Educational Leadership Commons^™

Additional Support Or Extravagant Cost? : Student-Athletes' Perceptions On Athletic Academic Centers., Matthew R. Huml, Meg G. Hancock, Matthew J. Bergman

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The purpose of this study was to investigate student-athlete perceptions of the academic resources and support staff within stand-alone athletic academic centers. An online survey was completed by 196 NCAA Division-I student-athletes at two private institutions in the Northeast and one public institution in the Midwest. Results showed both public and private institution student-athletes preferred receiving advising related to their academics from either an academic or faculty advisor instead of their athletic advisor. Additional results show senior student-athletes questioning the career planning resources available to them, private student-athletes perceiving a lack of resources, and public student-athletes perceiving greater hindrances by …

Instituting Large Scale Change At A Research Intensive University: A Case Study, Robert Drake, James Crawford, Chad Rohrbacher

Publications

This paper uses Bolman and Deal’s four analytic frames to examine the difficulty of instituting large-scale change at one research-intensive university. In this case, the partially successful attempt to implement a new curriculum for undergraduates at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is explored. The authors theorize that if an institution is to attempt a far-reaching, innovative transformation, it must have consistent leadership and the commitment of middle managers. Otherwise well-crafted plans are doomed to meet resistance.

Knowing The Indigenous Leadership Journey: Indigenous People Need The Academic System As Much As The Academic System Needs Native People, Dawn Elizabeth Hardison-Stevens

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation explores the research question, “How can we create the best learning environments for Indigenous students through good leadership at all levels?” A bridge between cultures provides learning opportunities toward academic success between Indigenous students, families, leaders, and communities. Through personal experience as a practitioner, professional, and education, my research examines and identifies results from personnel and students at five schools, tribal and public, their tribal communities, and two Indigenous people in high profile leadership positions indicating an educational philosophy recognizing Indigenous people need the academic system as much as the academic system needs Native people. Portraits and interviews …

Doorways And Walls: Peer Coaching As A Means To Change Instructional Practice, Chad Garber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Joyce and Showers (1980) described the impact that a peer coaching relationship can have on teachers as they work to transfer learning that occurs during professional learning opportunities to the classroom. Theory, demonstration, practice, and feedback are critical elements of professional development, yet, according to some research, only when the support of a peer coaching practice is provided, will significant numbers of teachers (as many as 90%) implement new strategies into the classroom. The purpose of this study was to determine if the presence of a peer coaching relationship impacts the instructional practice of high school English teachers. This qualitative …

Innovative Partnerships: Exploring School Librarianship Through A Global Lens, Melissa P. Johnston, Lucy Santos Green

Leadership, Technology & Human Development: Faculty Publications

Institutional ethnography uncovers how institutional factors shape practice in sometimes unrecognized ways. This IE study on Brazilian school librarianship, conducted in the summer of 2013 in Florianópolis, SC, Brazil, uncovers similar challenges experienced by school library professionals the world over, as well as unique approaches informed by Brazilian culture.

Faculty Motivation & Intent To Teach Online, Michael S. Casdorph

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The unified theory of user acceptance of technology, Motivation Orientation Scale – Faculty Version, and Individual Innovativeness Scale were used to predict faculty intent to teach online, to better understand what motivates faculty to teach online, and the relationship between faculty innovativeness and their intent to teach online. A sample of 348 self-selected full-time faculty at a large, public, comprehensive research university with integrated academic health center in the Southeast United States responded to an online survey. Results demonstrated that slightly more faculty than not reported a behavioral intent to teach online. Multiple regression analysis indicated that performance expectancy, effort …

Presidential Arcs: What Institutional Histories Can Tell Us About The Office, Jennifer A. Carlo

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This comparative case study defined and examined the presidential arc at three small, private colleges in the Northeast. The study of an institution's presidential arc is proposed as a more effective means of assessing the success or failure of higher education presidencies than examination of a single presidency in isolation. The presidential arc, a concept introduced in this study, is defined as a comprehensive and integrative examination of: each individual presidency, or, at institutions with a history of short-term presidents who left little impact on, groups of presidencies; the level of success of each presidency, as determined by a definition …

Leading Through Laughter: Humor And Perceived Effectiveness Of P-12 Principals, Laurie B. Mascolo

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The field of leadership has yielded boundless research studies across disciplines, with a plethora in the business and political realms. The medical field and other social science have also joined the ranks, with education now entering the landscape. Educational leadership is a burgeoning field of research, but very little has been studied regarding the impact of humor and educational leadership. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the humor style and the perceived effectiveness of school principals, the leadership style and the perceived effectiveness of school principal, as well as possible relationships between and …

A Study Of A Professional Development Initiative To Increase Cultural Competency, Jennifer C. Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

A STUDY OF A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE TO INCREASE

CULTURAL COMPETENCY

By Jennifer Crowe Coleman, Ph.D.

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014

Major Director: Charol Shakeshaft, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Educational Leadership

School of Education

While there are broad, societal forces that contribute to achievement gaps, the professional development of teachers is one way educational leaders have sought to improve schools, improve teacher performance, and increase teacher knowledge and skills. Given the achievement and cultural gaps that exist between teachers and …

Teachers’ Perception Of Characteristics Of Effective Female School Leaders Of Elementary Schools In Abu Dhabi Emirate, Zahra Saif Malek Alshehaimi

Theses

This study aimed at identifying the characteristics of effective female school leaders’ from teachers’ perspectives. The objectives of this study are three as follows: a) surveying the literature on the characteristics of effective school leaders, b) examining the reality of what extend the school leaders are effective, and c) finding other characteristics in which school leaders in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi schools can develop their effectiveness at schools. The research employed a quantitative analysis to answer the research questions. The results of this study indicated that teachers’ perception towards their principal is positive. Teachers in the Abu Dhabi and …

Collaborative School Culture In Al Ain Secondary Schools: A Qualitative Study Of One Female And One Male School., Rania Mohamad Alqarqaz

Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of collaborative school culture in two of Al Ain Cycle Three schools. The first school was a female school and the second one was a male school. These two schools are under the supervision of Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC) in United Arab Emirates. They were part of 11 secondary schools studied by Falouqa (2013). She studied the collaborative school culture in these 11 schools using a questionnaire for data collection. The questionnaire was used to measure the six components of collaborative school culture (CSC) as conceptualized by Gruenert (2005). …

Effective Methods Of Communication Between Principals And High Schools Teachers In Al-Ain City, Thuraya Yousuf Abdul Rahman

Theses

From the teacher perspective this research paper will introduce the best communication methods that are used by principals and teaching staff in the Al Ain Education Zone, and giving suggestions to improve the communication between the principals and teachers. To achieve the goals from this study, the researcher select 226 teachers both male and female from 1 0 high schools in Al Ain. The researcher conducted a survey to measure the methods which can ease the communication between principals and teachers.

The researcher used different techniques to determine the averages and standard deviation to analyses the answers of the survey. …

The Effectiveness Of Adec's Professional Development For Principals In Al Ain Government Schools, Uae, Wafaa Ai-Ghafri

Theses

This study investigated the extent to which professional development provided by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) helped principals in Al Ain government schools to lead the new five components of change in their schools. The study was guided by three research questions and used the mixed research method. Data were collected through a questionnaire, individual interviews, and focus group interviews. The questionnaire was divided into four sections. The first section included demographic information of participants. The second section included eleven statements addressing the school principals' perceptions towards professional development programs conducted by ADEC. The third section was comprised of …

Improving The Selection Of Public School Principals In Al-Ain Education Office, Hana Ali Alhelali

Theses

This study aimed to investigate the perceptions of principals, vice principals, and teachers on selection criteria and recruitment procedures for AI Ain public school principals. The study was guided by three research questions and used the quantitative research method. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire divided into three sections. The first section included demographic information of participants. The second part included 48 items about recruitment and selection, which measure agreement or disagreement of participants over the items in the five components. These components were application requirements, selection responsibility, selection methods, selection criteria, and recruiting procedures. The third …

The Attitudes Of The Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council (Adtc) Employees Towards The Professional Development Programs., Ahlam Alhashemi

Theses

This study aimed to explore the attitudes of the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council (ADTC) employees towards the professional development programs provided to them by ADTC. The study was guided by three research questions and used the quantitative method. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire. The questionnaire were divided into cover four topics which are: attitudes toward the importance of professional development, attitudes towards the planning of professional development, and attitudes toward the types and ways of professional development. In addition, there were two open ended questions. The one hundred and forty employees of ADTC was the population …

A Reflective Conversation: Community And Hei Perspectives On Community-Based Research., Niamh O'Reilly, Catherine Bates

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This paper is a reflective correspondence between a community partner and a community-based research coordinator in a higher education institute (HEI). We asked each other questions about our experience of collaborating on two community-based research (CBR) projects, in order to share our learning from our collaboration, and to relate this to the wider context in order to develop recommendations for others – community partners and HEI staff – who would like to initiate CBR projects in the future.

The Role Of The School Psychologist In K-12 Online And Blended Learning Environments, P. Dawn Tysinger, Jeffrey A. Tysinger, Terry D. Diamanduros

Leadership, Technology & Human Development: Faculty Publications

With the appropriate preparation and training, school psychologists are uniquely suited to provide support within the K-12 online learning environment for students, teachers, administrators, and families. The preparation and training needs at the level of graduate training and professional development are highlighted. Specific emphasis is placed on the adaptation of the school psychologist’s functions in the areas of consultation, intervention, assessment, and counseling. Additionally, the development of better credentialing models for interstate service delivery and the need for empirical research related to school safety are discussed.

Braceros, Mexicans, Americans, And Schools: (Re) Imagining Teaching And Learning In Mexican America, Francisco Guajardo, Stephanie Alvarez, Miguel Guajardo, Samuel García Jr., José Ángel Guajardo, Jocabed Márquez

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This article examines the stories of Braceros, Mexican contract workers who participated in an international labor agreement between the United States and México between 1942 and 1964. The stories Braceros tell challenge some conventional historiographical notions that they were powerless agents and victims of exploitative labor practices. The stories shed new light regarding the kinds of agency and power Braceros actually displayed in negotiating certain circumstances specific to their work.

Embracing A Diverse Curriculum In University Teacher Preparation Programs, Stascia R. Hardy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Student diversity in public schools has escalated dramatically, and it is a reality that must be accepted by university teacher preparation programs. Teacher candidates need to be taught the necessary skills to successfully teach diverse student populations. Children come from many different cultures and backgrounds and pre-service teachers must be equipped to effectively teach them all. Culturally relevant teacher preparation programs are crucial to preparing teachers to teach across diverse boundaries and have culturally responsive classrooms. Teacher education programs must recognize the necessity to provide learning experiences for pre-service teachers to receive different perspectives of diversity. Demographic differences between teachers …

An Examination Of The Correlation Between The Seven Critical Leadership Functions And Middle School African-American And Hispanic Student Achievement, Shannon A. Flounnory

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This quantitative study examined possible correlations between each of the seven critical leadership functions and achievement in the areas of mathematics for eighth grade African-American and Hispanic students. The 117 participants included school leaders and students from 12 of the 19 middle schools in a metropolitan school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Principals from the middle schools in the district distributed the Critical Leadership Functions Questionnaire to members of their leadership team (e.g., assistant principals, school counselors, department chairs, etc.). CRCT scores measured student achievement. The researcher conducted a correlation study, using Pearson’s multivariable correlation data …