Educational Leadership Commons^™

Assessing School Self-Evaluation For Enhancing Academic Achievement: A Case Of Selected Secondary Schools In Mara Region, Tanzania, Wambura Mhoni

Master of Education

This study investigates the practices and impact of School Self-Evaluation/Internal School Quality Assurance (SSE/ISQA) on academic achievement in secondary schools within the Mara region of Tanzania. Employing a qualitative approach and case study design, 41 participants were purposefully sampled, including school administrators, teachers, and students. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis, with thematic research applied for data interpretation. Key findings revealed that specific SSE practices, including teacher-student collaboration, follow-up on teaching and learning, and the provision of examinations, positively influence academic achievement. However, stakeholders displayed mixed perceptions towards SSE/ISQA, with concerns about transparency and potentially …

School Leadership Strategies To Promote Teachers’ Participation In Professional Development Initiatives: An Exploratory Case Study Of Two Secondary Schools In Rongo Sub-County, Kenya, Jacqueline Achieng Dianga

Master of Education

This study aimed to address the low teacher participation in PD initiatives, focusing on two public secondary school in Rongo Sub-County, Kenya. A qualitative approach and case study design were utilized to explore the strategies employed by school leadership to promote teacher engagement in PD. The main objective of the study was to explore the strategies used by school leadership to promote teacher participation in professional development initiatives. The specific objectives were: To assess the current forms and levels of PD initiatives the school leadership supports: To examine the role of school leadership in promoting teacher engagement in PD; To …

Re-Entry Policy Implementation In Uganda: A Case Study Of Two Public Secondary Schools In Vurra County, Arua District., Mane Flavia Eriku

Master of Education

The Education Re-entry Policy aims to provide a second chance for teen mothers to pursue their education after experiencing pregnancy-related interruptions. This study explored Re-entry Policy implementation in two secondary schools in Vurra County, Arua District with the aim of identifying the Re-entry Policy implementation practices, examining the challenges, and investigating the strategies for addressing these encounters in the implementation process. A qualitative approach with case study design was employed where data was collected through interviews with 2 Heads of schools, 2 class teachers, 3 parents, 2 Guidance and counselling teachers, 4 teen mothers who had re-entered school and 4 …

Exploring Coping Strategies Employed By Headteachers In Managing Administrative Challenges In Public Junior Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of Selected Junior Secondary Schools In Rarieda Sub County In Kenya., Steve Biko Abudho

Master of Education

Junior secondary schools in kenya serve as crucial intermediaries between primary and secondary education, facilitating the transition of students from a foundational to a more specialized curriculum. Despite their significance, they face multifaceted administrative challenges that impede their effective operation and the successful implementation of the competency-based curriculum. Research that has examined the coping strategies these administrators employ to effectively handle the multiple difficulties encountered in their roles is scanty. This qualitative study therefore sought to delve into administrative challenges faced by the headteachers of Junior secondary schools in Rarieda sub- county in kenya and the coping mechanisms and strategies …

Enhancing Aac Models In Elementary Classrooms: The Impact Of Training And Coaching Peers In Aided Language Modeling, Caitlyn Harris

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of training and coaching neurotypical peers on aided language modeling (ALM), specifically in their ability to provide increased and effective models on a peer’s augmentative and alternative (AAC) device. The neurotypical peers received training and coaching to apply the strategy while interacting with an AAC user during social break times in a third-grade general education classroom. A multiple-probe design across participants was implemented to assess the impact of the peer training and coaching intervention. The results showed that this intervention was effective in increasing the frequency of ALMs provided by …

Book Challenges Popping Up All Over: What Do School Principals Need To Know?, Samantha Laine Hull, Sue Kimmel

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This chapter provides practical advice and reasons for school leaders to support students' intellectual freedom through their support of school libraries and school librarians. The chapter begins with a short but critical literature review that includes case law on the topic of censorship in schools. The concerns of teachers and librarians from a recent study are summarized and help build the foundation for practical and ready to use advice for any school leaders to uphold the intellectual freedom of all students.

A Cultural Shift: Restorative Justice Relation On School Discipline And Educator Perception And Practices With Middle School Students, Hector Macias

CGU Theses & Dissertations

As restorative justice practices (RJP) in educational environments remain relatively novel, there has been limited research on its long-term effectiveness. In districts that allocated substantial resources to RJP, reports from personnel suggest a direct correlation between RJP implementation and a decrease in suspensions, diminished truancy rates, and an overall improvement in school climates. Nevertheless, further investigation is essential, particularly at the middle school level, to explore the link between RJP and institutionalized, non-punitive, relationship-centered approaches. This research extended the knowledge base of disciplinary practices, delving into the educators’ perceptions of RJP on fostering a school-wide restorative ideology.

Employing a convergent …

How Communities Of Practice Can Mitigate School Leader Burnout, Jason E. Saltmarsh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This qualitative study expands our knowledge about school leader communities of practice (CoP) by examining the role they play in mitigating symptoms of burnout. Drawing primarily on in-depth interviews with school leaders in an urban California school district, this analysis applies Leiter and Maslach’s Structured Approach to Organizational Predictors of Job Burnout as a lens to understand school leaders’ experiences in a CoP focused on instructional leadership. Findings reveal dimensions of engagement known to reduce aspects of burnout, namely social closeness, a range of supports, and the perception of doing meaningful work that aligns with one’s values. This study extends …

The Building Leader’S Role In Developing And Supporting Meaningful Student Voice At The High School Level, Beth Grzelak-Lee

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

School leaders are the mediators of a school’s culture. At the high school level, students can contribute to, and even co-construct, their schooling experience with school leaders. Yet there is not a significant literature regarding how high-school building leaders develop and support student voice. Through the research method of semi-structured interviews with three high school principals in a district committed to elevating student voice, this study sought to identify the key behaviors, attitudes, and language used by a school leader working to develop and support student voice as an integral part of the high school experience. Additionally, it sought to …

When School Was Not Designed For Your Family: A Culturally Responsive High School Parent Engagement Guide, Julia Straszewski

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with a brief historical analysis of how the education system came to be and an analysis of culture, themes came forth demonstrating the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) roots of education no longer align with the diversity of society. Parental engagement in education has been veered as a pillar of overall success; however, it was consistently view through a nonculturally responsive lens and geared toward early childhood and elementary education, leaving out high school as an equally important facet of a child’s development. Synthesizing the themes of cultural responsiveness, parental engagement, and positive relationships, a culturally responsive guide emerges to …

Harnessing The Power Of Social Media: Opportunities For Learning And Professional Development Among Educational Leaders, George Nyaboga Nyarieko, Wachira Nicholas

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

This study investigates the benefits of integrating the social media platform specifically WhatsApp into an educational leadership development program in Kenya. Focusing on a cohort of participants in the blended-learning Diploma in Educational Leadership Management (DELM) program, which combines face-to-face, Zoom-enabled online classes, self-paced modules and Moodle assessments, the research explores the value that WhatsApp can add to facilitate peer collaboration and resource approach, sharing. including A the mixed-methods Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR) design, was employed to comprehensively understand the factors influencing educational leaders' engagement within the platform. The study first assessed participants' current level of digital skills through pre-intervention …

Electrostatic Sorting Of Lunar Regolith Simulants For Sustainable Resource Utilization: Modeling And Characterization Of Particle Size Distribution, Abdullah Al Moinee, Peter Bachle, Kyle Newport, William Schonberg, David Bayless, Jeffrey Smith, Daoru Han, Fateme Rezaei

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In pursuit of sustainable resource utilization on the Moon, this paper delves into modeling and characterization of particle size distribution (PSD) of lunar regolith simulants in an electrostatic system. a prototype electrostatic sieve was built and tested with four sample simulants mirroring properties of lunar mare and highland regolith. an alternating four-phase (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 270 degrees, 360 degrees) traveling square-wave was utilized for particle-directed transport to model the diverse trajectories of the particles. Numerically, we scrutinized how the distribution functions of the particles are manifested as the electrostatic field propagates, with a focus on three distinct particle ranges …

Centering Equity Within Principal Preparation And Development: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Meagan S. Richard, Shelby Cosner

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Throughout the globe, there is growing attention being paid to issues of equity and efforts to produce more equitable student learning outcomes in schools, and much of the scholarship internationally has begun to center school leaders as key drivers of more equitable conditions. Indeed, in the United States, persistent inequities in education have highlighted the need for K-12 principals who can effectively support diverse students. Effective leader preparation and development, particularly with a focus on equity, is crucial, as it equips school leaders with the knowledge and skills to create inclusive and equitable learning environments. U.S.-based research highlights that high-quality, …

Relationship Between Technology Student Association Participation And Soft Skills Development, Lauren Lapinski, Mickey Kosloski, Philip Reed

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between student participation in Technology Student Association activities and soft skills development. This study specifically sought information on relationships between soft skills development and (a) time spent on Technology Student Association activities, (b) competitive event success, (c) assumption of leadership roles, and (d) gender. Data were provided by Pennsylvania Technology Student Association and consisted of survey responses from middle and high school students who are active Pennsylvania Technology Student Association members (n = 229). In addition to descriptive data, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the …

Navigating The Maze: Women Experiences Transitioning From Faculty To High-Level Administration In Four-Year Postsecondary Institutions In The United States, Jonathan Hubbell

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the experiences of women transitioning from faculty roles to high-level administrative positions within four-year postsecondary institutions in the United States. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, this study investigates the strategies, challenges, and successes of nine women who have navigated this career progression, highlighting the systemic barriers they faced and the resilience they developed along the way. Through the lens of resiliency theory and intersectionality, the research examines how women balance personal and professional obligations, overcome institutional barriers, and utilize mentorship networks to support their advancement. From the in-depth interviews, four themes emerged: (a) adaptability, (b) resilience, (c) mentoring, …

Midwest Midlevel Professionals' Perspective On Their Entry-Level Experience: Supervisor Leadership And Its Effect On Employee Retention, Joseph Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

For the past three decades, new professionals have been leaving the student affairs field at alarming rates, with around 50% departing within five years of completing their master’s degrees. While numerous studies have explored the reasons behind this exodus, few have examined why the other 50% remain. Moreover, limited research has investigated how servant leadership impacts the retention of these professionals. This basic interpretive qualitative study aimed to understand how leadership’s focus on employee needs influences retention, using the lived experiences of eight mid-level student affairs professionals from large public institutions in the Midwest, each 5-7 years post-master’s degree. Thematic …

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Instruction And Educational Technology In Higher Education, Raul Nick Cabrera, Velma D. Menchaca, Marie Simonsson, Hilda Silva

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research was to obtain faculty perceptions of online instruction and educational technology in higher education. Data was collected from eight participants through interviews and open-ended questions at a higher education institution. Results showed that faculty consider that online instruction is only possible for certain programs and that it’s only for certain student populations. In addition, faculty perceive online learning environments as a repository for class information and serve as a communication medium between instructor and student. Furthermore, faculty believe that there is no substitution for traditional teaching methods regardless of the educational technology available. Theoretical and …

Mc Means Mentor The Child: Examining School-Based Hip-Hop Clubs For Youth Empowerment, Leadership Development, And Capacity For Change, Daniel Wolford

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the relationship between students in a school-based hip-hop club and their ability to develop leadership capabilities through club activities. This study followed a hip-hop club at an urban high school in the Midwest to better understand how hip-hop spaces impact youth participants. The participants included four current members of the club and three alums, all of whom were African American. This study used qualitative methods through heuristic inquiry to understand the phenomenon of hip-hop clubs. Data collection methods included session notes, musical creations, semi-structured interviews, and a Microsoft Teams group chat. Additional heuristic data was collected through …

Leadership Strategies And Multi-Frame Thinking Of Rural School Superintendents’ During Periods Of Crisis, Steven J. Moses

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the leadership strategies used by rural, public-school superintendents in the Central Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky during and following the flood of 2022 that was considered a natural disaster. The context of this study was framed by a 1 in 1000-year flooding event that devastated school districts and communities in Eastern Kentucky. The geographic boundaries of this study were limited to school districts that were part of counties identified as “Appalachian” by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). In addition, school districts in this study were also identified as rural by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) …

The Influence Of Independent Secondary School Heads On Shaping Organizational Culture, Ian D. Macphail

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation examined the experiences and connections between head of school leadership and culture in small, independent boarding schools in New England. This study was the result of the participation of eight heads of school from eight separate institutions, engaging in semi-structured interviews. All of the schools were secular in their practice, all-gender, and had a formal dormitory-based boarding program. Each school enrolled 400 or fewer students, focusing the impact of these leaders on a tighter, interactional lens. This study explored a relatively under-researched area of K-12 education and used exploratory, qualitative methods to gather the stories of these formal …