Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Leadership And Teacher Agency For Inclusive Classrooms: Insights About Integrating Students With Disabilities Into Inclusive Classrooms From Teachers And School Leaders In Three International Schools, Chad Wood

Dissertations

As international schools continue to flourish, they must consider how to be inclusive and meet the needs not only of multicultural populations of students, but also the needs of students with diagnosed learning difficulties (i.e., students with special needs). Promoting teacher agency is a potentially important component in successfully implementing inclusive practices given that teachers are key actors in the implementation process. Currently, however, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the interconnectedness of teacher agency and inclusion of special needs populations in international schools.

This qualitative research explores the role of school leaders in promoting teacher agency to support the …

The Cultural Dimension Of Structural School Reforms: The Case Of Schedule Changes, Maylen Sullivan

Dissertations

The four-by-four (4x4) schedule—a type of high school block schedule—presents promising prospects for improving teaching and learning. Using a qualitative, single case study methodology, I investigated a school transitioning from a traditional six-period schedule to a 4x4 schedule during its 2nd and 3rd year of implementation. The study aimed to understand the factors that influenced the transition, the stakeholders’ responses to the decision, and the factors that influenced their responses. Some of the main considerations that motivated the decision included the desire to provide more opportunities within the school day for students to meet A/G college eligibility requirements, allow students …

Borderland Voices: Exploring The Educational Journey Of Transfronterizx Students, Families, And Educators For Enhanced Engagement And Empowerment, Sobeida Velazquez

Dissertations

Transfronterizx students and their families cross the U.S.–Mexico border for academic, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic reasons. Socioeconomic disparities, deportation, and work have propelled some families to live in Mexico and enroll their U.S.-born children in U.S. schools to provide more socioeconomic opportunities in the United States. Educators of transfronterizx students are uniquely tasked to work with these nontraditional students. Moreover, transfronterizx students and their families have distinct needs in U.S. schools; as such, there is a need for further research on the transfronterizx experience in the U.S. K–12 system. This qualitative narrative inquiry study aimed to understand the experiences …

Implementing And Marketing Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Practices And Resources: Creating The E‐Buzz!, Essraa Nawar, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Leatherby Libraries Librarians are committed to supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. We demonstrate this commitment holistically through the provision of all resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, and engagement through educational outreach in order to raise awareness of diversity related issues.

In 2020, Library administration selected a Diversity and Outreach librarian that was charged with creating a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Outreach plan. As a result, a number of practices and initiatives …

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

Claiming Our Place In The Center: Counterstories Of Women Of Color Open Educational Resources (Oer) Librarians, Regina Gong

Copley Library: Faculty Scholarship

Research has recognized the importance of libraries and librarians in supporting, managing, and sustaining open educational resources (OER) programs in postsecondary institutions. Open education initiatives generally align with social justice aspirations and should be open and inclusive to everyone. Yet, in practice, this has not always been the case. While librarians are considered critical partners in the leadership and management of OER programs and are often heralded as heroes and champions of these initiatives, research has failed to interrogate and discuss the experiences of Women of Color (WOC) doing OER work. In particular, the challenges and often invisible labor that …

Examining Systemic And Dispositional Factors Impacting Historically Disenfranchised Schools Across North Carolina, Raketa Ouedraogo-Thomas

Dissertations

This mixed method sequential explanatory study provided analysis of North Carolina (NC) school leaders’ dispositions in eliminating opportunity gaps, outlined in NC’s strategic plan. The study’s quantitative phase used descriptive and correlation analysis of eight Likert subscales around four tenets of transformative leadership (Shields, 2011) and aspects of critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2006) to understand systemic inequities and leadership attitudes.

The qualitative phase comprised three analyses of education leadership dispositions and systemic factors in NC schools. The first analysis of State Board of Education meeting minutes from 2018–2023 quantified and analyzed utterances of racism …

Online Education: Benefits And Challenges For Refugee Students, Roza Badritdinova

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Currently, only 3% of refugees are pursuing higher education opportunities compared to the 37% higher education participation rate globally. There is an urgent need for quality academic work to leave behind the endless descriptive accounts of refugee life and move toward identifying effective strategies and successful solutions that could facilitate the integration of refugees into higher education. Technology has proffered some hope in providing access to public education for marginalized populations. This study looked specifically at how one online education organization attempts to address refugee education and multiple barriers that prevent the majority of the world’s university-age refugee youth …

Racism Without Race: The Racialization Of Middle Eastern And North African Students At U.S. Colleges, Hannah Mesouani

Dissertations

Although a growing body of literature covers the experiences of international students at U.S. colleges, the stories of those who do not fit into the U.S. racial schema remain untold. This study examined how Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) students understood their racial identities given the United States’ tense history with Islam and the MENA world. Using foundational texts on critical race theory, current scholarship on Arab Americans and foreign-born students, and facets of the Ethnic Identity Scale (EIS), this study examined the experiences of MENA students who study amid a national backdrop of xenophobia and racialized Islamophobia. This …

Special Education: Inclusion And Exclusion In The K-12 U.S. Educational System, Erik Brault

Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Education defines students with disabilities as those having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities. Previous research has found that students with disabilities placed in inclusive environments perform better academically and socially compared to students with disabilities who are placed in segregated environments. Yet, we know that inclusion in K-12 general education classrooms across the country is not consistently implemented.

The purpose of this study was to better understand the effects, if any, of general education high school teachers’ personal and professional experiences and knowledge on their attitudes toward educating …

Equalizing Postsecondary Transition For At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services: A Chance To Succeed, Karla R. Sanchez

Dissertations

Postsecondary transition can be difficult for At-Promise Youth Receiving Special Education Services (APYRSES). Special educators supporting postsecondary transition often manifest traditional and institutionalized forms of oppressive education while dismissing collective values and beliefs.

This qualitative case study examined the beliefs and attitudes shared by three special education teachers after being introduced to a justice-focused, humanizing intervention to facilitate postsecondary transition for APYRSES. The conceptualized intervention was grounded in liberatory educational frameworks and drew from critical, culturally affirming, sustaining, and humanizing theories that foster cultural reciprocity, self-determination skills, and antiracist social–emotional justice learning to afford opportunities for APYRSES to succeed. The …

Utilizing New Technologies To Measure Therapy Effectiveness For Mental And Physical Health, Jonathan Ossie

Dissertations

Mental health is quickly becoming a major policy concern, with recent data reporting increasing and disproportionately worse mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, increased substance abuse, and elevated suicidal ideation. One specific population that is especially high risk for these issues is the military community because military conflict, deployment stressors, and combat exposure contribute to the risk of mental health problems.

Although several pharmacological approaches have been employed to combat this epidemic, their efficacy is mixed at best, which has led to novel nonpharmacological approaches. One such approach is Operation Surf, a nonprofit that provides nature-based programs advocating the restorative …

Enhancing Graduate Student Onboarding To Strengthen Graduate Student Sense Of Belonging And Ease The Transition Into Graduate School, Shannon Patiño

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research was to study graduate students' sense of belonging enrolled in programs within the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego (USD) and their transition experience. This study was guided by the question: How can I improve new student onboarding programming to increase graduate student sense of belonging during the early stages of our graduate students’ onboarding experience? How can I also create a resource to help ease the graduate student transition into graduate school?

Quantitative and qualitative data was collected through a survey and one-on-one interviews with graduate …

Supporting Reverse Transfer Students: From Trauma To Transition And Triumph, Stephanie Burga

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study explores the reverse transfer student identity, a population or group that transfers from a four-year college or university to a two-year community college. The research utilizes a San Diego two-year community college as the sample institute to discover more about a sample of the reverse transfer student identity. The theoretical framework includes a combination of intersectional stigma and the ethic of care that is implemented throughout the transition process for the student. The purpose of this study is to seek and uncover patterns as to why students reverse transfer and what support looks like for them. How does …

Understanding Whiteness And Anti-Racist Attitudes In White Student Leaders, Gabriella P. Rangrej

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

At predominately white institutions, Black, Indigenous, and other Students of Color are often burdened with the role of the educator for their white peers. This research explores how white student leaders at the University of San Diego engage in conversations around their white racial identity. How do white student leaders understand and discuss issues of race, racism, whiteness, and white supremacy, what is the impact of their student leader training, and how might they begin striving for the incorporation of anti-racist practices and claim the responsibility for their racial education? Using the Kolb Learning Cycle, I engaged in one pre-cycle …

Head Of School Retention In Independent Schools, Kevin Yaley

Dissertations

According to the National Association of Independent Schools (2020), independent schools across the country continue to experience an increasing number of head-of-school vacancies, both expected and unexpected. Save for the departures by heads who are retiring or obviously chasing greener pastures, the reasons why an increasing number of heads are departing at a disquieting rate are as enigmatic as the departures themselves.

As part of its governance responsibilities, the board has unconditional authority over the employment of the head, including, most especially, the ability to influence the retention of the head. Unfortunately, since these boards of trustees operate independently, there …

But What Can I Do? Engaging White Institutional Agents In Anti-Racist Reflection And Practice, Allie Ross

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

College students continue to become more racially diverse. Despite this, some students of color do not achieve a sense of belonging on their campuses, and whites continue to be overrepresented as educators and administration in higher education. It is critical for white staff and faculty to examine their roles in upholding systemic racism in their institutions. This study investigated how white faculty and student affairs staff, including myself, engage in our own racial identity development and subsequently engage in anti-racist action in our professional roles. Recommendations are provided for how white educators can perform self-work to identify blind spots, how …

Understanding And Enhancing The Graduate Admissions Experience For Dacamented/Undocumented Students, Taylor Ulrich

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The informal and often ad hoc nature of college admissions can deter DACAmented/ Undocumented students from applying, being admitted, or choosing to enroll in higher education. Admissions offices can serve as a resource to these students, assisting them in navigating this extensive process. The purpose of my research was to better understand the DACAmented/Undocumented graduate student experience and explore how DACAmented/Undocumented students’ needs could be better met in graduate admissions at University of San Diego. The research questions guiding my study were (1) how could I understand and enhance the DACAmented/Undocumented graduate student experience? and (2) how could I work …

First-Gen Mental Health: The Experiences Of First-Generation Graduate Students At The University Of San Diego, Edith Mendez

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Higher education professionals can better support struggling students by having more of an awareness of their experiences and how their mental health is related to the identities they hold. As a first-generation Latina college student, I am reminded of my own experiences and struggles, which impacted my sense of belonging and academic success. My action research responds to the question: "What are the mental health concerns that first-generation students studying at the University of San Diego (USD) encounter?" After making changes to my research because of unforeseen circumstances, I designed a study focusing on graduate students with cycles consisting of …

Immersive Leadership: Creating An Experiential Curriculum To Build Our Students' Leadership, Kimberly Guzman

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

As a higher education professional, I seek to use creative programming to encourage the exploration of alternative learning opportunities and to enhance student success. My action research project explores the process of creating and implementing an immersive leadership experience for students from start to finish. Through a curriculum based on experiential learning and critical reflection, students explored, learned, and developed a social justice lens and leadership skills. Students also reflected on their engagement with leadership in various spaces such as on the University of San Diego’s campus, their home environments, and the Duncan community in Jamaica, where this immersive leadership …

Student Success Coaching: Intentional Training For Professional And Program Development, Andrea Aduna

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to improve the effectiveness of the Student Success Coaching Program’s retention and outreach of students on academic probation and midterm deficiencies. The research question is: How can I professionally develop the student success coaches, or peer coaches, to better engage with their nontraditional students? Research suggests that coaching programs must first define the unique support they provide students to be fully proactive. How can diversity and inclusion training add to the effectiveness of the program and the coach’s impact on students throughout the academic semester? The significance of my research was the value of …

Exploring The Narratives Of Underrepresented Southeast Asian Students In Higher Education, Donna Soukantouy

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In my study, I examined how underrepresented Southeast Asian (SEA) students, specifically Cambodians, Hmong, and Laotian students, navigate college by exploring their personal narratives. The research question I used to inform my study was how could I represent and better support underrepresented SEA students in the surrounding San Diego, California colleges and universities? I found that the focus groups I facilitated contributed to meaningful engagement. Oftentimes SEA students are never in the same room with other students like themselves. Through interviews, interactive activities, and dialogue, I found that we need to provide spaces, platforms, and workshops for SEA students to …

Fostering Peer Mentorship Amongst Student Conduct Leaders, Gianna Metz

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my study was to explore the peer mentor relationships amongst the Student Conduct Leadership Team at the University of San Diego. My research question is: How can I work with the Student Conduct Leadership Team to further develop peer mentor relationships amongst each other in order to create a more effective hearing process? Based on my experience working with these student leaders, I have observed challenges in group cohesion and connection to the team’s purpose. I sought to develop strategies to better advise them in order to strengthen their self-advocacy and sense of belonging to the team. …

Onboarding Transfer Students At The University Of San Diego, Andrea Garcia

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In this study, I explored the experiences and needs of transfer students at the University of San Diego (USD) through assessment analysis, the implementation and observations of Spring orientation, and student leader surveys. My positionality as a graduate assistant for New Student Onboarding allowed me to implement Spring orientation programming, analyze postorientation assessment data, and survey transfer student leaders about their experiences. This study provided me a better understanding of how we as a department and an institution as a whole can improve how we onboard our transfer students and further support them throughout their undergraduate career. While cultivating a …

Paving The Way: Enhancing The Transfer Admission Practices At The University Of San Diego, Andrew Alsoraimi-Espiritu

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine how the University of San Diego’s (USD) Office of Undergraduate Admission can better serve prospective students from local community colleges by striving towards a Transfer Receptive Culture (Jain, Herrera, Bernal, & Solórzano, 2011). Using my positionality as an admissions counselor at USD, I explored the following question with current and prospective transfer students, as well as local community college partners: how can I enhance the practices of my department to better support transfer students during the pretransfer phase at USD? My findings indicate that the transfer path to USD is hectic and …

Intentional Residential Programming For Upper Division Students, Sally Zheng

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study explored ways that the residential education department supported students through their transition out of college at the University of San Diego. In particular, it focused on intentional programming for upper-division students. The participants in this study were upper-division students who were in their second year, third year, fourth year, or fifth year at USD. This study showed that there is a low attendance rate of upper-division students at campus programming and challenges around finding a sense of belonging. Upper-division students are known to be independent, academic and career focused. This research also found that most …

Intentional Curriculum Development For An Introductory Leadership Course At The University Of San Diego, Kayla Snow

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to better understand the needs of the Emerging Leaders courses at the University of San Diego. My overarching research question was: how do I utilize previous instructors, students, and campus partners to implement curriculum changes that will enhance classroom inclusivity and educational impact for this undergraduate leadership course? Using McNiff’s cycles of action research as a guiding framework, I explored the intentionality behind developing a curriculum that guides these classes. Reflecting on student feedback, I was able to see an overall satisfaction in the implemented curriculum changes. Ultimately, this work was significant in understanding …

Looking Within The Rainbow: An Action Research Project On The Rainbow Educators, Hannah Gray-Chambers

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to explore the importance of learning about oneself in order to teach others effectively. My overarching question was, how can I cultivate identity development and better equip Rainbow Educators (RE) as facilitators? A secondary question was: how can I create space for identity development and storytelling when people are in different developmental stages and have different experiences to help deepen the learning? Using Coghlan’s Spirals of Action Research as a guiding framework, I conducted one pre-cycle, a needs assessment, as well as three cycles of data collection. As a result of this study, I …

Retention Of Returning Orientation Team Leaders, Matthew Menor

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This action research looks at reasons why Orientation Team Leaders choose not to return for another year on the team. Orientation provides information and a glimpse at life on a college campus to our incoming students. To make Orientation happen, Orientation Team Leaders are needed. The Orientation Team Leaders at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) are students that are passionate about the work they do. Orientation gives student leaders the ability and skills to utilize in everyday work as well as helps them work on their development as student leaders. This research analyzes different reasons as to why Orientation …

Recognizing Resiliency In The Experiences Of Current And Former Foster Youth In Higher Education, Laura Rivera

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

This study explored current and former foster programming from local San Diego community colleges and a San Diego four-year institution to provide insight and recommendations to increase enrollment and retention of foster youth at the University of San Diego for their program Torero Renaissance Scholars. My participants included current and former foster youth who either had attended a local San Diego community college or a San Diego four-year institution. Through my focus group, one-on-one interviews, and my surveys, participants recommended a high need for four-year institutions to begin college outreach in K-12 education and inclusion of holistic resources (leadership workshops, …