Education Commons^™

Supporting A Growth Mindset In High School Classroom Teachers, Peter Abboud

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the strategies that California public high school principals utilized to develop a growth mindset in classroom teachers.

Methodology. This qualitative case study used interviews from 12 high school principals to gain an understanding for how they supported a growth mindset in their classroom teachers. The population for the case study was northern California high school principals, and the sample included high school principals from Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Marin, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties. To participate in the study, principals needed to be serving in at …

The Development Of Organizational Training: Identifying Generational Differences And Perceptions In Computerized Learning Systems In Government Organizations, Gregory Negron

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the degree of effectiveness and preferences as it related to various computer-based training (CBT) and instructor-based training (IBT) types as perceived by baby boomer, Generation X, and millennial generational Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) employees based in San Diego, California, as measured by the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Extended Learning Institute Survey.

Methodology: The study used a descriptive, causal-comparative research design. A survey was administered to collect demographic data and responses that described and determined the degree of difference and effectiveness for various CBT types …

Stress And The Female Superintendent: Contributing Factors And Stress Management Strategies From The Voices Of California Female Superintendents, Monica Peterson

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify personal and professional factors that create stress for California female superintendents, describe the strategies used to manage stress, and provide recommendations for addressing stress from California female superintendents.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological methodology is used to seek the inner feelings and lived experiences of California female superintendents. This phenomenological study used in-depth interviews to gather qualitative data to address the RQs. Data gathered on stress related factors and stress management strategies were analyzed and discussed. In order to maintain validity and reliability and minimize internal and external threats, …

A Qualitative Study Of The Positive Transformation Of Public High School Cultures As Perceived By Administrators, Teachers, And Classified Staff Members, Amy L. Besler

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to discover the factors which contribute to the positive transformation of a comprehensive public high school’s culture as perceived by the school’s administrators, teachers, and classified staff. An additional purpose of the study is to determine what similarities and differences exist between the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and classified staff.

Methodology: The researcher identified comprehensive public high schools within the state of California where measurable growth in positive perceptions of school culture had been achieved within the preceding two to four years. Of this target population, six schools were identified, through …

The Impact Of Female School Principals’ Leadership Traits On Teacher Morale In California Cbee Star Schools, Moira Zacharakis 8178731

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine how teachers with female principals at Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE) Star Schools in Contra Costa County, California (CA) rate their principals’ leadership skills, how they rate their own job satisfaction, and to determine if a relationship exists between the principals’ leadership skills and employee job satisfaction.

Methodology. The study employed a quantitative correlational research design using data from two instruments.

Findings. The sample size for this study was too small to generalize to a larger population; however, statistically significant relationships were found in the data. …

Exemplary Nonprofit Leaders And The Behaviors They Use To Create Personal And Organizational Meaning, Candice Flint

Dissertations

Exemplary Nonprofit Leaders and the Behaviors They Use to Create Personal and Organizational Meaning

by Candice Flint

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary nonprofit leaders use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom and inspiration. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to determine the degree of importance to which followers perceive the behaviors related to character, vision, relationships, wisdom and inspiration help to create personal and organizational meaning.

Methodology: A mixed method case study was utilized …

A Mixed-Methods Study: Self-Efficacy And Barriers To Participation In Workplace Wellness Programs, Massiel Perez-Calhoon

Dissertations

America needs a healthy workforce to sustain the country. The scourge of obesity continues to plague Americans despite government initiatives such as the Affordable Care Act and wellness programs in the workplace to combat this epidemic. However, despite initiatives to make America healthy, barriers continued to impede the nation’s health. Lack of awareness and sensitivity to what motivates individual participants versus group participants built formidable barriers to accessing all workplace employees equitably. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the intent of this study was to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and the impact on participation and engagement when …

Authentic Leadership Behaviors Contributing To Job Satisfaction Of Elementary School Principals And Elementary Special Education Teachers, Penny M. Tharpe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand what elements of authentic leadership (heart, values, purpose, relationships, and self-discipline) contribute to job satisfaction as perceived by elementary special education teachers in the Desert/Mountain Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). A second purpose of the study was to understand what elements of authentic leadership contribute to job satisfaction as perceived by elementary principals in the Desert/Mountain SELPA. A third purpose of the study was to identify the similarities and differences that exist among the elements of authentic leadership that contribute to job satisfaction as perceived by elementary principals and …

The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence On The Leadership Of Public School Superintendents, Antoinette Fulcher Gutierrez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perceptions of current public school superintendents in Southern California regarding the impact of emotional intelligence on their leadership in four areas: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management. An additional purpose of this study was to describe any differences between current male and female superintendents on the impact of emotional intelligence on their leadership. Methodology: The phenomenological study design was a semi-structured interview process (Patton, 2015) of a sample of current California public school superintendents with an equal number of both male and female interviewees. The …

Community College Student Perceptions Of University Transfer Barriers, Rick H. Boone

Dissertations

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the perceived barriers that hindered California community college students from successful transfer to a four-year college or university and what services they perceived were needed to support the successful transfer to a four-year college or university.

Methodology: This qualitative, phenomenological study strove to understand the commonalities of the personal experiences of community college transfer students. In this study, the shared phenomena were the challenges experienced by these students when attempting to transfer to a four-year institution. Non-probability, purposeful snowball sampling was used to locate 12 participants in the …

California Community College Administrators' Use Of Predictive Modeling To Improve Student Course Completions, Rita Grogan

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to determine the impact of utilizing predictive modeling to improve successful course completion rates for at-risk students at California community colleges. A secondary purpose of the study was to identify factors of predictive modeling that have the most importance for improving successful course completion rates for at-risk students as perceived by California community college administrators.

Methodology: This case study identified specific administrators at five community colleges within two California community college districts using predictive modeling to improve successful course completion rates. Participants were chosen based on specific criteria. The study was designed …

The Impact Of Project-Based Learning On Collegiate Preparedness, Tanya T. Macmartin

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and describe collegiate PBL high school student graduates’ perceptions of their preparedness for their first year of college and the impact of how the BIE’s eight essential components of PBL (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2015b) contributed to their first year of college preparedness. A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the alignment of the students’ perceptions of the impact of how the BIE’s eight project-based components (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2015b) contributed to their first year of college preparedness as defined by Conley’s (2012) college readiness indicators.

Methodology: …

Leadership Practices That Create A Sustainable Collaborative Community, Regina Tillman

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the principal leadership practices perceived as supporting the development of professional learning communities and a sustainable collaborative culture. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to examine principal leadership practices school teachers in Antelope Valley School Districts perceive as important to creating a sustainable professional learning community. This study contributed to the literature to understand the important leadership practices that support the implementation and sustainability of professional learning communities. The participants in the present study were elementary principals and teachers implementing professional learning communities in Antelope Valley elementary school …

Transforming Conflict: A Grounded Theory Study Of Six Behavior Domains Of Leaders In Five Different Fields, Scott A. Dick

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this grounded theory research consisting of five collective phenomenological studies was to generate a theory that explains how exemplar leaders from five different fields use six domains of conflict transformation behaviors to establish common ground and produce breakthrough results. The six domains of behavior are communication, collaboration, ethics, emotional intelligence, problem solving, and process. Methodology: The sample was composed of 75 exemplar leaders from five different professional fields and included an analysis of over 1,300 pages of interview transcripts as the main data source for the study. Findings: The results found that exemplar leaders establish, build, …

Meaning Makers: A Mixed-Method Case Study Of Exemplary University Presidents And The Behaviors They Use To Create Personal And Organizational Meaning, Barbara E. Bartels

Dissertations

The purpose of this thematic, mixed method case study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary university presidents use to create personal and organizational meaning for themselves and their followers through character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. Further, this study surveyed followers to assess the degree of importance followers believe a leader uses character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration to create personal and organizational meaning. This study was accomplished by interviewing exemplary university presidents regarding their perceptions of utilizing the strategies and behaviors associated with character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. While there has been much research on …

The Leadership Behaviors Of A Successful Ncaa Division I Water Polo Coach: A Phenomenological Study, Scott T. Mccall

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand and describe the transformational leadership behaviors of a successful NCAA Division I water polo coach. This study examined the transformational leadership behaviors of a NCAA Division I coach who led a team to a national championship and who was a former Olympic athlete and national team coach. Data were collected from interviews of the head coach and participants who had direct lived experiences with the coach, as well as through observations of practices and games, and the collection of artifacts.

The findings from this research showed that the head coach …

Alternative To Exclusionary Discipline: Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis)—A Delphi Study Of Riverside County School Districts’ Directors Of Student Services, James D. Pike

Dissertations

Purpose: The first purpose of this Delphi study was to identify the degree to which Riverside County directors of student services or administrators who oversee student discipline perceive that positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) components reduce exclusionary discipline and promote a positive school culture. The second purpose of this study was to identify key facilitators and barriers to PBIS implementation within the school districts of the experts who participated in this study.

Methodology: Using the Delphi method, the first questionnaire allowed participants to give broad-based responses from which themes were derived to be coded, stratified, and then presented through …

The Perceptions Of High School Principals In Three Central And Northern California School Districts On The Implementation Of Restorative Practices And Resistance To Change Through The Theoretical Lens Of Kotter’S Eight-Stage Change Model, Dena M. Fiori

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and describe the perceptions of high school principals in three Central and Northern California school districts on the implementation of restorative practices and resistance to change through the theoretical lens of Kotter’s eight-stage change model.

Methodology: For the purpose of this study, the case study method was used to answer descriptive and explanatory questions that focus on the what, why, and how the research occurred during the implementation of restorative practices (Yin, 2011). The purpose of conducting a descriptive case study was to understand further, via interviews, the perspectives …