Education Commons^™

Adjunct Faculty Perceptions Of Leadership And Cultures Of Engagement, Inclusion, Collaboration, And Value Through A Social Capital Theory Framework, Mary Athena Geron-Newton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At the time of this study, there were more adjunct or part-time teaching positions at colleges and universities than full-time or tenure track positions. It is predicted this trend will persist because it is fiscally beneficial to educational institutions; adjuncts will work for a quarter of the salary and with fewer benefits, no real job security, unpredictable teaching schedules, and no commensurate voice in faculty decisions. This case study expanded the understanding of the reasons behind contingent faculty's perceptions of satisfaction and their decisions to remain in instructional positions even with the positions' blatant inequities. According to Bourdieu's social capital …

A Case Study Examining How Culture And Shared Leadership Practices Improve Literacy, Jennifer Gutierrez

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine how school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in an urban Title I elementary school. Shared leadership practices are defined as transformational and instructional leadership that ensures all stakeholders are included as active participants, and that collaborative objectives are carried out (DeWitt, 2017). The central research question is, how do school leaders create a school culture driven by shared leadership practices to improve literacy in urban elementary schools? The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, as it impacts the direction of behavior …

6 Strategies To Increase Your Classroom And School’S Culture And Climate, Stacey Keown-Murray, Rob Carroll, Kristi Livingston

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Creating a positive culture and climate in the classroom and school environment is crucial for fostering student engagement, well-being, and academic success. This article presents six effective strategies that educators can implement to enhance the culture and climate within their classrooms and schools. The strategies focus on promoting a sense of belonging, establishing clear expectations, fostering positive relationships, celebrating diversity, empowering student voice, and encouraging collaboration and teamwork. By implementing these strategies, educators can cultivate a supportive and inclusive environment that nurtures the holistic development of students and promotes a positive learning experience. The abstract provides a concise overview of …

The Transformative Mindset Of Middle School Principals On Culture And The Impact Of Student Achievement, Christina Gfell

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary middle school principals perceived practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary middle school principals perceived affected infinite mindset development.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of Sinek’s (2019) infinite mindset framework were embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary middle school principals in Harris County, Texas. …

The Influence Of Extracurriculat Activities On Engagement And Environment Elements Of School Culture At Two Title I Middle Schools In Alabama, Jeremy Jones

Ed.D. Dissertations

Limited research had been conducted on the role extracurricular activities had on school culture. Even less was dedicated to how middle school educators perceived how extracurricular activities influenced school culture. Due to the lack of overall research, further research was necessary to develop a better understanding of the influence of extracurricular activities on school culture, more specifically the Safe Supportive Schools Model’s engagement and environment elements of school culture. The purpose of this basic interpretive qualitative study was to examine educators’ perceptions of the influence extracurricular activities had on the Safe Supportive Schools Model’s engagement and environment elements of school …

Case Study On Increasing The Amount Of High School El Students College And Career Ready, Octavio Patino

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe the leadership practices of high school principals who work with their staff to close the college and career achievement gap for English language learners (ELLs) based on Anderson and Ackerman Anderson’s (2010) change model (mindset, behavior, culture, and systems).

Methodology: This qualitative multicase study was conducted through interviews with four high school principals of Title I schools in California. I selected qualitative methods because they describe the leadership practices that worked with their staff to close ELLs’ college and career readiness (CCR) gap.

Findings: Close examination of data from …

A Spotlight On Teachers’ Culturally Sustaining Beliefs And Responsive Practices For Students Of Color In Mathematics, Susan Ejma

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

School leaders and educators across the country are striving to improve instruction for ethnically, culturally, and socio-economically diverse students for long term learning and growth. For years, researchers and scholars praised the tenets of culturally responsive instruction as the solution to meeting the needs of this growing diversity in schools. Unfortunately, many students from ethnically and culturally diverse communities do not have schooling experiences that validate and affirm their knowledge. Culturally responsive teaching is still an area that is under researched, specifically in mathematics. Drawing on the theoretical lens of culturally responsive pedagogy, this mixed methods case study aimed to …

A Program Evaluation Of The Reasons Some Educators Do Or Do Not Remain In The Teaching Profession, Joshua Karren

Dissertations

Abstract According to Sutcher et al. (2016), hundreds of thousands of teachers (eight percent of the overall United States teaching force) leave the profession annually for various reasons. These reasons include dissatisfaction with some parts of their jobs, including poor leadership, lack of control over teaching, family or personal reasons, pursuing a job outside of education, retirement, and financial reasons. The purpose of this study is to understand why teachers choose to stay at their school, why they leave certain schools and what school and district leaders can do to keep teachers in their classrooms. The context of this inquiry …

A Par Reflection: The Power Of Teacher Voice, Anna Marie Warren

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teacher voice is missing in systemic change. This PAR study explored some of the barriers in education today that prevent teachers from using their voices and the leadership skills needed to empower teachers to use their voices in change processes. The study was implemented on two secondary school campuses with two teams of PAR researchers. Data were collected using a triangulation of PAR forms, journal reflections, and Likert surveys. While identifying barriers hindering teachers from using their voice, the qualitative study also aimed to provide a platform where teachers could express and use their voice to cause change in their …

Law Enforcement Leadership And Organizational Culture In A Post-2020 Society, Carlos A. Perkins

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this qualitative pilot study was to investigate the perceptions of selected law enforcement leaders regarding the impending transition in law enforcement agencies in a post-2020 society. Specific elements of this transition investigated included recruitment, training, socialization, leadership roles/qualifications, change strategies/process, stakeholder involvement, and measures of success. Purposeful, convenience, and snowball sampling were used to select study participants. Study participants (N=21) were active sworn law enforcement leaders in a law enforcement agency in North Carolina. Participants possessed a broad range of law enforcement years of experience and/or leadership/supervisory experience at a minimum rank of lieutenant. Semi-structured interviews were …

How Principals Foster A Culture Of Student Voice, Anne Stewart Demott

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Student voice is a key component of educational leadership, yet school leaders remain confounded about how to succinctly define student voice, how to offer opportunities for students that position them as decision-makers in their schools, and how to integrate student voice into their daily practice, much less transform school cultures into vibrant, student-centered communities of learning. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of how high school principals define student voice, the opportunities they provide for student voice in their schools, and the strategies they implement to foster cultures of student voice.

The study uses a sequential …

E Pluribus Unum: Increasing A Shared Understanding Of Mission At Marine Corps University, Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, Dominick White

Doctor of Education Capstones

E PLURIBUS UNUM: INCREASING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF MISSION AT MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY

By Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, and Dominick White

A capstone project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023.

Capstone Chair: Beth E. Bukoski, Ph.D., Department of Educational Leadership

Mergers between higher education institutions present unique challenges to creating and maintaining a shared understanding of mission. Additionally, professional military education institutions with civilian faculty and staff must blend military and civilian cultures in the workplace. …

Influence Of Restorative Practices On The Middle-School Classroom, As Reported By Teachers: A Qualitative Case Study, Julia Y. Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine middle school teachers’ perceptions of the influence that restorative practices have on the middle school classroom environment. For the purpose of this study, seven middle school teachers were selected who have implemented restorative practices in their middle school classrooms to provide feedback. Findings suggest that overall restorative practices have a positive influence on the classroom. The findings from this study can be used with teachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and school and district support staff to help create a positive campus culture between students and adults in middle school classrooms. The …

Does Race Still Matter? An Exploration Of Race And Mentoring Relationships From The Perspective Of Early Career Teachers Of Color And Mentors, Franchesca R. Ho Sang

Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has been attributed to lowering attrition rates of teachers. At present, the majority of teachers in the United States are White and female. The national teacher workforce does not represent the student body. Although there have been recent initiatives to improve the diversity within the teacher workforce, by explicitly recruiting teachers of color (TOC), the attrition rates of these teachers are negating the effects of recruitment efforts. Previous research has pointed to the need to consider race in novice TOC mentee and mentor matches, as cultural capital theory suggests common knowledge and experience may lead to stronger mentor relationships …

Improving Internal Communication In An Asia-Pacific International School, Erin Gillespie

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

This organizational improvement plan presents a continuous organizational change approach that addresses communication issues between leadership and two culturally distinct departments, the Anglo Western and European, in an established Asia-Pacific international school. Communication is valued in the school’s strategic vision of raising the profile of its European culture. However, communication from leadership to Anglo Western teachers concerning how to support the European department remains an area of inaction throughout the organization. The organizational improvement plan explores internal communication between leadership and teachers by drawing on the theoretical concepts of organizational learning theory and transformational leadership to facilitate change and address …

Global Child And Family-Centered Care Fellowship, Education And Mentorship For Pediatric Healthcare Professionals: A Literature Review, Ashley Zheng, Bobbijo Pansier

Patient Experience Journal

Child- and family-centered care (FCC) is increasingly accepted and implemented to optimize the healthcare experience for patients, their families, and healthcare professionals. Standish Foundation for Children, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, has designed and piloted a fellowship to educate pediatric healthcare professionals in FCC & psychosocial care via an inquiry and mentorship model in Tbilisis, Georgia. This review aimed to evaluate and synthesize existing literature on psychosocial and FCC mentorship for pediatric healthcare professionals in four parts: ongoing need, effects on healthcare professionals, effects on children and their families and/or caregivers, and in cross-country healthcare settings. Reviewers searched open-source databases for articles …

Cultural Awareness And Change Management: Embracing The Benefits Of Merging A Community College With A University In Atlantic Canada, Paul M. Brett

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The organizational merger of two post-secondary organizations is fraught with synergies and complications that lend themselves to positive and negative outcomes of the joining. The need for a consolidated credential pathway model that defined the academic and administrative authorities of the merged organization was required. The organizational improvement plan (OIP) reviews the historical context of Ocean Institute of Eastern University (OIEU) to uncover the cultural underpinnings of resistance that exhibited themselves. While blind resistance exists within almost every organization, including true ideological resistance, within the context of OIEU, most of the resistance is rooted in political resistance, where some feel …

Factors For Success Of International Female Doctoral Students In Science In The United States, Maria Patricia Cantu

Theses & Dissertations

Factors for Success of International Female Doctoral Students in Science in the United States

Many international doctoral female students in the sciences in the United States do not obtain a degree despite their large investment in time, effort, and financial resources. The loss of highly prepared and credentialed international female doctoral students, who have a genuine interest in science but who choose not to pursue their studies to graduation or switch careers due to real or perceived barriers, signifies such a loss not just for the women themselves and their families but for their countries of origin, their hosts universities, …

The Race To Leadership Effectiveness: A Study On School Organization For High And Low Performing Georgia Schools, Willie Batts Ed.D., Robert B. Green Ph.D., Jiri Stelzer Ph.D., William F. Truby Ph.D., Daesang Kim Ph.D., Megan Lyons Ed.D., Kelly C. Dreger Ed.D.

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

With the adoption of such initiatives as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and the College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), there is increasing pressure for students to meet and exceed performance expectations. This is easier said than done, especially given that not all organizational structures are helpful to student performance. A quantitative, correlational study was done to determine the relationship between school organization and school performance within Georgia schools. Subgroup comparisons between high and low performing schools were included in analyses. Results showed that high organizational effectiveness was associated with high student performance outcomes. …

Leadership Teams Supporting Teacher Wellbeing By Improving The Culture Of An Australian Secondary School, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Julia E. Morris, Catherine Ferguson, Susan Hill, Graeme Lock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research explored teachers’ experiences of school and their work-related wellbeing, from the perspective that work-related wellbeing is an organisational responsibility. A single case study was enacted in an urban Western Australian secondary school to explore the relationship between school organisational health and teacher wellbeing. A mixed method pre-test phase determined professional growth, professional interaction and role clarity were areas of organisational health that yielded divergent responses from staff. Subsequently, the school’s leadership team implemented interventions to improve these domains, and post-intervention data collection was conducted 18 months later to determine any changes. Qualitative data showed improvements in the professional …

Locating Uncertainty In Hospital Leader Sensemaking And Sensegiving Of Organizational Change: A Single Case Study, Sara E. Barry

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Leaders planning strategic change face significant ambiguity and uncertainty due to the complex, fast-paced, and volatile nature of organizational life. What one leader sees as an opportunity, another may view as a threat depending on their past experiences, their existing mental models, and their perceptions of uncertainty. Sensemaking and sensegiving theories provide a framework for how leaders retrospectively make sense of new and disorienting information through recursive cycles of interpretation, action, and learning, and seek to influence the meaning-making of others towards a shared vision of the strategic change. Despite decades of research using these theories, studies have yet to …

Privilege, Power, And Marginalization: Creating Teacher Alliances For An Inclusive International School Community, Clarence Kerry Best

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

NXS began as an experimental bilingual school in a major urban city in Taiwan. Over its twenty-year history, the school transitioned from offering English language instruction for local students to a fully WASC accredited and IB authorized World School. The foreign staff grew from a few staff to comprising two-thirds of the 150-teaching faculty. Despite the size and potential impact of foreign teachers, they have no voice in the school, are excluded from setting the direction of the school, and are largely absent from the life of the school community. Limited opportunities for advancement and intense competition result from few …

Teacher And Staff Perception Of School Climate: A Case Study, Michael Shane Hampton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine how different public-school teachers and staff perceive school climate at an achieving public middle school. The research sought to find relationships between teacher sub-groups and other staff members, and how they perceived the school climate, either negatively or positively. The researcher believed that there would be a positive perception of school climate, which coincided with high student achievement. Additionally, it was believed that there would be no relationship between teacher types or demographics, and how the climate would be perceived among the different groups. This paper also presents a review of the …

A Case Study Examining Students' Experience In Student-Centered Learning Practices Implemented At An Air Force Training Course, Mindy Fisher

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study is to examine students’ experience of student-centered learning practices implemented at an Air Force training course. At this stage in the research, student-centered learning is generally defined as a learning approach during which students generate learning opportunities and reconstruct knowledge dynamically in an open-ended learning environment (Lee & Hannafin, 2014). The theory guiding this study is constructivism based on Lev Vygotsky’s learning theory which represents an epistemological perspective as to the nature and evolution of individual understanding where learners create their own learning. Student-centered learning environments are rooted in constructivist approaches (Creswell & Poth, …

Next-Level Leadership: Preparing Assistant Principals For Campus Leadership, Jerry R. Burkett

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

The workload of campus leaders continues to increase with new expectations for evaluation and supervision, changing legislative mandates, and mounting pressures for improved school accountability. Educational Leadership preparation programs are built on national and state standards related to principal leadership and competency. However, while principal preparation programs have focused intently on instructional leadership development for future principals, most educational leadership candidates do not immediately enter the principalship but rather start their administrative careers as assistant principals. School districts can implement a comprehensive training protocol for their emerging principals using research-based practices to ensure assistant principals have the training, coaching, and …

The Role Of The School District In High-Performance Title One Schools In South Texas, George Padilla, Roberto Zamora, Federico Guerra Jr.

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

A mixed research study was designed and conducted to identify effective characteristics of high-performing, high-poverty schools. Four South Texas Title 1 schools identified as High Performing Schools by the Texas Education Agency in 2016 were selected for the study. To be selected, these schools were also required to meet or exceed a set of criteria applied by the researchers. An effective school model, comprised of eleven characteristics and school processes, was developed based on a synthesis of effective school research and served as the theoretical framework for the study. The characteristics include Culture, Leadership, Instruction, Improvement, Home and Community Relations, …

Cultural Shift From A Teacher- To A Learner-Centered Teaching Environment In An Undergraduate Nursing Program, Katalin Pere

The Dissertation-in-Practice at Western University

The changing Canadian demography—resulting in an older population with increasing health issues—coupled with the ongoing pandemic, requires nursing programs to produce graduates ready to provide safe, competent nursing care. Learner-centered teaching (LCT) is an effective approach that facilitates deep learning and the emergence of a new meaning of knowledge. However, teacher centeredness in nursing education that emphasizes memorized knowledge versus higher-order thinking is still prevalent. This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) aims to shift the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of the nursing faculty in an undergraduate nursing program in Ontario, Canada, from those of a more traditional lecturer role to those …

Teacher Professionalism In Light Of Biometric Controls On Teacher Mobility And Autonomy, David L. Knott

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, I investigate the introduction of biometric technology, specifically fingerprint scanners, for the purposes of managing faculty members’ working hours at a higher education institution (HEI) located in the Middle Eastern Gulf States. Utilizing semi-structured interviews to collect qualitative data, three expatriate teachers of English discussed their experiences before and after management installed the fingerprint scanners, discussing the influence such a change has on their professional identities and the additional impacts on their teaching, their identification with the institution, and the overall culture of the HEI. The results show that the existence of the fingerprint scanners adversely affects …

The Centrality Of Cultural Considerations In Facilitating Training For Adults, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of six years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al., (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, this paper sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influences the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African …

The Impact Of Teacher Leadership In Public Schools, Christopher Larson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

ABSTRACT

The system of education in the United States needs support. Schools are at a constant struggle to maintain a positive climate and culture and retain quality educators. We now live in a world where the grades and performance measures are highly scrutinized. Schools are measured against each other and society wants to see outstanding achievement data from their school systems.

Working within Moustakas’s phenomenological approach, this qualitative phenomenological study will investigate the extent to which teacher leadership advances school climate and culture. The study will be conducted in four public schools in North Dakota: Two that have teacher leadership …