Educational Leadership Commons^™

Graduate Student Retention: Examining Why Master’S Students Leave And What Motivates Their Return In A Large Public University System, Sonja Prophete

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate student persistence is a relatively unexplored area in the literature of higher education studies; specifically, at a multi-institutional scale at the master's level. This research study examines the factors which cause students to discontinue their master's degrees, and what conditions could possibly support them returning to their program at a large urban public university system. The current study was guided by Hoyt and Winn's (2004) distinction between non-returning students, and Bean & Metzner's (1985) theoretical model of student attrition. A sequential mixed-methods study was conducted to examine the institutional and environmental influences on students' decision-making processes.

The quantitative data …

January 2026 Bulldog Alumni & Friends News, Kari Jones, Garrett King

Bulldog Alumni & Friends News

• January 22 SWOSU Near You: Tulsa
• February 26 The Chairman’s Tower Shoot
• March 12 Bernhardt Reception
• April 17 North Family Lecture & Friends of Crowder Lake Supper
• April 27 Everett Dobson Bulldog Golf Classic
• May 8 SWOSU Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Dinner
• May 9 Spring Commencement

Finding Value In Professional Learning: Developing Teacher Learning That Is Internalized And Implemented In Practice, Stephanie Dossett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study was designed after the researcher engaged in multiple mandated professional learning experiences with faculty members who expressed dissatisfaction with their learning experiences, did not desire to engage in learning on the mandated topics, and wanted to engage in different types of learning opportunities. The problem was centered around dissatisfaction with professional learning among teachers and the lack of implementation of their professional learning in the classroom. The goal was to gather feedback that could help leaders design mandated learning for teachers that they would find satisfaction in and implement in their classroom. The study used semistructured qualitative …

Teacher Perceptions Of Administrative Support, Student Behavior, And Work Environment: Effects On Morale, Commitment, And Retention Of High School Teachers In A Mid-Sized School District In North Carolina, Joseph M. Serviss

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Teacher attrition remains an ongoing challenge in secondary education, often linked to declining motivation or commitment. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory study aimed to explore high school teachers’ perceptions of administrative support, student behavior, and work environment factors, and how these elements impact job satisfaction and retention. Quantitative data were collected through an internal Teacher Working Conditions Survey distributed to high school teachers within a single public school district. For qualitative insights, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 high school teachers, and inductive thematic analysis was used to interpret the survey findings. Quantitative results showed mostly positive views regarding administrative support, …

Implementing Stem In Elementary Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Practices, And Supports, Casey Wester

Doctor of Education Dissertations

STEM education is a critical component of maintaining global competitiveness, underscoring the need to begin it in early childhood. Integrating STEM education requires teachers to move beyond traditional teaching methods toward a transdisciplinary approach. Research has shown that there can be a variety of barriers to integrating STEM into the classroom. This explanatory mixed methods research study investigated elementary school educators' perspectives on implementing a STEM initiative, the fidelity of implementation post-initiative, and the current supports and additional support needed to sustain implementation. To carry out this investigation, a survey was deployed to elementary educators in three elementary schools, and …

Perceptions Of Intracurricular And Extracurricular Activities On Student Academics In An Eastern North Carolina High School: A Qualitative Study, Demarcus Jones

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This qualitative study explored educator perceptions of the impact of intracurricular and extracurricular activities on student academic achievement in a rural high school in Eastern North Carolina. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory and Maslow’s (1962) Hierarchy of Needs, the study examined how structured school-based programs influence student motivation, engagement, and academic performance. Data were collected through three rounds of semi-structured interviews with purposive groups of core teachers, elective teachers/sponsors, and school administrators, followed by a culminating focus group to confirm emerging themes. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that participation in structured programs positively influenced academic outcomes by promoting accountability, …

Overcoming The Literacy Gap In K-5 Students From A District Perspective: A Qualitative Study, Sarah G. Boles

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how district leaders respond to literacy gaps among kindergarten through fifth-grade students in a small, rural school district in Northwestern North Carolina. While previous research has focused specifically on classroom practices, less is known about the role of district leadership in shaping system-level approaches to literacy improvement. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, which included nine elementary lead classroom teachers and nine elementary school leaders (five principals, two assistant principals, and two instructional coaches). The culminating focus group included six teachers, three principals, …

Beyond The Paycheck: An Exploration Of The Role Of Management And Leadership Support In Employee Retention, Stacia Leach Lomax

Doctor of Education Dissertations

Employee retention remains a significant organizational challenge, particularly in the post-COVID-19 workplace where employees increasingly seek meaningful support, recognition, and workplace well-being in addition to compensation. Guided by Herzberg et al.’s (1959) Two-Factor Theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how employees perceive management support and how those perceptions influence decisions to remain with or resign from an organization. The study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive design involving 12 semi-structured interviews with individuals who had voluntarily resigned from organizations across multiple employment sectors. A follow-up focus group was conducted to confirm and validate emerging findings. Data …

Ucf Center For Community Schools Research Citations, Ucf Center For Community Schools

Community Schools Research

This scholarship examines community school implementation, partnerships, student and family outcomes, organizational conditions, and the broader systems that support community-centered approaches to education. By connecting research with practice, UCF CCS seeks to deepen the evidence base and advance knowledge that can inform educators, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders.

This collection provides an evolving resource for exploring the research behind community schools and the lessons emerging from their implementation across Florida and beyond.

Research Brief: Developing Confident Professionals: Exploring Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy After Attending Their First Professional Conference, David Wolff, Scott Klimek

OER Materials

This study focused on a convergent parallel mixed-methods study which explored how undergraduate preservice teachers perceived professional self-efficacy during their first conference, the Minnesota Rural Education Association’s (MREA) Greater Minnesota Education Summit. The Greater Minnesota Education Summit highlights successful programs and practices in rural education across Minnesota. The Future Educator Workshop (FEW) was a subcomponent during the summit which gave aspiring teachers opportunities to build resumes, practice interviewing, network with school leaders, and engage in conference sessions, helping them prepare for the teaching profession.

Pre- and post-conference surveys measured changes in self-efficacy. Autophotography paired with photo elicitation allowed participants to …

Challenging The Status Quo: An Autoethnographic Inquiry Into Critical Pedagogy And Social Justice, Andrea Williams

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This autoethnographic study explores the transformative journey of rethinking pedagogical practices through the lens of critical and spiritual pedagogy on behalf of a larger project for social justice. Drawing from Paulo Freire’s foundational work on critical pedagogy, alongside the insights of Zenju Manuel on decolonization and Yitzhak Bentov’s spiritual frameworks, this research examines how personal storytelling, and reflective practices can foster educational transformation. Embedded within traditional educational settings, I critically reflect on how empathy, both as a cognitive and affective process, catalyzed change in my pedagogical approach and challenged colonial legacies within the classroom. The study situates itself within the …

Navigating Financial Futures: A Case Study Of A Targeted Financial Literacy Program For African American College Students, Michael L. James

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation presents a qualitative analysis of a targeted financial literacy program designed for African American college students. The dissertation examined how African American college students describe and make meaning of their participation in a targeted financial literacy program, particularly in relation to the program’s structure, content, and delivery. Despite growing interest in financial literacy education, interventions that acknowledge the persistent wealth gap and systemic financial inequities faced by African Americans remain underexplored. Employing a case study research method within a program understanding framework, this study investigated a program at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Findings reveal that the …

Interpersonal Reckoning: The Liminal Space Between Rupture And Repair In Counselor Education, Phoenix E. Rosewood

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand and explore the phenomenon of the rupture, reckoning, and when possible, the repair process with racial, ethnic, and cultural (REC) microaggressions in counselor education. Participants (n = 14) included counselor educators who had either enacted a REC microaggression and attempted repair, or had been the recipient of an REC rupture and a meaningful attempt at repair. This study utilized a thematic analysis as a methodological framework in interpreting the data with the perspective of borderlands theory, critical embodied phenomenology, relational cultural theory and relational neuroscience analytical frameworks to account for and explain …

Bipoc Faculty Thriving In The Community College System: Collective Healing, Joy And Liberation, Carolina Forero-Moreno

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This professional innovation dissertation addresses the need for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) faculty in Washington State community and technical colleges to have safe, sacred spaces to engage in anti-racist, anti-colonial, and healing practices. The proposed space is a year-long institute with bimonthly gatherings focused on decolonization work, liberatory practices, and collective healing. Gloria Anzaldúa’s Path of Conocimiento (2002) will be used to develop participants’ critical consciousness as racialized people. Emergent Strategy (brown, 2017) and the Constellations Framework (Constellations Framework, 2022) are used to learn and embody liberatory practices, all the while the Seven Circles of Wellness …

Leading With Heart: The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence On School Principal Performance, Gregory Lucas

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The role of school principals has evolved significantly in recent years, particularly in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Declining student mental health, chronic absenteeism, and heightened levels of anxiety and depression among teachers have underscored the need for school leaders to adopt a more holistic approach to leadership. Principals are now expected to address not only academic and administrative responsibilities but also the social and emotional well-being of their school communities. Emotional intelligence (EQ) has emerged as a critical competency for effective leadership, enabling principals to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics, foster positive school climates, and support …

Equity Is Rural, Too: Critical Exploration Of Educational Equity In Predominantly White Communities, Lydia Cochrane

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Education reform has fallen short of providing a truly equitable education for all students. Schools will continue to fail their students with marginalized identities if they do not interrogate existing power dynamics.  This study examines how educators in predominantly White rural communities define and recognize educational equity, focusing on understanding the unique factors of rural life that shape these perceptions. Despite a history of low achievement and systemic inequities in both urban and rural school systems, rural communities, often overlooked in educational research, remain underexplored in discussions about equity. Existing literature frames inequities primarily through an urban lens, reinforcing misconceptions …

Storytelling And Equity: A Program Evaluation That Promotes And Supports Narrative-Based Learning And Open Dialogue Practices At Higher Ed Institutions, Regis A. Peeples

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On college campuses worldwide, storytelling functions as a primary method for transmitting and affirming knowledge. It serves to validate lived experiences, acts as a relational teaching tool, and supports theoretical inquiry. Given that teaching is inherently political, storytelling can also perpetuate hate, oppression, and other social harms within academic environments. Even when educators use storytelling constructively, limited training exists on the full range of its impacts on students, particularly in terms of what may be described as “dangerous” storytelling. Dangerous storytelling refers to narratives, intentional or authentic, that reinforce or cultivate phobias about physical appearance (e.g., race, culture, nationality), propagate …

When A Black Man Is In The Principal’S Office: Black Male Leaders Navigating Racialized Spaces, Phillip Smith

GSE Faculty Publications

This study describes the experiences of fourteen Black male principals or heads of school navigating racialized spaces, including the politics of race, and experienced racism in educational settings as well as in school leadership. Data analysis utilized a critical race theory (CRT) and culturally sensitive methodological and interpretive framework. The data analysis revealed themes associated with identity scrutiny, right to lead, meritocracy and color evasiveness, all falling within the white gaze paradigm. However, the results also suggest a demonstrable pathway for Black leaders to successfully navigate the pitfalls of the white gaze and experienced negative professional and personal reactions to …

Navigating Hunger And Academic Success: College Students’ Experiences With Food Insecurity And Campus Food Pantries, Casey J. Weaver, Carl H. Sorgen, Cordelia D. Zinskie

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Food insecurity is a growing issue faced by many college students, and there is an increasing call for more qualitative research examining food insecurity on college campuses. It may be posited that students who experience food insecurity but have access to resources are more likely to succeed academically than those without access to such resources. This research examined how the resources provided to college students experiencing food insecurity influenced their academic success at a university in the United States. This study explored the experience of four students who identified as food insecure and utilized campus resources to address this issue. …

Emotional Labor, Well-Being, And Community Care In Student Conduct Administration, Tiffany Shierling, Kelly Burlison

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined emotional labor, stress, and coping among student conduct administrators (SCAs). SCAs work in emotionally intensive, high-stakes environments that require balancing student development, institutional risk management, and legal compliance. Despite clear parallels to other helping professions, the emotional toll of student conduct work remains underexamined. Grounded in self-compassion theory and resilience theory, this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined the emotional labor demands, stressors, and coping strategies experienced by SCAs in higher education. Quantitative (n = 101) findings revealed strong relationships among stress, burnout, and anxiety, while individual self-care practices offered limited protection without institutional support. …