Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Relationship Between Physical Fitness And Academic Performance In College Club Sports Students, Jonathan Chung

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Pursuing innovative strategies to improve academic performance is an ongoing priority for many higher education institutions. One area that evidence has shown to further enhance cognitive ability, memory, and focus, but also, enhance the emotional and social well-being of students is through regular physical fitness. The importance of this study was to explore whether the benefits of physical fitness would have a similar impact on academic performance in college club sports students as it does on children as literature is limited concerning this relationship surrounding the college-aged population. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a …

A Phenomenological Study Of Instructors’ Experiences With Receiving And Utilizing Student Feedback In Online Course, Stanley T. Triplett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to explore how community college online course instructors at a large community college in the Deep South experience students’ feedback to reevaluate course quality and instruction. The central question of the study regarded how community college online instructors experience receiving and engaging with student evaluations. The theory guiding this study was Knowles’s theory of andragogy as it provides a framework for understanding adult learning, including those of adult learners in community college contexts as well as those instructors receiving and responding to student evaluations of teaching. A total of 11 instructors …

Sergeants Major Course Instructor Self-Efficacy Across The Departments At The United States Army Sergeants Major Academy, Anson Cordell Jordan Sr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research has highlighted teacher self-efficacy as an influential variable in many educational studies. Teacher self-efficacy not only impacts and influences educational outcomes such as teachers’ persistence, enthusiasm, commitment, and instructional behavior, but also affects student outcomes such as motivation, student achievement, and the students’ own sense of self-efficacy. The current study utilized a causal-comparative research design and one-way between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the self-efficacy of instructors across the five departments of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy’s (USASMA) Sergeants Major Resident Course. This study also used an independent samples t test to observe differences between sample …

An Applied Study For The Retention Of Varsity Assistant Football Coaches That Serve On The Faculty At City High School In Northern Virginia, Jerry Lynn Sarchet Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to solve the central research question of how the problem of lack of assistant football coach retention that also teach in the faculty at City High School (a pseudonym) located in Northern Virginia be solved. The results of the research were intended to provide data to administrators and coaches to allow decisions concerning the issue of assistant football coach retention that also teach. This applied research study focused on one high school with the data collection including interviews with the principal, the athletic director, the former head football coach, three former coaches on …

Correlation Between Reading Motivation And Engagement And Student Reading Outcomes In Title One Elementary Schools, Tashenna Renee Wiggins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The following research described a correlational study to examine whether there was correlation between reading motivation and reading engagement on students’ outcomes on the HMH Reading Inventory® in Title I schools for students reading below grade level in grades three through five. Additionally, the research indicated the importance of utilizing motivation and engagement to increase reading achievement. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between reading motivation and reading engagement to reading outcomes in grades three through five for students who are not reading on grade level in Title I elementary schools in the Southeast section …

The Effects Of Technology Integration On Avid Students Compared To Other Middle School Students, Kathy Veronica Hardy

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Student disengagement in the learning process is problematic, especially in the middle grades. Studies show that technology infusion in classroom instruction promotes student learning and behavior when effectively integrated. Employing the theory of constructivism, this study explored technology infusion in a college and career readiness program based on the assumption that integration aids in the construction of knowledge. The purpose of this study was to analyze the difference between the performance scores of AVID and non-AVID groups in middle schools. Archived test results for the Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test (PSAT) were compared on a sample of non-AVID and AVID middle …

Examining Emergency Safety Preparedness Training In Baptist Churches In North Carolina Against An Active Shooter Threat, Kim Mark Auten

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

As the threat of human-made hazards intensifies, church leadership will need to examine their church safety preparedness policies to keep congregations safe while on the property. This research's primary objective was to determine if there are current safety protocols in which address potential threats and if church leadership has procedures in place that cover the various disasters that churches are exposed to in the state of North Carolina. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to examine the churches serving North Carolina in a rural, suburban, and inner-city setting to determine if there is any correlation in leadership's perception …

Leadership Style And Subordinate Work Stress, Jennifer Yoho

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the work stress perceived by public safety dispatchers and determine whether the supervisor’s leadership style played a role in the stress experienced. Research showed, and evidence suggested, that many stress-related symptoms at work occur because of unhealthy supervisor-subordinate relationships (Skakon, Nielsen, Borg, & Guzman, as cited in Belanger et al., 2016). Previous researchers found that a leader with a toxic, laissez-faire, or destructive leadership style increased the stress experienced by the employee (Syed, Rehman, & Kitchlew, 2018) while a supervisor with a transformational leadership style decreased the stress (Abbasi, 2018). Pishgooie, …

The Influence Of Concept-Based Instruction On Student Academic Engagement, Amanda Romey

All Theses And Dissertations

Student engagement, including behavior, academic, cognitive, and social/emotional engagement is a complex multidimensional element of students’ overall well-being and success in school. As dropout rates continue to increase along with students feeling disenfranchised from the current educational system, there is a deep need to improve students’ experience in school by having them engaged in their learning. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify the influence, if any, of concept-based curriculum and instruction on student academic engagement. This study examined the multiple elements of student academic engagement by addressing the concept-based learning construct, and student ownership of their learning …

A Case Study Of One Small Christian College Overcoming Decline And Implementing An Institutional Turnaround, Richard H. Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Numerous studies and national data show a growing number of small, private, Christian colleges face extreme difficulties, which often result in decline, followed by closure or merging with larger, higher education institutions. Attempting to overcome the loss of student revenue from a declining enrollment, many small colleges raise tuition prices, spend endowment funds, and overextend themselves with high debt payments. Countering the increased tuition prices, these colleges often increase scholarships and financial aid, which reduces available funds for other institutional needs. Other challenging issues include meeting accreditation standards, raising money for operational and capital needs, and the general public losing …

Charter School Closing Inequities: Do Automatic Closure Laws Target Black Charter Entrepreneurs And Black Students?, Ian Kingbury, Martha Bradley-Dorsey, Robert Maranto

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Charter schools can have their charters rescinded if they fail to meet performance metrics, which are often specified in the charter. In some states, however, charters must meet inflexible, standardized performance standards to survive. Through the lens of public choice theory, we hypothesize that charters that were established by African Americans and those which serve more African American students are more likely to close, and that state-imposed standardized closure rules exacerbate these inequities. Analyses using charter petitions (n=925) and National Center for Education Statistics data since 2010 (n=5,548), tend to confirm hypotheses: The percentage of African American students and having …

The Puente Project: Bridging The Achievement Gap For Latinx Students, Nelly Fabiola Brashear

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

For Latinx students, attaining a higher education is one the most important achievements they can pursue. According to Gándara and Moredechay (2017), Latinx students encounter many socio-economic struggles such as a lack of familial support and limited educational resources. In fact, many Latinx students come from low-income households, which further widens the minority education gap.

The Puente Project program aims to increase the number of Latinx student transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions thereby increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by this underserved population of students. However, this program is not without its limitations. Surprisingly, the results of …

Perceptions Of Secondary Administrators: Looking At Their Experiences And Practices Supporting Science Instruction, Venicia Ferrell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Secondary school administrators play a vital role as instructional leaders, specifically those that are aimed at improving students’ learning of science content (Hill & Grossman, 2013). Unfortunately, administrators rarely have a background in science (Halverson et al., 2011). Little is known about an administrator's knowledge of science practices and their ability to support science instruction at the secondary level. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the relationship between the structure and focus of an administrator’s instructional roles and their capacity to foster quality science support and instruction for teachers and students. Administrators' perceptions of effective support actions …

Institutionalized Perceptions Of Student Behavior And The Student Conduct Paradigm Shift In Virginia’S Public Schools, Tiffany D. Hardy

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

In 2019, the Virginia Board of Education approved the Model Guidance for Positive and Preventive Code of Student Conduct Policy and Alternatives to Suspension as a framework for school divisions to revise student behavior practices and policies. The model guidance reflects substantive changes in procedure, language, and data collection as compared to prior sanctions based codes of conduct. The goal of the model guidance is to implement a balanced approach to student behavior through proactive, constructive, and equitable practices. Consistent with current research, the guidance indicates a significant emphasis on social-emotional learning, intervention, and restorative practices. The language, coding, and …

Co-Teaching Strategies And Student Engagement In A Secondary Math Class, Parisa Salehsari Lindgren

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Care To Engage: Increasing Engagement Through Authentic Care, Jil Assefa

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Professional Development On Teacher Learning And Use Of Technology In The Classroom, Craig R. Bocks

MATL Action Research Projects

No abstract provided.

The Pursuit Of Equitable Virtual Learning: District Leaders’ Understanding Of The Influences On Designing 100% Virtual Learning Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kathleen Wolfe Maxlow

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam required all schools to close their doors from March 13, 2020, through the remainder of the school year, causing districts in the Commonwealth to create distance learning plans for PreK-12 education within a matter of weeks. The continued fluctuation of COVID-19 positive case numbers throughout the spring and summer led to several school districts choosing to open the 2020-2021 school year using a 100% virtual model for all students. This qualitative, grounded theory study sought to determine how superintendents understood the influences on the design of their district’s 100% virtual learning plans. …

Principal Pipeline Development In Ghana: A Look At Komenda Edina Eguafo Abriem (Keea) District In The Central Region, Eunice A. Turkson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

There is no doubt that principals’ roles are important in setting the direction for successful schools, however, current knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly qualified and effective school leaders is sparse (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Mendels, 2012). As such, the recognition of the importance of school leaders in teaching and learning coupled with a growing shortage of high-quality leaders in American schools, increased the interest in leadership development as a major reform strategy (Darling-Hammond et al., 2007). The investment of tremendous amount of time and resources on school leadership therefore help them to …

School Finance Equity: An Intradistrict Equity Audit, Nicole Kathryn Duplain

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This overview provides a synthesis of a comprehensive study of an intradistrict equity audit of one mid-Atlantic school district. The purpose of this study was to measure the intradistrict distribution of educational resources across elementary, middle, and high schools of one school district through an equity audit to determine whether or not the allocation and distribution of fiscal resources were equitable and adequate. This study utilized publicly available school-level expenditure data to determine the allocation and distribution of resources to expose any existing disparities. The researcher investigated any disparities in per-pupil expenditures, teacher quality, and academic achievement by examining Skrla, …