Educational Leadership Commons^™

Values-Based Behavioral Frameworks As Contributors To Organizational Culture In Higher Education: A Literature Review, David J. Park Do

Papers

Colleges and universities almost universally publish statements of organizational values, yet a gap often persists between those stated values and the regularly observed behaviors. This review examines how that gap relates to culture in higher education institutions and specifically explores how translating values into observable behaviors contributes to organizational culture. This literature review used a structured, criteria-guided approach to source identification, selecting sources against three constructs: 1) institutional adoption of values-based behavioral frameworks, 2) organizational culture in higher-education settings, and 3) the perceptions through which organizational members perceive culture. The resulting corpus of 40 sources spans organizational culture scholarship, virtue …

Solving The Middle School Math Problem To Increase Achievement, Andre Goodlow

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

This study used improvement science to address persistent and disproportionate low mathematics achievement among middle school students, particularly Black/African American and Hispanic students, in an urban school district in the Pacific Northwest. Local data indicated significant deficiencies in math proficiency, with the target district exhibiting achievement disparities exceeding state averages. The project investigated root causes of low math achievement, prioritizing the enhancement of foundational math skills and the implementation of evidence-based interventions. The improvement theory centered on deploying an evidence-based core math curriculum and intervention program for incoming middle school students, tested through cycles during a four-week summer school program. …

Pláticas Of Latinas In Educational Leadership: Stories Of Identity, Resilience, And Transformation, Vanessa Davalos

Educational Leadership Professional Doctorate Dissertations

Despite federal and state equity laws that prohibit discrimination based on sex and national origin, women remain significantly underrepresented in K–12 educational leadership, with Latina leaders experiencing even greater disparities. While the number of Hispanic students in public schools continues to grow, the representation of Latina leaders has not kept pace, creating a critical gap between those leading schools and the communities they serve.

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to provide insight into the lived experiences of Latina educational leaders in order to deepen understanding of how identity, role, and leadership intersect (Hernandez & Murakami, 2016). Centering …

Pediatric Clinical Reasoning Labs’ Impact On Student Self-Efficacy In Pediatric Physical Therapy Education, Bethany Early

Dissertations

All graduates of entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs must be competent to work with patients across the lifespan and high levels of perceived self-efficacy (SE) may be a predictor of future success. Experiential learning is an effective teaching and learning strategy used within Pediatric PT education (PedPTE). This study examined the extent to which pediatric clinical reasoning labs impact student SE within PedPTE, and to what extent does previous experience or interest in pediatrics have on perceived SE.

The methodology was a sequential explanatory mixed methods research design. Quantitative data collection included 27 second year DPT students, utilizing …

"What Does It Mean If I Am Silent?”: Bipoc And Lgbtq+ Educators’ Narratives Of Identity, Responsibility, And Student Protection, Julie Nicole Von Stein

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This qualitative study examined how BIPOC and LGBTQ+ educators describe their experiences navigating curriculum restrictions and book bans in politically restrictive educational environments, their perceptions of administrator support, and how their identities uniquely shape their decisions about resistance and risk. Grounded in Scott’s theory of everyday resistance, the study explored the ways BIPOC and LGBTQ+ educators make decisions about resistance when curricular content connected to race, gender, sexuality, and marginalized identities is challenged or restricted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with educators who identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+, allowing participants to describe their experiences, decision-making processes, perceived risks, and …

The Impact Of Vulnerability On Building Trust: A Qualitative Study Of Superintendents In Northern California, Jasmin Hasmukhlal Patel

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand and explain how exemplary superintendents in Northern California practice vulnerability to build trust within their organizations, guided by Brené Brown’s framework of vulnerability-based leadership: Authenticity, courage over comfort, curiosity and learning, practicing empathy, and leading with heart. An additional purpose was to examine the challenges these leaders encounter when practicing vulnerability in complex public education contexts. This study addresses a gap in leadership research by providing empirical insight into how vulnerability functions as a trust-building practice at the highest level of K–12 educational leadership.

Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological design was …

Rewriting The Future: Examining The Influence Of Mentoring On Ged Graduates' Pursuit And Performance In Postsecondary Education, Shari Antoinette Crain

Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of GED graduates who were mentored while earning their GED and examined how those mentoring experiences contributed to their academic achievement in community college. Although increasing numbers of adult learners pursue postsecondary education through the GED pathway, many encounter barriers related to academic confidence, institutional navigation, and access to support systems. Limited research has examined how mentoring supports GED graduates during their transition into higher education.

Guided by the College Student Mentoring Scale developed by Nora and Crisp (2009), this study examined mentoring experiences across four domains: psychological and emotional support, degree and …

Principal Leader Behaviors That Create Meaning For Their Teachers To Reduce Stress And Burnout, Angelina Santana

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify and describe the behaviors that exemplary high school principals use to create meaning for themselves and their teacher followers through relationships, character, vision, wisdom, and inspiration. In addition, the study aimed to determine the new teachers’ perceived degree of importance of the principal leader behaviors related to relationships, character, vision, wisdom, and inspiration to help create meaning.Methodology: The mixed methods convergent study design uses qualitative and quantitative means to collect and analyze data to understand how exemplary high school principals make meaning for their teacher followers. First, qualitative interviews …

Examining The Enactment Of Teacher Leadership Through Self-Created Social Network Maps, Shanna Dawn Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Much of a teacher’s work is unseen. It extends beyond classroom instruction and into collaborative, relational work that positions teachers as essential actors in educational change. Yet this work occurs within a neoliberal education system that intensifies accountability, erodes professional autonomy, and reinforces hierarchical, patriarchal models of authority. Although schools depend on teachers’ expertise, these structures constrain opportunities for collaborative professionalism and relational forms of leading and learning. This study pushed back on the neoliberal agenda and examined the phenomenon of teacher leadership. Using descriptive and interpretive phenomenology, I analyzed self-created social network maps and narrative data to understand how …

Artificial Intelligence Research In K–12 Education: A Bibliometric Analysis, Thomas Frank Mauro

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

Research on artificial intelligence (AI) in K–12 education has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, producing a growing and sometimes fragmented body of scholarly literature. As new AI applications, including machine learning systems, intelligent tutoring systems, and generative AI tools, continue to emerge, understanding how this research has evolved over time is increasingly important for educators, policymakers, and researchers. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications on AI in K–12 education to address the following three research questions. How has research on artificial intelligence in K–12 education evolved over time? Who are the significant contributors to AI …

Student Retention In Music Programs: An Analysis Of Relationships Between Selected Student Demographics And Continued Enrollment In Music Programs With The Presence Of School-Provided Supports, Jessica Wiese

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Music education provides significant cognitive, social, and academic benefits; however, elective music programs often face substantial annual attrition. While existing literature has documented material barriers (e.g., instrument costs, transportation, scheduling conflicts), this study investigates the persistence of attrition within a medium-sized suburban district on Long Island that has systematically mitigated these obstacles. The district provides free instruments, flexible scheduling, and dedicated transportation for all students. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine whether demographic disparities in music enrollment remain predictive of withdrawal in such a post-barrier environment.

The research used a two-phase explanatory sequential design. In the first …

From Pilot To Dissertation Proposal: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of The Professional Role And Boundary Spanning Experiences Of Va School Certifying Officials, Daina Hunter

SPARK Symposium Presentations

The effective support of military-connected students is a vital priority for higher education institutions, and the VA School Certifying Official (SCO) serves as a foundational support role essential to military-connected students’ use of Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits and institutional compliance (Hunter, 2026a; Semer & Harmening, 2015). SCOs’ perception of their professional role and their experiences navigating the complex spaces between regulatory agencies, their own higher education institution, and their students are the focus of this inquiry. This presentation highlights the evolution of a study from a two-participant pilot to a larger dissertation proposal using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). …

Correlates Of Truancy Among Somali High School Students In Minnesota, Aisha Abdi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Truancy remains a significant challenge in schools today. Somali high school students’ truancy is specifically more prevalent. There is limited research on cultural factors that correlate with absenteeism within this population, and this quantitative study examined these factors. Acculturation, student employment, religious commitment, and perceived discrimination were the four key factors examined to inform the study. The sampled population were 16 high school students in grades 9 to 12 from two high schools within the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. The student participants completed the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS), Child Perceived Discrimination Questionnaire (CPDQ), and researchers’ constructed surveys …

An Imperative For Leadership & Institutional Transformation: Going Back To Code, Jonikka Charlton

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Multiple Case Study Exploring Shifts In Thinking Of Principals Through Initiatives To Foster Relational Leadership Conducive To Retaining Teachers In High-Minority, High-Poverty Public Schools, Rita Seay

Dissertations

Problem

The public education system is broken, and teacher shortages have reached a crisis, especially in some specialty fields in United States (Carrillo & Salhotra, 2022; Podolsky et al., 2016). Lately, the teacher workforce has been described as a “leaky bucket” (Podolsky et al., 2016, p. 1). Indeed, the problems are complex in poor socioeconomic communities with racial and ethnic groups of students because teachers struggle to make a difference and, in most cases, fail due to insurmountable situations that are beyond their scope of influence (Rondfeldt et al., 2013). Evidence published that students suffer immensely from a broken, segregated …

(Trans*)Gressing Discourse: Producing And Disrupting Normativity In Education For Trans* Students With Dis/Abilities, Meagan Meredith

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation investigates how political rhetoric, education policy, and educational community member discourse construct, circulate, and contest meanings about trans*ness and dis/ability in K-12 public schools. In doing so, the study examines how meanings about normativity are discursively produced and disrupted for students living at this specific intersection. Grounded in a trans* methodology, this study performs a critical discourse analysis through a rhizomatic reading of policy texts, political rhetoric, and publicly available stakeholder discourse. This work responds to a gap in the literature that fails to understand the complexities experienced by trans* students with dis/abilities, particularly in hostile school climates. …

The Impact Of Somali Parental Involvement On Elementary Education In Minnesota: Opportunities And Challenges, Abdiqani Abdullahi Elmi

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This qualitative study examines the challenges faced by Somali-American parents in Minnesota regarding involvement in their children's education, particularly during elementary school. The elementary level is a critical stage for students' learning and a foundational pillar for both academic development and social integration, making parental involvement during this stage especially important. However, immigrant families, specifically Somali-Americans, face significant challenges that impede their ability to participate actively in their children's educational journey. This qualitative phenomenological research investigated barriers that might stem from limited formal education, low English proficiency, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic challenges. The methodology used in this research is …

The Role Of Mentorship In Women’S Pathways To Senior Superintendency Positions In K–12 Public Education, Tara Falasco

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although women comprise the majority of the K–12 workforce, they remain underrepresented in senior superintendency leadership positions, a disparity attributed to systemic and social factors such as implicit bias, gender stereotypes, limited access to professional networks, and inequitable mentorship and sponsorship structures that restrict advancement opportunities. Mentorship is widely recognized as an important factor in women’s pathways to senior roles; however, women often report less access to advocacy-oriented sponsorship than men, leaving those in building-level leadership (e.g., principals, assistant principals) facing barriers—such as limited access to networks, implicit gender bias, and work–life balance challenges—when seeking senior superintendency positions. This phenomenological, …

Exploring K-2 Teachers’ Perspectives Around Screen Time In Blended Learning Classrooms, Cameryn Lee Ronspies

Dissertations and Theses

The integration of digital technologies in primary education has transformed instructional practices, yet the use of screen time in K-2 classrooms remains a debated issue. While prior research has examined the effects of screen time on children’s development and learning outcomes, little is known about how teachers themselves make decisions regarding its use in the classroom. This study explores how K-2 teachers in blended learning environments navigate the complexities of screen time. Despite debate among researchers, few policies exist to guide teachers in regulating the quality and duration of screen use, leaving teachers to make complex decisions independently. Grounded in …

Generative Ai Professional Development Program For Higher Education Instructors, Sheena Bahra

Dissertations

As technology progresses and brings enhanced forms of artificial intelligence (AI), such as generative AI (Gen AI), it continues to affect education by introducing opportunities and challenges in its application to higher education teaching. Advances in technology can make instructors reluctant to use applications, leading to missed learning and skill-development opportunities for higher-order thinking skills. This study investigates how AI professional development (PD) training can influence higher education instructors’ willingness to use Gen AI in the classroom. This study employed a qualitative instrumental case study design informed by an exploratory lens. The study investigated instructors’ use of Gen AI in …