Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Middle School Teachers’ Experiences Of Implementing Social Promotion Policies In A Public School District, Kelley L. Duffy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe middle school teachers’ experiences of implementing social promotion policies at a public school district in the southern United States. The study advanced understanding about teachers’ perceptions implementing social promotion policies and how those perceptions impacted their professional behaviors and identity. Weick’s sensemaking theory guided this study as it explains how individuals define and give meaning to their reality when ambiguities and uncertainties exist. The study was designed to explore the central research question, what are middle school teachers’ shared experiences with social promotion policies at a public school district in …

Lessons Learned In Social-Emotional Development After A Pandemic: A Qualitative Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Lyndsey Eksili

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the lessons learned by educational leaders and teachers in the social emotional development of K-12 students after the COVID-19 pandemic. Twelve K-12 leaders and teachers in varying in age and demographics participated in interviews, a focus group, and artifact collection to explore the lived experiences and lessons learned in social-emotional learning and development after the pandemic. Themes were then developed based on those experiences using the qualitative transcendental methods of research and data analysis. The themes discovered through research were student struggles, teacher/staff struggles, and school climate. The subthemes …

Reviving The Roots: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Of Black Women In Agriculture And The Influence Of Post-Secondary Education, Alvianna Woodard-Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions and lived experiences of twenty Black women in the southern United States and the influence of post-secondary education on agricultural science. Two theories guided this study, Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory. When considering the five levels of Maslow's hierarchy, coupled with Black women's marginality as identified by the intersectionality theory, the research helped better define the relationship between Black women in agriculture and the referenced theories. Criterion sampling was used to identify ten experienced Black female producers and ten agriculture students to determine the trend. …

The Impact Of Stressors On Undergraduate College Students With Anxiety Disorders: A Phenomenological Study, Whitney Shea Dickerson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the essence of the shared lived experiences of undergraduate college students with anxiety disorders at two universities in the Southeastern United States. One institution is a mid-sized, public, nonsectarian university; the other is a small, private, faith-based liberal arts college. The theory guiding this study is Ellis’s cognitive theory, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), which posits that irrational core beliefs create intense negative emotions that cause suffering. The central research question is intended to elicit rich data regarding the shared lived experiences of the study participants. The four …

A Phenomenological Study Of Pastors Leaving Employment Due To Experienced Poor Person-Organization Fit, Stephen T. Buys

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe pastors’ experiences who have served full-time in a lead/senior pastor role in evangelical churches after having lost or left their employment as a result of experiencing poor person-organization fit. For this study, pastoral staff turnover was defined as the employment of full-time pastoral staff employed for at least one year who have resulted in voluntary or involuntary resignation from their place of employment because of value incongruence. In this phenomenology, the church is viewed as an educational institution, including similarities between pastoral roles and educator and administrator roles. As …

Secondary Teacher Experiences In Professional Learning Communities: A Phenomenological Research Study, Tiphani Jo Morris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological research study was to describe secondary mathematics, science, English Language Arts (ELA), and social studies teachers’ experiences with PLCs at Central Texas secondary schools. Using Wenger’s (1998) social theory, the study answered the central research question: What are the lived experiences of secondary mathematics, science, ELA, and social studies teachers involved in PLCs in Central Texas? The sub-questions included: What collaborative experiences do secondary teachers have during PLCs? What professional learning experiences do secondary teachers have during PLCs? The setting included two middle schools and one high school located in Central Texas. The sample …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Investigation Of Perceived Spirituality And Persistence Of Jamaican Women Who Have Received A Tertiary Degree, Ashleigh Jacqueline Yearde

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to discover the perceived spirituality and persistence for Jamaican women who had received a tertiary degree at schools in Jamaica. At this stage in the research, a tertiary degree was generally defined as all formal post-secondary education, including public and private universities, colleges, technical training institutes, and vocational schools. The theory guiding this research was Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory. Constructivists believe that knowledge was informed by perspective and shaped by values. The theoretical framework for the study was based on the positive foundation of social support in the learning process. Moustakas’s …

2023-04-06 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate meeting minutes from April 6, 2023.

2023-04-05 Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Revisal Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Revisal Draft submitted to the Faculty Senate on April 6, 2023.

2023-04-05 Excellence In Teaching Committee Revisal Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Excellence in Teaching Committee Revisal Draft submitted to the Faculty Senate on April 6, 2023.

2023-04-05 Research & Creative Productions Committee Revisal Draft, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Research & Creative Productions Committee Revisal Draft submitted to the Faculty Senate on April 6, 2023.

Community College Executive Leaders And Emotional Intelligence: A Phenomenological Study Exploring How Community College Executive Leaders Utilize Emotional Intelligence (Ei) To Lead Their Organizations, Seblewongel Ayalew

Dissertations

Purpose: This phenomenological research aimed to identify and describe the lived practices of California community college executive leaders who lead their institutions using Emotional Intelligence (EI) through the lens of Goleman’s four EI domains.

Methodology: This study used phenomenological research that identified and explained California community college executive leaders’ lived practices associated with the leaders using EI in the workplace to determine their EI skills and emotional awareness. The community college executive leaders participated in interviews in formal and informal settings to identify and describe their lived experiences.

Findings: Examination of the qualitative data from 15 community college executive leaders …

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda And Minutes, April 3, 2023

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, April 3, 2023

The Infinite Mindset: A Phenomenological Study Of Exemplary Student Affairs Leaders, Kevin Giang

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe how exemplary leaders in the field of student affairs perceive the practices of Simon Sinek’s Infinite Mindset Framework are embedded within their organizations to inspire the achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand the organizational supports and barriers these exemplary leaders perceive affect the development of an infinite mindset.

Methodology: Interviews were used to explore and describe how exemplary student affairs leaders perceive the five practices of Sinek’s Infinite Mindset are embedded within their organizations. The study seeks to explore and make …

We Don’T Have To Do All Of It Alone: A Phenomenological Study On How Mid-Level Leaders In Community Colleges Flourish Through Collaboration And Advocacy, Mackenzie Taylor Klinker Hutchins

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the formal and informal leadership development experiences of mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges.

Methodology: This phenomenological study identified and described the formal and informal leadership development experiences of 17 mid-level leaders promoted within Washington State Community Colleges. Respondents were purposively chosen based on specific criteria and recommendations of two expert sponsors. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews, where the participants provided descriptive data that would aid in answering the study’s research questions.

Findings: Analysis of the qualitative data from 17 mid-level leaders promoted within …

Culturally Responsive Library Leadership In The California Community Colleges, Melanie Aponte Chu

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this ethnographic qualitative study was to identify and describe how community college library leaders utilize culturally responsive leadership strategies when leading their organizations, based on Horsford et al.’s (2011) Culturally Relevant Leadership (CRL) framework.

Methodology: This study identified and described culturally responsive leadership strategies of library leaders at the California Community Colleges (CCCs). As part of a thematic team, the researcher designed an interview protocol in alignment with the four dimensions of the CRL framework: professional duty, personal journey, pedagogical approach, and political context. Fourteen participants were identified and selected using criterion sampling, with participants meeting …

Nursing Faculty Perceptions Of Stress, Coping, And Intent To Leave The Profession In The Ongoing Covid-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Study, Lynlee Morgan

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted all of society to varying degrees; this impact was especially true in higher education due to an overnight transition to distance learning and incessant pivots to meet new guidelines and overcome obstacles. Nursing faculty were significantly impacted due to the responsibility of producing safe, qualified, competent practitioners to provide care in the clinical setting. The limitations in or exclusions from clinical experiences combined with the fact that faculty were managing personal concerns and had never encountered these unprecedented conditions exacerbated the challenge of preparing new nurses. This study was critical due to the faculty role and …

A Glimpse Into Arkansas Teachers’ Grading Practices, Sarah Morris, Sarah C. Mckenzie

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

This case study assesses the current, self-reported grading practices among Arkansas teachers. We distributed a Teachers’ Grading Perceptions survey in November, 2022, and we conducted semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals in January-February, 2023. We gathered both quantitative and qualitative data from the teacher survey, and we used interviews to collect themes for current grading practices in Arkansas’s schools. We generated a grading equity scale from the survey questions, verified by a reliable alpha coefficient = 0.83, and we use this in a multivariate regression to explore teacher characteristics and their likelihood of favoring grading equity practices. We collected themes …

Perceptions Of Creative Leadership In Multigenerational Nonprofit Private Education Teams, Rashad L. Burden

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The challenges that are encountered in private schools are in constant flux. Teachers and administrators are tasked with leading and guiding future generations in tumultuous times. A leader’s creativity has a significant influence on the diverse teams that are engaging school-age children. Creative leadership is lacking in academic research in comparison to more established leadership theories. The lack of research is excessively apparent in the multigenerational nonprofit private education sector. In this qualitative study, two Seventh-Day Adventist private school educational teams in southeastern California were engaged in focus group interviews. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence …

The Career Experiences Of Noninstructional Itinerant Staff In K–12 Public Schools With Demonstrated Longevity, Jessica Duncan

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Shortages in noninstructional itinerant staff (school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers) have been especially difficult for K–12 public school districts, as these individuals have critical responsibilities within the school setting that they are uniquely qualified to complete. Noninstructional itinerant employees face challenges such as isolation, role confusion, and high workloads that professionals who work in other settings or instructional colleagues may not encounter. They may also be impacted by their responsibilities related to meeting the increasing mental health needs of the students they support. The aim of this qualitative research study was to consider the experiences of 14 noninstructional …