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Promoting Growth And Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of First-Year Assistant Principals, Debra Murdock

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

by

Debra Murdock

Kennesaw State University, 2018

Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct …

Assistant Principals And The Phenomenon Of Leadership Coaching, Thomas Flugum

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This study sought to define and explore executive leadership coaching as a form of professional learning for educational leaders. This was a qualitative phenomenological inquiry into the ways, if any, that leadership coaching impacts the skills and abilities of first-year assistant principals. Research was conducted with a cohort of newly appointed assistant principals from a suburban school district outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Participants were part of a district leadership academy which provided professional learning and support for new administrators. The participants received leadership coaching from coaches endorsed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) as one form of professional learning.

Lived Experience Of Newly Appointed Assistant Principals Who Receive Executive Leadership Coaching, Scott Townsend

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographic study was to understand how leadership coaching supported personal growth for new assistant principals. Newly appointed assistant principals from a suburban school district outside metro Atlanta, Georgia were interviewed as part of a professional development model which incorporated leadership coaching into the support mechanisms for new administrators. The professional development model, known as a leadership academy, was instituted by the school district and comprised of multiple learning opportunities of which leadership coaching was one component. This study gathered perceptions of newly appointed assistant principals regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of leadership coaching and …

An Explorational Study Of Educational Leaders' Attitudes, Opinions, Understanding, And Application Of Student Growth Percentile (Sgp) Data, J Lyn Turnell

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Student Growth Percentiles have recently become popular as a way to report student progress over time. Because of the perception that they are relatively simple to understand, they have also become a popular tool to use when evaluating teachers and school-based administrators, even though this is not the purpose of their design. Previous studies have examined the impact of student growth measures on teachers who are evaluated annually with a tool that includes a component of student growth. This study builds on the previous work of Clauser, Keller, and McDermott (2016) and Collins (2014). It examines the actions and opinions …

English Learner Course Scheduling: Practice, Implications, And Aspirations, Aziza Simmons

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Educating English learners (ELs) is a complex, multifaceted job that takes into account numerous constructs, some tangible and others not. For this endeavor to work optimally, all parties need to work closely and rely on each other with the end result in mind: offering a quality and equitable education to ELs that addresses their academic and language needs and propels them to reach their full potential (Baecher, 2014; Dirocco, 1998). One influential factor is course scheduling for content and career areas (Minaya-Rowe, 2015). Using qualitative case study methodology, this dissertation investigates the current process for scheduling ELs through in-depth semi-structured …

An Investigation Into The Learning Experiences Of Adolescents With Perceived Dual Exceptionalities Within Gifted And Special Education Middle Grades Settings, Whitney Bailey

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

Students who possess both a disability and characteristics of giftedness are referred to as students with dual exceptionalities. This paradoxical relationship of disability and giftedness creates a challenge for teachers and students, particularly in schools that do not have a specific program for students with dual exceptionalities. Most of these students typically receive the majority of their instruction either within a special education program, or a gifted education program. Students with perceived dual exceptionalities are often able to mask their disabilities with strengths in other major areas. The students in this investigation have all demonstrated strong talent in mathematics. They …

On-Site, Ongoing, And Individualized Professional Development: A Case Study At Rural Charter School, Ashley Funderburke

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The current model of mass professional development for all teachers does not address the individual needs of each teacher (Berckenmeyer, 2014; Darling-Hammond et al., 2009; DeMonte, 2013). This case study research focused on reaching a deeper understanding of an on-site, ongoing, individualized professional development innovation implemented at Rural Charter School for eight primary teachers as they began to apply a new instructional model; the integration of English-Language Arts standards into the science, social studies, and mathematics. My role within the study fluctuated between that of the researcher, an informant, and a teacher leader in delivering the personalized professional development.

Two …

Sustaining Change Through Individualized Coaching, Jody Worth

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study reveals educators’ journey through a change process as an innovation was being infused throughout their instructional practices. Traditional professional learning is not fashioned to address the ongoing concerns teachers have and the structure to sustain change. There is evidence to suggest that teachers are resistance to change due to the lack of attention placed on individualized change. This research investigates the topics of organizational change, individual change, evolution of professional development, teacher resistance, and individual coaching to lead to a deep understanding of the structural components of teacher support in order for change to transpire. This research is …

Examination Of K-12 School Administrators’ Perceptions Of Their Preparation To Lead Special Education Programs, Jaime Davies

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Current research tells us that when school administrators are not prepared to lead special education, the result can be an educational detriment to the student involved and cause a costly fiscal impact to the school district. The researcher set out to ascertain school administrators’ perceptions of the skills necessary to effectively lead special education programs; it was also important to gauge school administrators’ preparation to lead special education programs based on their special education knowledge. Ball and Green (2014) state that it is the role of the school principal to develop teachers and related support within their buildings, while Pazey, …

The Effect Of Leadership Coaching On The Self-Efficacy Of New Assistant Principals, Michael Manzella

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the effect of leadership coaching on new assistant principals’ perceptions of self-efficacy. Participants involved in the study included newly appointed assistant principals enrolled in a suburban public school district leadership academy that included multiple coaching sessions. Data were collected via a pre and post-test instrument designed to measure perceptions of self-efficacy. Analysis of covariance was used to determine whether the null hypothesis of two research questions would be accepted or rejected.

Findings showed that participants who experienced leadership coaching had statistically significant gains on post-test scores over pretest scores in all …

Transitioning To A Personalized Learning Environment Leveraging One-To-One Devices, Rebecca G. Myers

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Today’s educational blueprint is evolving from the traditional teacher-directed model into a student-driven curriculum approach. Specifically, education is experiencing a paradigm shift from the long-established one-size-fits-all model to a customized learning process known as personalized learning. Personalized learning aims at engaging students in more relevant and rigorous learning and turns them into co-designers as the curriculum becomes tailored to their individual learning needs, skills, and interests. Additionally, when coupled with educational technology, personalized learning will provide the teacher with the tools to individualize, differentiate, and accommodate multiple student learning styles and preferences. Indeed, as personalized learning increases in popularity the …

The Outcomes Of Offering A Working Lunch Session In Improving Adolescent Students’ Assignment Completion Rate And Academic Achievement In Mathematics, Kristian Edgeman

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

A decline in academic motivation, organizational skills, and the desire to learn in adolescent students cause middle grade teachers to constantly look for ways of encouraging students to complete assignments on time and achieve academic growth. Tactics such as positive reinforcement and punishments are frequently offered to adolescent students with the purpose of encouraging academic motivation. The inclusion of zeros in the grade book, although a hodgepodge grading practice, is often used as a tool to boost student motivation in prompt assignment completion; however, there is a lack of research to support this. The current study was designed to analyze …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication To Facilitate Communication Among Preschool Students With Disabilities, Honey Meadows

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how preschool educators perceive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and how those perceptions influence AAC utilization in preschool classrooms. Specifically, this investigation focused on gaining better understandings about educators’ views, beliefs, and attitudes about AAC utilization to facilitate communication. Semistructured, open-ended interviews, classroom observations, and document review were the data collection sources used. Findings suggest that preschool special educators value the use of AAC and understand the basic human right for all students to participate. However, special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals perceive their roles and responsibilities, as communicative …

Unraveling Identity Signifier Literacy: A Case Study Of First-Year Composition Students' Communication Practices, Bailey Mcalister

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Identity signifier literacy is defined as one’s ability to accurately read – via personal interactions or via visual, verbal, written, or digital communication – the signifiers others display in direct and indirect ways and interpret these signifiers to gain understanding of others’ identities. In this study, 22 first-year composition students were surveyed about their communication practices in order to see how their identity signifier literacies influence and are influenced by digital environments and composition. These results are meant to improve first-year composition pedagogy by making connections between students’ informal composition practices and their academic composition courses.

Authentic Learning Environments: Designing A New Standard For Public Education, Stephanie Griffith, Stephanie J. Griffith

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

The intention of this thesis is to explore the architectural problems of public primary school learning environments and propose possible solutions. This thesis draws from various public blog and public web article accounts and experiences of those working in or studying the institutions of primary education and the problems they are struggling to address. The architectural focus brings to light that while most educators argue that teaching can happen anywhere, this body of research will propose an optimal learning environment in which a set of ideal values are defined as authentic learning and is used to encourage and support a …

Teacher Practices To Help Alternative Education Students, Angela Daws

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The problem addressed by this study is that alternative schools have a high recidivism rate, due in part to a difficult transition for students back to their traditional, zoned school. The purpose of this study was to identify practices of experienced alternative school teachers perceived as helping students transition from the alternative school setting to the traditional school setting, as well as challenges teachers face. To identify these practices (and challenges), data were collected from 5 teachers at a disciplinary alternative school by surveys, interviews, and observations. Three research questions guided this study:

1. How do experienced alternative high school teachers …

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Zero Tolerance, Zero Justice: Teacher Perceptions Of Using Restorative Justice, Ajayi Monell

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

While many schools are spending millions on instructional programming, new technology, and colorful chart paper for data walls, an area that often takes a back seat to improving achievement is the social and emotional learning of students (SEL). Until the education community starts focusing on the well-being of our students, closing the achievement gap will continue to be a nice catch phrase and not a reality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of K-8 teachers to determine how they felt about the use of Restorative Justice, with a focus on Peace Circles. This study explored this …

Planning To Assist Low Achievers: Perspectives Of Instructional Leaders And Teachers, Andrea Ridley

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Is there a connection between stereotypes and the achievement gap? The issue of stereotyping is a consistent topic of concern in the United States based on labels such as race, ethnicity, gender, and religion (Gollnick, 2013). The United States is a multicultural nation where the classroom is becoming filled with a plethora of diversity pulling many of those stereotypes to the surface (Gollnick, 2013). Intergroup interaction can be frustrating, confusing, and cause anxiety for many because of the unknown and/or misunderstood factors that determine cultural differences. Could there be a connection between stereotyping and student achievement based on how the …

Leadership For Student Engagement, Felicia Angelle

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

There is a need for educational leaders to improve student engagement in the intermediate classrooms in elementary schools. Student engagement has mainly focused upon increasing student participation and students being compliant in completing classwork. Research over the last two decades has examined how without active student engagement, cognitive student learning will suffer. The years of research have identified several causes for why students are not engaged, including low motivation, a decrease in positive attitude towards school, and high dropout rates. If educational leaders are going to make strides to improve these issues then they must dive into the depths of …

Pedagogical Examination Of Alternative Keys With Sel-Strategies (P. E. A. K. S.): An Examination Of Social Emotional Learning Pedagogy, Rezenia Wilson

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Twenty-first century schools are increasingly recognizing the need to nurture students’ social and emotional skills (The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning-CASEL, 2015). There is a developing base of evidence that well-orchestrated, systematically-implemented social and emotional pedagogy can positively affect a wide range of social, emotional, and academic achievement levels (Bar-On, 2006; Bridgeland, Bruce, & Hariharan, 2013; CASEL, 2012; Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011; Elias et al., 1997; Goleman, 1995; Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, & Sitarenious, 2001; Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004). Empirical research studies have also shown that systematic, ongoing pedagogical practices to further these initiatives …

Cognitively Guided Instruction In Elementary Mathematics: Understanding Factors That Influence Classroom Implementation, Teresa A. Conowal

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This study focused on the teaching technique known as cognitively guided instruction (CGI), through which teachers explore the individual learning styles of their students and use the information they gather to teach more complex concepts more effectively. The focus of this study was on 10 elementary mathematics teachers, with the goal of gaining a deeper understanding of the reasons they are making limited use of CGI techniques in their classrooms. The study used interviews and classroom observations of the 10 participants to identify the factors influencing their willingness or reluctance to apply CGI techniques to their instructional practices. The study …

Mathematics Academic Achievement Of Students With Emotional And Behavioral Disorders, Sarah Kinney Maddox

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The aim of this secondary data analysis study was to examine the association between certain predictors and student’s mathematics achievement on two tests of the Woodcock Johnson III Academic Knowledge subtests: Applied Problems and Calculations. Results indicated that students with a diagnosis of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) had academic deficits in mathematics, and these deficits became larger over time. Data pertaining to mathematics academic achievement from the first two waves of the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (N = 420) were examined. The variables investigated to further explore academic achievement scores were gender, race/ethnicity, student’s school attended prior …

Principals And The Phenomenon Of Neoliberal Audit Culture, James A. Bishop

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This study focuses on the perceptions of six principals of the assessment culture within their schools. The principals were experienced in the assessment culture under study from a single school district consisting of two principals from each level – elementary, middle and high – with each level having one principal with a low SES (free and reduced lunch above 60%) population of students and one with a high SES population (free and reduce lunch below 20%). The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which principals perceive functional value in the neoliberal School Assessment Culture Phenomenon comprised …

A Case Study For A Broadened Definition Of Arts Integration In Instructional Methods, Maria Rosario-Regan

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Arts integration is a research-based strategy that has revealed positive outcomes in student achievement (Catteral,1999). In this study student achievement is described as students acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, and learning behaviors that will prepare them to lead successful lives. Studies have discovered that arts integration, an interdisciplinary method of connecting two disciplines supports to transform the learning environment. Students’ attitudes towards learning particularly for students of disadvantaged backgrounds has fostered self-efficacy, student engagement, attendance, motivation to learn, and improving school culture and climate (Stevenson & Deasy, 2005; Walker, Tabone, & Weltsek, 2011).

The purpose of the qualitative study was to …

Exploring The Interpersonal Dynamics Of The Supervisory Triad Of Pre-Service Teacher Education: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis, Anna E. Hart

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Clinical field experience is recognized by many as the most influential and beneficial component of pre-service teacher education (Borko & Mayfield, 1995). At the core of this experience is the supervisory triad, consisting of the pre-service teacher, mentor teacher, and university supervisor. Utilizing positioning theory as its theoretical framework, this qualitative meta-synthesis synthesized eleven pieces of empirical research focused on the interpersonal dynamics of the supervisory triad. The findings of this study reveal three primary factors of influence, four primary patterns of communication, and many modes of positioning of self and others as influential to pre-service teachers’ clinical experiences. The …

Views From The Blackboard: Exploring Perspectives Of Coteaching In Elementary Mathematics Teachers, Ashley Mounts-Gray

Doctor of Education in Elementary and Early Childhood Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and experiences of third and fourth grade elementary mathematics teachers and special education teachers regarding the co-teaching inclusion model. Views of general and special education teachers toward co-teaching in mathematics in elementary classrooms was investigated. This study sought to explore how (a) elementary mathematics teachers perceived Friend’s (2008) co-teaching model, (b) which co-teaching models are most frequently used, and (c) to determine if there were similarities and/or differences between the co-teachers’ perspectives. Questionnaires, personal semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and focus group sessions were used. Data were presented utilizing a case …