Educational Leadership Commons^™

Mandatory Ethics And Jurisprudence Training: Does It Make A Difference In Disciplinary Actions Of Occupational Therapy Professionals?, Susan Spratling Mcdonald

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There have been few studies examining disciplinary actions by state boards of occupational therapy. Researchers have mainly studied mandatory continuing competence but not the influence of mandatory ethics and jurisprudence training. This study is based on disciplinary reports between January 2004 and December 2012 for Tennessee and Alabama State Boards of Occupational Therapy. The first of two research questions asked if there was a difference in the percentage of disciplinary reports for occupational therapy practitioners licensed in Tennessee who participated in mandatory ethics and jurisprudence training compared to the percentage of disciplinary reports for occupational therapy practitioners in Tennessee prior …

Job Embeddedness Theory: Can It Help Explain Employee Retention Among Extension Agents?, Jeffery A. Young, James Stone, Oscar Aliaga, Brad Shuck

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

The study reported here examined Job Embeddedness theory, as introduced by Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, Sablynski, and Erez (2001), which offers a method of discovering why people stay in an organization. Extension agents in two states (N=454) reported significantly different levels of job embeddedness during the study period. Regression analyses showed that job embeddedness was significantly correlated with and predicted unique variance in intent to stay.

A Phenomenological Investigation Into The Self-Efficacy Beliefs Of Teachers Who Have Persisted In The Teaching Profession, Shana Market Norton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of 12 secondary school teachers from public secondary schools in northern Georgia regarding their feelings about self-efficacy and why they have persisted in the teaching profession. The research questions centered around their perceptions on how self-efficacy influences the academic achievement of their students, on what personality characteristics they feel teachers add to their positive or negative self-esteem in teaching, and on what factors they identify as influencing their professional self-efficacy in teaching. Teacher self-efficacy, the belief in oneself to succeed at completing a task, is a key factor in retaining teachers. Four data …

Special Education Teacher Candidates And Mentors: Case Studies Of Collaboration In Pre-Service Field Experiences, Rebecca Lynn Schulte

Dissertations and Theses

Collaboration between general and special education teachers is essential for students with disabilities to have access to general education curriculum and instruction, and improved outcomes in school. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and No Child Left Behind Legislation, include mandates that increase demands for collaboration. However, many general and special education teachers report not feeling prepared to step outside traditional roles to collaborate to meet the needs of this population. Collaboration is also a strong element of teaching and special education standards for teacher preparation. Yet, research shows many teacher education programs lack coursework and field experiences that focus …

Riding The Wave: Open Access, Digital Publishing, And The Undergraduate Thesis, Char Miller

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

Char Miller, W. M. Keck Professor of Environmental Analysis at Pomona College, Claremont, CA., gave the Opening Keynote for the USETDA 2013 Conference, July 24-26, held on the Claremont McKenna College and Scripps College campuses.

In this keynote address, Dr. Miller discusses the importance of building the educational foundation to support students and then incorporate opportunities for undergraduates to share their research.

Dr. Miller draws from his experience collaborating with librarians to integrate information literacy into the curriculum and requiring that all senior theses in the program be posted on the Claremont Colleges' Open Access institutional repository, Scholarship@Claremont.

A Qualitative Examination Of Factors Influencing Assistant Principal Motivation To Pursue A Principalship In An Era Of Accountability, Brian B. Brotschul

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to examine assistant principals with five or more years of experience and investigate the factors that influence their decision to pursue a school principal position. The study examined Self-Determined Motivation Theory and identified components that influence assistant principal motivation. The study found that assistant principals have a high level of self-efficacy and believe in their ability to positively impact educational organizations. The study also found that accountability pressures of Achieve NJ and No Child Left Behind influence the perception of the school principal role and limit the attractiveness of the position among career assistant …

Scientifically Based Reading Research Strategies In The Preschool Classroom: An Investigation Into Quality Early Childhood Reading Practices And Literacy Acquisition In One Northern Michigan Early Reading First Program, Yvonne Donohoe Mccool

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

A growing body of research has emerged to support the concept of providing early childhood education as a quality investment for our children, unlocking early potential and creating lasting impacts related to school success and beyond. Several landmark studies indicated that a quality education targeted at our youngest learners has the ability to yield impressive returns academically, economically, and socially. Early childhood education is credited with reducing costs associated with educational remediation, retention, and special education services. More important, early childhood education is associated with the prevention of early learning difficulties and overall improved education outcomes.

On the foundation of …

Perceptions Of Elementary School Teachers, Counselors, And Principalsabout Bullying At Two School Sites In Utah And Mexico, Bernardo Villar

Theses and Dissertations

Bullying is a serious issue that exists not only in the United States but in other countries as well. There are significant, and often devastating, implications for both the bully and the victim. This research focused on the perspectives of teachers, principals, and counselors related to bullying in two elementary schools in Utah and Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions and archival records, this qualitative study explored different perspectives on bullying found in two schools exhibiting approximately the same student and teacher demographics. Interviews with teachers, counselors and principals allowed for comparison of differences and similarities between both locations. …

The Greenbook, Faculty Handbook, 2013-2014, Marshall University Academic Affairs

The Greenbook

This book has been published for the faculty of Marshall University for the specified period of time. This book was created by what is now known as Academic Affairs and is for the period of 2013-2014.

Examining Variability In Superintendent Community Involvement, Theodore J. Kowalski, Ila Phillip Young, George J. Petersen

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

This study examined the extent to which four independent variables (age, gender, education level, and district type) accounted for variability in superintendent community involvement. Two covariates associated with levels of community involvement (disposition toward community involvement and district enrollment) were infused to assess the impact of the independent variables. Analysis revealed that the model accounted for 8% of the variance as indicated both by R2 and by adjusted R2. Given the number of respondents (1,867), this is considered a medium effect having practical implications in the applied setting. Among the four independent variables, only a single main effect (district type) …

Policy 116.0 University Policies, Otterbein University

University Policies

University policy on standards of excellence

Operation Fast And [We're Serious], Daniel Miedema, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D.

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

The intention of this piece is to push thinking beyond NCLB and offer a fresh perspective on how the U.S. educational system might progress in the future. Consider this a call to action to inspire and promote real change in a profession that has been restrained by federal regulations, standardization, and modest funding.

The Effect Of Mentoring On Beginning Teacher Retention In Bossier Parish (Louisiana) School System, Frederick O. Ogunyemi

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined the effect of mentoring on beginning teacher retention in the Bossier Parish Schools, a northwest Louisiana parish school system. The sample consisted of complete responses from 161 participants out of a population of 499 Pre-K through 12th grade teachers who had participated in the Louisiana Teacher Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP) between August 1998 and May 2007. Participants completed a 28-item questionnaire that was posted on the internet via SurveyMonkey. The questionnaire was divided into three sections: (a) general information, (b) appraisal of mentoring and professional development activities, and (c) background information.

Statistical analyses were performed according …

Miguel A. Nevárez: A Life History Of Educational Leadership, Rolando Avila

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this qualitative study was to analyze Miguel A. Nevárez’s educational leadership style by focusing on his notable contributions to The University of Texas-Pan American. The researcher defined leadership style as actions by the leader. After examining Nevárez’s background to place his motivations and actions in proper context, this study analyzed what Nevárez did, how he perceived his actions, and how others perceived his actions. The life history written by the researcher was primarily based on data collected through 25 interviews; however, the researcher also utilized other available published and unpublished sources to supplement the interview data. The …

An Instrument Validation For A Three-Dimensional Worldview Survey Among Undergraduate Christian University Students Using Principal Components Analysis, Kathy Morales

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study examined the structure, validity, and reliability of the Three-Dimensional Worldview Survey-Form C (3DWS-Form C) for potential use in postsecondary Christian institutions. This instrument delineates from other worldview instruments in that it purports to measure three components of a person's worldview: propositions, behaviors, and heart-orientation. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to examine the underlying component structure and construct validity of the instrument. Cronbach's alpha and the Spearman-Brown prophecy formula were used to assess the internal consistency and reliability of the instrument. Participants were first-year university students attending a large Christian university in Virginia. Results of the study …

How Students Choose A College: Understanding The Role Of Internet Based Resources In The College Choice Process, Kimberli Burdett

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how current internet-based resources are affecting the college choice process. An explanatory mixed methods design was used, and the study involved collecting qualitative data after a quantitative phase to explain the quantitative data in greater depth. An additional study was completed two years later, which allowed for additional comparison between the two studies. Data were collected via surveys of students at the University of California, Irvine to identify the types of internet-based resources being used by students to investigate colleges and the impact of each on college choice. …

Understanding The Schooling And Literacy Beliefs, Behaviors, And Self-Efficacy Of Early Head Start Parents Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis: A Pilot Survey Study, Rebecca Short

Theses and Dissertations

Educators need to have a better understanding of the home environment of diverse families. The low-income African American population, which is about 70% of the Early Head Start and Head Start population in the state of Georgia, possess and perform nonmainstream beliefs and behaviors that researchers and educators are unaware of and do not value at school (Compton-Lilly, 2009). Therefore, the purpose of this research endeavor was to develop a valid and reliable survey that measures parental behaviors and beliefs in literacy, schooling, and self-efficacy among Early Head Start and Head Start families. Items on the survey were developed to …

Attending School Matters: Policies To Eliminate Chronic Absenteeism, Charles J. Russo, Carolyn Talbert-Johnson

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Chronic absenteeism is among the most pervasive challenges facing public education in the United States as 1 in 10 students misses a month or more of school annually. Further, approximately 7% of fourth and eighth graders miss at least a week of school per month, whereas an estimated 5.5% to 20% of students are absent every day in some urban schools where absentee rates reach as high as 30% (Balfanz and Byrnes 2012).

As education leaders and policy makers debate the merits of new intervention strategies under the No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to …

Student Retention In Bsn Programs, Katherine Pittman Hensley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This study examined, by use of a researcher-developed survey instrument, perceptions between three groups on reasons why students drop out of nursing programs. Also examined are recommendations from the three groups on how to try to avoid nursing student attrition. Specific groups surveyed included native BSN students, RNB students, and a mixed group of nursing faculty. Survey items were divided into two general groups: student-related issues, and institutional issues. Since RNB students (which include a larger number of non-traditional students) and BSN students (which include more of the native university population of traditional students) have many differences, the author attempted …

This Place: Conversations With The Provost About Leadership And Change, Edward S. Macias

Books and Monographs

Professor Heather Corcoran invited faculty members across Washington University to interview Provost Edward S. Macias about key issues in higher education, including diversity and interdisciplinary research, as he concluded 25 years of leadership to the university. This book, published in 2013, is an archive of the interviews.