Education Commons^™

Leadership Styles And Effective Leadership Among Higher Education Leaders In The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Patrice A. Wright

Dissertations

Problem

Leadership has been shown to be crucial in the success of organizations, especially in higher education. However, little research has been done about leadership styles and effectiveness in North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-Day Adventists (SDA) higher education institutions. My study examined transformational, transactional, and passive avoidant leadership styles and leadership effectiveness in these higher education institutions.

Method

To examine leadership in Adventist colleges, I used the online MLQ-5X short form. I secured participation from 12 colleges and after repeated emails secured 168 responses. I analyzed the relationship between leadership styles, several leader characteristics and leader effectiveness, using SEM, …

Involvement In Community Service And Spiritual Activities As Correlates Of Socially Responsible Leadership Among Undergraduate Students At Asia-Pacific International University, Thailand, Naltan Lampadan

Dissertations

Problem

Institutions of Higher Education invest considerable resources to provide students with leadership experiences through extracurricular activities, especially in community service and spiritual programming. The inter-relationship among these variables (socially responsible leadership, spiritual and community involvement) have not been investigated in faith-based institutions of higher education in Southeast Asia.

Purpose of the Study

This study had four purposes: (a) to examine the extent of student involvement in community service and spiritual activities; (b) to investigate the level of socially responsible leadership among undergraduate students; (c) to examine whether socially responsible leadership might be related to gender, nationality, class status, and …

School Principal's Leadership Style And Teacher's Self-Efficacy In High And Low Achieving Schools In Chikankata, Zambia, Pardon Mwansa

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Much research has been done in past years on the topic of student achievement, with most of those studies focusing on factors that contribute to student achievement. Little, or no research has been done, especially in the country of Zambia, that has focused on the relationship between leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these constructs impact student achievement. This study explored the school principals' leadership style, teacher self-efficacy, and the extent to which these factors contribute to student achievement in Chikankata District, Zambia. The Ministry of Education in Zambia and other educators, especially those …

The Effects Of A Transition Program On The Academic Achievement Of Ninth Grade Students In A California Suburban High School, Igor Nicholas Milosavljević

Dissertations

Problem

High school graduation rates have improved over the last decade. However, approximately one-fourth of U.S. high school students still do not graduate within four years. The rates are higher especially among minority and low socioeconomic status students, including students with special needs and English Language Learners. More ninth graders fail than any other grade in high school. A disproportionate number of students held back in ninth grade subsequently drop out. Students who do not complete high school face significant social, financial, and health challenges. Programs have been developed to address this need. One of those is the Accelerated Academic …

The Relationship Between Leaders' Emotional Intelligence And Employees' Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Job-Related Affective Well-Being At Andrews University, Robert L. Overstreet

Dissertations

Problem

Research has been conducted linking high levels of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in leaders with organizational success. However, the link between leaders’ EI levels and workplace climate (as evidenced by employees’ Job-related Affective Well-being [JAW] and Organizational Citizenship Behavior [OCB] levels) has not been adequately understood. This study sought to improve the understanding of how employee affective well-being and citizenship behaviors are related to leaders’ EI, with additional consideration given to how the gender of those leaders may affect that relationship.

Method

A quantitative correlational research method has been chosen as an appropriate method for the research study in which …

Perceptions Of Leadership Characteristics Of Principals Who Influence Positive School Culture In A Midwest Adventist Union : A Qualitative Study, Evelyn P. Savory

Dissertations

Problem. Principals struggle to sustain a positive culture in their schools. Many studies have identified that principals play a key role in influencing the school culture. However, no known study has examined leadership characteristics of Adventist principals and their influence on positive school culture in Adventist schools.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to understand and describe leadership characteristics of principals, who foster a positive culture in Adventist schools in a Midwest Seventh-day Adventist Union.

Method. This qualitative multiple-case study design was utilized to explore and describe the lived experiences of principals and key stakeholders, school board chairs, and …

A Quantitative Case Study Of Transformational Leadership Characteristics Of Valley View University In Ghana, Isaac Boateng

Dissertations

Problem. Finding transformational leaders for private higher education institutions in Ghanais a major problem facing the governing boards of such institutions. There is tremendous growth at Valley View University. Finding transformational leaders could help support the growth of Valley View University (VVU). The task of university leaders has become very complex, ranging from communication, interaction, collaboration, shared leadership, policy interpretation, meeting the needs of foundations, boards, parents, students, alumni, faculty, staff, accreditation boards and the government. Therefore, finding transformational leaders for Valley View University to meet the above leadership challenges is a major problem.

Purpose. The purpose of this study …

Abrasive Teachers And Principal Response ; A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Administrative Decisions Regarding Teachers Who Bully Students, James Clayton Weller

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose. The American K-12 school principal is responsible for providing a learning environment that is physically and emotionally safe. An abrasive teacher who displays bullying behaviors towards students is a threat to that environment, impeding student academic progress and decreasing student perceptions of safety. Principals intervene, with risk to themselves. This study sought to understand principal intervention by: (a) estimating the prevalence of abrasive teachers, (b) asking how principals identify abrasive teachers, (c) classifying situational elements that enhance or inhibit the principal’s motivation to intervene, (d) exploring the interventions principals used, (e) examining the effects those interventions had …

Paramedic Professional And Leadership Development Using High-Fidelity Healthcare Simulation And Audiovisual Feedback : One Michigan Community College Case Study, Chester L. Dalski

Dissertations

Problem: Paramedic educators have a short time frame (840 didactic/laboratory plus 500 clinical/internship hours) and limited resources to prepare their students to have competent clinical skills, safe medical practice, and appropriate leadership and teamwork skills. New learning approaches including simulation, audiovisual feedback, and structured debriefing have been suggested as a way to meet this challenge within paramedic education. While some individual components have been studied, no study has examined these three technologies together in paramedic training programs. The overarching research question that guided this study was: What and how do paramedic students learn in a high-fidelity healthcare simulation program that …

Exploring The Role Of The Principal In Elementary Teacher Retention And Migration As Perceived By Elementary Teachers In Rural School Districts Of North-Central Pennsylvania, Diana L. Barnes

Dissertations

Problem. Teacher migration and attrition are costly to educational institutions and negatively impact students' education. Teachers migrate to other positions and/or leave the profession for different reasons. Research of literature indicated that one influence on the teacher's decision to migrate to another position or to leave the profession is lack of principal support. This sequential mixed-methodology study explores elementary teachers' perception of the relationship between principal support and teacher retention and migration in the rural elementary schools of north-central Pennsylvania.

Method. To explore the role of the principal, this sequentially mixed-methodological study used a focus group to identify elementary teachers' …

Teacher Participation In School Decision-Making And Job Satisfaction As Correlates Of Organizational Commitment In Senior Schools In Botswana, Paul Alan Mosheti

Dissertations

The Problem. Two major national educational challenges in Botswana are to retain teachers and recruit more. Both retention and recruitment efforts often involve issues of teacher decision-making, teacher job satisfaction, and how these correlate with commitment to the school organization. Little was known about Botswana teachers’ views on these issues. This exploratory study investigated the relationship of teacher participation in decision-making and job satisfaction to organizational commitment among senior secondary school teachers in Botswana.

Methodology. A quantitative research design was used for the study. Two hundred twenty-one completed the questionnaire. Teachers were asked to indicate level of agreement on participation …

Leadership Programs Designed To Develop Creative Leaders : A Multi-Case Study, Karen Tilstra

Dissertations

Problem. The topic of this study is creative leadership and how it is developed. Three creative leadership development institutes were studied to determine how each provided leadership development: Leadership Development Institute on the campus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida; International Center for Creative Leadership on the campus of Buffalo State College at University of New York, in Buffalo, New York; and the Banff Centre, in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The purpose of this study is to describe the approach and specific components of these three leadership development programs that attempt to deliver training that produces leaders who practice creative …

A Survey Of Leadership Standards For Professional Preparation Of Public School Principals In Kuwait, Amal Eehe Alansari

Dissertations

Problem. Over the last decade, the Ministry of Education in Kuwait undertook the responsibility of reforming the Kuwaiti education system. While it noted the importance of school principals in this reform process, it has not yet focused on the development of school leaders through formal preparation. There were no standards set to guide school leadership development programs in Kuwait. The purpose of this study was to survey Kuwaiti educators to identify the professional educational program standards they believed were needed and important for public school principals. It surveyed their suggestions on which institutions would be best at providing training in …

A Descriptive Case Study Of The Perceptions And Use Of Adventist Edge : An Initiative Developed In Response To The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists' Document, "Journey To Excellence", Pamela C. Forbes

Dissertations

Problem. The Southern Union started the Adventist EDGE initiative as an action plan in response to the North American Division's document, Journey to Excellence . The Adventist EDGE became a comprehensive educational reform initiative. However, there were different ideas on how the innovation should look when inaction in the schools, and these differences became obvious during the initial EDGE school validation visit, resulting in hurt feelings and confusion. Thus, the need for my study to clarify EDGE became critical for the survival of the initiative.

Purpose. The purpose of my study was to develop two operational definitions or …

Relación Entre El Liderazgo Transformacional, Liderazgo Transaccional Y Liderazgo Laissez Faire Con La Satisfacción, Efectividad Y Esfuerzo Extra De Los Docentes De La Upeu Periodo 2009, Jorge Platon Maquera Sosa

Dissertations

Problem

A sustainable organization needs significant changes in strategies related to the development of human resources. Therefore, it is vital to know the leadership style of the academic administrators of a university, and how they influence in the satisfaction, effectiveness, and extra effort of faculty.

Purpose of the Study

This study explored the correlation between transformation, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles with the satisfaction, effectiveness, and extra effort of faculty at Universidad Peruana Union, in 2009.

Method

The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), Edition 5, adapted by Vega and Zabala, was the instrument used. Some items were modified in their wording. …

Relación De Las Variables Del Clima Organizacional Y La Satisfacción Laboral En La Clínica Good Hope, Lima, Perú, En Al Año 2009, Freddy Robles Lirio

Dissertations

Problem

This study explores the relationship between leader practices, peer collaboration, acknowledgment towards the leader, employee development, work environment, and identification with the company’s objectives with employee satisfaction at the Good Hope Clinic, during 2009.

Methodology

An adaptation of Merck, Sharp, & Dohme’s questionnaire was used to measure organizational climate. The instrument measures six dimensions of organizational climate: leader practices, peer collaboration, acknowledgment towards the leader, employee development, work environment, and identification with the company’s objectives. Employee satisfaction was measured with a short scale. The population consisted of 467 employees from the Good Hope Clinic. The employees were gathered to …

Organizational Leadership : A Study Of The Perceptions Of Servant Leadership Practices And Beliefs, And Its Implications For A Private Christian Institution Of Higher Education In Brazil, Jose Iran Miguel

Dissertations

Purpose. This study verified the perceptions of the workers of Brazil Adventist University (UNASP) regarding the beliefs and practices of servant leadership by using data collected online through the instrument called the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA), focusing on six key areas of organizational health, according to three independent variables, which are leadership categories, campus, and gender.

Method. As a quantitative comparative study, the relationship between dependent and independent variables was determined by means of a one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a 2 by 3 factorial design in order to observe significant differences and interactions between variables. …

Perceptions Of Female Hiring In Educational Administration In Rural Pennsylvania Public-School Districts As Perceived By School-Board Members, Barbara J. Kelly

Dissertations

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the selection practices and requirements for administrators in rural Pennsylvania public-school systems. This study examined aspects of the administrative hiring process in order to explain the significant lack of women in the pool of administrators drawn from the rural Pennsylvania school districts. The research question intended to discern whether school-board members perceived gender bias of female applicants as a deterrent in their hiring or whether there was a paucity of female applicants.

Method

A review of the literature traced the history of education as it pertained to the hiring of women …

Mixed-Method Analyses Of Federal Court Decisions During 1980-2007 Involving Race And Sex Discrimination Under Title Vii Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964 And Faculty Tenure Denial Decisions In Higher Education, Jannifer Crittendon

Dissertations

Purpose

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 has become the foundation of modem federal equal employment opportunity law. The application of this law to adverse tenure decisions, however, may differ from other adverse employment decisions because of judicial deference toward institutions of higher education. This present study analyzed published federal court cases decided during the period 1980-2007 involving Title VII, tenure denial, and higher education. This will contribute to understandings of the relationship between federal courts, faculty, and higher education by analyzing the extent of a statistical association between case and/or plaintiff characteristics and case outcomes; and isolating those institutional …

Teacher Perceptions Of Their Effectiveness In Supporting Reading Strategies As A Result Of Collaboration With A Literacy Coach, Sharon S. Miller

Dissertations

Problem

The poor reading and comprehension skills of many secondary-school students present a challenge for secondary teachers, the majority of whom have no training in the teaching of reading. The increasing expectations of the No Child Left Behind legislature add to the pressures on public educators. Is coaching an effective way to support and encourage secondary content-area teachers to include reading strategies in their daily work with students?

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to examine the literacy coach initiative in two small junior-senior high schools. A further purpose was to closely study the coach and two of the …

Organizational Expectations And Role Clarification Of Pastors And Educators Serving K-10 Schools Operated By The Georgia-Cumberland Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Stanley E. Patterson

Dissertations

Problem Statement

The two major issues addressed in this study are the professional relationship that exists between the educators in K-10 schools and pastors who serve the churches that host the schools and the professional roles that each serves in the school. The roles and organizational expectations for each may impact the health of their professional relationship. The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership role expectations of pastors and educators in the K-10 school system o f the Georgia-Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

Methodology

A survey instrument was administered to all K-10 teachers and principals in the …

An Exploration Of The Interest In And Challenges Of Fostering Undergraduate Leadership-Development At Andrews University, Frances Mae Faehner

Dissertations

Problem. Among the wide spectrum of definitions regarding the meaning of leadership there are also themes regarding a critical need for leadership-development, and the belief that leadership can be learned and should be available to all. Therefore, it can be said that higher education has both a responsibility and an opportunity to purposefully develop this a new generation of leaders. This study explored the potential of Andrews University to foster a culture of leadership-development that will transform students who will work in collaborative spheres of influence around the globe.

Methodology. I used an exploratory, mixed-methods design. Data from an electronic …

Perceptions Of The Evidence Of A Servant Leadership Culture Among Educators In The P-12 School System In The North American Division Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Donovan B. Ross

Dissertations

Problem Statement. The Seventh-day Adventist church has consistently advocated that adherents to this religion should be Christ-like in every aspect of their lives. They should be of service to others as they create a community of believers who are loving, kind, and considerate of others. These ideals form some of the characteristics of servant leadership. The question therefore is whether servant leadership is being practiced in the P-12 school system. No study related to the presence and practice of servant leadership in the P-12 school system of the NAD has been conducted. Research was needed to determine the perceptions of …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Followership Modalities And Leadership Styles Among Educators At Selected High Schools In Jackson, Mississippi, Joyce Elaine Johnson

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of the relationship between followership modalities and leadership styles. High-school teachers and principals in the Jackson Public School District in Jackson, Mississippi, participated in the study.

Method. Methodological triangulation that combined quantitative and qualitative methods served as the study's research design. A 45-item Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5x-Short), developed by Bass and Avolio (1995), and a well-established measure of leadership style, was administered to the principals.

A 20-item, self-diagnostic questionnaire, developed by Robert Kelley, designed to measure followership modalities, was administered to the high school teachers who …

Means And Ends Of The Andrews University Leadership Program: A Study Of Its Critical Components And Outcomes As They Relate To The Mission Statement, José A. Alaby

Dissertations

Problem. The history of education shows tensions between its means and ends. Tensions became more apparent in contemporary Christian educational institutions. The Leadership Program (LP) of Andrews University was developed as an alternative and innovative means of delivering graduate education with a defined mission. It is job-embedded-theory and practice are united in the participants' workplaces, where they show their competency in 20 areas. It stresses the importance of the individuality of the participant in the development of a teaching/learning community. Yet, the dialectical relationship of the LP's ends and means has not been systematically studied in light of its …

An Inquiry Of Governance Training, Perceptions Of Board Members' Qualifications, And Board Assessments Of Day Academies In The Southern Union Conference Of Seventh-Day Adventists, Nathaniel George Higgs

Dissertations

Purpose of Study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the school boards of non-boarding secondary schools in the Southern Union regarding their governance training programs, the perceptions of the board members regarding their qualifications, and the assessments of the school boards for their effectiveness.

Methodology. This study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data. Five board members and school officials were interviewed. Quantitative data were collected by a questionnaire developed by the researcher. The questionnaires were completed by 109 board members. The population consisted of all willing board members present at a scheduled board meeting. Participants …

Analysis Of University Personnel's Perception Of Institutional Factors Impacting Student Persistence/Retention, Jose Melendez

Dissertations

Problem

Universities are assessing which institutional efforts are most directly impacting student attrition. This study identified important institutional factors impacting student attrition/retention using university personnel. It also measured personnel perception of how satisfactorily addressed were institutional factors impacting student persistence.

Methods

A quantitative survey methodology was used, and a survey instrument was developed and validated in the study. Tinto’s 1987 model of Student Departure and the Melendez model o f Transaction Satisfaction toward Student Persistence were used to guide the development of the instalment. The Melendez model was formulated as a rival hypothesis and an alternative tool for the study …

The Relationship Of Teacher Retention To Personality Style At Visionquest National Limited, Beth Ann Rosica

Dissertations

Problem. VisionQuest National Limited is a treatment and education program for court-placed students. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers is a problem faced by VisionQuest administrators. Over the course of a school year, there are usually several teaching-position vacancies, and turnover is high, especially in the first few months of employment.

Method. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter, a derivative of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, was administered to all VisionQuest teachers to determine their personality type. The personality types of the VisionQuest teachers were compared to those of teachers in the general population. Length of employment of VisionQuest teachers was also analyzed in …

Perceived Leader Authenticity As An Effective Indicator Of Perceived Instructional Leadership Behavior In Middle Level Principals, Thomas M. Meyer

Dissertations

Problem. No study had been undertaken to examine any relationships which might exist between the two concepts of perceived leader authenticity and the perceived instructional leadership behaviors of middle-level principals.

Method. This ex post facto study obtained data from three groups--supervisors, principals, and teachers--via their responses to two questionnaires: the Leader Authenticity Scale and the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale. A total of 247 of the teachers, all 10 of the supervisors, and all 10 of the principals returned the surveys. Canonical analysis, and one-, two-, and three-way ANOVA were conducted to test the five null hypotheses. Alpha was set …

A Study Of The Leadership Training Needs As Perceived By The Secondary School Principals Of Fiji, Nemani W. Tausere

Dissertations

Problem. If schools are to improve and become more accountable to the community they serve, relevant leadership training programs that help principals to function more effectively need to be provided. It is important that such training programs address the problems and needs of the principals. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the leadership training needs as perceived by the secondary-school principals of Fiji.

Method. A descriptive survey design was utilized for this study. The Leadership Training Needs questionnaire was sent to all 140 secondary-school principals in Fiji to survey (1) their perceived needs for leadership training, …