Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Student Financial Aid Processes And Borrowing Perspectives, Carol Pierson Milhous

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is a rising level of debt associated with attending college. Educational investment decisions, knowledge of financial management, attitudes and practices of student borrowing can have a significant impact on students’ futures. Student loan debt has been linked to adverse effects post-graduation in terms of employment, savings and making major purchases. Financial aid and money management skills of federal student loans are needed to help students achieve a quality life as working adults (Wolber, 2012). Approaches toward basic financial aid literacy and managing student debt should be addressed on college campuses.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to …

A Qualitative Case Study On Best Practices Of Emotional Support Animal Policies, Jordan E. Dadez

Masters Theses

This study sought to understand the best practices and protocols of Emotional Support Animal policies in residential life. A qualitative case study was conducted to provide insight on the best practices of residential life Emotional Support Animal Policies. Four participants from institutions with established policies were interviewed to gain understanding of these protocols and policies, what is involved in the approval and accommodations process, and what challenges the participants face. The results showed a need to evaluate and change the current process that most institutions utilize for Emotional Support Animal approval. The approval process and accommodations process are two separate …

Influences On International Students' Selection Of A Regional U.S. Institution: A Descriptive Study, Yazmin Rodriguez

Masters Theses

This study examined the factors influencing international students' election to study in the United States in general and at a regional four-year institution, specifically. Furthermore, it was designed to gather descriptive information about the barriers and challenges they face. A triangulation mixed methods approach was utilized based on a previously described push-pull model. The findings indicated that Availability of scholarships or work, cost and fees, and Visa processing and visa cost are the most difficult factors that international students face when making the decision to study in the U.S. This corresponded well with the qualitative responses from the …

A Photo Illicit Study Of Black Women's Sense Of Belonging At A Predominately White Institution, Kayla Alexandria Slusher

Masters Theses

This qualitative study sought to examine how Black women define and create their sense of belonging while attending a predominately White institution using a photovoice approach. The women took photographs of spaces that they frequently occupy and then engaged in a face-to-face interview to discuss the photographs. The researcher also investigated four Black women, ranging from junior to graduate level, to identify how they developed a sense of belonging at the research site institution. Results of the study showed that a feeling of comfort was most important when identifying belongingness in a space. The participants were able to create a …

Factors Influencing Persistence Of Students With Learning Disabilities At Four-Year Institutions, Abigail Frye

Masters Theses

This study investigated the persistence and transition of college students with learning disabilities at a mid-sized Midwestern university. The qualitative, narrative approach was used to determine which factors influenced the persistence of students with learning disabilities at a four-year, mid-sized university and which college services and resources students with learning disabilities utilized. This research found that students do utilize college services and supports to assist through their transitions into college. The participants in this research relied on the support of their family and friends while they approached and navigated their college transition. This study found that students with learning disabilities …

Leadership And Humor Styles In Continuing Education Administrators, Emmanuel Sarris

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Humor is a useful tool at everyone’s disposal. How or when it is used in Continuing Education (CE) leaders is an area of research that has not been done before. A CE leader deals with teams of all sizes and oversees a potentially large budget and student base. With all the responsibility of a leader and having to manage teams and programs properly, it is important to understand the role leadership and humor styles play in their work life and environment. The central research question of this study is, “What is the relationship between leadership style and the use of …

K-12 Public School Teacher Free Speech: The Impact Of Garcetti V. Ceballos On First Amendment Protections, Erin M. Slater

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

With the Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling in Garcetti v. Cebellos, this study examines how Garcetti has impacted K-12 public school teachers’ First Amendment free speech protections. Garcetti added a threshold layer to an established test courts had been guided to use—since 1968—when evaluating whether teachers qualified for First Amendment protection when speaking out. Garcetti has guided courts to first consider whether a public employee was speaking pursuant to their official duties prior to ruling on whether a teacher’s speech was a matter of public concern. The Supreme Court ruled when a public employee is speaking pursuant to their official duties, …

Mi Voz: Latinx Student Perceptions Of Affirmative Action On Their College Application And Enrollment Told Through Their Funds Of Knowledge, Ashley J. Idrees

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

In this study, I explored how LatinX students understood affirmative action strategies used by higher education institutions through their Funds of Knowledge and how this knowledge shaped their post-secondary decisions. Using a qualitative case study design, I conducted semi-structured interviews, non-participant observations, and document analysis to center the voices of those underrepresented in the academy to support high school to university transition. The LatinX students’ awareness of affirmative action was present and, in many cases, was a factor in their decision to attend an institution of higher education. This awareness was often the result of guidance from an influential figure …

A Case Study Of School Leadership And Equity In Diverse Secondary Environments, Henry Simon Jr.

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

This summary presents the findings of professional research conducted over one year by a doctoral student teaching in an urban school district. The purpose of this descriptive case study was to critically examine the culturally responsive ways in which secondary school leaders challenge social injustices and systemic oppressive educational leadership practices that adversely affect student outcomes (Briscoe & Khalifa, 2013; Brown, 2006; Green & Dantley, 2013; Theoharis, 2010). The study was guided by the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory and the conceptual framework of Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL). The significance of this study was demonstrated through the continuous …

Action Research: Teacher Evaluation And Reflection, Courtney Lynne Landry

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

The purpose of this qualitative action research study was to create an improved learning log procedure, based on the theory of action that the use of professional learning logs will improve self-reflection, which will increase teacher self-efficacy. Data collected through interviews, focus groups, and a research action committee have led to the assertions that (a) reflection is a necessary and welcomed part of being a professional; (b) procedures for reflection must be easily accessed and consistent; (c) teachers should have autonomy over their choice of reflection method to gain meaning; (d) though the learning log process allows for autonomy, the …

Ne Maquixtia: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Leaders’ Dispositions And Their Impact On The Organizational Cultures They Lead, Georgina Yvette Garcia

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies: Doctoral Research Projects

The aim of this field-based research study was to explore and examine the importance of leader dispositions and their impact on organizational culture and sustained success. It focused on answering the following research question: What leadership dispositions, whether in education or in business, transcend organizational boundaries and most likely lead to organizational cultures that sustainably impact results and support continuous improvement?

This study spotlights the urgent need for leaders in all organizational contexts to immerse themselves in a profound and meaningful manner with developing greater awareness of the dispositions related to their leadership and the cultures they directly impact and …

Factors Affecting The Adoption Of Bring Your Own Device By Teachers In Caymanian Public High Schools, Cleyo Lutice Lawrence

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At public high schools in Cayman, teachers need to improve their productivity and efficiency by using technologies that are simple and portable like their personal devices. Studies about bring your own device (BYOD) initiatives have revealed conflicting outcomes, and are lacking in the Caribbean and especially in Cayman. The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the main factors related to teachers' willingness to adopt BYOD in public high schools in Cayman. The theoretical framework was the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). This study employed a cross-sectional survey design using a modified UTAUT instrument, which …

Perceptions Of Principal Leadership Skills In High-Achieving Elementary Schools, Sonya Lasyon Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the inability of certain schools in a rural school district in Florida to achieve adequate yearly progress (AYP) in comparison to a neighboring school district where students consistently made AYP. Research has shown a positive relationship between student achievement and principal leadership skills. The purpose of this study was to identify patterns in elementary teachers' perceptions of their principals' leadership skills related to student achievement and elementary principals' perceptions of their own leadership practices and compare those perceptions. The conceptual framework for this qualitative case study design was instructional leadership. Twelve teachers of …

Instructional Quality And Middle School Student Engagement, Achievement, Attendance, And Gender, Pauline Monsegue-Bailey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Gaps in middle school students' outcomes such as engagement, achievement, and attendance have been linked to instruction. In addition, the effect of instructional quality might not be the same for male and female students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the relationship between instructional quality, student engagement, achievement, and attendance, with gender as a moderator in middle school. The ecological systems model and Vygotsky's social development theory formed the theoretical framework for this study, as they help understand how the environment, including instructional support, is likely to correlate with student behavior and motivation toward learning. The CLASS …

Secondary And Postsecondary Teachers' Perceptions Of Esl Students' Barriers To College Graduation, Barbara E. Griffin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Majority of English as second language (ESL) students attending primary and secondary schools in the United States are not considered college ready despite mandated educational strategies aimed at improving language acquisition and academic performance. ESL students are more likely to drop out within the first 2 years of college than their English-speaking peers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore educators' perspectives regarding high postsecondary attrition rates of ESL students in Middle Tennessee. Tinto's retention theory provided the framework for the study. Data collection included semistructured interviews with 6 Middle Tennessee public high school teachers and 6 Middle …

Influence Of Reading Proficiency On Placement And Success In Online Developmental Mathematics, Diane Marie Stryk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college leaders have spent years trying to improve success rates for students in developmental mathematics (DM) courses, but with little progress. This quantitative study, using a pre-experimental static-group research design, examined if a change in a community college district's policy and practices for student placement into DM courses could improve student success in online DM courses. Bounded rationality theory provided the lens to view how students' decision making is influenced by the lack of timely and appropriate information during the placement process. The study addressed whether a composite placement score, the result of combining the ACCUPLACER placement scores for …

Challenges Of African American Female Veterans Enrolled In Higher Education, Latrice Jones Tollerson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women represent 19% of the 2.1 million living female veterans. They are the largest minority group among veteran women; however, little is known about the challenges that they face when they transition to a postsecondary learning environment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand better how this cohort of veterans who served in the U.S. Army during military campaigns in the Middle East overcame transitional challenges to higher education. This study utilized Schlossberg's adult transition theory and identity formation as described in Josselson's theory of identity development in women. The focus of this study was on …

Teachers' Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education In Sierra Leone, Christian Sesay

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Salamanca Accord advocating the implementation of inclusive education for learners with special needs was signed in 1994, as well as the Convention of the Right of Person's with Disabilities in 2006. Yet, Sierra Leone faces challenges to implement fully inclusive education in schools. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine teachers' attitudes towards inclusion in mainstream classrooms. The conceptual framework for this study was premised on Azden's theory of planned-behavior, which maintains that attitude and behaviors are products of experiences acquired. Using a Spearman rho correlations and descriptive statistics to analyze the data, gender, age, educational background, …

Academic Role And Professional Identity Development In Counselor Education, Seth Scott

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Professional identity development occurs during graduate training through mentoring, modeling, and academic training by counselor educators. If counselor educators are to transmit this professional identity, they must possess a robust professional identity themselves. Professional identity development theory suggests that the strength of this professional identity may be threatened by a lack of belonging in academia for nontenured or contingent faculty. A correlational research design using a purposeful convenience sample was used to examine the relationship between academic role, employment status, years of experience, and professional identity among counselor educators. The participants (n=50) were counselor educators who subscribe to the CESNET-Listserv. …

The Effects Of Professional Development And Formative Assessment Quality On Students' Self-Regulation In Primary School Mathematics, Oluwakemi Adewoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student self-regulation is associated with mathematics achievement in Nigerian primary schools, and formative assessment holds promise for increasing self-regulation. However, to date no research has explored teacher professional development (PD) for formative assessment and its effects on students' self-regulation in Nigerian primary schools. This quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design used Desimone's teacher professional development conceptual framework, Popham's model for practicing formative assessment, and Zimmerman's concept of self-regulated learning. Research questions concerned whether differences existed in teachers' practice and students' self-regulation between two groups of Nigerian primary school mathematics teachers who received variations of professional development. The sample was 13 volunteer …