Educational Leadership Commons^™

Collaborating With Our Ai Research Companion: Exploring The Use Of Microsoft Copilot To Conduct Inductive And Deductive Coding In Qualitative Research, David Wolff, Melissa Wolff, Mark Diacopoulos

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Higher Education faculty balance time in teaching, scholarship, and service, along with many other duties in their roles (Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 2024). In our efforts to be stewards of our time and craft, faculty look for ways to be more efficient in these areas. With the increase of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our personal and professional lives, this paper discusses the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), Microsoft Copilot, as an analytic tool in the qualitative data analysis process. Qualitative data was collected from transcripts of recorded meetings and an online journal that included text and …

Exploring Stress And Mindfulness In Central Asia: Perspectives Of English Language Students In Uzbekistan, Laurie A. Wolfe, Rakhmatullo Akhmedov

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Stress is a growing concern among university students worldwide, yet little is known about how stress is conceptualized and experienced within Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. This study explores how Uzbek university students understand and experience stress, identifies the primary sources of stress in their daily lives, and examines their perceptions of mindfulness as a potential stress‑reduction strategy. Participants were 60 students, primarily Muslim women, at a large public university in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Open‑ended questions on a post‑intervention survey were analyzed using a combination of deductive and inductive coding. Students most frequently described stress in emotional terms, including irritability, sadness, and …

Embedding Evaluation For Continuous Improvement In A Cohort-Based Doctoral Residency Model: Evidence From An Ed.D. Program, Monica J. Weir

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) includes two required summer residency weeks that serve as signature components of the doctoral experience. Given their central role in supporting academic milestones and scholarly community, program faculty have embedded systematic evaluation into residency design to support continuous improvement. This article describes a multi-phase, utilization-focused evaluation framework examining residency preparation, implementation, and participant experience. The evaluation designer collaborated with program faculty to design pre- and post-residency week instruments that elevate doctoral student voice and support faculty-led reflection. Preliminary findings indicated strong value placed on peer …

Preparing Teachers To Read The Data: Strengthening Data Literacy For Early Literacy Decision-Making, Tevia Q. Strand

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Teachers are increasingly expected to use literacy screening and benchmark data to guide instruction, identify student needs, and participate in multi-tiered systems of support. However, pre-service and early-career teachers may enter the profession without sufficient preparation to interpret assessment data or connect benchmark patterns to instructional action. This white paper examines the gap between teacher preparation and the realities of K-12 data use, with particular attention to early literacy decision-making. Drawing from Bradbury’s discussion of teacher preparation and the changing realities of education, this paper argues that data literacy is an essential part of preparing teachers for equitable classroom practice. …

Building Minnesota's Teacher Workforce From Within: Policy Recommendations To Expand Grow Your Own Teacher Pathways In Minnesota, Jennifer Maras

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Minnesota faces persistent teacher shortages driven by declining enrollment in teacher preparation programs, high early-career attrition, retirements, demographic shifts, and barriers to entering the profession. Traditional recruitment efforts alone are insufficient to meet the state's long-term workforce needs. This white paper proposes Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher pathways as a sustainable workforce development strategy that cultivates future educators from within Minnesota's own schools and communities. Rather than relying primarily on external recruitment, GYO initiatives intentionally develop local talent by creating accessible pathways for high school students, paraprofessionals, career changers, and community members to become licensed teachers.

Grounded in current workforce …

From Framework To Praxis: An Examination Of Integrated Comprehensive Systems (Ics) Equity Reform And Black Student Engagement, Heather L. Dunham

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

For over two decades, the Integrated Comprehensive Systems (ICS) framework (Frattura & Capper, 2007) has sought to promote systemic equity by addressing the organizational structures and practices that shape student outcomes. Despite its promise, few studies have examined ICS implementation in practice, particularly its impact on Black student engagement and academic success. This qualitative case study investigates a racially diverse Midwestern middle school that adopted ICS to shift outcomes for Black students. Grounded in the ICS framework—conceptually informed by Critical Race Theory and Disability Studies in Education—data from interviews, observations, and achievement records reveal that ICS can disrupt racialized routines, …

Re-Reading The World: Why Critical Literacy Must Accompany The “Back To Basics” Movement, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Recent literacy reforms in the United States have prioritized systematic phonics as part of the “science of reading,” backed by extensive evidence on the importance of phonemic awareness and decoding for early reading development. While these skills are essential, narrowing literacy to mechanics alone overlooks its broader cultural and civic purposes. Drawing on Freire’s (1970/2000) conception of literacy as both “reading the word and the world,” this paper argues for a balanced framework that integrates foundational instruction with comprehension, knowledge building, and critical literacy. Building on the work of Luke (2000) and Vasquez (2014), it positions literacy as both a …

Emotional Sobriety As Liberation: A Critical Pedagogy Of Resilience, Carl Bryan

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

This white paper extends the Reclaiming Model of trauma recovery by examining what follows critical consciousness when trauma persists and systems remain largely unchanged. Building on Reclaiming My Story, which framed healing as a Freirean act of reclaiming authorship through naming harm, dialogue, and praxis (Bryan, 2026), this paper addresses how reclaimed consciousness is sustained under ongoing emotional, relational, and structural strain. Drawing on critical pedagogy, trauma scholarship, and a first-person case narrative, it reframes post-trauma survival not as incomplete recovery but as ongoing praxis. The analysis challenges resolution-based and individualizing models of healing by conceptualizing emotional sobriety, relational regulation, …

The Role Of Perceived Academic And Peer Support In Mitigating Imposter Syndrome Among Adhd Students, Eden Morley Dr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in higher education is associated with significant executive functioning deficits and performance inconsistencies. These challenges, alongside heightened rejection sensitivity, may predispose students to the Imposter Phenomenon (IP)—the persistent belief that one’s success is undeserved. While social and academic supports are known to buffer psychological distress, their specific role in mitigating IP within the ADHD student population remains under-researched.

Objectives: This study investigated the severity of IP among undergraduate students with ADHD and examined the protective roles of Perceived Social Support (PSS) and Perceived Academic Support (PAS), while exploring gender as a potential moderator.

Methodology: A cross-sectional …

How Grades Changed Before, During And After Covid-19 In A Business College, Douglas R. Moodie, Alison Keefe, Robin Cheramie

International Journal for Business Education

Purpose: This study examines how undergraduate business student grades changed before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic using a large institutional dataset from a business college in a US university between 2015 and 2024.

Method: The analysis includes over 390,000 student-course observations and incorporates instructional modality, student demographics, course characteristics, and prior academic performance.

Results: Results show a substantial increase in mean course grades during the COVID-19 period, followed by a partial reversion post-pandemic to levels that remain above pre-pandemic trends. These patterns are consistent across modalities, demographics, and departments.

Implications: The findings raise important questions regarding the interpretation of …

Toward An Integrated Framework For Character Education: A Comparative Analysis Of Character.Org’S 11 Principles, The Jubilee Centre Character Education Framework For Schools, And Primed For Character Education, Liliana Borrero

Dissertations

Abstract

Character education is widely recognized as an essential component of schooling; however, it lacks a coherent framework that draws on the shared conceptual ground underlying the current dominant frameworks. This qualitative study systematically compared three influential character education frameworks: Character.org’s 11 Principles for Schools, the Jubilee Centre’s Framework for Character Education in Schools, and PRIMED for Character Education. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which these frameworks converge and diverge in their conceptualizations of effective character education and to assess the feasibility of integrating their cross-cutting elements into an integrated framework. Using thematic analysis …

How Does An Advanced Educator Utilize Digital Language Teaching And Learning By Integrating Linguistic, Cultural, And Business Life Perspectives?, Hely Westerholm, Pirjo Takanen-Körperich, Ph.D.

International Journal for Business Education

This paper explores advanced educators’ digital working capabilities in online language teaching, with a particular focus on sharing Finnish language and culture in a foreign context. Cultural and linguistic knowledge play a significant role in enhancing students’ motivation to study foreign languages. In today’s educational environment, digitalisation and globalisation exert an increasing influence on foreign language teaching and learning.

The digital learning environment has brought about a paradigm shift in foreign language didactics. Digital language learning is both challenging and holistic in nature. Continued foreign language learning is simultaneously an individual and a social process, as digital learning cultures impose …

Leadership In Higher Education Amid Demographic Shifts: Implications Of Campus Event Management, Marrissa J. Williams

M.S. in Leadership

This study focuses on how demographic shifts within higher education have influenced leadership practices, specifically within enrollment management and campus event programming. As student populations become increasingly diverse, institutions are challenged to change their recruitment, engagement, and support strategies to meet the needs of first-generation, low-income, and non-traditional learners. The research explores the role of leadership in shaping these responses, with a focus on how decisions related to admissions events, like campus visits, outreach initiatives, and multicultural programming, have contributed to student engagement and enrollment outcomes. Using a qualitative approach grounded in the analysis of peer-reviewed articles and case studies, …

Teaching As Testimony: Examining The Relationship Between High School Teachers’ Faith Identity And Pedagogy, Candace M. Kyles

The Journal of Faith, Education, and Community

Teaching has long been understood within Christian theology as a vocational practice shaped by faith, moral formation, and lived discipleship. Yet within U.S. public schooling, the Separation of Church and State restricts explicit engagement with religion, often rendering educators’ faith identities invisible within school buildings and classrooms. This covertness does not eliminate the formative influence of faith; rather, it obscures how teachers’ faith identities inform their ethical reasoning, teaching practices, and pedagogical choices. When faith remains unexamined, it may operate implicitly, shaping classroom interactions without the benefit of critical reflection or institutional support.

Despite the prominence of culturally responsive pedagogy …

Managing Instructional Leadership: K–12 Principals Seen Through The Lens Of Instructional Leadership Theory, Natalie Marie Poli

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem guiding this study was K–12 principals are challenged to manage their responsibilities for instructional leadership. Grounded in instructional leadership theory and Covey's Time Management Matrix, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore K–12 principals' perspectives of the challenges they face in managing instructional leadership responsibilities and how they categorize the significance of those responsibilities. Using a basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K–12 principals from a suburban Midwestern public school district with at least 2 years of principal experience, and the data were analyzed using a hybrid a priori and inductive thematic …

“This Place Is My Home”: A Phenomenological Study Of The Academic Experiences And Sense Of Belonging Of Specially Admitted Student-Athletes At Division I Universities, Jana Alexandra Valentine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The purpose of this study was to further understand the experiences of specially admitted student-athletes regarding their sense of belonging. In addition, this study aims to add to the existing literature regarding support services for student-athletes. The three research questions for this study were: 1. How do specially admitted student-athletes at Division I Universities make meaning of their admissions experiences? 2. What contributes to developing a sense of belonging of specially admitted student-athletes at Division I universities? 3. How do specially admitted student-athletes make meaning of their academic experiences at their university? A qualitative, descriptive phenomenological research approach was used …

Multidimensional And Burgeoning Leadership: Literacy And Multilingualism, Emily Howell, Hazel Vega, Lindsey W. Rowe, Katie M. Crook, C.C. Bates, Kavita Mittapalli, Amlan Banerjee

Publications

This design-based research study worked with 25 teachers with specialized early literacy training. Researchers investigated the impact of professional development advancing their multilingual learner (ML), literacy, and leadership capacity, addressing gaps in the research merging the fields of literacy, multilingual instruction, and leadership. Spanning two years of both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis including teacher, student, and district surveys, teacher logs, research logs, and teacher interviews, the researchers capture the iterative nature of the needs of teacher professional development to serve MLs. The researchers describe the needs of teachers for professional development, the micro modifications made to adapt …

Transforming Advising And Improving Outcomes: Assessing Impacts Of Advising Changes, Amy S. White, Tailisha Gonzalez, Elgloria Harrison

Publications and Research

Abstract

Background: Earning full-time credit loads and persisting are how college students successfully graduate.

Objective: We measured whether credits and persistence at an urban, commuter Hispanic/Minority-Sserving Iinstitution improved after implementing a social work-based advisement strategy.

Methods: Using a quasi-experimental methodology on a college’s enrollment database, we measured the impact of a new advisement model on earned and attempted credit loads to compare traditional student advisement within control groups (n = 171 and n = 899) relative to intervention (n = 130).

Findings: In 2024, the intervention group attempted an average of 14.7 credits and earned an average of 14.3 credits, …

Perspectives Of Power: A Qualitative Study On Teacher Empowerment In Elementary Settings, Caitlin Mattie Shuppy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insight and understanding of elementary school teachers’ perspectives of teacher empowerment in relation to six key principles: self-efficacy, professional development, collaboration, communication, shared vision, and support. The teacher perspective remains underrepresented in empowerment research; this study was designed to center the voices of those most directly experiencing empowerment in their daily work. Two research questions guided the study: How do elementary school teachers perceive teacher empowerment in relation to six key teacher empowerment principles and what principle(s) do teachers identify as most influential in fostering their sense of empowerment?

A basic …

Analisis Respon Siswa Berdasarkan Asesmen Berbasis Taksonomi Solo (Structure Of The Observed Learning Outcome) Pada Materi Perubahan Fisika Dan Kimia, Nurul Amaliyah, Imraatul Mufidah, Dyne Rizki Puspitasari, Siti Zubaidah

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study aimed to describe the level of seventh-grade students' understanding of physical and chemical changes through the analysis of their responses using a SOLO taxonomy-based assessment. The study employed a qualitative descriptive approach, with lesson implementation conducted through the Lesson Study stages of plan, do, and see. The participants were 31 seventh-grade students of SMP Laboratorium Universitas Negeri Malang. Data were collected from students' written responses to four essay questions representing the unistructural, multistructural, relational, and extended abstract levels of the SOLO taxonomy and were analyzed descriptively. The results showed that most students were at the …