Education Commons^™

How Elementary School Principals Successfully Led Through The Turbulence Of The Covid-19 Crisis, Juan Chavez

Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological study aimed to discover and describe behaviors elementary school principals practiced while leading their schools through the turbulent times of COVID-19 using the leadership attributes of personal temperament, concern for collective interest, resilience, and moral purpose, as perceived by elementary school teachers. Methodology: This qualitative study used a phenomenological research design. Data were collected from interviews 12 with elementary school teachers in Monterey County to discover and describe behaviors their principals practiced in leading their schools through the turbulent times of COVID-19. Findings: The study revealed 16 themes related to behaviors elementary school principals used related to …

Igniting Resilience During Critical Times: Reflections Of Women Superintendents, Janice L. Taylor, Sharon Ross, Kathryn Washington, Kelly A. Brown

School Leadership Review

This qualitative study sought to explore the perceptions of women school superintendents in K -12 public schools in Texas about the challenges they face as leaders and how they endure these impactful challenges, particularly during critical times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Polidore’s Resilience Theory (2004) as the theoretical framework, the study sought to determine which of the nine resilience qualities, either innately possessed or through acquisition over time, helped to sustain the women superintendents during adverse situations associated with the highest level of leadership in a school district. The nine qualities of resilience include: religion, flexible locus of …

Resiliency, Mindset, And Academic Performance: A College Athlete's Perspective, Trisha C. Giacomazzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was the low graduation rates self-reported by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics institutions when compared to the general student population at a small Christian university in the Southern United States. In this study, I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the degree to which an athlete’s mindset and psychological resilience influenced their perseverance and academic achievement on their path toward graduation. Utilizing semistructured interviews as the primary data collection method, I used purposive, convenience, and snowball selection methods to enlist a total of 10 participants from a pool of 52 …

A Trauma Responsive Approach To Fostering Resilience, Addressing Equity Issues And Improving Student Wellness And Academic Success, Mark Harrington, Joe Thompson, Catherine Stone, Kim Witeck

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

. The REO (re-entry option) Program was created in response to an overwhelming need to address severe disciplinary referral patterns and the disproportionate impact on students of color. It is rare that the underlying issue that may have precipitated the undesirable behavior is considered, and even rarer that a referral to clinical staff is the response. In the REO program is an intervention designed to be initiated by a teacher who recognizes or experiences a student in pre-crisis or a student a student who believes they need to a safe place to self-regulate to prevent escalating behavior. The student is …

Living Beyond Our Scars, Loren Michaels Harris Dr.

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

Discover the transformative journey of resilience with me, Dr. Loren Michaels-Harris, a former foster child turned motivational speaker. Through poignant personal experiences, I unveil how scars can become catalysts for growth, propelling us toward purpose and empowerment. Learn to replace self-limiting beliefs with a mindset of resilience, empathy, and compassion. Illuminate the path to a life lived beyond the constraints of our scars.

Resilience Of Teaching Juveniles: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers In Juvenile Corrections Facilities, Jessica D. Bradshaw

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to interpret the experience of resilience in teachers in juvenile corrections facilities. The theory guiding this study is the self-determination theory, which Richard Ryan and Edward Deci developed. Self-determination theory is a means to understand human motivation. The methodology to be used is a hermeneutic phenomenological approach using interviews, exhibit scenarios, and a journal reflection prompt from 13 voluntary participants of teachers and former teachers with experience in long-term juvenile corrections facilities from around the United States. Although the education field has challenges in any setting, the challenges specific to working in …

Remotely Close: A Phenomenological Exploration Of How Online Education May Impede Academic Persistence And Social Integration, Daniel Ryan Day

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The aim of this transcendental phenomenological study is to define and describe the lived experiences of those who have taught and taken online classes at post-secondary Assemblies of God schools. Tinto’s theory of academic persistence and social integration served as the guiding theory of the study, as it was an indispensable part of exploring how online education may impede academic persistence and social integration between students and professors. The central question of the study deals with how online educators may improve academic persistence and social integration between their students and themselves by applying Tinto’s model of integration. By strategically utilizing …

A Phenomenological Study On Perceived Academic And Social Factors That Attribute To The Collegiate Success Or Failure Of Low-Income, First-Generation Black Males, Tre' Antonio Finklea

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to analyze and discover the factors that contributed to the success or failure of first-generation Black male collegiates at four-year institutions and effectively provide an in-depth understanding of these issues. The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s theory of integration, which focuses on the norms of academic and social integration. Related to this theory was a series of studies that presented the idea that students’ involvement in the social environment and educational setups were critical to their success and retention in college. Participants completed a questionnaire to determine their eligibility for the study. …

Resilience In Adolescent American Students, Steffan R. Larson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The current study sought to determine if any meaningful relationship existed between perceived mental, emotional/behavioral, and academic resilience and overall resilience in adolescent American students. The current quantitative study was conducting using convenience sampling though a national school counselors’ website. Respondents were asked to respond to a modified version of the ARS-30 resiliency questionnaire as well as respond to a few demographic questions. The findings of the study demonstrated that each aspect of adolescent student resilience (mental, emotional/behavioral, and academic) were statistically significant predictors of overall student resilience; with academic resilience being the most statistically significant predictor of perceived overall …

Indigenous Student Responses Of Resiliency To Adversity, Aaron Billie

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to analyze the responses of Indigenous students as they experience situations that are adversarial and precarious. One of the goals of this study was to empower voices of Indigenous students in providing an avenue to share their genuine stories of resilience. I served as both researcher and mentor as I applied a Navajo framework to the analysis of the data known as Nitl‘iz Saad bee Hozho Iina Sila (NSBHIS), or beautiful lifeways exist within the language of precious elements. The four areas of this framework held up the salient outcomes from the research which …

Grit And Leadership: How Exemplary Middle School Principals Use The Principles Of Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Gabriela Aldana

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how exemplary middle school principals use the five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organization.

Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Los Angeles and Orange County. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria for exemplary middle school principals. As a member of a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors, we developed a semistructured interview protocol for data …

A Trauma Responsive Approach To Fostering Resilience, Addressing Equity Issues And Improving Student Wellness And Academic Success, Mark Harrington, Joe Thompson, Kimberly Witeck

National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference

We’ll start with our school’s motto, “Family, Love, Respect,” which is posted in nearly every hallway, office and gathering place in our school. We attempt to provide each student with a strong sense of each. Although ours is an alternative high school, filled with stories of trauma, neglect and despair, our students are resilient! With that in mind we have created a number of programs to encourage resilience, provide a healthy path forward, decrease student discipline, and foster student success. All of these programs, and the stories we share detailing what our students have overcome show just how resilient young …

Working For Justice: A Black Educators Journey Of Supporting Black Males In An Urban School District, Carey Cunningham

Dissertations

Abstract

This autoethnographic dissertation focuses on my journey as a Black male educator and administrator working in an urban school district. I highlight some of my accomplishments and challenges in dedicating my life to the field of education in the same urban school district that I attended from kindergarten to twelfth grade. This dissertation points out how my journey allowed me to support students, mainly Black boys, who faced challenges in a school district that I know very well. I have increased my, and hopefully others, understanding of the challenges Black male students and Black male administrators face in an …

Embracing Resiliency: Practical Strategies To Minimize Teacher Burnout And Elevate Retention, Melissa D. Reed, Heather Caswell, Monica Wong-Ratcliff

The Advocate

Abstract

Teacher shortage constitutes a crisis in the U.S. and the education system at-large. In light of the crisis of teacher shortage and the severity of turnover rate, the purpose of this paper is to join in the dialogue to further the conversation regarding how believing or reinforcing stereotypes can contribute to burnout and unrealistic expectations teachers face in education. Suggestions for pre-service and in-service teachers to acquire a more realistic and resilient lens for themselves as educators and the profession is presented. The following themes will be explored: collaboration, embracing vulnerability, empowerment and agency, support and mentoring, and self-care …

Executive Summary Resiliency Pilot Program – Liberty High School With Community Partners: Youthbuild Dayton And University Of Dayton, Brian Laduca, Jerry Farley

IACT Reports, Publications and Resources

Research led by Boston University Professor V. Scott Solberg has shown that among matched groups of students, resiliency is the key factor in determining why one group succeeds academically while others do not. There are six interrelated resiliency skills that can be measured and taught: Valuing Education. Academic Confidence, Connectedness, Stress Management, Health and Well-Being, and Intrinsic Motivation. And when students’ resiliency increases, their academic performance improves, along with attendance, behavior, and graduation rates, as well as significant improvements in engagement, confidence, perseverance, and postsecondary readiness. Because of research on the powerful impact of improved resiliency, a commitment was …

Examining The Relationship Between Burnout And Mindfulness In Government Employees: A Closer Look At Mindfulness In Positive Psychology, Simona C. Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Burnout has been an ongoing problem that negatively impacts organizations, their leaders, and employees. While burnout is a highly researched topic, there is less information on burnout and mindfulness in government employees in the United States. According to research, mindfulness, a state of being conscious or aware, has shown to improve well-being and reduce stress and burnout in employees. Previous studies showed that burnout is a common problem that can lead to negative mental, emotional, and physical outcomes. The goal of this quantitative correlational study was to determine to what extent a relationship exists between mindfulness and burnout among government …

All The Way Up: A Qualitative Examination Of African American Male Educational Resilience In Higher Education, Junae Diamond Weathersby

College of Education Theses and Dissertations

The educational resilience of African American males has been extensively studied from elementary, high school, and undergraduate perspectives. Topics such as the “School to Prison Pipeline,” which characterizes the educational and life trajectories of African American males in America with regards to criminalization and mass incarceration, dominant resilience data. However, there are not nearly as many studies that specifically focus on the educational resilience of African American males who persist to earn doctoral degrees. Research continues to substantiate the fact that African American men earn doctoral degrees at exceptionally disproportionate rates in comparison to Caucasian men. The purpose of this …

A Qualitative Study On Nurse Facilitators Of Mind-Body Skills Groups, Paula D. Blake-Beckford

Mindfulness Studies Theses

The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM), founded by Dr. James Gordon, provides communities with evidence-based Mind-Body Skills Groups (MBSGs) that foster self-care, self-awareness, and self-expression. MBSGs range from 8 to 12-week series on various mind-body practices wherein group members meet, practice, and reflect on the impact of mind-body skills in their lives. Research has demonstrated that participants in MBSGs have positive outcomes. Healthcare professionals (HCPs), especially nurses, gain resiliency from MBSGs. As facilitators of MBSGs, nurses develop essential skills transferable to clinical and educational settings. MBSGs are therapeutic for adult participants with chronic stress. Prior to this thesis, only one …

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, …

Developing Mental Toughness In Collegiate Football: A Phenomenological Study, Tarrah D. Bisch

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to enhance the phenomenon of mental toughness, by addressing the literature gap of how mental toughness can be developed in college football. This qualitative study used a tri-level snowball method, first interviewing head coach participants recommended from a collegiate football expert. Then, interviewing assistant coaches who were recommended by each head coach. Lastly, interviewing a focus group of current collegiate football athletes, who were recommended by both head coaches and assistant coaches. This study addressed four research questions surrounding the development of mental toughness in college football athletes, the differences between coaches’ and athletes’ …

Developing And Maintaining Resilience In Charter School Executive Directors, Erika Vanderspek

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by charter school executive directors to develop and maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study identified and described the lived experiences of exemplary charter school executive directors in San Diego, Riverside, and Orange counties. Based on recommendations from expert entities who worked with the target population, the researcher used purposeful sampling to select eight exemplary charter school executive directors. The …

Building Resilience In Ctls: Reflections On Practice, Lisa J. Hatfield, Julie Maxson, Jennifer Marshall Shinaberger, Hanna E. Norton, Cynthia (Cia) H. Demartino, Annette Finley-Croswhite, Gigi Gokcek

History Faculty Publications

What are the qualities of the “now” that make teaching and learning an urgent, if not a moral, imperative? A group of faculty, administrators, and educational developers respond to this question with individual narratives bound together by a common theme of reflective practice in times of crises to help faculty become more resilient in preparing for ongoing upheavals and unexpected crises while pursuing more inclusive communities. Our personal narratives reflect on the subjects of flexibility in the face of crises, technology and ethics, study abroad exposure to ethical challenges, students’ growing anxiety and mental health, modeling metacognition with peers and …

Exploring Resilience In Exemplary Rural School Superintendents, Silas Gaussoin-Radcliffe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary rural superintendents to maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study used purposeful criterion sampling and recommendations from the county superintendents in the identified geographic area. Each of the 8 identified exemplary rural superintendents was interviewed using an instrument aligned to the five factors of personal resilience and their definitions. The researcher collected rich qualitative interview data, that were …

Piloting A Theoretical Framework For Understanding Teacher Resilience In Hard-To-Staff Schools, Traci Durant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the nature of hard-to-staff schools in relation to teacher resilience. The study proposes a theoretical framework that blends theories of self and collective efficacy, critical race, and resilience theories with Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to examine personal and organizational factors that contribute to or weaken the resilience of teachers in challenging urban schools.

Two research questions guided the study: What are the personal factors that strengthen resilience in teachers in hard-to-staff schools? And, What organizational factors impact teacher resilience in hard-to-staff schools?

Participants were recruited using convenience sampling methods. School administrators were asked to identify teachers who …

An Illumination Of The Road To Resilience For Black Millennial Teachers As A Means Of Addressing The Black Teacher Shortage, Jameka Tanae Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe Black millennial teachers’ self-perceived factors of resilience in Virginia public elementary schools. The central question of this study was: “What are the lived experiences that Black millennial teachers ascribe to their resilience in Virginia public school elementary settings?” The theory guiding this study was resilience theory by Masten (2014) which described positive human adaptation through the interplay of individual and contextual risk and protective factors that contributed to resilience. This study followed a qualitative design with a transcendental phenomenological design. A sample with a minimum of 10 participants from Woodrow …

Law School News: Dean's Distinguished Service Award 2021: Ralph Tavares 05/28/2021, Michael M. Bowden

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.

Stress Resilience Development Of Undergraduate Student Leaders At Faith-Based Universities During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Grounded Theory Study, David Heitman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate student leaders express increasing stress levels, often leaving them unprepared to lead in a complex world of challenge and change. While higher education heavily invests in preparing graduates to think critically and lead successfully, research shows an increasing number of students display low-stress resiliency and risk-aversion while struggling to cope with challenge and failure pre-and post-graduation. This study, conducted at faith-based Christian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, used grounded theory to generate a generalizable leadership stress resilience model that explains: (a) Why and how undergraduate student leaders experience stress; (b)The influence of stress on student leaders at faith-based institutions; …

Re-Entering Schools After The Pandemic: An Analysis Of Helping Children After A Disaster, Amy L. Pahl

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Modern schools have not had experience dealing with a pandemic, and as such, there is no pattern to follow when working with students as they re-enter the school system. Pahl draws comparisons from research on disaster recovery and lays out a plan for re-entering schools post-pandemic. The plan takes trauma into account while focusing on resiliency, utilizing student input and creating opportunities to review strengths and supports over time.

A Study Of Select Minnesota Public School Teachers’ Mindfulness As It Relates To Their Stress-Management, Resilience, And Job Satisfaction For Motivation, Shelby Chollett

Culminating Projects in Education Administration and Leadership

Mindfulness is not a new concept or practice, and many organizations are beginning to train their staff in such practices for various purposes such as well-being and productivity. The focus of this research study is to identify mindfulness training programs specific to teachers, the mindfulness techniques teachers are trained on, attributes that can affect motivation and well-being, and the impact mindfulness and practicing mindfulness techniques can have on teachers’ reported levels of mindfulness, stress, resilience, job satisfaction, motivation, and their work environment. While there is an abundance of research on mindfulness, teacher well-being, and human motivation, there is little research …

Academic Resilience In An Academic Setting: A Case Study Of The Unm German Summer School, John Reinert

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This dissertation is a historical case study that focused on the founding and continuation of the GSSch to define the term, academic resilience and to determine how the GSSch had impacted academic resilience. I examined qualitative data from interviews alongside research published during the founding (i.e. mid-1970s) and continuation (i.e. 1975-2020) of the GSSch. I used the research to examine how the actions of the leadership fit within the social and political climates of their time. This dissertation has gone above and beyond expectations by not only defining the term, academic resilience but also by providing authentic examples of both …