ethical and legal responsibility to shift disciplinary practices away from exclusion and towards restoration. In order to face the adaptive challenge of increasing teacher self-efficacy around behavior management, a restorative mindset can be developed and maintained. The development of a restorative mindset among elementary school teachers has the potential to alter outcomes for the adults who care for students and for systems hoping to retain talented, invested teachers. The purpose of this study was to describe how elementary teachers come to hold a restorative mindset towards students, including the supervisory practices that support teachers …

The Impact Of Feedback On Teacher Professional Growth, Eric Hutchins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Educational administrators seek effective strategies to support teachers' professional growth in the pursuit of enhancing student performance. This dissertation investigates the transformative potential of formative feedback from students and peers in fostering teacher development and improving student learning outcomes. The current teacher evaluation system, primarily focused on accountability measures, often overlooks opportunities for professional growth. Furthermore, the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have accentuated the need for adaptive instructional approaches to address students' evolving needs. This pre/post quasi-experimental mixed-method study explores the impact of formative feedback on teacher growth. Through surveys and interviews, educator perspectives on the role …