Educational Leadership Commons^™

Retention Rates: A Qualitative Study Exploring Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teaching In Northeast Florida, Dawn J. Kell

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

This qualitative phenomenological study explored workplace experiences and motivational factors influencing teacher retention among Northeast Florida charter school educators. With nearly half a million teachers leaving the classroom annually and approximately 41% leaving within their first five years, understanding why educators remain in the profession is imperative for sustaining student success and educational quality. The purpose of this study was to explore motivational factors that lead teachers to remain in the profession despite current challenges. Using a purposeful sampling method, 12 certified Northeast Florida charter school teachers participated in 30-minute semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Each 30-minute interview was recorded, …

Navigating The Political Waters Of Rural Superintendency In Texas, Brian D. Aiken

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Superintendents frequently report job-related stress and politics as primary reasons for early resignations. Rural superintendents and school boards engage extensively with community stakeholders, intensifying the impact of local political influence on decision-making. The purpose of this study was to describe how five rural superintendents in Texas experience the influence of political will on decision-making and, subsequently, on their well-being. Perceptions of sources of political influence and the strategies used by superintendents to navigate political influence were investigated. Participant data were gathered through district documents and semistructured interviews. The research captured the challenges the rural superintendents face. The participants in this …

Exploring Digital Media Literacy And Its Impact On Pedagogical Innovation And Creativity, Suparno Suparno, Tuty Sariwulan, Bagus Shandy Narmaditya, Ari Saptono, Saparuddin Muchtar, Muhammad Ridlo, Dingot Hamonangan Ismail

Journal of Media Literacy Education Pre-Prints

Enhancing teachers’ innovative work behavior is prominent in promoting educational quality. This exploratory study aims to understand the linkage between digital media literacy, creativity, and innovative work behavior among teachers in Indonesia. The data were obtained from teachers using an online self-administered survey. In addition, the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling with AMOS software. The results of this study indicate that there is a positive and significant influence between digital media literacy and teachers’ innovative work behavior. Indeed, creativity can also be a predictor of innovative work behavior among teachers in Indonesia. This study also notes the connection …

Does Gender Spell Success? Exploring Female Students' Perspectives Of Faculty At A Higher Educational Institution, Chitora Jackson, Terrence Hicks, Jill Channing, Arnold Nyarambi

Journal of Research Initiatives

Numerous studies have pointed to connections and positive interactions with faculty that result in positive outcomes for students (Beckowski & Gebauer, 2018; Jones, 2020; Trolian et al., 2021). However, despite this knowledge, there are still some areas related to this topic that remain under-researched. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of female students at a higher educational institution and to understand how those experiences shape their perspectives of female and male faculty. Additionally, this study sought to discover how faculty gender influences their interactions with students and the similarities and differences between …

Bridging Policy And Practice: Leadership Strategies And Certification Reforms To Enhance Teacher Recruitment And K–6 Literacy In Alabama, Sherry Jackson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This literature review explores the intersection of teacher certification reform, district and state-level leadership, and early literacy outcomes in Alabama. It critically examines the shift toward competency-based certification models under the Alabama Literacy Act, highlighting both the promise and challenges of balancing rigor with equitable access to the teaching profession. The paper synthesizes research on leadership-driven strategies, such as mentorship programs, Grow Your Own pipelines, and financial incentives, that support teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in high-need districts. It also evaluates the role of state accountability systems and collaborative partnerships in sustaining reform implementation. While current reforms show potential for …

Language For Learning: Examining Teacher Language In Reading Instruction, Madeleine Mejia, Amber Bechard

Journal of Research Initiatives

Teacher language plays a key role in literacy instruction because it shows what educators notice about students’ reading, how they interpret performance, and what they see as important for learning. However, common instructional phrases can sometimes reflect assumptions about what students know or can do or miss important parts of reading development. This article looks at teacher language as a way to reflect on these assumptions, especially when teaching students with dyslexia or those who are bilingual or multilingual. Using research on literacy development, teacher knowledge, classroom talk, and humanizing teaching, the article introduces the Language for Learning Tool. This …

Removing Barringer: University Renaming Governance, Campus Racial Climate, And The Limits Of Symbolic Reform, Charletta H. Barringer-Brown, Daniel N. Brown

Journal of Research Initiatives

University renaming is often seen as either a necessary moral correction or a less significant symbolic reform. This article examines renaming as a matter of higher education governance. It analyzes the removal of Paul Brandon Barringer’s name from honorific spaces at the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech through a qualitative documentary comparative case study. A contextual policy scan of the University of Richmond, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Oregon State University situates the two primary cases within a wider field of naming-governance design. Guided by critical toponymy, institutional theory, policy-decoupling scholarship, organizational-routines theory, and campus-racial-climate …

Human-Centered Ai Governance In K–12 Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Policy Gaps In Massachusetts School Districts, Simone Elias, Noran Moffett, Jeremy Womack, Richard Brutti

Journal of Research Initiatives

Artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools have rapidly permeated K–12 education, outpacing governance structures and raising urgent concerns about equity, student data privacy, and academic integrity (Eutsler et al., 2026; OECD, 2023). Although a growing body of scholarship proposes multi-level AI governance models for education, empirical evidence on implementing these frameworks at the district policy level remains limited. This article contributes to the field by first synthesizing and adapting a K–12 AI governance framework based on peer-reviewed and policy literature, structured around macro-meso-micro levels and six pillars: ethical and equity-centered use, data governance and privacy, teaching and academic integrity, …

Oral History As A Tool For First-Year Student Success, Justin Willis, Saul Araujo

Journal of Research Initiatives

First-year college students often face significant challenges as they transition into higher education, particularly when balancing academic responsibilities with employment. Many students work out of financial necessity, which can increase stress, limit campus engagement, and negatively affect academic performance and well-being. This qualitative case study explores how oral history methods can support first-year college students as they adjust to the demands of balancing education and work. Guided by Tinto’s Model of Student Retention and Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, the study examines how firsthand narratives from individuals who have navigated similar challenges can foster reflection, resilience, and practical skill development. The …

From Silos To Systems In Higher Education: Doctoral Students’ Conceptualizations Of Faculty And Staff Collaboration In Academic Planning, Linda Wilson-Jones, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

Collaboration is increasingly recognized as central to student success and institutional effectiveness in higher education. This qualitative study investigates doctoral students’ conceptualizations of faculty and staff collaboration in academic planning. Data were collected from 22 written responses in a doctoral-level program course. Through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2021), five interrelated themes emerged: (1) holistic student support, (2) shared institutional vision and goal alignment, (3) complementary expertise and role interdependence, (4) communication as quality assurance, and (5) collaborative culture as an institutional asset. The findings indicate that collaboration functions as organizational infrastructure that aligns academic and administrative systems …

The Revolving Door: A Content Analysis Of Presidential Transitions At North Carolina’S Historically Black Colleges And Universities, 1865-2026, Tara Shollenberger, Romaine Boyd

Journal of Research on the College President

National reporting has framed presidential turnover at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as a leadership crisis, yet few studies examine transition patterns systematically within a defined system of institutions over time. This study presents a quantitative content analysis of 206 presidencies across all 11 North Carolina HBCUs from 1865 to 2026, constructed from institutional histories, archival records, and contemporary news sources. Using descriptive analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival estimation, we examine tenure length, the rise of interim appointments, differences by institutional control (public versus private governance), and gender patterns in modern appointments. Findings indicate that median completed tenure has collapsed …

Servingness In Solidarity: How Filipina/X/O American Student Organizations Cultivate Belonging, Clarissa Mae Lico Calimbas

Dissertations

Filipina/x/o American college students represent one of the largest Asian ethnic subgroups in the United States, yet their educational experiences remain underexamined within institutional research and higher education scholarship. Aggregated under the broader Asian American category, Filipina/x/o American students are rendered invisible by data practices that obscure the distinct colonial histories, socioeconomic realities, and identity negotiations. This qualitative study examined how Filipina/x/o American students at Pacific State University (PSU) describe their involvement in Filipina/x/o American Student Organizations (FASOs) and how that involvement shapes their sense of belonging, cultural identity development, and academic persistence. Guided by a critical race phenomenological framework …

Special Education Teacher's Perceptions Of Genai For Creating Individualized Lesson Plans, Mahadevan Iyer

Dissertations

In the United States today, 7.3 million students are receiving special education (SPED) services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004). Rules and regulations governing SPED help ensure that SPED students receive good quality education. Section 1414(d) of IDEIA requires schools to provide specialized academic instruction as per each student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). SPED teachers are responsible for accommodating, scaffolding, and individualizing the curriculum to meet the goals specified in the IEP. Defining the individualized curriculum is an added responsibility for a SPED teacher. This study examined SPED teachers’ access to instructional materials that implement EBPs …

Vision With Grace: Intersectionality Of Education And Spirituality, Preeti Jha

Dissertations

Contemporary educational leaders face increasingly complex challenges, systemic inequities, educator burnout, and demands for transformation, yet existing leadership frameworks fail to address the inner lives and spiritual practices that sustain such demanding justice work. While research demonstrates spirituality's role in leadership effectiveness, this dimension remains largely unexplored in educational research, particularly regarding how spiritual consciousness shapes daily practices and social justice engagement. This qualitative study will examine how spirituality shapes educational leadership and social justice engagement through portraiture methodology and in-depth interviews with three spiritually aligned educational leaders in Northern California. Drawing upon the Bhagavad Gita, Spiritual Leadership Theory, and …

Counselors-In-Training’S Perceptions Of Counselor Educators’ And Supervisors’ Roles In Developing Grief Counseling Self-Efficacy, Tonya Andrews

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Counselors-in-training (CITs) encounter grieving clients despite limited grief-specific preparation. Understanding these experiences could inform preparation for supporting grieving clients. Guided by Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explored these perceptions. The purposive sample included 10 CITs who were master’s-level students completing field experience or postgraduate counselors under clinical supervision, lacked independent licensure, attended or graduated from Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)–accredited programs without required stand-alone grief coursework. None had a direct supervisory, instructional, or evaluative relationship with the researcher. The research question was: How did CITs perceive and make meaning of the role …

Access In Teaching Stem Subjects To The Blind, Ashley E. Neybert

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

There are still many gaps in the literature regarding the difficulties faced by instructors of students who are blind and low vision and who teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) subjects. We surveyed 26 K-12 STEM teachers about accessible materials they are aware of versus which accessible materials they use in their classrooms, their thoughts on how common challenges identified in the extent literature affect them in their teaching, and their perspective on how much extra time may be required for blind and low vision students (if any) to effectively learn STEM subjects.

Listening To The Society Of Yeager Scholars: An Interpretive Companion For Institutional Memory And Strategic Reflection, Brian A. Hoey

Publications of the Honors College at Marshall University

Listening to the Society of Yeager Scholars is an interpretive companion for institutional memory and strategic reflection. Rather than offering a definitive history of the Society of Yeager Scholars or prescribing its future direction, the document reads the Society as an institution with a culture—one shaped over nearly four decades through educational purposes, relationships, traditions, expectations, and changing interpretations of what the Society is and should be.

Drawing on early oral histories, Alison Gerlach’s history of the Society’s first thirteen years, contemporary accounts, institutional records, strategic-planning materials, and sustained institutional experience, the document identifies recurring ways participants have understood the …

Identifying Barriers To Reporting Concerning Behaviors In A Public Secondary School, Will Durgin

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Threat assessment is an effective school safety practice that allows schools to identify concerning behavior and intervene before it reaches a crisis. Because this process often begins with a staff member recognizing and reporting a concern, this study examined how school staff interpret concerning behavior, understand their responsibility to report it, and what can make reporting more difficult.

The study used a two-phase action research design in a small, rural public school district in western New York. The first phase used a survey built around five behavior vignettes, while the second phase consisted of staff interviews.

Staff generally agreed when …

Portraits In Leadership: Six College Presidents Reflect On The Contemporary Presidency, Chris Thomas

Journal of Research on the College President

This qualitative study examines how six college and university presidents describe the contemporary presidency in their own words, offering a personal complement to existing research that often emphasizes governance, organizational structures, or survey data. Through in‑depth interviews conducted in 2025, presidents from community colleges, regional public universities, and a private liberal arts college reflected on their transitions into the role, leadership philosophies, institutional challenges, and the legacies they hope to leave. Their experiences reveal strikingly consistent themes across institutional types. Participants emphasized that “nothing fully prepares someone for becoming the president,” noting the profound shift in responsibility that accompanies the …

Pengaruh Media Monopoli Terhadap Hasil Belajar Seni Tari Siswa Smk Pemuda 2 Wates Blitar, Elok Genduk Sekar Arum, Tri Wahyuningtyas

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

Low learning outcomes in dance education indicate the need for learning media that can support students’ engagement in understanding the subject matter. This study aimed to analyze changes in students’ learning outcomes following the use of monopoly-based learning media in dance education. A quantitative approach with a one-group pretest–posttest design was employed. The participants were 15 tenth-grade Online Business and Marketing students at SMK Pemuda 2 Wates, Blitar. The intervention involved two learning sessions using monopoly-based media covering the types, functions, and meanings of traditional and creative dances. Data were collected through learning outcome tests and observations and analyzed using …