Education Commons^™

Book Review - Beyond Leadership: A Relational Approach To Organizational Theory In Education, Jim Palermo

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The author, Scott Eacott, is a relational theorist who blends philosophy and sociology in his discussion of educational leadership. Eacott succeeds in his description of relational leadership in schools and is convincing about the situational nature of leadership, but stops short of presenting a model for applying this theory.

The Better Player In The Chinese Educational Reform, Party Secretary Or School Principal?, Qian Zhao, Yuwei Liang

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

In the “top-down” reform of the teacher personnel system, the principal is the core of policy implementation, who also serves as the secretary of the Party organization. We focus on which type of leadership should principals choose to maximize his impact on teachers' professional ability and work stress. The HLM method was used to conduct a longitudinal study of teachers in Mentougou District of Beijing from 2013 to 2015. 603 teachers from 34 schools participated in this research. It is found that the policy couldn’t affect teachers directly, the principals plays a role as a bridge between them. Taking the …

Letter From The Editor, Jim Palermo

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

As 2018 draws to a close I present a holiday offering for our readers, an abbreviated international issue with submissions from the People’s Republic of China and Australia. After putting out a call for “submissions that expand the notion of leadership” and featuring several in our last issue, here are two international perspectives on the changing shape of leadership.

A Review Of The Listening Leader: Creating The Conditions For Equitable School Transformation, Penny L. Tenuto

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

No abstract provided.

School Counselors As Leaders In School Turnaround, Renae D. Mayes, Colette T. Dollahide, Anita Young

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This study examined the role of professional school counselors in the school turnaround process. Themes from a qualitative case study analysis suggest that school counselors used leadership to develop data-driven programs and activities congruent with the ASCA National Model. Additionally, school counselors sought greater collaboration, partnership, and relationships with teachers, students, families, and the community at larger. Finally, the role of school counselors was heavily shaped by the expectations of school principals. Implications are explored for school counseling practice.

Letter From The Editor, Jim Palermo

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

While the move from my chair as Managing Editor to Chief wasn’t far physically, it is a huge leap for me in part because my colleague and partner in this enterprise of JOEL, Founding Editor Steve Bingham, set the bar so high. Steve served the nascent Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership admirably as Editor in Chief through three years and six issues as we grew this small journal and explored the niche of leader/practitioner scholarship and the nexus of educational and organizational leadership. In those six issues we have explored topics such from principal preparation programs to Confucian values …

Finding The Right Equation For Success: An Exploratory Study On The Effects Of A Growth Mindset Intervention On College Students In Remedial Math, Tyrone A. Fleurizard, Patrick R. Young

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

More and more students enter college in need of math remediation. Students in remedial math courses tend to report low self-efficacy, which negatively affects academic performance. To help low-achieving students succeed, researchers such as Dweck (2006) find that fostering a growth mindset increases self-efficacy and academic performance. The purpose of the present study was to explore the effects of a growth mindset intervention on the self-efficacy and performance of students in remedial math. It was hypothesized that students who participated in the growth mindset intervention would report higher levels of self-efficacy and test scores than the students who did not. …

What We Have Heard And Know, David Carscaddon, Laura Carscaddon

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

The following was the commencement address given at the May 12, 2018 afternoon graduation ceremony at Gardner-Webb University. Following a discussion on the essence of what a university is, the address focused on the purpose of obtaining a university education and its relationship to the university motto, Pro Deo et Humanitate.

“It Wasn’T Mentioned And Should Have Been”: Principals’ Preparation To Support Comprehensive School Counseling, Kendra Lowery, Marilynn Quick, Lori Boyland, Rachel Louise Geesa, Renae D. Mayes

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

As principals become aware of comprehensive school counseling programs, they will be better prepared to ensure counselors facilitate students’ learning, social emotional needs, and college and career readiness, rather than engage in inappropriate tasks such as substitute teaching, standardized testing, or student discipline. We conducted a program review based on a survey of graduates who are current principals, to identify areas for improvement towards the above in our principal preparation program. Survey results revealed significant differences between how principals report counselors are being supported to perform standards-based tasks based on school size in five areas regarding the role of the …

Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role Of The Principal, William L. Sterrett, Michele A. Parker, Kris Mitzner

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Using data from the 2014 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NCTWC) biennial survey researchers identified a sample from over 2,500 principals. The researchers surveyed 68 principals; 24 principals participated in a 19-item survey containing 5 demographic questions, 7 Likert-scale questions, and 7 open-ended questions. The descriptive analyses revealed that the principals in the study had the highest agreement with time constructs related to “reasonable class size” and “protecting teachers from duties that interfere” and lowest levels of agreement with “efforts made to minimize routine paperwork.” The qualitative analyses shared further principal perspective regarding specific strategies with the seven time constructs. …

Letter From The Editor, Steven Bingham

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

We feature two articles in this issue, both of which suggest continuing and appropriate research interest in principals and principal preparation. First, we offer Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role of the Principal by Sterrett, Parker, and Mitzer of University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Analyses of the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey results reveal that principals reported highest agreement with constructs related to “reasonable class size” and “protecting teachers from duties that interfere.” The lowest levels of agreement were associated with “efforts made to minimize routine paperwork.”

School Culture Survey Constructs And Student Achievement Relationships In Title I K-8 Schools, Carol Hammonds Miller

Education Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study investigated the correlation between school culture constructs and student achievement in 160 Title I K-8 schools from four Local Education Agencies. Title I schools receive funds from the federal government to fund programs and provide resources to help students meet rigorous standards on state assessments. School culture is defined as the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions. This study aimed to determine if any relationship existed between school culture constructs and student achievement. Statistical analysis included preexisting data collected from the 2016 North …

Collective Efficacy, Teacher Beliefs And Socioeconomic Status In Title I And Non-Title I Schools, Betsy Furr

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the association between collective efficacy, teacher beliefs, and socioeconomic status with reading and math student achievement in the Title I and Non-Title I schools of one school district. This study examined factors that influence student achievement in a district with a majority of Title I schools. Of the eight K–8 schools in the participating district, five are Title I. Collective efficacy and teacher beliefs were used to gather data about what teachers believe regarding student learning. The efficacy survey in this study provided data about instructional strategies and student discipline. The …

An Examination Of The Impact Of A Middle School Transition Program On Student Academic Intrinsic Motivation, Melissa West

Education Dissertations and Projects

This case study addressed student academic intrinsic motivation during transition into middle school. The study examined one middle school that conducts a middle school transition program. The study collected data about student intrinsic motivation in reading, math, social studies, and science. The researcher explored procedures learned during the middle school transition program that students and teachers felt most directly impacted student intrinsic motivation. This study was an extension of Sealy’s (2012) dissertation about high school transition. The purpose of this study was to extend the generalization of the original study, build on previous research, and add related knowledge to the …

The Reading Strategies/Skills Within The North Carolina Rta Summer Reading Camp, Leroy Leon Wray

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the reading strategies within the North Carolina Read to Achieve (RtA) Program summer reading camp and the achievement low socioeconomic elementary students made in reading during summer camp. The study was from a K-12 school and measured by the RtA Program. The study looked at third-grade students located in the urban piedmont area of North Carolina. It looked at reading strategies used during the North Carolina RtA Program summer reading camp and sought to determine if there are reading gains or losses of students who attended the North Carolina RtA summer reading camp. The …

Co-Teaching In Inclusion Classrooms: An Investigation Of Secondary Inclusion Practices, Margaret Erin Keene

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study was an investigation of co-teaching and inclusion practices at the secondary level. In the explanatory sequential mixed-methods study, regular education co-teachers as well as special education co-teachers offered insights by their participation in a survey and focus groups. This study investigated co-teacher perceptions of inclusion and how their perceptions of inclusion and co-teaching influenced the extent of teacher use of elements of Dr. Friend’s co-teaching models. The study also investigated and identified the needs of co-teachers. Co-teaching is defined as “two or more professionals delivering substantive instruction to a diverse, or blended, group of students in a single …

Generational Differences In Motivations Of North Carolina Public Elementary School Teachers, Alison Headlee Whitaker

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study addressed the generational differences in intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among elementary teachers in North Carolina. Intrinsic motivation to persist in the profession was examined through the lens of Pink’s theory that autonomy, mastery, and purpose determine a person’s degree of intrinsic motivation. Information relating to extrinsic motivation was also examined. Data were collected through a 33-question survey distributed via email and social media. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis H Test to determine significant differences. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed for themes leading to insight into internal and external motivations of elementary school teachers. …

The Relationship Between Administrator Interpersonal Skills And School Climate, Student Learning, And Teacher Retention, Marsha Justice

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to determine if specific interpersonal skills (trustworthiness, communication, empathy, and problem-solving) possessed by principals, as perceived by teachers, are important characteristics in creating and maintaining a positive school climate, increasing student learning, and retaining teachers in the elementary school setting. The participants in the study were teachers from 13 elementary schools in a North Carolina county. This study used both quantitative and qualitative data from a combined principal soft skill and climate survey, 2015–2016 North Carolina report card on teacher retention, 2015–2016 EOG math/reading scores, and results from teacher interviews to examine the …

The Alignment Of Instructional Practices With Digital Learning Environments, Angela Szakasits

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine how teacher instructional practices aligned with digital learning environments. The following four research questions guided this investigation: How do teachers demonstrate leadership in digital learning? How do teachers model and teach digital citizenship? How do teachers use digital content and resources for instruction? How do teachers use technology for data and assessment? The North Carolina (NC) Digital Learning Competencies for Classroom Teachers (NCDPI Digital Teaching and Learning Division, 2016) provided the theoretical framework for this study, and the research questions aligned with the four focus areas of these competencies. This mixed-methods study …

Math I Benchmark Testing: Friend Or Foe?, Shelley Gainey West

Education Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study addresses the ability of locally developed Math I benchmark assessments to predict student performance on the Math I end-of-course (EOC) state assessment for a rural county in North Carolina. Many districts in North Carolina lack funds to purchase commercially developed benchmarks and must rely on district personnel to develop these assessments. Locally developed benchmark assessments are not typically validated or considered psychometrically sound. Signal Detection Theory (SDT) was used to determine cut-off values on the locally developed Math I benchmark assessments for pass/fail grouping of students that will inform instructional interventions prior to the Math I EOC …

General Education Teachers' Self-Efficacy To Teach Autistic Students In Kindergarten Through Fourth Grade General Education Classrooms, Tanya Michelle Wynn

Education Dissertations and Projects

Children are being diagnosed with autism at an alarming rate; and as these students enter schools to be educated alongside their peers, general education teachers need to feel prepared to teach them. Many years ago, students with autism were placed in separate classrooms and were not in general education classrooms. As times have changed and autistic students enter into general education classrooms that are taught by general education teachers, this study examined the self-efficacy of those teachers when it comes to educating these students. This research was done in a rural school district, and kindergarten through fourth-grade teachers from three …

Representations Of Black Characters In Children’S Literature: A Product Of Histories, Ideologies, Narratives, Depictions, Politics, And Laws, Annie Calloway

Education Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative, directed content analysis examined fiction and nonfiction children’s literature published between 2015 and 2017. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, the study describes the ways in which Black characters are represented in early readers. Using books located in community libraries, school media centers and retail outlets, the study concludes that Black characters are represented less frequently and in ways that often do not take into account cultural, political, and legal manifestations of White privilege. This discussion of race, identity, power structures, and education aims to create and promote thought and discussions surrounding the genealogies of racial oppressions. …

In It Together: The Impact Of Data-Driven Teams On Student Learning, Collaborative Practice, And School Culture, Marcie Wilson

Education Dissertations and Projects

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of data-driven teams on student learning, collaborative practice, and school culture. The participants in the study were the data-driven team members from four middle schools in a North Carolina county. The study used EOG test results in 6–8 reading and math from before implementation to after implementation of data-driven teams, EVAAS growth in 6–8 reading and math from before implementation to after implementation of data-driven teams, results on Gruenert and Whitaker’s (2015) School Culture Survey given after implementation, interviews with the principals of each middle school, and focus group interviews …

Optimal Conditions To Support School Climate And Increase Teacher Retention In Middle School Classrooms, Kimberly Taylor Coleman

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study addressed the increasing attrition and migration of teachers from middle school classrooms. The study also sought to determine to what extent specific research-based factors motivated teachers to remain in the middle school classroom. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used in this study. The first portion of the study included quantitative and qualitative data collection through the administration of an online survey instrument. Survey data results were utilized to create and modify questions used to gather additional qualitative data during the administration of two focus groups. This study found a positive school climate, administrative support, and collegiality to …

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Experiences In A Professional Learning Community And How These Experiences Contribute To A Collaborative School Culture, Kimberly Janette Kelley

Education Dissertations and Projects

Fullan (1998) stated, “Student achievement increases substantially in schools with collaborative work cultures that foster a professional learning community among teachers and others” (p. 8). Vandevoort, Amrein-Beardsley, and Berliner (2004) also found that the quality of the teacher in the classroom is the single most important factor in determining how well a child learns. The purpose of this study was to determine practices and experiences within a Professional Learning Community (PLC) that contribute to a collaborative culture and student performance. The research question for this study was, “What experiences in a PLC do teachers perceive contribute to a collaborative culture?” …

Impact Of The Mathematics Curriculum Coach On Teacher Instructional Practice And Teacher Self-Efficacy, Alison Rollins Syverson

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods study sought to explore the impact the role a mathematics curriculum coach has on teacher efficacy and instructional practice. School systems across the country are being asked to do more with less money. At the same time, districts are faced with mathematics standards that require a new approach to instruction. In response to these issues, school districts are choosing to implement the role of a mathematics curriculum coach. As a result, the question is raised, “are the funds utilized for math coaches being used effectively?” This mixed-methods study compared two schools of similar makeup. School A employs a …

The Cost And Value Of Your Education, T. Perry Hildreth

Journal of Counseling and Psychology

This brief address explores the issue of the dominance of the economical way of valuing education over a more traditional idea of education as moral formation. An education in a Christian liberal arts university uniquely gives priority to the idea that education should shape the student's moral understanding and consequent actions. The address is an invitation to consider how one, professionally and personally, might serve members of a culture shaped largely by the idea that human meaning and purpose are reducible to economic value as merely producers and consumers.

Child Care Teachers’ Knowledge Of Fun Physical Activities And Healthy Food Choices For Pre-School Children, Elizabeth Gwyn

Nursing Theses and Capstone Projects

The focus of this project was to explore child-care teachers’ knowledge of fun physical activities and healthy food choice activities for preschool children. A four-week educational session was implemented in a rural child-care center. The intervention provided education in relationship to the implementation of fun physical activities and healthy food choice activities for child-care teachers during preschoolers structured playtime. The Child Care Teachers’ Knowledge Evaluation (CCTKE) tool developed by the doctoral student was used to collect responses from participants before and after the intervention. The participants’ data was analyzed using a t-test. There were no statistically significant differences between the …

Efficacy Of A Summer Math Academy Program To Improve Student Motivation And Student Knowledge And Skills In A Rural Southeastern Community, Danielle Grier

Education Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Community Math Academy (summer camp) in a southeastern school district in an effort to prevent the summer learning loss often experienced by students. The study intended to provide the Community Math Academy staff insight into the nature of the site, to assess the success of the 3-week implementation, to observe student interaction with program lessons and materials, and to provide feedback to the funding agencies, partner organizations, project team, participants, and stakeholders.

Data collection procedures included student journals examining student attitudes towards math, pre and posttest data, …

How To Refine The Frbr Hierarchy: A Case Study Of Expressions Of Works By Children's Author Eileen Christelow, Frank Newton

Dover Library Faculty Professional Development Activities

It is proposed that the proper procedure for positing hierarchical levels between Work and Manifestation (Edition), in the FRBR (or WEMI) hierarchy, is to make a study of all the editions of selected works as recorded in OCLC WorldCat, and to determine inductively the most useful hierarchical levels between the top level of the Work and the lower and traditional level of the Manifestation or Edition. WorldCat was searched for all works by children's author Eileen Christelow. The 652 bib records were assigned to works, subclassified by key properties. Two intermediate levels popped out from this analysis: language and format.