Education Commons^™

The Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By High School Principals, Angela Lawyer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the perceived impact of Patterson’s (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs on high school principals in establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological method was decided by 8 thematic researchers to study the high school principals’ perceived impact of the 7 servant leadership constructs developed by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance. This method was selected to investigate the experiences, perceptions, and impact of the participants to help identify how the establishment of a culture of high performance in a high school setting …

Phenomenological Study On The Lived Experience Of Black Women In Positions Of Leadership In California State Government, Tonia Burgess

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women in their roles as leaders in the California state government with respect to support received and barriers encountered.

Methodology: The phenomenological qualitative study involved exploring the lived experiences of 12 Black women in positions of leadership in northern California state government with regard to the supports they received and the barriers they encountered during their careers in California state government. Patton (2015) asserted that phenomenology's philosophical interpretation occurs when individuals only know what they experience. Additionally, "to fully understand the phenomenon, it must be …

The Influence Of Implicit Bias On Student Evaluations Of Teaching At A Missouri Community College, Kimberly Franklin Berry

Dissertations

Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) are the primary instrument used to measure teaching effectiveness by colleges and universities nationwide (Wallace, Lewis, & Allen, 2019). Many colleges and universities use the SET for personnel decisions regarding tenure, promotion, and termination. Yet, the possibility of implicit bias impacting the SET and resulting in discriminatory practices against marginalized faculty continues to be a concern for higher education (Mitchell & Martin, 2018). The effectiveness of the SET continues to be debated by faculty and administrators due to concerns about reliability, validity, and bias (Bonitz, 2011). This quantitative study was conducted to examine the influence …

The Politics Of Superintendent-Board Relationships: The Strategies Exemplary Suburban Elementary School District Superintendents Use To Work With The Political Styles Of Board Members, Susan Andreas-Bervel

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify the political styles of exemplary suburban elementary school district superintendents and school board members in Southern California as perceived by superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and explain the political strategies exemplary suburban elementary school district superintendents in Southern California use to work with the different political styles of school board members.

Methodology: This study utilized a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design. Quantitative data were collected through surveys to determine how superintendents perceived their own political style and the political …

Dames Paving Pathways To Directorships. A Study About Female Leaders In Art Museums In The United States, Mechele Manno

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine and describe the career pathways of female art museum directors in the United States

Methodology: This phenomenological study described lived experiences of eight female art museum directors with over five years of directorship experience from museums with operating budgets over $10 million and in states that receive the highest private funding: CA, DC, IL, MA, NY, OH, PA, and TX. Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews using a scripted interview guide in research categories: a) motivation; b) career advancement; c) barriers; and d) support.

Findings: All major findings were …

A Mixed-Methods Study Regarding Full-Time And Adjunct Faculty Burnout In A Community College Setting, Margaret Leigh Loflin-Williams

Dissertations

Until recently, compassion fatigue and burnout were primarily associated with the profession of healthcare, not education (Jurado et al., 2019). Research on compassion fatigue and burnout in education has been focused on elementary and secondary schools with little attention given to the higher education sector (Kaiser et al., 2017; Kelly & Lefton, 2017). This mixed-methods study was focused on compassion fatigue and burnout in both adjunct faculty and full-time faculty members at a southwest Missouri comprehensive community college. For the quantitative portion of the study, a Likerttype survey was sent to 250 adjunct faculty members and 150 full-time faculty members …

Embedded Librarianship And Student Success In Graduate Nursing Programs, Jennifer Marie Brady

Dissertations

The academic library’s contribution to the institutional mission and goals is something library administrators have been striving to communicate to administrators since 2010 when the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) released their report entitled The Value of Academic Libraries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how students perceive and report their usage of the academic library and to determine if students demonstrate a higher level of information literacy competency at the completion of a course including an embedded librarian compared to students without access to an embedded librarian. Library survey responses were evaluated for frequency of …

Conceptualizations Of Teaching In The Higher Education Classroom, Molly Flavin Broere

Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-method study was to explore how faculty members, who teach at higher education institutions that deliver a liberal arts experience, view teaching and how those views inform their teaching practice. Teaching beliefs can feel like a messy construct (Pajares, 1992) but are important in determining what informs teaching practice. Pratt (1994) also explains beliefs inform conceptions of teaching practice. The conceptualizations of faculty, more specifically their teaching beliefs, were the focus of this study. Thus, this study investigated the following research questions: Given the context of a liberal arts institution, what are faculty members’ conceptualizations of …

School-Based Wellness Programs: Educator Perceptions, Rocky C. Valentine

Dissertations

The utilization of workplace wellness programs in the field of education has become increasingly popular. Educators are receptive to school-based wellness programming to reduce stress, increase work engagement, and provide opportunities for health and wellness (Schultz et al., 2019). The purpose of this explanatory, sequential, mixedmethod study was to investigate certified educators’ perceptions of school-based wellness programs, wellness program components, and their impact on educator stress, burnout, and retention. An interpretivist theoretical framework was used to make sense of the meanings and understandings of the participants (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). Little research has been focused on the implementation and evaluation …

Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership On Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By Principals Of Native American Schools, Antonio Sandifer

Dissertations

Purpose. It was the purpose of this study to explore and describe how principals of elementary, middle, and high schools for Native American students in Washington State perceived the impact of servant leadership constructs developed by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology. This qualitative phenomenological study was chosen due to the research question asking what is the impact of Patterson’s (2003) seven servant leadership constructs on establishing a culture of high performance as perceived by principals of Native American schools. A total of eight principals of Native American schools were interviewed and asked a series of …

From The Outside Looking In: Black Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Men Experiences In Men Of Color And Black Male Initiative Mentorship Programs In Higher Education, Quortne Reginald Hutchings

Dissertations

Men of color (MoC) and Black male initiative (BMI) mentorship programs create a complicated experience for men who identify as gay, bisexual, and queer. The purpose of this phenomenology and arts-based research study unearths the experiences of Black gay, bisexual, and queer men (BGBQM) within these programmatic contexts. This study sought to explore the essence of gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality utilizing interviews, podcast-style focus groups, and individual art projects. Findings unearthed a complex reality, Blackness preferred, queerness deferred, to exist in the intersections of their myriad identities. Consequently, these men experience a Masc-ing Phenomenon that limits how they …

Clarifying Coaching: A Mixed Methods Analysis Of A Math Content-Focused Model And Its Impact On Teachers' Practice, Content Knowledge, And Dispositions, Lauren A. Solarski

Dissertations

Coaching is increasingly becoming required or recommended as a form of teacher professional development, but the education field has only begun to define the practice and understand its features, especially in regard to its potential to improve math teaching in early childhood contexts. Using mixed methods and a Whole Teacher Approach theoretical framework, this study examined a math content-focused coaching model and its impact on teachers' math content knowledge, teaching practice, and dispositions including attitudes, beliefs, and confidence. Participants included 141 lead and assistant teachers and 5 coaches working in 27 Head Start centers in Chicago. Teachers at centers randomly …

Equity In Secondary Schools: Building A Strong Sense Of Belonging For Students Of Color As A Foundation For Academic Success, Joaquin Stephenson

Dissertations

The problem of practice I am investigating are students who identify as Black and Latinx who are experiencing a statistically significant low sense of belonging at Riverview High School in comparison to their White and Asian counterparts, based on survey data for the past two years. Research has shown that students’ sense of belonging stem from four major factors (1) friendship nominations, (2) time on extracurricular activities, (3) bonding with teacher, and (4) perceived discrimination. By focusing on targeted programming, this study aims to determine the two solutions that can target low sense of belonging for Black and Latinx students. …

Emancipatory And Controlling: Examining The Negotiation Of Masculinity-Centered Practices By Women's And Gender Equity Center Practitioners, Ashley M. Brown

Dissertations

Initiatives to understand and transform masculinity have increasingly emerged in higher education, calling attention to the consequences of dominant, masculine gender expectations that permeate throughout college campuses. These masculinity-centered practices in higher education encompass formalized, departmental initiatives for students, faculty, and/or staff that examine topics related to masculinity through educational workshops, speaker events, professional development sessions, dialogue spaces, and other efforts. While it is often assumed that these practices support the advancement of gender equity, scholars have theorized the ways in which this work can also lead to depoliticized efforts that may, in fact, reify patriarchal and other systems of …

(Re)Imagining Community-Engaged Curriculum And Pedagogy: Shifting Subjectivities And Power/Knowledge Among Faculty/Doctoral Students, Anne Catherine Kelly

Dissertations

This dissertation explores new possibilities for researching and representing community-engaged curriculum and pedagogical practices among faculty and their doctoral students. Community-engagement is (re)imagined within nonfiction-fiction writing to provide a line of inquiry that integrates data and theory (Jackson & Mazzei, 2017). I probe, question, and disrupt stable notions of engaged teaching-learning and research. Foucauldian concept of power/knowledge is used to interrogate faculty/doctoral students’ shifting subjectivities and discursive construction of community-engagement. Post qualitative inquiry provides a methodological lens to (re)consider new ways of framing community-engagement and acknowledges the crisis of representing research as it is always partial and incomplete. Through the …

"Stop Giving Up On Us": The Experiences Of First-Generation Latinx Students In Their College Choice Process, Lillianna Shantey Franco Carrera

Dissertations

To improve college access for racially minoritized populations, such as first-generation Latinx students, current practices must be assessed to ensure equitability. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to learn about the experiences of first-generation Latinx students who chose to attend one of two institutions, a private 4-year institution and a private 2-year institution. I collected their reflections on their high school college choice process via interviews to understand their personal experiences and why they led them to the institution they chose. I also considered the support their high school counselors offered them in their college choice process. This study …

Elementary Principals' And Teachers' Educational Beliefs And Practices In Inclusive Schools, Dawn Hill

Dissertations

This qualitative study will explore the educational beliefs and practices of elementary principals and teachers in inclusive schools. Nine elementary schools in a unit district are the focus of this study given the significant gains made in closing the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. The research questions in this study are as follows: (1) How are principals’ LRE beliefs and practices related to student achievement? (2) How are teachers’ LRE beliefs and practices related to student achievement? The elementary schools included in this study not only narrowed the achievement gap between students with IEPs and …

Pediatric Mental Health Hospitalizations And The Return To School: School-Based Provider Perspectives On Commmunication, Collaboration, And Systematic Practices, Lauren Elizabeth Carr

Dissertations

The provision of pediatric mental health services has changed greatly over the last several decades with more children and adolescents requiring intensive mental health treatment. Despite this increase, systemic barriers continue to prevent youth from receiving appropriate treatment following psychiatric hospitalization. An important aspect of this treatment process includes a child’s return to school, one of the most common environments for a child or adolescent outside of their home. For many children, the hospital-to-school transition team may include regular and special education teachers, school psychologists, social workers or therapists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, case managers, and nurses. Because of this, it …

Moving Beyond Recruitment And Hiring: Including And Actualizing The Voices Of Teachers Of Color In A Suburban School District, Jennifer Ann Rowe

Dissertations

Loyola University Chicago MOVING BEYOND RECRUITMENT AND HIRING: INCLUDING AND ACTUALIZING THE VOICES OF TEACHERS OF COLOR IN A SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT This capstone identifies, as a problem of educational practice in American secondary schools, the failure of our school systems to equally value and validate Black and brown educators as compared with their white counterparts, consequently preventing the cultivation of an environment that would encourage these educators to flourish in the profession rather than presenting barriers to their success. Calling upon the prevailing research, Ms. Rowe evaluates approaches that school districts can take to overcome these roadblocks and foster …

Measures Of Student Engagement As Predictors Of Grade Point Average (Gpa) And Degree Completion At Andrews University, Michael D. Milmine

Dissertations

Purpose of the Study

In a time of rising costs, social discourse questioning value of an undergraduate degree, and declining enrollment, institutions of higher education are under increasing pressure to provide stakeholders and potential students with measures of accountability and student success. These pressures renew the need to leverage student engagement data to understand what makes undergraduates successful in their academic programs. An understanding of student engagement factors is key to helping all students succeed, but especially to identifying areas that colleges and universities can devote their attention in order to improve their students’ likelihood of success. The purpose of …

A Multiple Case Study Of The Training Of Instructors Teaching Inclusive Postsecondary Education Students In Typical College Courses, Enoh Nkana

Dissertations

Problem

Limited research exists regarding the professional development program processes and components used to train instructors to equip students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive greater support and access to the benefits of a postsecondary educational experience.

Purpose of the Study

The principal purpose of this research was to conduct a multiple case study of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs known as Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSID) and/or Comprehensive Transition Programs (CTP) at institutions of higher education across the United States to examine training provided to instructors teaching students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who …

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 …

How Faculty And Student Preferences For Active And Traditional Instructional Methods Relate To Their Beliefs, Quantity, And Quality Of Experiences, Knowledge Of The Benefits, And Professional Training, Tammy R. Shilling

Dissertations

Purpose

The complexity of preparing students for clinical practice and the mitigating factors that influence pedagogical preferences impact the current realities of health professional education. The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study is to explain the relationships between faculty preferences and student preferences for active over traditional methods and their beliefs, the frequency and positiveness of their experiences, and the amount and extent of the knowledge or training they have had regarding active and traditional teaching methods. Results may further inform and refine health professional education infrastructure changes to support faculty in pedagogical change as they prepare students with the …

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used By Esl Saudi Students In The United States, Alya Abdullah K. Suliman

Dissertations

Problem

The purpose of this study was to discover the preferred and used English vocabulary learning strategies of Saudi Arabic-speaking English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. In the light insufficient empirical and theoretical studies exploring the complex structure of vocabulary learning by Arabic-speaking ESL learners, this study investigated which strategies students viewed as significant in assisting them in learning new English vocabulary. Finally, the study sought to identify Saudi Arabic-speaking student attitudes toward and motivations for learning English as a second language; and whether these attitudes influenced which vocabulary learning strategies they preferred and used commonly.

Method

The research …

Self-Efficacy And Self-Regulation As Predictors Of Academic Motivation Among Undergraduate Students In The United States, Fatimah Aljuaid

Dissertations

Problem

Some undergraduate students demonstrate lack of academic motivation which negatively affects engagement and perseverance in higher education (Busse & Walter, 2017; Rizkallah & Seitz, 2017; Dresel & Grassinger, 2013). Amotivated students are more likely to drop out of school and disengage from learning activities or underachieve (Wang & Pomerantz, 2009). Although the lack of academic motivation is correlated with deficiency in self-regulation and self-efficacy, relatively little studies have been conducted to examine the impact of these factors on academic motivation particularly in the U.S. This study constructed a hypothesized model to investigate the role of self-regulation and self-efficacy in …

The Effect Of The Vocabulary Spelling City App On Student Performance In Spelling, Vocabulary, And Reading Comprehension In Grades 5-8 At Glenview Adventist Academy, Fernando Oleynick Lista

Dissertations

Problem and Purpose

Students in fifth through eighth grades at Glenview Adventist Academy (GAA) presented difficulties in the subjects of spelling, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The school had not followed the previous 10-year trend of technology implementation in the classroom, in spite of conclusive research on its advantages. This study was conducted to determine to what extent teaching methodology and the use of technology could affect academic performance in the areas of spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Research on the implementation of software and the use of tablets (iPad Minis) in the classroom has been scarce and contradictory in the …

Behavioral Motivation Of High School Leadership Organizations, Jake Kloeppel

Dissertations

This quantitative research study examined the perceptions of ninth through 12th grade leadership students and facilitators, regarding their motivation to project-based learning scenarios. Electronic surveys requesting approximately 180 participants were sent to five school districts from three counties in Central Missouri. A total of 203 participants chose to respond to the survey, Motivation Questionnaire (MQ; Phillips & Gully, 2013), consisting of 15 Likert-scale items and one optional, open-ended question, which was designed using McClelland’s Human Motivation Theory (1987). The results of this study showed there were only minimal differences in the motivation to projectbased learning scenarios between members of multiple …

Family, School And Community Educational Partnerships: Development Of A Comprehensive Program For The United Arab Emirates, Sherin M. Abu Shamon

Dissertations

Family, school and community educational partnerships (FSCEPs) contribute significantly to the development and growth of students. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this has not received due consideration. This study aimed to evaluate current FSCEPs practices and develop a comprehensive, culturally appropriate program for the UAE. A three-phase mixed method design was used: exploratory sequential design phase, developmental phase using the Delphi Method, and a pilot to test the proposed model. Structured and semi-structured interviews, observation and case study surveys were used to investigate current FSCEPs implementation; barriers and opportunities influencing practices and partnerships, and recommendations from participants. Data was …

Examining University Stakeholders' Perception Of The Implementation Of Internationalization In Higher Education Institutions In The Uae, Mohammed Madi Yousif

Dissertations

The globalization of economies and societies worldwide, has brought massive transformations in the field of higher education, creating a context to include an ‘international’ dimension in higher education institutions (HEIs). Global learning is essential in the development of cognitive skills, as well as for increased success among academics, hence institutional stakeholders such as administrators, faculty, and students are key participants in initiatives to internationalize academia. The current study examines the perspectives of institutional stakeholders (top administrators, faculty, and students) concerning the process and implementation of internationalization of higher education in the UAE, revealing its potential benefits and challenges. In a …

The Influence Of Mentoring, Self-Efficacy And Perceived Organizational Support On Commitment Among Novice Adventist Teachers, Kathleen E. Forbis

Dissertations

Problem

Previous research indicated that mentoring impacts teacher commitment positively. However, there was a gap in the knowledge regarding the influence of mentoring on novice Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) teacher commitment in North America. The Adventist education system differs in significant ways from the public school system, and novice teachers need support.

Purpose

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the influences of mentoring, self-efficacy, and organizational support on SDA novice teacher commitment (0 - 5 years’ experience). The secondary purpose included identifying the characteristics of effective mentors and mentoring programs, while exploring novice teachers’ current experiences of mentoring, …