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 …

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 …

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 …

Equipped For Change: A Grounded Theory Study Of White Antiracist School Leaders’ Attitudes And Perceptions Of Racial Consciousness In Educational Leadership, Thomas Joseph Peterson

Education (PhD) Dissertations

There is substantial evidence that issues of race and racism and are common in U.S. public schools, especially those greatly impacted by poverty and racial segregation. Unfortunately, it is highly likely many of these occurrences either go unrecognized, unacknowledged, or are perpetrated unknowingly by White educators and administrators—many of whom are well-intentioned, but lack the critical lens necessary in challenging and dismantling them. For White people, the enculturating normativity of White racial dominance, maintained by the social conditioning of Whiteness, facilitates an environment of racial ignorance and insignificance, leaving most painfully oblivious to the damaging complexities of racism in contemporary …

School Leader Perceptions About The Implementation And Utility Of Restorative Practices, Danielle Rutig

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study examined school leaders' perceptions of using restorative practices within their schools. Participants included twelve school leaders who had experience with utilizing and implementing restorative practices. School leaders included: principals, assistant principals, deans, and administrative assistants. Research indicates that restorative practices are adapted to support specific school goals. Restorative practices are not practiced in isolation, as school leaders often couple restorative justice with social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, and other social-emotional supports. Restorative practices are tied closely to CASEL’s social emotional framework.

Data were collected via semi-structured interviews using a virtual platform. Themes that emerged from the analysis …

To What Extent Does Superintendent Longevity Relate To Student Performance As Measured By Graduation Rates, Robert L. Kravitz

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study sought to examine the extent superintendent longevity relates to student performance as measured by graduation rates. Specifically, this study sought to examine how a district school superintendent's longevity provides conducive context through which student academic improvement programs, culture, and relationships could be established to support higher student achievement as assessed by high school graduation rates. Also, it sought to examine the effects of the nature of New Jersey school districts and related conditions in determining longevity of a school district superintendent. This study employed qualitative multiple case study methods that collected data through interviews and observations. The study …

Exploring The Experiences Of Underrepresented Students Pursuing Health-Related Graduate Or Professional Programs, Alison Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For many years graduate and professional education programs for the health professions have sought to increase the diversity of their student body to include students from a wider variety of backgrounds. Increasing the diversity of healthcare providers is an essential component of addressing inequities in healthcare. However, despite initiatives to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the health professions, these professions remain largely White and female. Previous researchers have sought to identify the reasons that racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in healthcare, and the barriers to persistence and success. Little research exists explaining why men are underrepresented in the …

Learning Mindset Dimensions And Completion Status Of Tennessee Community College Students, Donna Sue M. Shellman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this nonexperimental, quantitative study was to analyze relationships between three learning mindset dimensions (growth mindset; purpose and value; and sense of belonging) to retention and persistence to graduation among first-time, full-time Tennessee community college student graduates and nongraduates who attended one of 13 institutions in Fall 2019. In addition to comparing Tennessee community college graduates and nongraduates’ learning mindset dimensions, I analyzed student subgroups to explore those dimensions with regard to gender and race. Additional analyses included correlations between students’ growth mindset scores; purpose and value scores; and social belonging scores.

Analyses included Tennessee Board of Regents’ …

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 …

The “Best Test” For Success In Academic Advising: Exploring The Purpose Of Advising Through The Lens Of Servant-Leadership., Jeffrey Mcclellan

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

For years, advising has been associated with student success and retention. However, while these are valuable byproducts of effective academic advising, they do not represent the purpose of advising. This article explores the purpose of academic advising through the lens of servant-leadership theory with an emphasis on Greenleaf’s (2002) best test, which asks, “Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” (p. 27). The outcomes alluded to in this statement are examined and explored as they relate to the purpose of academic advising and student …

The Relevance And Benefits Of Moral Intelligence To Servant Leadership, Kong Wah Cora Chan

Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice

Moral intelligence has a better chance of fixing morality-related issues instead of bandaging them and addressing the servant leadership best test stated by Greenleaf (1977/2002). Prudence—mature moral intelligence—is one’s skillful act in making the best, most caring alternative among all possible choices based on moral wisdom (Bradshaw, 2010). Morally intelligent people are conscious of aligning their values, goals, and actions with the universal principles of integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness (Lennick and Kiel, 2011). Such an alignment leads to purposeful living and organizational success. Borba (2001) advocated for building moral habits of empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and fairness. …

Redefining “Lgbtq+ Interculture” In Academia, Samantha Winterberg, Michelle Mccraney

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face discrimination, harassment, and exclusion in academic settings, which can negatively impact their academic and personal success. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to experience negative mental health conditions, drop out of school, and struggle to find employment after graduation. Cultural humility fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is critical to ensuring an equitable educational experience for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Intercultural understanding is essential to develop cultural humility so that attitudes reflect empathy and tolerance of differences, including sexual or gender orientation variances or ambiguity. Understanding how …

Leveraging Results-Driven Accountability To Improve Academic And Behavioral Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Lori R. Anderson

Education Theses and Dissertations

The Office of Special Education Programs’ (OSEP’s) vision for Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) is that OSEP will target its work and investments to best support States in improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. State Education Agencies (SEAs) are accountable to OSEP regarding Results Driven Accountability reporting and supporting school districts in the process of improving outcomes for students in special populations. RDA is an accountability system to report data to district and campus leaders related to academic achievement, postsecondary readiness, and disproportionate analysis of students who are Bilingual Emergent/English as a Second Language Learners (BE/ESL), experiencing homelessness, …

The Role Of Stakeholders: Implications For Continuous Improvement In Principal Preparation, Ethel M. Arzu, Tia Agan, Gary J. Miller, Kevin Badgett

School Leadership Review

Research conducted in partnership with the Wallace Foundation and the Education Development Center revealed the importance of school principals on the success of student achievement and attendance, as well as on teacher efficacy and retention. The implications of this research reveal the importance of stronger and more focused principal preparation programs. Therefore, the Wallace Foundation established a continuous improvement process that engages teams of program faculty and stakeholders in conducting evidence-based assessments of program quality. In this article, three programs document their experiences with the self-study process. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the collaborative role that stakeholders play …

Potential For Shared Vision: What Gt Middle School Teachers Say They Need In Times Of Transition, Michelle L. Leverette

School Leadership Review

"Potential for shared vision: What GT middle school teachers say they need in times of transition" aims to provide relevant data that speaks to current campus needs in a time of pandemic-affected era transitional learning in PK-12 public education. As current educational leaders seek to address the academic and behavioral needs of students, the findings from this research study taken during Covid protocols express three areas of need: (a) a need for open lines of communication between teachers and parents of GT students, (b) a need for clarification of the definition of GT middle school student “success”, and (c) a …

Delivery Matters—Or Does It? A Snapshot Of Online Versus In-Person Instruction, Carol A. Mullen

Essays in Education

Online instruction and computer-based innovations in brick-and-mortar institutions are here to stay, but the study of distance delivery is lacking. Areas needing more attention include instructional effectiveness and student satisfaction. Educational quality, especially in online classes, should be monitored and evaluated to ensure learning, collaboration, and success, as well as to gain knowledge and improve practice. The purpose of this paper is to encourage scholar–practitioner dialogue on and comparison of issues pertaining to online and in-person instruction for adult learners. The research question guiding this exploratory qualitative study was, Are there any differences in the learning performance of two graduate …

School Social Workers And Extracurricular Activities: The Unanswered Questions About Potential Role Conflict, Jeffrey Mccabe, Hannah Hagan

International Journal of School Social Work

Abstract

School social workers respond to students’ mental health needs from an education training perspective that defines set professional role boundaries in service provision that may differ from the multiple roles teachers have with students. One of those perspectives is a recognition of what may happen if a boundary crossing was to occur in a dual relationship with a client. Teachers are encouraged to take on a secondary role with students by coaching athletics or advising a club. Taking on dual roles with students has led to both increased job satisfaction and concerns regarding burnout for teachers. There is an …

International Parents Navigating Parental Involvement In A U.S. School: A Call For Intentionally Responsive Schools, Elizabeth Gil, Şerafettin Gedik, Dion Efrijum Ginanto

Journal of Multilingual Education Research

Focusing on a group of international parents who came to the United States as visiting scholars, graduate students, or their partners, this qualitative study delineates the nature of their experiences as they navigated learning about parental involvement in a U.S. school. Despite the parents’ extensive formal schooling in their home countries, they still experienced parental involvement as a process of adaptation to and discovery of expectations and permitted forms of involvement in the United States. They often learned of opportunities informally through contact with other parents. The school personnel with whom they engaged were critical in supporting their adjustment to …

The Effect Of Technostress On The Motivation To Teach Online In Higher Education Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Perceptions Of Business Faculty, Stacy Boyer-Davis, Kevin Berry, Amy Cooper

International Journal for Business Education

This study investigated the relationships among technostress creators (techno-complexity, techno-insecurity, techno-invasion, techno-overload, and techno-uncertainty) on the motivation to teach online using the Motivation to Teach Online – Faculty Version scale. Data were collected from faculty members of the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS), a member of the AACSB Business Education Alliance, and the American Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS), an interdisciplinary professional organization comprised of faculty teaching in accounting, finance, management, marketing, organizational behavior, and computer information systems early 2020 (N = 307). The findings indicated that techno-stressed faculty are less motivated to teach online. Techno-insecurity …

Improving The High School And College Classroom Experience For Learners With Refugee Status: Theory, Practice, And Change., Kayte Thomas, Sara-Jean Lipmen

Journal of Applied Disciplines

Refugee populations are increasing globally, and children make up more than fifty percent of those displaced. Unique experiences that come with forced migration including fragmented education, trauma, family separation, grief, and adverse other effects can impact learning in the classroom for refugee students. Existing data indicates that schools lack sufficient protocols to meet the needs of students with refugee status who consistently face risks associated with ill-prepared learning environments, and therefore must rethink possibilities to address this. By adopting strategic decolonized approaches, educational leaders can create supportive environments which improve instructional methods and learning outcomes for these students as they …