Educational Leadership Commons^™

Inclusive Settings In Belizean Primary Schools: A Focus On Teacher Practices, Katherine A. Curry, Jentre Olsen, Ed Harris, Candy Garnett, Dian Danderson

Journal of Global Education and Research

Educators in Belize are charged with ensuring that all Belizeans are given an opportunity to acquire a quality education that promotes personal development and productive citizenship. Consequently, Belizean law now requires all children from ages five through fourteen to attend at least eight years of primary school. Students with special needs have historically not received accommodations in the education system, so many teachers struggle with meeting the needs of students with learning disabilities in these inclusive settings. This qualitative case study explored teaching strategies and contextual factors in inclusive primary classrooms in Belize and was conducted in the form of …

Examining Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Teach In Low-Income Schools Upon Completing A Master Of Arts In Teaching Degree, Aisha Collins

Dissertations

Recent teacher shortages after the 2020 to 2022 COVID pandemic disruption of education systems have increased interest in Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) targeting teacher candidates who obtained earlier degrees in fields other than education. This mixed methods research project employed surveys and semi-structured interviews to examine perceptions of early career teachers who completed a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) preparation program in a midwestern U.S. urban, low-income setting. These MAT EPP program completers described their views of their preparation program, including the EPP’s perceived strengths and areas for improvement framed by Danielson’s four domains of teaching responsibility: Planning and …

How Did School Administrators Manage The Crises During The Covid-19 Outbreak?, Sadegul Akbaba Altun, Mustafa Bulut

Journal of Global Education and Research

The focus of this research was to investigate how school administrators in Turkey managed the crises caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, which was a deadly threat for humanity worldwide. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) Did schools have a crisis plan? 2) If yes, how was the plan implemented in a crisis situation?; 3) What kind of changes were made in the plans?; 4) What should administrators do in such crisis situations?; and 5) What was done in the COVID-19 outbreak? The research was conducted as a qualitative case study which involved 105 school administrators. Due to the …

The Relationship Between Discipline-Specific Subject Matter Knowledge And Discipline-Specific Science Teaching Efficacy Of Elementary Teachers, Douglas Ball

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because a teacher's confidence in their ability to teach science is associated with instructional methods and their persistence in the face of challenges, improving science teaching confidence becomes critical for improving science teaching of young children. Science teaching confidence also varies by discipline for elementary teachers: physical science teaching confidence tends to measure lower than life science. This discrepancy leads to elementary teachers engaging in less effective science teaching practices with physical science than life science. A teacher's subject matter knowledge influences their confidence in their ability to teach that subject. Subject matter knowledge impacts science teaching confidence because when …

Examining The Frequency And Implementation Of Validation Techniques: A Content Analysis Of Edd Dissertations In Educational Leadership, Lester A. C. Archer, Ya-Hsin Hsiao

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper describes a content analysis used to examine educational doctoral degrees (EdD) dissertations in a U.S. university. The purpose of the study was to get a better understanding of the validation techniques utilized in dissertations published by EdD students. Forty-nine dissertations were selected and examined for research methodologies, research design, and elements of vigorous validation techniques. The most frequently found methodology was quantitative (n = 30; 61.22%) followed by qualitative (n = 13; 26.53%). Among the quantitative studies, the most frequently used design was survey (n = 18; 60%). The most frequently used design in qualitative …

A Qualitative Study Of Instructional Leadership Practices In Egyptian Public Schools, Jaida M. Aly

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigates the experiences of public-school principals with instructional leadership and the barriers to the effective use of instructional leadership. Scholars found that school leaders who lead successful schools are instructional leaders. Instructional leadership is a learning-centric leadership model that strongly impacts learning. Instructional leaders engage in the process of teaching and learning to ensure the best quality education is offered to students. As studies shed light on the importance of instructional leadership for the effectiveness of the school, it is essential to understand the perception of school principals on instructional leadership. To gain an in-depth understanding of …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Food Literacy In International Schools In Egypt, Amy Pugsley

Theses and Dissertations

Food literacy is an essential part of good physical and psychological health, however, food literacy is not a mandatory part of K-12 education in all schools. Many factors can influence food literacy levels including familial culture, socioeconomic status, and education levels. This research seeks to examine perceptions of food literacy in high school students and educators at two private American international schools located in Cairo, Egypt. Through the use of observations and interviews, the researcher used a qualitative approach to understand the self-perceptions of food literacy in students studying the American curriculum. The study revealed that students from high-socio-economic backgrounds …

Infographic: School Leader Attraction And Retention, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The Australian School Education Leaders Sentiment Index, by Slade Group, explores the priorities and drivers for school leaders when considering a new role. It draws on findings from interviews and a survey with 60 principals, from which 5 key themes emerged. Find out more in our latest infographic.

Preparing The Future, Healing The Past, & Being In The Moment With Teachers As They Indigenize The Way They Teach, Ramona Halcomb

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

This research study will interview participants from the first cohort of the Indigenizing Pedagogy Institute at the University of Washington Tacoma. The current educational system is failing to adequately serve American Indian/Alaska Native Students' Educational needs. Education creates knowledge, develops our political and civic goals, and systemically influences socialization and how we see ourselves and others; it determines our economic future and well-being. We must modify our pedagogy if we are to meet the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native Students.

Off The Rez: Witnessing Indigenous Knowledges Through Social Media, Deborah Hales

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

The term “Off the Rez” is used, in the title, to mean research that is not done on a reservation or in urban areas. This study aims to discover if social media can be used as an innovative option for non-Indigenous allies to conduct respectful research. The study research questions were, (1) can social media be used as a research tool, to witness Indigenous Knowledges? (2) Can social media be used as research, by non-Indigenous research allies, to have the least impact on Indigenous communities?

This research was conducted using social media, with selected Indigenous participants who were 18, identified …

Teaching Students With Autism In An Inclusive Environment: A Case Study, Corey Antione Brooks

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the perspectives and experiences of general education teachers who teach high school students with autism spectrum disorder in inclusive education with respect to challenges teachers face, strategies and interventions they use to manage the classroom, and relationships they build to create an environment where students with autism spectrum disorder can learn and grow. Participants were identified via purposeful criterion sampling procedures, based on general education teachers in inclusive education. The setting for this study was an inclusive classroom in a public senior high school in North Carolina, referred to herein as …

Feeling The Burn: A Phenomenological Study On Burnout Among Adjunct Professors At Higher Education Institutions, Janette B. Whitmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of burnout among adjunct professors at higher education institutions. The central research question guiding this study was what are the lived experiences of burnout among adjunct professors at higher education institutions? This study found that adjunct professors burned-out due to their higher education institutions’ unreasonable work expectations, tight deadlines, and lack of resources. Using the guiding theory of job demands and resources (JD-R) developed by Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, and Schaufeli, the phenomenon’s essence was discovered as it highlighted how excessive work demands and a lack of resources …

School Leaders’ Supports Of Dual Language Science Teachers, Monica E. Manning, Casey Graham Brown

School Leadership Review

English learners account for 21.7% of the Texas public school system (Texas Education Agency, 2022). This qualitative study was conducted to examine how teachers of English learners in a dual language program perceived the educational supports they received affected student achievement in science. Teacher participants were asked about their experiences with administrative supports and how those supports affected their teaching and student performance. Two administrators were also interviewed for the study.

The teacher participants identified administrative supports they perceived to be beneficial to student learning and to the functioning of the EL program and science classroom. The administrative supports identified …

External Factors Affecting The Governance And Strategic Directions Of Higher Education Institutions In The United Arab Emirates, Ghassan A. Al-Qaimari

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education (مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية (للبحوث في التعليم العالي

Since its inception in 1971, the UAE has worked to establish a modern and diverse system of higher education. In a short period of time, the UAE overcame many obstacles to emerge as an important educational center in the region, attracting foreign students, academics, and higher education institutions wishing to be present in this region of the world. In this research, we describe higher education in the United Arab Emirates: we describe the types of higher education institutions in the country, and the official bodies regulating higher education (Regulators), and we talk about the vision of the country's leadership for …

Perspectives From African American Male Rural School Leaders Regarding Targeted Recruitment Strategies For Future African American Male Rural School Leaders, Chameeka N. Smith, Portia Gibbs-Roseboro

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

African American male educators are becoming extinct in our current United States School system. Representing less than 2% of the teaching force, our recruitment efforts will need adjustments to increase this population of educators in schools (Bristol & Mentor, 2018; Goings & Bianco, 2016; Wallace & Gagen, 2019). To address this concern, our study explores the perspective of African American male rural school leaders on the need to recruit more African American males into educational professions. Through three semi-structured interviews, 60-90 minutes, we identified the lack of opportunities and targeted recruitment strategies for this population into the field of education. …

Changing Teacher Perceptions And Actions Through Trauma-Responsive Professional Development, Jason A. Smith, Marilynn Quick

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Most teachers are not trained on how to support students who struggle with trauma. Childhood trauma not only impacts a teacher’s ability to teach, but also threatens their students’ futures. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions and actions when they participated in trauma professional development. Interviews were conducted with 5 teachers and 10 students in a Midwestern urban intermediate/middle school. By the end of the study, teachers stated that they had begun responding to disruptions in more child-centered approaches, and students noticed that their teachers began treating all students more equitably in trauma-informed manners. The …

The Theory Of Educational Attachment, Marie Lawrence

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Educational attachment bonding helps students to progress academically and to develop strong positive emotional ties with members of the educational community. This educational bond serves as a stabilizing factor and may serve to compensate for deficiencies in early attachment bonds and thus help students develop sound psychological health. Educational attachment bonds can be formed with teachers, school administrators and staff, academic club sponsors, athletic coaches, and staff or any member of the school community. The significance of Educational Attachment Theory demonstrates the need to train educational professionals on the necessity of developing secure attachment bonds with students and to reflectively …

Perceptions Of Tattoos And Piercings In Higher Education, Diane Elizabeth Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

This study attempts to examine the perceptions of faculty and staff at Rowan University towards professionals with visible body modifications (VBM), specifically tattoos and piercings, in higher education. Five main research questions were addressed: (i) What are the attitudes towards professionals with VBM at Rowan University? (ii) How might the display of VBM affect Rowan University’s values and objectives? (iii) How are professionals with VBM perceived by hiring managers at Rowan? (iv) In what ways do perceptions differ across campus units at Rowan University regarding professionals with VBM? (v) What kind of environment does staff and faculty at Rowan University …

How Are Senior Citizens Capable To Cope With The World Of Digital Natives?, Hely Westerholm, Pirjo Takanen-Körperich

International Journal for Business Education

This study discusses the continuously growing threat to the senior citizens*), later called seniors, who can be isolated from the society if their digital competences and experiences are too poor in today’s digital world. It has been noted that to cope with one’s pursuits seniors need to actively construct and maintain their capabilities in ways that are flexible in the world of the digital devices, in response to the changing vicissitudes of life. Thus, the claim above illuminates the issue that the ability to learn from experiences is highly valued in the digital world.

The seniors are obliged to closely …

We Are Stronger Together: Faculty Reflections On Competency-Based High School Completion For Adults In Washington State, Elizabeth J. Flanagan

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Situated in Washington State during the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic, this qualitative, insider-practitioner study examined the instructional context of four instructors engaged in a competency-based, high school completion for adults faculty praxis on community and technical college campuses through a state-supported program called High School+ (HS+). Guided by three areas of inquiry, this research sought to (1) explore how HS+ faculty describe their instructional praxis in the context of personal identity; (2) probe the cultural, structural, and administrative challenges HS+ faculty face when enacting competency-based instruction on community and technical college campuses oriented toward seat-time models of instruction; …