Educational Leadership Commons^™

Professional Conversations Within Self-Contained Classrooms: The Shared Perspectives Of Teachers, Paraprofessionals, And Administrators, Travis Brett Henderson

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Paraprofessionals in self-contained settings are often involved in helping students to learn the skills to manage their behaviors. A need has been identified for paraprofessionals to join teachers in professional development opportunities in order to better meet the needs of the students who receive their services (Konza & Fried, 2012). By recognizing paraprofessionals as vital members of a student’s educational team (Boudreau & Twigg, 2011), informal professional development opportunities throughout the school day, such as professional conversations, may provide paraprofessionals with opportunities to share their experiences with each other and with their teachers, as well as to make collaborative decisions …

Examining Leadership Approaches Of Community College Administrators: Understanding Leadership And Change Processes, Jametoria Lynette Houston Burton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of the study was to explore the personal perspectives of three select state college administrators regarding their purpose, values, and beliefs they inherently espouse about leadership, developmental education and academic success. The researcher examined the ways in which community college administrators used communication strategies to lead change processes within their organizations. The researcher identified the administrators’ leadership approaches in leading a major redesign of a developmental education program at a large community college in Florida. The following primary research question was explored: What are the strategies adopted by the select state college administrators leading a major developmental education …

The Perceived Roles Of Student Affairs Administrators In Public Higher Education, Luisa C. Martinez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The field of student affairs administration could benefit from research on how student affairs administrators perceive their duties, responsibilities, and obligations, as well as how such an understanding could contribute to organizational theory, practice, and policy. The purpose of this study was to examine how administrators in student affairs perceive their role in public higher education institutions in the United States. This study examined SAAs’ duties, obligations, and responsibilities (role) using Q methodology. Although there are perception studies using Q methodology in higher education, there are fewer empirical studies on how SAAs’ perceive their roles. Consequently, this study recruited forty …

The Development And Validation Of The Secondary Trauma In Resident Assistants Scale, R. Jason Lynch

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

SECONDARY TRAUMATIC STRESS has been described as "the stress resulting from helping or wanting to help a traumatized or suffering person" (Figley, 1999, p. 10). College resident assistants often serve as first-responders to students who have experienced traumatic life events such as severe mental illness, substance abuse, sexual violence, and hate crimes. To date, the literature has not thoroughly addressed the impact of providing this level of support on collegiate resident assistants. This study aimed to explore one possible outcome identified in individuals in other helping professions: secondary traumatic stress. The researcher set out to develop and validate an instrument …

Teachers Report Card: Teachers' Perceptions Of Education And Their Profession, Australian College Of Educators

Australian College of Educators - National

The inaugural ASG-ACE Teachers Report Card, a joint initiative between ASG and the Australian College of Educators (ACE) surveyed teachers on a range of issues including testing, curriculum, stress, wellbeing, support, engagement, satisfaction, technology and opportunity at schools. The report confirmed teachers are passionate about their job, with 96 per cent of respondents saying they find teaching rewarding, and 91 per cent of teachers either 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with their profession. Nine out of 10 teachers reported a sense of pride about their profession and speak positively about their jobs to their friends and family. This is not surprising …

Transformative Power Of Theatre In Education And Learning The 21st Century, Nikki Min Yeong Abramson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education is the key to success in life. To have that success, 21st century skills are needed to be successful in most careers. Some of these skills consist of: team work, collaboration, communication, creativity, problem solving skills, and improvisation. How does a student learn these skills needed for life? Theatre arts. How does theatre arts impact student learning in the 21st century? This thesis bridges the understanding of how theatre arts plays a role into both how students learn academic core subject areas such as literacy and reading and how theatre arts helps students learn 21st century skills needed for …

The Public Fallout Of The Humanities Crisis: Critiquing The Public Turn In Rhetoric And Composition Studies, Mary Beth Pennington, Tonya Ritola, Belinda Walzer

English Faculty Publications

[First paragraph]

RECENTLY, KENTUCKY GOVERNOR Matt Bevin stated unequivocally that college students majoring in electrical engineering were more deserving of state funding than those majoring in French literature (Cohen). In a primary debate for the election of 2016, Republican presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio cautioned philosophy majors that they would be better off learning how to weld (Rappeport), and within the last two years, the Obama administration proposed that we begin ranking US colleges and universities on earnings after graduation—a proposal that rankled colleges and universities and sent humanities scholars into an even deeper tailspin (Shear).

Learning Transfer: The Missing Link To Learning Among School Leaders In Burkina Faso And Ghana, Corinne Brion, Paula A. Cordeiro

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Every year, billions of dollars are spent on development aid and training around the world. However, only 10% of this training results in the transfer of knowledge, skills, or behaviors learned in the training to the work place. Ideally, learning transfer produces effective and continued application by learners of the knowledge and skills they gained through their learning activities. Currently, there is a limited body of research examining the factors that hinder and promote learning transfer in professional development, particularly the professional development of school leaders in developing countries. This qualitative exploratory study sought to address the gap in the …

Dance Students At A Two Year College: Making Sense Of Their Academic, Cultural, And Social World, Benjamin Lopez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the lived experiences of community college dance students. Previous research was examined to provide a more holistic picture of dancers during their college years and while in the workforce. The literature reviewed indicated that the emergence of dance as a field of study was controversial. Its beginnings were marked by debates concerning (a) the very definition of dance as a body of motion and a body of knowledge that includes a history and a philosophy as asserted by Dimondstein (1985), (b) its legitimate place within the academy (the perception that university dance …

Balancing Multiple Roles: A Re-Examination Of How Work Impacts Academic Performance For Community College Students, Celena Ziems

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated how work impacts academic performance for community college students, from a multiple role balance perspective. Perna (2010) called for a re-examination of the role of work in college students' lives, especially regarding the exploration of benefits, rather than just the detriments of working while studying. According to Karp and Bork (2014), more research was also needed on community college students and how they balance multiple roles. Exploring the relationship between balancing multiple roles and academic performance may provide new insight into how community college students contend with demanding roles, while striving to achieve academic success. This study …

The Influences Of Roles And Support Systems On The Baccalaureate Degree Attainment Of Nontraditional Learners, Shirdricka Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research study was to examine the influences of roles and support systems on the baccalaureate attainment of nontraditional learners. A qualitative bounded case study was conducted that include ten face-to-face interviews with nontraditional learners attending the same University during the same time period. The study provided a brief overview on the challenges, support systems, and motivations of these nontraditional learners. Theories used to frame the study's conceptual framework and address its research questions included Biddle's (1979) Role Theory, McClusky's Theory of Margin, Load and Power (1971) and Tinto's (1975, 1993, 2012) and Bean and Metzner's (1985) …

A Comparison Of Sixth-, Seventh-, And Eighth-Grade Student Outcomes In Schools Configured K-8 Elementary Versus 6-8 Middle Schools As Measured By State Standardized Tests, Student Discipline Referrals, And Student Attendance, Jessica Kelce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students' outcomes in relation to school configuration, specifically K-8 elementary schools as compared to 6-8 middle schools. Student outcomes focused on in this study were standardized test scores, number of out-of-school suspensions, and number of days absent. Race and gender served as moderator variables for all research questions. Quantitative data were obtained from a large central Florida school district and included 2016 Florida Standards Assessment scale scores in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Algebra 1 End-of-Course Examinations, 2015 Florida Standards Assessment scale scores in English …

University Students' Citizenship Shaped By Service-Learning, Community Service, And Peer-To-Peer Civic Discussions, Haley Winston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Citizenship is often referred to as the forgotten outcome of colleges and universities. The present study examined the relationship between undergraduate students' perceived citizenship level and different types of civic experiences (service-learning, community service, and peer-to-peer civic discussions) and also different demographic factors (gender, race/ethnicity, and parental level of education) at a public institution using the Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory. This study used structural equation modeling and multiple regression analysis. This marks the first time these variables have been researched together. This study found a significant correlation between both community service and peer-to-peer civic discussions in relation to citizenship …

An Exploratory Study Of Usa Candidates' And Recent Graduates' Perceptions Of Professional Doctorate Supervision, Kari Whaley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on exploring professional doctorate candidates' and recent graduates' perceptions of their doctoral supervision experience. Candidates from across the United States, in various academic disciplines, were surveyed and 255 total responses were gathered. The literature search focused on doctorate supervisory practices, doctoral supervisors' characteristics, and unique differences of academic disciplines. This was a mixed-methods study. The data were analyzed by quantitative and qualitative analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (chi square test and Kruskal-Wallis test). Qualitative responses were analyzed using Grounded Theory. Respondents identified the most important competencies of a …

Understanding How Principals Shape Collaborative School Culture, Kerri-Lyn Sankey

Educational Studies Dissertations

The issue of school improvement is complex, and although reform initiatives have emanated from positive intentions for schools, many have been detrimental to school culture. Collaborative school culture has been cited as an essential element of school improvement; thus, a need exists to better understand how principals perceive and shape collaborative school cultures. This study examined leadership approaches and workplace conditions critical to the development of collaborative school cultures. The importance of the principal’s role in shaping collaborative culture is often noted in the literature. Using a sequential mixed methods explanatory research approach, the study consisted of two phases that …

America’S Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, And The Bridge To A New America, Emily L. Callon

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of A Standards-Based Approach On Student Motivation, Aimee Frechette

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this individual case study was to investigate students’ perspectives on levels of motivation to reach mastery on identified standards when provided a standards-based approach to instruction, assessment, and reporting as compared to a traditional approach that utilized number and letter grades. The site studied is a rural elementary school located within a district that is beginning initiation of a standards-based approach. Resting on the foundation of motivational theory, this study sought to answer the question, how does the implementation of a standards-based approach to instruction and assessment impact the students’ perception of their level of motivation to …

A Study Of The Factors Involved And The Strategies Employed By Michigan School Districts In Developing Deficit Elimination Plans, Sue C. Carnell

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to study the factors that contribute to financial deficits, examine the strategies used to reduce deficits, and explore the barriers that may prohibit the reduction of financial deficits. As part of legislative mandates, school superintendents are faced with creating a deficit elimination plan to reduce the financial deficits facing their districts. In 2013, the State of Michigan began to shut down financially challenged districts for the first time. School districts labeled as “deficit districts” struggled to remove the designation assigned to them. Fifty-eight traditional Michigan public school districts with financial deficits between school years …

Contradictions And Control: Michigan Elementary Teachers' Lived Experiences Of Legislated Teacher Evaluation, Kathryn N. Coffey

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Michigan Teacher Quality and Tenure Reform bill was signed into law in July 2011. The law mandated specific requirements for annual performance evaluation of all teachers and prohibited teacher evaluation as a subject of collective bargaining. The purpose of this phenomenological, collective case study was to describe the lived experiences of Michigan elementary teachers in traditional public schools as they experienced the phenomenon of having their performance evaluated under this state-legislated teacher evaluation policy, to understand the meanings they ascribed to the phenomenon, and to synthesize those meanings to describe the essences of that experience.

Using semi-structured in-depth phenomenological …

Integrating Technology To Engage Students With Ebd: A Case Study Of School Leader Support, Sara C. Heintzelman

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of leadership and school culture on the integration of technology to support instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A multiple embedded case study design was used to describe how a school leadership team supports a school culture for technology integration within classrooms where special education teachers integrate technology to engage students with EBD. The primary case of school culture includes a comprehensive description of how the school leadership team supports a culture for technology integration within classrooms. Embedded cases within the primary case describe how special education …