Education Commons^™

Leading Organizational Change: A Qualitative Examination Of Experiences Of Traditional Public School Principals, Nikeshia Leatherwood

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The Every Student Succeeds Act has set the course for new accountability measures for school and system leaders. How principals lead organizational change might be key to the success their schools experience and the achievement results of their students. This phenomenological study examined the professional experiences, leadership trainings, and strategic initiatives of traditional public school principals who led organizational change efforts that resulted in two academic rating increases within a three-year period. Five principals, representing elementary and high school, were interviewed to collect data on their experiences of leading successful organizational change. Using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological method, rigor was established …

An Exploratory Study Of Private School Admission Policies For Students Of Same-Sex Parents, Homosexual, And Transgender Students, Karen Kay Caroe

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This mixed-methods, non-experimental, exploratory study investigated the private school admission policies related to the admission of students from same-sex families and homosexual or transgender students. The US Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) has had far-reaching consequences for Christian businesses, organizations and ministries. As the rapidly changing socio-political environment embraces LGBTQ concerns, private religious schools need to re-evaluate their admission policies and prepare to address new types of admission decisions. The theory base in this study was the evolutionary theory of social change. In this present study, the results of a nation-wide, anonymous on-line survey (n = 80) …

Biblical Leadership Principles And Practices Used By University Leaders, William C. Hackett Jr

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study was conducted to ascertain the leadership principles and practices of those persons in leadership positions at a private, Christian university. The purpose, therefore, was to determine to what degree the leaders at the Christian university under study did practice biblical principles and practices in their leadership. The research design was an explanatory sequential mixed methods study. The same private, Christian university was used for both the quantitative and the qualitative study. The quantitative method employed the Leadership Practices Inventory which asked 30 questions using a Likert scale to determine to what degree 50 leaders at the university practiced …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Leadership Support For The Implementation Of A Learning Management System In Urban Middle Schools, Laura Tolly Estill

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative multi-site case study examined teachers’ perceptions of leadership support for their implementation of a learning management system (LMS) to facilitate blended learning in urban middle schools. Understanding teachers’ perceptions of leadership actions to encourage the implementation of new innovations will allow leaders to provide materials, resources, and support to effectively increase the incorporation of blended learning in classrooms. Qualitative data were collected through interview sessions with 10 middle school educators who taught at two dichotomous schools. The data was triangulated with artifacts and the research literature to provide an in-depth depiction of the perceptions and experiences of teachers …

Best Practices Of Team Cohesion In Small Schools, Patricia Jean Shaw

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study investigates the best practices of team cohesion in small schools. The conclusions from the study assist future educational leaders with using best practices to influence team cohesion within school settings that have small groups of staff. If faculty can achieve team cohesion, goals can be achieved and success can be attained. Research for large organizations and team cohesion is documented; however, this study fills a gap in research by focusing on small schools. The study’s conclusions help prove that small schools benefit from team cohesion and outline the best practices for reaching team cohesion. This study is a …

Leader-Member Exchange Theory And The Use Of Reinforcements On Employee Performance, Pagecarol Woods

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Every organization desires to improve performance. Understanding how the employees within the organization are motivated and operate is essential to improving their performance along with the organization’s performance. Relationships between leaders and the subordinates are vital to the subordinates’ performance, and these relationships may change the perception the subordinates have of their reinforcements. The purpose of the study was to assess and predict supervisor-subordinate relationships with the use of reinforcements on the subordinates’ performance. The methodology of the study was a quantitative, non-experimental, survey research design of a single organization in the janitorial industry. Forty-five participants responded to the survey, …

Google Trends Data As A Proxy For Interest In Leadership, Finley W. Walker

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate the observable patterns of online search behavior in the topic of leadership using Google Trends data. Institutions have had a historically difficult time predicting good leadership candidates. Better predictions can be made by using the big data offered by groups such as Google to learn who, where, and when people are interested in leadership. The study utilized descriptive, comparative, and correlative methodologies to study Google users’ interest in leadership from 2004 to 2017. Society has placed great value into leadership throughout history, and though overall interest remains strong, it appears that …

Virtual School Literacy Coaches In Florida: A Study Of Perceptions Of Efficacy And Time Invested In Literacy Coaching Activities, Thania J. Oller

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The focus of this research was to investigate the perceptions of efficacy and time invested in literacy coaching activities of Florida Virtual School literacy coaches. The study followed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design which included quantitative and qualitative data. The responses of eight Florida Virtual School literacy coaches to an online survey were used to investigate how virtual literacy coaches invest their time and the perceived area of expertise. The researcher delved into five quantitative research questions. For the qualitative part of the study, the responses of four virtual literacy coaches to five interview questions were used to identify common …

Transformational Leadership In The Association Of Related Churches: A Cross-Sectional Examination Of Ministry Students At Southeastern University Regional Campuses, Jordan M. Vale

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to identify independent programmatic leadership activity variables that showed the most robust correlation to higher transformational leadership scores in ministry students. Recognizing which variables have the strongest correlation to higher transformational leadership scores may help regional campus directors and pastors better understand how to develop future church leaders in their programs. This quantitative study utilized a survey method that addressed six research questions. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) served as the instrument. Association of Related Churches (ARC) ministry students located at Southeastern University regional campuses in Florida were the population. Idealized influence-attribution represented the …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of Growing Leaders Through Team Building And Continual Learning, Bruce Robbert Lotarski

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Team building and continual learning methods have become transdisciplinary, and the effectiveness of these approaches have yet to be fully appreciated across industries. Training, coaching, and team building may alleviate many of the challenges for positioning talent with organizational change. Organizational leaders should provide direction and support with team building by clarifying and prioritizing goals before inducing innovative initiatives (Peralta, Lopes, Gilson, Lourenço, & Pais, 2014). Setting transparent goals and commitment is characteristic of mature groups, which team building may help develop (Peralta et al., 2014). Four goals for team members at the group level are to set goals, assign …

The Connection Between Lead Pastors' Enneagram Personality Type And Congregational Size, Jeremy David Johnson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This study examines the relationship between the Enneagram profile of a lead pastor and the size of congregation. This study is motivated by the research question, “Do lead pastors of Protestant

megachurches in the United States tend to share commonalities in their Enneagram personality types?” Previous research indicates that personality plays a role in the impact of a pastor, but to date, no systematic investigation has explored the connection between the Enneagram profile of the leader and the size of the congregation. Using a sample of 58 megachurch pastors and 56 non-megachurch pastors, the Enneagram type of each pastor was …

Spiritual Formation: A Survey Of Freshmen At A Christian Institution Of Higher Education, Bethany Thomas

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to learn what the spiritual formation process is for a student in a Christian higher education institution. In order for a Christian university to help develop a student spiritually, the university must know where the students perceive themselves spiritually upon entering their first year. The data collection instrument used was a survey. The survey was distributed to freshmen students who were entering into their first year of college. There were 704 students enrolled into the first-year course, and during their third week of class, the survey was distributed electronically via email. Of the 704 …

An Exploration Of Parental Perceptions Of Inclusive Services And Supports Provided By Faith Communities For Children Diagnosed With Autism And Their Families, Susan L. Moerschbacher

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of the study was to explore the perspectives of parents of children diagnosed with ASD regarding the inclusive supports and services provided by their congregations. Identifying supports and services that are deemed helpful by the parents of ASD children may assist faith communities in developing programs and ministries that address the unique needs of these families. The quantitative study utilized a survey research method to address eight research questions. At two sites in Florida, parents of children diagnosed with ASD were invited to complete a survey assessing the helpfulness of nine inclusive supports. Additionally, the availability of these …

Undergraduate Students’ Satisfaction And Perception Of Knowledge Gained In A Private University, Cathy Ann Mejia

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of the present study is to investigate undergraduate students’ satisfaction and perception of knowledge gained in a freshman level finance class at a private Christian liberal arts university. To study student satisfaction and knowledge gained, several factors were examined for traditional and online delivery formats. Based upon student self-reported data, the predictive factors included student involvement in the course, effective instructor communication, instructor specification of assignments, and the instructor effectively integrating faith and learning. This quantitative study used a Likert-style course evaluation research method in an undergraduate university program. At the subject university, all students enrolled in the …

A Phenomenological Study Of Native Village Pastors’ Perceptions Of The Alaska School Of Ministry, Cynthia L. Cohen

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The Alaska School of Ministry (AKSOM) was established to provide ministerial education venues in Alaska. This phenomenological study queried pastors who provide ministry in Alaska Native villages to examine their perceptions of AKSOM and perceived effects of the program on their ministries and villages. Fifteen participants, including students and AKSOM leaders from various ethnicities, were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed to discover common themes. Five themes were noted, which included relationship (fellowship, local, approachable), flexibility, empowerment (support, confidence), practicality, and financial feasibility. All leaders and students perceived the program as a valuable and effective education tool in preparation for ministry in …

Bilingual Student's Perceptions Of English-Only Education: A Study Of Hispanic Students In Central Florida, Lilliam Roman

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

In higher education, the number of Hispanic immigrant students has steadily increased, particularly in central Florida. The purpose of this quantitative study was to analyze the perceptions of higher education Hispanic students whose home language is Spanish and who are enrolled in English-only and bilingual degree programs in two central Florida universities. A quantitative, non-experimental survey research approach was utilized. A variety of descriptive, associative, and inferential statistical techniques were used to answer the research questions. A response rate of 12.7% (n = 71) was achieved. There was no difference in the overall perception of course efficacy between participants enrolled …