Amplifying Mother Leaders’ Voices: A Feminist Inquiry Into Gender Inequity In Higher Education Leadership,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Amplifying Mother Leaders’ Voices: A Feminist Inquiry Into Gender Inequity In Higher Education Leadership, Katherine Bard
Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–
Women now comprise more than half of mid- and upper-level administrators in higher education, yet they remain underrepresented in the most senior leadership roles. For mothers in leadership, this underrepresentation is compounded by gendered structures, expectations, and norms that shape their personal and professional lives in distinct ways. While scholarship has examined working motherhood broadly and gender inequity in higher education separately, little research has focused on how mother leaders experience and interpret gender inequity in higher education leadership. This study sought to address that gap by exploring the lived experiences of ten mother leaders working at research-intensive (R1) universities …
The Motivation And Influence Behind The Decisions Of High School Students To Participate In The National Ffa Organization,
2025
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
The Motivation And Influence Behind The Decisions Of High School Students To Participate In The National Ffa Organization, Taylor A. Nielsen
Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Today, high school students are increasingly engaged in extracurricular activities, navigating a diverse range of options for which clubs and organizations to join during their secondary education. This poses a challenge for students and for Career and Technical Student Organizations as they work to recruit talented students. High school students have several influences and pressures on their time, including peers, family, and teachers. These influences often recognize how organizations such as FFA can be pivotal in shaping students’ personal and professional development. We wanted to explore the motivations and influences guiding high school students’ decisions to join and actively participate …
A Phenomenological Study Into The Experiences Of Introverted Teachers,
2025
Northern Michigan University
A Phenomenological Study Into The Experiences Of Introverted Teachers, Bambi A. Hamel
All NMU Master's Theses
Behavior management has long been a challenge for teachers in general, but there has been a lack of research on behavior management through the lens of personality type, such as introversion. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the strengths and skills of introverted teachers to facilitate positive behaviors in their classrooms, as well as challenges they encountered. In a semi-structured interview, five teachers from a school district in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan were presented with a specific set of questions (See Appendix C) targeting their experiences in behavior management as introverted teachers. The results highlighted the teachers’ unique traits …
Exploring Factors That Contribute To The Success Of Latina Superintendents In South Texas,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Exploring Factors That Contribute To The Success Of Latina Superintendents In South Texas, Juanita D. Ybarra-Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
The COVID 19 pandemic brought forth many new challenges to the K-12 public schools. Superintendent turnover rates reached concerning levels in Texas and nationwide. This study explored the relationships between Latina superintendent’s success and the superintendents’ experiences with the school board, the community, their own health and safety and experiences related to maintaining superintendents’ role. Success is defined as a participant who acquired the superintendent role and maintained it for at least three years. Participants in this study were selected from Hispanic female superintendents within the Region One Education Service Center (ESC) in South Texas who had acquired and remained …
A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Distributed Leadership In Instructional Leadership Teams,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
A Qualitative Case Study: Exploring Distributed Leadership In Instructional Leadership Teams, Martha Reyna Perez
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation explored the role of distributed leadership within Instructional Leadership Teams (ILTs) at the elementary level, using Beckhard’s (1972) GRPI framework— Goals, Roles, Processes, and Interpersonal Relationships—as a lens. Conducted as a qualitative case study at Rio Vista Elementary in Lone Star Independent School District, the research examined how ILTs functioned in the context of post-pandemic education, focusing on collaboration between administrators and teacher leaders. Guided by Spillane’s (2006) distributed leadership theory, the study addressed three questions: the lived experiences of ILT members, shifts in teacher leadership and organizational conditions, and perceived impacts on student outcomes. Findings showed that …
Educators’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Services For Middle School Students In A South Texas District,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Educators’ Perceptions Of Mental Health Services For Middle School Students In A South Texas District, Norma Araceli Cabrera
Theses and Dissertations
The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study is to examine teachers' and administrators' perceptions of school-based mental health services in one school district in South Texas. Within-case sampling was utilized to select the participants. The study examines educators' perceptions of the availability and effectiveness of mental health services for middle school students. Middle school is a period of intense social development, during which students strive to navigate peer relationships. Middle school children, aged 12-14, also undergo emotional development as they manage intense emotions, develop self-awareness, and learn to cope with stressors related to school, friends, and self-identity. Studies found that …
The Perceived Effects Of Gaslighting In K-12 Public Schools: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis,
2025
Western Kentucky University
The Perceived Effects Of Gaslighting In K-12 Public Schools: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Landon Williams
Dissertations
The problems and mechanisms of gaslighting in the K–12 academic setting parallel those in other professional contexts. The gaslighting phenomenon threatens the optimal performance organizations, although little research exists within the context of K–12 public education that addresses perceptions of gaslighting. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate the perceptions of gaslighting among employees within a K–12 educational setting and to explore its potential impact. This study relied on data collected from interview participants (N=16) via Zoom and components of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to better understand the phenomenon of gaslighting in the context of K–12 education. …
Using Descriptive Phenomenology To Understand Women In Leadership Navigating Work-Life Integration Before And After The Coronavirus Pandemic,
2025
Western Kentucky University
Using Descriptive Phenomenology To Understand Women In Leadership Navigating Work-Life Integration Before And After The Coronavirus Pandemic, Tara Elaine Scroggins Glass
Dissertations
This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of women leaders as they integrated professional and personal roles before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although leadership during crisis has been widely studied, limited research has explored how women leaders across diverse sectors negotiated organizational change while sustaining worklife integration. Guided by the Haddon et al. (2009) model of work-life integration and informed by role conflict, conservation of resources, and intersectionality theories, this study sought to capture the essence of women leaders’ experiences navigating unprecedented disruption. Data were collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with twelve women leaders representing healthcare, education, corporate, …
Sustaining The Workforce: Using Improvement Science To Improve Teacher Self-Efficacy And Well-Being,
2025
Western Kentucky University
Sustaining The Workforce: Using Improvement Science To Improve Teacher Self-Efficacy And Well-Being, Stephanie A. Hagerty
Dissertations
Teacher stress remains one of the most pressing challenges facing the education profession, contributing to job dissatisfaction and teacher attrition. This dissertation examines the impact of an intervention designed to improve teacher self-efficacy and well-being. The Leadership Alphabet of Disposition Development Engagement and Reflection (LADDER) framework on teacher self-efficacy and well-being was implemented within a middle school setting. Improvement Science and Adaptive Leadership guided the case study. As defined by Hinnant-Crawford (2020), “Improvement Science is a methodic way of improving; it is distinct from evaluation or impact studies” (p. 23). The goal was to design, implement, and evaluate a strategy …
Using Improvement Science To Build Collective Teacher Efficacy Among Special Education And General Education Co-Teachers In A Title I Elementary School,
2025
Western Kentucky University
Using Improvement Science To Build Collective Teacher Efficacy Among Special Education And General Education Co-Teachers In A Title I Elementary School, Pauletha Monique Butts
Dissertations
In this improvement science dissertation, I examined how strengthening co-teaching approaches through targeted training on roles and responsibilities and scheduling time for collaboration builds collective teacher efficacy to improve student achievement for all learners. I conducted a root cause analysis using the Gately and Gately (2001) Co-teaching Rating Scales to better understand the barriers to effective co-teaching in a Title I elementary school in a midsize school district. I implemented two intervention cycles to support general and special education teachers in increasing collective teacher efficacy. The first intervention provided a one-day professional development seminar. The second intervention facilitated planning of …
Community College Student Parents And Their Experiences With Mindfulness Training,
2025
Old Dominion University
Community College Student Parents And Their Experiences With Mindfulness Training, Polly Nesselrodt
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
Community college students who are parents (student parents) are highly motivated to succeed but face many challenges, including finances, transportation, and childcare, which leads to high levels of stress and anxiety. Mindfulness practices of returning to the breath and staying present in the body have been shown to help people manage stress and anxiety and live with greater ease. Using the stress and coping theory of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of student parents who participated in mindfulness training. Participants attended mindfulness classes, facilitated by an instructor …
Un-Tempering The Tempered Radical: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Female Superintendents In Neoliberal Education Systems,
2025
Old Dominion University
Un-Tempering The Tempered Radical: A Phenomenological Study Of Black Female Superintendents In Neoliberal Education Systems, Melanie Fitzgerald Daniel
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
The persistent and severe underrepresentation of Black women in K-12 educational leadership (just 1.4% of superintendencies) is a critical manifestation of Epistemic Injustice (Fricker, 2007) and the Architecture of Hostility. Dominant managerial paradigms in education structurally suppress the voices and devalue the expertise of Black women, leading to both testimonial injustice (credibility deficits) and hermeneutical injustice (misinterpretation of experience). This context forces them to pursue advancement within systems fundamentally structured to exclude them. This phenomenological study utilizes a nested theoretical framework, comprising Neoliberalism (macro-context), Epistemic Injustice (meso-critique), and Tempered Radicalism (Meyerson & Scully, 1995; Ngunjiri, 2012) (micro-agency), to illuminate the …
The Paradox Of Discipline: Equity, Standardization, And Black Student Outcomes In Public Schools,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Paradox Of Discipline: Equity, Standardization, And Black Student Outcomes In Public Schools, Latricia T. Davenport
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
Despite efforts to address profound discipline disparities impacting Black students, the implementation of alternative disciplinary approaches like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and Restorative Justice (RJ) has failed to eliminate significant disproportionality in school discipline. This study investigates how teachers navigate the challenges of disciplining Black students within a paradoxical school environment that juxtaposes equitable, human-centered methods with a historically rooted managerial paradigm emphasizing uniformity and zero tolerance. Drawing upon systemic racism and the concept of 'apprenticeship of observation,' this study explores how teachers' implicit biases about Black students are formed by long-held institutional norms and personal experiences. It …
A Reformation Of The Status Quo: An Examination Of The Relationship Between Organizational Structure And Social Justice Reform In American Public Schools,
2025
Old Dominion University
A Reformation Of The Status Quo: An Examination Of The Relationship Between Organizational Structure And Social Justice Reform In American Public Schools, Jaielle Manning
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
This study explores the correlation between organizational structure and social justice reform in American public schools. The study specifically aims to answer the following research questions: What are the lived experiences of school leaders as they navigate and enact social justice reform? How do school leaders experience the ways organizational structures shape their opportunities and challenges in implementing social justice reform? How do school leaders experience and make sense of the influence of local, state, and national policy on their efforts toward social justice reform in American public schools? The literature review examined organizational structure through the lens of Ecological …
Proactive Onboarding Services Model As An Academic And Social Integration Strategy For First-Time In College Students At A Virginia Community College,
2025
Old Dominion University
Proactive Onboarding Services Model As An Academic And Social Integration Strategy For First-Time In College Students At A Virginia Community College, Jhansi V. Eturu
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
A recent survey by the Education Advisory Board (EAB) found that of the 1000 community college students surveyed, 56% nearly quit before classes started due to challenges during college onboarding. Similarly, admissions data from the Virginia Community Colleges System (VCCS) indicated that more than half of the students who apply do not enroll in classes, highlighting a need to closely examine the onboarding process and support services provided to understand what is effective and what is not. The purpose of this study is to understand the predictive utility of certain student onboarding services, such as an appointment with an admissions …
Who Gets To Lead? Policy, Systemic Barriers, And Leadership Norms In Education,
2025
Old Dominion University
Who Gets To Lead? Policy, Systemic Barriers, And Leadership Norms In Education, Kathryn A. Cirilli
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
This phenomenological qualitative study investigated the underrepresentation of women and racially marginalized individuals in the superintendent position, the highest leadership position within K-12 public education. The superintendent position has been overwhelmingly represented by males, even though women were the majority of the teaching workforce. Grounded by institutional theory and viewed through a phenomenological lens, I examined how organizational norms, hiring practices, and access to mentorship contributed to and upheld systemic barriers to the superintendent position. Through exploring the interpreted lived experiences of current female superintendents across public school districts that reflected the national patterns, this research addressed the disparities in …
Leading With All The Feels: Exploring The Perceptions Of Middle School Administrators' Implementation Of School-Wide Social-Emotional Learning Programming,
2025
Old Dominion University
Leading With All The Feels: Exploring The Perceptions Of Middle School Administrators' Implementation Of School-Wide Social-Emotional Learning Programming, Sabrina Smith Richardson
Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations
Middle school administrators have multiple responsibilities that range from ensuring the safety and security of staff and students to overseeing the curriculum and instructional foci of their buildings. At the same time, middle school students are experiencing the early stages of adolescence. Because it is a complex time for students to navigate, it creates anxiety, a decline in academic achievement and motivation, and peer and academic pressures (London, 2022; Schlund, 2021). Middle school students have social-emotional needs that are not typically met in secondary schools, which means programming is not typically a part of the instructional day. This study examined …
The Influence Of Individual And Collective Social Capital On Teachers’ Decisions To Move Districts,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Influence Of Individual And Collective Social Capital On Teachers’ Decisions To Move Districts, Melinda Dawn Hodgkiss
Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations
Understanding what contributes to teachers’ decisions to stay or leave in a school district is complex. There is a need to further investigate factors that influence teacher retention and attrition so that policy makers and school leaders can be informed about practices that may replenish and sustain the educator workforce. In an effort to understand the essence of the lived experience of teachers who previously made a decision to move districts, this study used phenomenological methods for the purpose of discovering the role that access to individual and collective social capital played in teachers’ decision making. Semi-structured interviews were conducted …
Predictive Factors Of Academic Success During Transition To Undergraduate Studies In Stem Programs In Kansas,
2025
Abilene Christian University
Predictive Factors Of Academic Success During Transition To Undergraduate Studies In Stem Programs In Kansas, Elizabeth L. Butler
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In tThis dissertation the researcher exploreds the correlations between high school GPA, ACT Math, ACT cComposite scores, and first -semester GPA for first-time freshmen at a mid-sized university in the Midwest. This quantitative correlational study uses multiple regression analysis to discover correlations that may exist between these interval variables. Data for this study was collected through a request to the study site’s oOffice of pPlanning and aAnalysiss at the university and was all archival data at a record level for the students. Data had been collected through the admissions process and was stored in Banner and SLATE, both data management …
Rethinking The Performance Evaluation,
2025
California State University - San Bernardino
Rethinking The Performance Evaluation, Jason C. Crowley
Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations
This paper delves into the complexities of performance evaluations within community college settings, aiming to inform a more effective approach specific to the unique characteristics of staff attracted to this work. Grounded in the understanding of validity in psychometric measurement and management theories, it seeks to identify evaluation criteria that prioritize enhancing the working environment which is known to impact overall organizational performance over traditional results-driven metrics to measure individual staff performance. Key theoretical underpinnings include discussions on validity, highlighting that measuring validity against the underlying goal of the performance evaluation (i.e., increased organizational performance) has been largely ignored in …
