Education Commons^™

Learning To Lead With An Equity Lens: A Case Study Of A Principal Residency Program, Maurice L. Davis

Dissertations of Practice

School districts throughout the United States are challenged with the plague of educator turnover. In particular, building principals are exiting school buildings causing gaps in system consistencies leading to negative perceptions of school culture and decreases in student achievement. Universities are working to assess and redevelop principal preparation programs (PPPs) to support principals and the skill sets needed to be successful within schools today. By increasing the skill of a building principal to lead using an equity lens and developing theories of action to address the frustration initiated by urban school working conditions, principals may develop a greater sense of …

In Order For My Voice To Be Heard, I Had To Create My Own Space: A Critical Narrative Analysis Of Black College Student Success In Creative Majors, Rachel Horton

Dissertations of Practice

This critical narrative inquiry explored the strengths of Black undergraduate students who study the creative arts. The research centered on the unique wealth that Black students bring to their institutions, as highlighted through the Community Cultural Wealth model. The study found that participants: used aspirational capital to fuel them in attending college and pursuing the arts; used linguistic capital in general, and code switching in particular, to navigate various cultures and spaces, to facilitate hard conversations on topics such as racism, and to ensure that their voices were heard and respected; networked with other artists to create strong work through …

Implementing The Least Restrictive Environment Through Co-Teaching: The Role Of Administrative Support, Maureen Hatfield

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation investigates the perspectives of educators with the aim of enhancing support for the practice of co-teaching. Co-teaching, an inclusive instructional strategy involving collaboration between general and special educators, holds promise for diverse student populations. However, its effective implementation requires adequate support structures. This research employs a qualitative approach, employing interviews grounded in narrative inquiry and supplemented by a corresponding survey. The key findings illuminate critical areas where principals can enhance support for co-teaching practices within their schools. Through analysis, three primary categories emerged: resources, autonomy, and efficacy. General and special educators identified these areas as pivotal for successful …

The Personal Is Political: School Board Members’ Motivation For School Governance, Andrew Lobdell

Dissertations of Practice

Understanding the motivation behind school board members' governance is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness of public schools. This research aims to analyze the motivations of five newly elected board members and compare them with past research on governance and motivation. The leadership qualities of school superintendents also impact governance and can influence board members' motivations for running and serving their communities. Similarly, board members' motivations can affect how superintendents lead their districts and prioritize different topics. The research is divided into three papers. Paper 1 reviews existing literature and is organized into three distinct sections that explore school board governance, …

Associations Amongst Basic Psychological Needs And Burnout Amongst Illinois Principals, Matthew Zediker

Dissertations of Practice

Associations Amongst Basic Psychological Needs and Burnout Amongst Illinois Principals

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between burnout and the basic psychological needs of Illinois principals. The objective of this research was to gather more information on Illinois principals on their level of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment) and the association with the three basic needs psychological needs (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) outlined within self-determination theory. The principal position is seeing attrition concerns and there are also training pipeline concerns for teachers to become principals. Because of this it is imperative to learn more …

"It’S Hard To Be An Enemy Of Student Success”: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Cultural Shift Towards Student Success, Lisa R. Lawless

Dissertations of Practice

Literature on how colleges change is limited and theoretical in nature. The purpose of this qualitative case student was to explore how Retention University changed their culture and norms to increase student persistence and retention. Data was collected with semi-structured interviews with 16 participants at a large, public university in the southeast. Four primary themes emerged from data: (1) leaders play an important role in fostering organizational change; (2) leaders need to be strategic about how they foster change; (3) leaders need to consider how organizational contexts might hinder change; (4) and value the people and process. Implications for further …

Sel Walkthroughs: Promoting Practices That Foster Social And Emotional Learning, Garrett Podgorski Dr.

Dissertations of Practice

The concept of social and emotional learning (SEL) has been around Illinois since the early 2000s and a part of legislation for schools to implement since 2003. This dissertation focuses on the extant data of 483 observations from the Municipal Nashville Public School (MNPS) SEL walkthrough tool, which was utilized to investigate SEL implementation in select Illinois schools. Data were collected in the South Cook County area of Illinois.

This dissertation provides a review of literature in the areas of SEL that should be taught in K-12 schools and provides an in-depth review of best practices for utilizing walkthrough observations …

A Case Study On First-Year Experience Programs And The Importance Of Sense Of Belonging For Latinx Students, Javier Aquino

Dissertations of Practice

Latinx students who are first-generation college students face a plethora of barriers when transitioning from high school to college. For example, some students experience a lack of sense of belonging to a campus community, cannot afford to continue their studies, and need guidance on how to be successful in college. First-year support programs can help aid students as they transition. Many of these programs reside in colleges/universities that are low-staffed and have limited funding. Students who are part of first-year programs look to the program to help fill in the gap so they can be successful and complete their college …

Lived Experiences Of Latino/A/X Students At Emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions In The Midwestern United States, Elizabeth Depew

Dissertations of Practice

LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LATINO/A/X STUDENTS AT EMERGING HISPANIC SERVING INSTITUTIONS IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES

There are a growing number of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions (eHSI) across the United States (Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, 2013a, 2013b, 2022). Because many HSIs and eHSIs are either formerly or still also Predominantly White Institutions (PWI), historical policies and practices within institutions of higher education do not routinely consider the lives of Latino/a/x students. In addition, HSIs are not required to have any portion of their mission dedicated to the advancement of Latino/a/x students as part of …

Examining Onboarding Practices In School Settings: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Gabriel Medina

Dissertations of Practice

This dissertation examines the onboarding practices implemented in several schools within a district and their impacts on teacher retention and the culture and climate of the schools. The theoretical lens of self-determination theory was used to determine areas of strength and growth of onboarding with respect to the three basic human psychological needs of autonomy, belonging, and competence. Drawing on this theory, the research aimed to reveal how onboarding practices support or hinder fulfillment of these basic psychological needs in a school setting. By examining how teachers perceive their onboarding experiences, the study sheds light on the relationship between the …

Understanding School Financial Administrator’S Sphere Of Influence And Perception Of Role In Decision-Making Through A Comprehensive Review Of Historical, Legal, Philosophical, And Practice Perspectives On Local Decision-Making And Resource Allocation, Jacquelyn M. Bogan

Dissertations of Practice

UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR’S SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AND PERCEPTION OF ROLE IN DECISION-MAKING

THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF HISTORICAL,

LEGAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND PRACTICE PERSPECTIVES

ON LOCAL DECISION-MAKING AND RESOURCE

ALLOCATION

Jacquelyn Bogan, Ed.D.

Department of Educational Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

Northern Illinois University, 2024

Benjamin Creed, Director

Public education in the United States is a multilayered endeavor with complex governance and oversight from federal, state, and local agencies. While there is involvement across all levels, local school districts have a significant degree of control in decision-making regarding resource allocation. Public education has undergone legal, economic, and philosophical changes since …

The Influence Of Faculty Mentorship On Graduate Student Development Through The Lens Of Self-Efficacy, Connor Lynn Ferguson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

This exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study explores the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and faculty mentorship with biomedical sciences graduate students. The intent of the study was to understand the extent at which faculty mentorship contributes to self-efficacy development in the population of biomedical sciences doctoral students enrolled at a mid-Atlantic R1 institution. Data collected consisted of a survey assessing perceived self-efficacy and mentoring, interviews and documents. Data analysis explored themes related to the perceived academic and professional development of the students through their responses. The research highlights the significance of the mentor-mentee relationship and influence of the mentor on the …

Theorizing Mathematical Proof As Becoming: A Deleuzio-Guattarian Investigation, Joshua P. Case

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

In this dissertation, I utilize the post-structural philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari as a lens for investigating the proof process. Deleuze and Guattari were both post- structural philosophers who, like many in this tradition, troubled traditional notions related to stable identities, meaning, language, and mathematics. For Deleuze, sense and meaning is not the result of a sterile, transcendent effect or condition that is associated with propositions and states of affairs. Rather, it is the result of a material production that emerges from the world and that has independence from language and the mind. I apply this framework to …

"I’M Not Teaching Them Per Se": Designing And Delivering Asynchronous Undergraduate Online Stem Courses, Regina L. Garza Mitchell, Whitney Decamp, Brian Horvitz, Megan Grunert Kowalske, Cherrelle Singleton

Instruments for Measuring Online Teaching Practices

Although online courses have been a part of academia for nearly 30 years, they are still perceived as “different” than face-to-face instruction. Through in-depth interviews with four instructors, we explored how STEM faculty approach teaching asynchronous online undergraduate STEM courses. The faculty interviewed for this study viewed online courses as “not regular class[es]” and teaching those classes as “not teaching per se.” Each of the instructors had assumptions about what a classroom was and about good instruction, but even for instructors who taught online for multiple years, those assumptions remained grounded in the face-to-face environment. There is a need for …

Developing An Observation Protocol For Online Stem Courses, Brian Horvitz, Whitney Decamp, Regina L. Garza Mitchell, Megan Grunert Kowalske, Cherrelle Singleton

Instruments for Measuring Online Teaching Practices

The use of online instruction for undergraduate STEM courses is growing rapidly. While researchers and practitioners have access to validated instruments for studying the practice of teaching in face-to-face classrooms, analogous tools do not yet exist for online instruction. These tools are needed for quality design and control purposes. To meet this need, this project developed an observational protocol that can be used to collect non-evaluative data for the description, study, and improvement of online, undergraduate STEM courses. The development of this instrument used a sequential exploratory mixed methods approach to the research, design, pilot-testing, refinement and implementation of the …

The Equity Of Class Ability Grouping Practices In Australian Education: Findings From A Survey In Western Australia And Queensland, Olivia Johnston, Rebecca Spooner-Lane, Wei Zhang, Suzanne Macqueen, Nerida Spina

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Grouping students into separate classes according to their ‘ability’ is an inequitable practice that does not, overall, improve academic outcomes. Research has continued to show that class ability grouping widens the educational gap between students from disadvantaged and privileged backgrounds. PISA data analysis suggests that class ability grouping continues to be used in Australian schools, at least in Year 10. However, no research has characterized the existing class ability grouping practices being used in secondary schools from Years 7 to 9. The findings reported in this paper add quantitative evidence to the literature, showing that students are experiencing different class …

A Maturity Model For Micro-Credentialing And Shorter Forms Of Learning Practice In Australasian Universities, Ratna M. Selvaratnam, Steven Warburton, Dominique Parrish, Suzanne Crew

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As education and training providers grapple with increasing demand for micro-credentials, guidance on how to improve providers’ capacity and capability to deliver a high standard of learning along with profitable outcomes is needed. This study sought to develop a maturity model that could assist higher education providers in distinguishing their stage of development for delivering micro-credentials and provide guidance on activities to advance micro-credential maturity. A survey of Australasian higher education providers validated the developed model and provided an indicator of the sector’s maturity and ability to meet the increasing demand for micro-credentials. The model’s domains of quality, resourcing, standards …

Assessing Primary School Preservice Teachers’ Confidence To Apply Their Tpack In Specific Categories Of Technologies Using A Self-Audit Survey, David A. Martin, Michael D. Carey, Natalie Mcmaster, Madeleine Clarkin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Internationally, university teacher educators have acted on the requirement that practising teachers need to be operational users of technologies. In response, coursework has been restructured to develop preservice teachers’ (PSTs) use and application of educational technologies for teaching and learning purposes. This paper presents the development and use of a self-audit survey designed to guide primary school PSTs’ self-directed learning and assessments in 10 specific categories of technologies, and to improve their confidence to apply their knowledge. The survey was administered to 296 PSTs in a pre- and post-course design and validated post hoc with Rasch analysis. Pre- and post-course …

Navigating The Intersection Between Academic And Research Integrity For Investigations Involving Research Students. Practitioner Experiences At An Australian University, Marc Fellman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

There is limited research on the intersection between research and academic integrity in scenarios concerning research students. In this commentary the experiences of a practitioner working in research governance, navigating the interstices between research integrity (RI) and academic integrity (AI) investigations, will be examined. With a view to promoting discussion on this aspect of research governance.

Parent Self-Efficacy And Its Relationship With Children's Screen Viewing: A Scoping Review, Stephanie C. Milford, Lynette Vernon, Joseph J. Scott, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This scoping review examines the relationship between parent self-efficacy and children's screen viewing, to provide context, identify gaps and limitations of the current body of literature, and provide recommendations for future research. We identified 111 studies from a search of four academic databases, of which sixteen were within scope and met inclusion criteria. This review found that parents who identified as more self-efficacious in task-specific areas related to screen time had children with less screen viewing time. This finding suggests that parents who identify as more self-efficacious in these areas may implement more mediation strategies, in line with current public …

A Systematic Review Of K-12 Cybersecurity Education Around The World, Ahmed Ibrahim, Marnie Mckee, Leslie F. Sikos, Nicola F. Johnson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents a systematic review of K-12 cybersecurity education literature from around the world. 24 academic papers dated from 2013-2023 were eligible for inclusion in the literature established within the research protocol. An additional 19 gray literature sources comprised the total. A range of recurring common topics deemed as aspects of cybersecurity behavior or practice were identified. A variety of cybersecurity competencies and skills are needed for K-12 students to apply their knowledge. As may be expected to be the case with interdisciplinary fields, studies are inherently unclear in the use of their terminology, and this is compounded in …

Student Employability-Building Activities: Participation And Contribution To Graduate Outcomes, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert, Ruth Sibson, Ruth Bridgstock, Matalena Tofa

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Employability development has become a central concern of higher education, with many students attending university to enhance their employability and career development. Universities offer a range of curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular employability-building activities, including work-integrated learning, mentoring and career counselling. However, participation in these activities, barriers to engagement and their impact on employability are unclear. This paper examines student engagement in diverse employability-building activities, barriers impeding participation and their perspectives on how activities develop aspects of employability. The methodological approach encompassed an online survey of recent bachelor graduates (n = 324) from two Australian universities and focus groups to further …

Continuous Professional Development Strategies Of Nepali Secondary Principals: Navigating Challenges In Changing Times, Shankar Dhakal, Geoffrey W. Lummis, Andrew Jones

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article delves into the ‘continuous professional development’ (CPD) strategies of three Nepali public secondary principals in complex settings. Through semi-structured interviews, the case studies reveal key CPD themes such as academic qualifications, contextual learning, collaborative networking, leadership training, critical self-reflection, and spiritual dimensions aligned with contextual expectations. The research reinforces the importance of networking and collaboration, in providing targeted CPD for principals, necessitating the negotiation of cultural sensitivities. These insights carry vital implications for school leadership in Nepal and similar international contexts, providing strategies to ensure positive educational outcomes.

The Benefits, Barriers And Facilitators Of Mentoring Programs For First-Year Doctors: A Systematic Review, Joelle Winderbaum, Linda L. L. Coventry

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: The transition from medical student to first-year doctor is notoriously difficult, yielding a high rate of transition failure, burn-out and mental health deterioration. Doctors in this cohort experience unique challenges during this time, which manifest through performance gaps, issues of professional identity, new occupational pressures, and cultural expectations. Mentoring programs are commonly utilised in the medical profession to foster personal and professional development and improve psychosocial well-being and career satisfaction. However, there exist no systematic reviews examining the use of mentorship specifically for the first-year doctor cohort, given the unique transition challenges faced by this vulnerable group. Purpose: Due …

Unravelling The Wellbeing Needs Of Australian Teachers: A Qualitative Inquiry, Narelle Lemon, Kristina Turner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The declining wellbeing of Australian teachers is a longstanding problem, with much attention on retention, stress, burnout, and poor resourcing and conditions that impact wellbeing. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has further illuminated these challenges. This qualitative study aimed to explore Australian teachers’ perceptions of their wellbeing needs with a focus on asking the questions that are often not asked—what is working, what are we learning, and how can we move forward to support teacher wellbeing? The voices of teachers revealed findings that support a much-needed shift in teacher wellbeing rhetoric in Australia. We illuminate five key areas that influence teacher …

The Quest For Continuous Quality Improvement In Australian Long Day Care Services: Getting The Most Out Of The Assessment And Rating Process, Susan L. Irvine, Lennie Barblett, Manjula Waniganayake, Fay Hadley, Rebecca Andrews, Maria Hatzigianni, Hui Li, Leanne Lavina, Linda J. Harrison, Belinda Davis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The National Quality Framework (NQF) was intended to drive continuous improvement in education and care services in Australia. Ten years into implementation, the effectiveness of the NQF is demonstrated by steady improvements in quality as measured against the National Quality Standard (NQS). The process of assessing and rating services is a key element in the NQF, drawing together regulatory compliance and quality assurance. This paper draws on findings from a national Quality Improvement Research Project investigating the characteristics, processes, challenges and enablers of quality improvement in long day care services, concentrating on Quality Area 1 Educational program and practice and …

De+D61:D80signing Bespoke Visual Mediation Tools Using 'Viscourse' For Intergenerational Research Visiblising Pedagogies, Amelia Ruscoe, Penny Baker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Visual methods are an innovative design space for study methodologies with young children. The accessibility of visual media, and flexibility of their design and use, has spurred methodological innovations that stretch the boundaries of intergenerational research. This article explores the visual dialogic nexus in research methods tailored to investigate discourse. The research sought to uncover the perspectives of young children and their teachers about their discursive affordances in the first year of school. Employing an iterative design process, bespoke visual mediation tools were collaboratively created with a visual artist to capture the intergenerational viewpoints of the participants. This article reconceptualises …

Host Organizations' Perceptions To Providing Safe And Inclusive Work-Integrated Learning Programs For Students With Disability, Tanya Lawlis, Tamieka Mawer, Thomas Bevitt, Tom Arthur, Lesley Andrew, Ruth Wallace, Ros Sambell, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Inclusive work-integrated learning (WIL) requires collaboration between universities, host organizations and students, particularly, when designing and delivering WIL for students with disabilities. Host organizations, however, are not often included in the collaborations. This study explored host organization knowledge, capacity and challenges to providing WIL experiences for students with disability. A case study multi-method approach comprising an online survey and focus groups was undertaken. Host organizations, represented by supervisors, providing WIL to students enrolled in health courses at two Australian higher education institutions participated. The perceived need for student disclosure, office building limitations, and host organization limited knowledge of WIL expectations, …

Teaching Stare Decisis To First-Year Law Students In Higher Education: A Pedagogical Blind Alley?, Kenneth Yin, Carmela De Maio

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The doctrine of stare decisis is often explained in first-year law studies as synonymous with the doctrine of precedent and dichotomised into ratio decidendi and obiter dicta. This explanation of stare decisis is frequently supplemented by an exercise where the novice law student is provided with a case and directed to identify the ratio decidendi of the case, and to appreciate the distinction between ratio and obiter dicta in it, the latter being persuasive only. It is argued that this pedagogy is limited and unrealistic because stare decisis is a dynamic process whereby, applying the precepts of formal legal logic, …

Creation And Use Of Sbs’S The Boat; Principles For The Co-Creation Of Online Interactive Learning Environments For Innovative Digital Pedagogy, Prue Miles, Kylie Boltin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teachers and students rely more on online-learning environments than ever before, including open, trusted and high-quality online learning resources produced by public broadcasters. For educators, this represents both an inspiration and challenge in the wake of new techologies and online learning environments. This article is a case study of one such online learning environment created by Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), an adaptation of Nam Le’s award-winning short story, “The Boat” (2008). SBS’s The Boat (2015) is an immersive online experience that explores a refugee perspective and is accompanied by SBSLearn online learning materials. The Boat (2015) …