Teacher Leadership In Social Studies: The Search For Meaning And Identity, Zachary F. Lawson

Dissertations

This qualitative research study brings together social studies education and teacher leadership. Social studies lacks study in the teacher leader literature. This study aimed to understand whether the disciplinary nature of social studies education influenced the enactment of teacher leadership. This study sought an answer to the central research question: What does it mean to be a social studies teacher leader? Using a hermeneutic phenomenology research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews across two groups of participants. Seven social studies teacher leaders made up one group, and five social studies teachers without leadership roles comprised the other. Findings indicated …

A Four-Year Mixed Methods Cohort Study Of Professional Learning Interventions In Teacher Education Colleges In Kenya, Tanzania, And Uganda, Nyagwegwe Wango, Nipael Mrutu, Jane Rarieya, Fortidas Bakuza

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

In teacher professional learning reforms, maintaining pedagogical transformation is still a major problem, especially in settings with limited resources and policy transitions. During the four years that the Foundation for Learning (F4L) initiative was implemented in teacher education institutions in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda (2022–2025), this study looks at longitudinal patterns of improvement. The study employs a retrospective mixed-methods approach to examine two structured cycles of cohort-level data, which include interview datasets, lesson plan documents, mentoring records, questionnaire summaries, and classroom observation reports. Cycle comparisons show enhanced consistency in structured practicum feedback systems over time, better alignment between lesson objectives …

From Classroom To Content Creator: Leadership Practices And Identities Of Female Science Teachers On Tiktok, Rachel M. Benzoni

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative multiple case study investigates how four secondary science teachers use TikTok to advocate for science education and how content creation shapes their professional identities as leaders. Using interviews and video content with a framework integrating constructivist leadership, Leader Identity Construction Theory (LICT), and the Social Change Model (SCM), findings show participants enacted leadership outside formal roles through distributed and relational practices leveraging social media's affordances. Five themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Reconceptualizing Teacher Leadership on Social Media, (2) Leadership Through Equity-Driven Practice, (3) Constructing and Leading in Online Professional Learning Communities, (4) Forming and Negotiating Identities in …

Toward More Challenge-Engaging Stem Students: A Narrative Inquiry Into Student Persistence In The Face Of Failure, Stephanie R. Fahey

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) postsecondary graduates greatly contribute to advances in technology and research, and STEM fields promise graduates careers with positive long-term outcomes. Many postsecondary students initially choose STEM majors; however, less than half of those students graduate with a STEM degree. High STEM attrition is a problem that continues to vex educators and researchers. One attributable factor to high STEM attrition is students adversely reacting to initial academic failure in challenging STEM educational contexts. However, there are a lack of studies that investigate the individual experiences of students who persist despite academic failure to better understand …

Improving Reading Proficiency Through A Structured Mtss Framework: Bridging The Gap Between Evidence And Practice, Meghan N. Greer

All Dissertations

This dissertation, Improving Reading Proficiency Through a Structured MTSS Framework: Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Practice, investigates the efficacy of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in enhancing reading proficiency among students. Despite extensive research supporting the effectiveness of targeted reading interventions, a gap remains between these findings and their practical implementation in diverse classroom settings. The Reading Wars—a longstanding debate between whole language, balanced literacy, and phonics-based instruction—have significantly influenced reading instruction in the United States. A growing body of research supports explicit, systematic phonics instruction as a critical component of early reading development (Foorman et al., 2016; …

Using Parent Empowerment Groups To Increase Academic Success In Kindergarten Multilingual Learners, Sarah C. Deloach

All Dissertations

This study examined how parent empowerment groups influence the academic success of kindergarten multilingual learners. With increasing immigration across the United States, schools need to work with families to ensure students develop the skills required for academic achievement at each level. The identified problem is that the current multilingual learner program at Boyd Matthews Elementary does not adequately meet parents’ needs in building a strong home-school connection, placing the full responsibility of learning on the school and leaving students without critical academic support at home. Parent empowerment groups were held with multilingual kindergarten parents to share practical strategies for supporting …

Studying The Impact Of Co-Teaching On Students With Disabilities Self-Efficacy In An Algebra 1 Course., Shannon E. Sharkey

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Students with disabilities (SWD) at Large High School in Rural School District have consistently underperformed in Algebra 1 as compared to their non-disabled peers and SWD across South Carolina. This performance gap contributes to the school’s designation as an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) site, putting it at risk for state intervention. This dissertation investigates whether implementing a co-teaching model in Algebra 1 can positively impact SWD students’ self-efficacy in mathematics, with a secondary focus on potential gains in academic performance in Algebra 1 on the state End of Course (EOC).

Grounded in improvement science methodology, the study …

Tiered Structured Intervention Program To Prevent Student Pushout In High School, Toshawnka T. Mahone

All Dissertations

High school dropouts remain a challenge in the United States Educational System, particularly among students impacted by chronic attendance issues, academic struggles and persistent behavioral issues. This Dissertation in Practice (DIP) examines the implementation of ELEVATE3, an intervention program designed to prevent student pushout by addressing distinct at-risk factors: attendance, behavior and academic retention. Framed by pushout theory and grounded in goal-setting and self-efficacy literature, this study investigates how targeted structured supports influence students' motivation, academic achievement, and self-regulation. This mixed-methods research used student academic records and staff interviews to determine the impact on a rural Title 1 high school. …

Improving Rural Students’ Career Readiness Through Implementation Of A Work-Based Learning Career Mentoring Program, Celeste D. Bearden

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This Improvement Science research study examined the implementation of a Work-Based Learning (WBL) Career Mentoring Program designed to improve career readiness and career decision self-efficacy among high school seniors in a rural South Carolina school. Rural students often face barriers such as limited exposure to career pathways and fewer employment and training opportunities (Klar & Huggins, 2020). These challenges can negatively impact students’ career decision self-efficacy and preparation for post-secondary life.

Guided by Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, this intervention used the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model to design and assess a program that included individual, small group, and whole group mentoring and …

Hiring Practices And Superintendent Turnover In Rural Idaho: Examining Factors That Influence Leadership Stability, Scott Frank

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive multi-case study examines superintendent turnover and hiring practices in rural Idaho school districts to identify factors influencing leadership stability. The study addresses the central research question: What factors influence the hiring process of district superintendents in high- and low-turnover school districts? Using semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and a comparative examination of two districts—one with high superintendent turnover and one with low turnover—this research explores the structural and governance factors shaping retention.

Findings indicate that low-turnover districts develop internal leadership pipelines, promote certified staff to administrative roles, and systematically engage community stakeholders in hiring decisions. These practices foster leadership …

Collaborative Action In Education: Empirical Explorations Of The Role Of Partnerships In College Readiness Programs, Jose A. Sanchez

Dissertations

Education gaps exist in the United States in large part because not everyone has equal access to the educational resources or role models that will prepare them to seek a college education. To help combat this phenomenon, Federal and State Governments have promoted college readiness programs via collaborative partnerships between school districts, on the one hand, and colleges and universities, on the other.

To better understand the role that partners can play in creating and sustaining college-readiness programs, this study focused on the history and current practices of collaborations involving oversight of college readiness programs in two school districts. Partnership …

Human Resource Management And Black Teachers’ Employee Experience In K-12 Urban Public Schools, Danielle Renee Cooper-Williams

Dissertations

National teacher data indicate that publicly funded schools in the United States struggle to retain Black teachers in high-need urban areas and in comparison to other groups (Carver-Thomas & Darling Hammond, 2017). This qualitative investigation employed case study methodology. The case study focused on one school within a charter management organization (CMO), exploring interactions among Black teachers and their supervising administrators at the site and management organization levels. The study was organized around concepts articulated at the nexus of teacher retention scholarship and human resource management theory, two bodies of literature yet to be substantially integrated to understand Black teachers’ …

Principal Self-Efficacy: A Qualitative Study, Vance E. Self

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored elementary principals’ perspectives on the importance of selfefficacy in relation to management responsibilities, instructional leadership, and moral leadership as they impact student achievement measured by the STAAR in a Central Texas school district. The research addressed the growing challenges principals face in high-accountability environments, focusing on how their beliefs in their leadership abilities affect school performance and student outcomes. The purpose was to examine principals’ views on selfefficacy across three domains and to consider implications for leadership preparation, district support, and policy. The study was grounded in a constructivist paradigm and employed a qualitative case study …

Origin Of Purpose, Career Satisfaction, And Life Satisfaction: A Quantitative Study On Early Career Professionals, Anne K. Hocking

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 2000s, research has increased on purpose and how it correlates with fulfillment outcomes in life and career satisfaction. This research has been valuable in professional and academic fields and helped develop leadership practices and interventions for organizations to increase satisfaction levels among employees and students. This study focused on the general problem that research dedicated to purpose has not adequately addressed whether origin of purpose affect its outcomes on fulfillment levels, particularly those of life and career satisfaction. To address this consideration, the researcher conducted a quantitative associative correlation to measure if and to what extent origin …

Overcoming Second-Order Barriers To Teachers’ Technology Integration: A Study Of Positive Impacts, Crystal Ann Hume

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored K–12 public school teachers’ self-efficacy, value, and pedagogical beliefs about technology. The teachers worked in a medium-sized, semi-affluent public school district in North Texas. The study investigated second-order barriers to technology integration and what might positively impact teachers’ self-efficacy, value, and pedagogical beliefs. This study used a qualitative descriptive methodology to collect qualitative data about their beliefs by interviewing and observing K–12 classroom teachers who had completed a bachelor’s degree through a traditional teacher education program. Teachers with alternative certifications or noncertified classroom instructors were omitted. Findings revealed that external factors, failure, mistakes, confidence, and professional development …

Power Of Us: Listening To Families, Tara J. Vassallo

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This article, originating from the ‘Power of Us!’ conference held in June 2025, reflects on the session titled ‘Listening to families’ which offered an experienced parent panel, providing a forum for discussion. The session had a particular focus on the experiences of families and their children with neurodivergent and other individual educational needs and the families’ pursuit of genuine co-production with their children’s school. The article offers an insight into the session, sharing reflections from the discussions, and calls for action aimed at creating a truly inclusive educational system.

Collaborating Through Place-Based Partnerships For Inclusion, Suanne Gibson

Plymouth Interdisciplinary Education Open Journal

This reflective paper presents thoughts and insights from an interactive session delivered by Professor Suanne Gibson at this year’s ‘The Power of Us’ Spaghetti Bridge with University of Plymouth conference, on May 1^st.

Suanne reflects on how her talk ‘Plymouth’s story: Place-based school improvement for inclusion 2021 onwards’ took shape, telling the tale of a city’s successful progression for inclusion via a series of cross city and cross sector partnerships and collaborations. Matters of educational leadership and effective management of inclusive ideals, innovative practices and policies for progress and evidenced impact across Plymouth are shared and critically considered. …

Professional Learning For Antiracist District Transformation: The Role Of Transformational Leadership And Double-Loop Learning, Patricia Marisol Virella, Chedia Ayari, Steve Tozer

Department of Educational Leadership Scholarship and Creative Works

Introduction: This study investigates how professional learning contributes to antiracist district transformation, focusing on the roles of transformational leadership and double-loop learning. Transformational leadership inspires followers to achieve exceptional goals, while double-loop learning involves questioning underlying assumptions and values to foster systemic change.

Methods: A longitudinal case study approach was employed to examine the experiences of seven district and school-level leaders in an urban-intensive school district. These leaders participated in a multi-year antiracist professional learning series designed to promote equity and systemic change.

Results: Preliminary findings indicate that the professional learning series facilitated a shift in participants’ racial schema and …

The Evolution Of Schooling: From Industrial Obedience To Techno-Autonomy, Seb Taylor, Ron Roberts Ii

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This paper examines the enduring architecture of the American education system as a mechanism designed for compliance, not creativity. Rooted in 19th-century industrial logic, the structure of schooling, its physical design, time constraints, and assessment methods, has remained largely static despite seismic cultural and technological shifts. Through historical analysis and contemporary critique, this work interrogates the persistence of standardized methods, institutional prestige, and top-down instruction as barriers to meaningful learning and value creation. Drawing from interdisciplinary research and live case studies, including Alpha School’s AI-powered, mastery-based model, the paper advances the concept of techno-education: a student-centered paradigm informed by feedback …

Fostering Meaningful Learning: Experiences Of Linguistically Diverse Trainers In Early Childhood Care And Education (Ecce) Professional Development, Anna Howell

Dissertations and Theses

Linguistically diverse trainers play a critical role in reshaping professional development (PD) within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), yet their contributions remain marginalized within English-dominant institutional structures. This qualitative study explored how these trainers define and deliver meaningful learning experiences despite systemic barriers, limited resources, and monolingual policies. Grounded in critical constructivism, the research centered the lived experiences and voices of linguistically diverse trainers across multiple contexts. Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared how they co-constructed relational, culturally grounded, and linguistically affirming PD environments rooted in community knowledge and emotional connection. Findings reveal that meaningful learning occurs when training reflects …