Educational Leadership Commons^™

Deconstructing Differences In Effectiveness Of Reading Teachers Of Ninth Grade Non-Proficient Readers In One Florida School District, Jason Wysong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to identify specific instructional and professional differences between the most effective and least effective teachers of ninth grade students enrolled in intensive reading courses in one Florida school district. Teachers from eleven schools were invited to complete a survey that included categorical, Likert, and openended response items. Principals and assistant principals at these schools were also invited to complete a similar survey. Teacher respondents were then divided into three effectiveness groups based on the percentage of their students who met 2011-2012 FCAT performance targets established by Florida’s value-added learning growth model. Inferential statistics were used to …

Building Self-Directed Teachers: A Case Study Of Teachers' Perspectives Of The Effects Of Cognitive Coaching On Professional Practices, Kevin S. Bjerken

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This case study of a single school district aims to identify teachers' perceptions of how their professional practices have been affected after four years of receiving Cognitive Coaching. Cognitive Coaching was used in participants' professional development as a part of an Alternative Teacher Professional Pay System and included three observational cycles per year for four consecutive years with a certified Cognitive Coach. Through focus group interviews and surveys, Cognitive Coaching was found to have multiple positive effects on professional development, according to the perspectives of the sample group. Themes of an increase in reflective practice, increased awareness level, and greater …

The Good Teacher: A Qualitative Analysis Of Perceptions Of Asian American Parents, Mariam Zia Qureshi

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This research study examined the general question "What do Asian American parents believe to be important characteristics of an effective elementary teacher?" In order to investigate this question, the researcher used a qualitative research design employing a semi-structured interview which probed into the personal perceptions voiced by a sample of twelve Asian American parents on the characteristics of good teachers. The twelve Asian American parents who participated in this study were from nine different Asian countries covering the three main regions defined as Asian according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Far East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian sub-continent. Also, …

Undergraduate Sport Management Students' Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors Through Service Learning: A Quantitative, Quasi-Experimental Study, Bryan Romsa

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative, quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of a service learning activity on the perceived leadership behaviors of sport management undergraduate students at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university. The participants in the study were 74 undergraduate students who were enrolled in four undergraduate sport management courses. The first research question analyzed how a service learning experience affects the self-reported perceptions of leadership behavior in sport management undergraduate students. The findings indicated that the students who participated in a service learning activity (experiential group) self-reported a decrease in all five leadership practices. The second research question asked how not having a …

Using A Cohort Approach To Convert Edd Students Into Critical Friends, Edmund T. Hamann, Susan Wunder

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Exploring the role of critical collegiality and a cohort approach to doctoral education, this chapter considers the higher education design issues that have supported education doctorate candidates' pursuit of learning and degrees buoyed by the support—emotional, logistic, and content-based—of their graduate student colleagues.

A steadfast but not previously examined feature of our department’s six-year (and counting) experience with a Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED)-influenced Doctor of Education (EdD) program is the successful implementation of a cohort model and, in turn, the utilization of practitioners’ sense of belonging and familiarity to become each other’s Critical Friends. Looking across the …

Teacher Participation In School Decision-Making And Job Satisfaction As Correlates Of Organizational Commitment In Senior Schools In Botswana, Paul Alan Mosheti

Dissertations

The Problem. Two major national educational challenges in Botswana are to retain teachers and recruit more. Both retention and recruitment efforts often involve issues of teacher decision-making, teacher job satisfaction, and how these correlate with commitment to the school organization. Little was known about Botswana teachers’ views on these issues. This exploratory study investigated the relationship of teacher participation in decision-making and job satisfaction to organizational commitment among senior secondary school teachers in Botswana.

Methodology. A quantitative research design was used for the study. Two hundred twenty-one completed the questionnaire. Teachers were asked to indicate level of agreement on participation …

How Do Professional Learning Communities Foster Strong Career And Technical Education Programs Of Study In Illinois Public High Schools?, Wendy Custable

Dissertations

This research study examines how Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education educational leaders employ best practices in providing all students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences within a professional learning community structure.

This study utilized a mixed method two-tier case study methodology. Tier one consisted of a survey administered to 605 Illinois public high school Career and Technical Education leaders, outside of the Chicago Public School system, with 72 leaders who responded. This survey asked the leaders questions about what CTE programs their schools offered students and how they provided these students rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning experiences …

A Historical Analysis Of South Holland School District 151 Desegregation Order: An Examination Of Superintendent Decisions Based On Board Actions Grounded In The Context Of Prevailing Social, Political, Legal And Educational Conditions For The Period 1967-2010, Cecilia Villanueva Heiberger

Dissertations

This study provided a historical analysis of the 1968 court ordered desegregation of South Holland School District 151. The purpose of this case study was to examine, according to primary source evidence, how the superintendents grounded their decisions within the prevailing social, political, legal and educational conditions of the time. The researcher applied the leadership framework of Sergiovanni's Five Sources of Authority by identifying words and actions of superintendents that support a source of authority. This case study sought to identify how the decisions made, actions taken, and resulting changes created a new context for each succeeding superintendent to operate …

Looked After Or Left Behind: The Effectiveness Of Principal Preparation Programs As Perceived By Generation Y Principals, Chandra D. Sledge

Dissertations

Chandra D. Sledge

Loyola University Chicago

LOOKED AFTER OR LEFT BEHIND: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRINCIPAL PREPARATION PROGRAMS AS PERCEIVED BY GENERATION Y PRINCIPALS

This research study intended to discover the perceptions of 10 Illinois Generation Y novice high school principals pertaining to the effectiveness of their principal preparation programs in terms of how well it prepared them to lead in the first three years of their principalship, and what subsequent professional development they deemed necessary for success in the first three years of their principalship.

Through a qualitative multi-case study, in which the researcher conducted open-ended interviews, which were triangulated …

An Analysis Of The Effect Of A 21st-Century-Designed Middle School On Student Achievement, Gary David Schwartz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Considering the billions of dollars invested in school buildings and the accountability for improving student achievement, there has been the lingering question about how the physical learning environment impacts student achievement. This study explored the impact of a new 21st-century-designed middle school facility on student academic achievement in mathematics and science. This case study used a mixed methods approach to examine the student achievement of 158 middle school students and the perceptions from 13 teachers and two administrators about the impact of the new facility on teaching and student learning. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect …

Student Perceptions Of Digital Storytelling As A Learning-Tool For Educational Leaders, Jason Lafrance, Jason Blizzard

Leadership, Technology & Human Development: Faculty Publications

: A study regarding students’ perceptions of digital storytelling as a learning tool was conducted in the fall of 2012. The population consisted of 12 students participating in an Administrative Theory course as part of their doctoral program in K-12 or higher education administration at a Carnegie Doctoral Research University in Georgia. During the eight-week course, students created digital stories that synthesized an autoethnography with leadership theory using Bolman and Deal’s (2011) four-framework approach to leadership. This allowed students to demonstrate the practice of continual reflection and assessment, a commitment to technology, diversity, and in-depth understanding of the knowledge and …

Graduate Program Redesign To Prepare 21st Century Educational Leaders, Michelle H. Abrego, Jesus Abrego, Timothy W. Gilson, Nicholas J. Pace, Mary J. Goggins Selke

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

The content of this article is focused on the theme of curriculum renewal and redesign in three university-based principal preparation programs from diverse sections of the country: Campbell University in North Carolina, the University of Northern Iowa, and the University of Texas at Brownsville.Questions originally posed to representatives of the three principal preparation programs were as follows:

• To what state or national standards are the programs aligned?

• How did program faculty engage in curriculum redesign and ongoing renewal? • What delivery systems are offered: cohort, online, hybrid, etc.?

• How are field experiences and internships conducted?

• How …

Bullying, The Law, And Safe Schools, Charles J. Russo

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Few issues have generated more interest from educators in the last decade than bullying. And with good cause: various sources report that approximately 160,000 students avoid school every day for fear of being physically or emotionally abused by their peers.

Prevention strategies are difficult to develop without first understanding why bullies act as they do. Research suggests that bullies may be influenced by such factors as the personal characteristics and physical appearances of their victims, including their race, clothing, size, gender, sexual orientations (actual or perceived), general “look,” and family socioeconomic status. Some bullies, who typically lack social skills and …

The Degree To Which School’S Principal Practices Behaviors That Build Or Destroy Teachers’ Trust In Her In Cycle One Abu-Dhabi City Schools: Teachers’ Perspective., Fatema Saeed Ali Hassan Al-Menhali

Theses

This study aimed to investigate the degree of which cycle-one school principals practice behaviors that build or destroy teachers trust in them from teachers’ perspective in light of some demographic variables in public schools in Abu Dhabi City through answering the following research questions:

1. To what degree cycle one school principals in Abu Dhabi city practice behaviors that build or destroy teachers’ trust in them from the teachers’ perspectives?

2. Are there significant mean differences in teachers perceptions at the significant level (ἁ = 0.05) about the degree to which principals practice behaviors that build or destroy teachers’ trust …

Constraints To School Decision Making Process: The Perceptions Of School Principals Of Alain Education Office, Rowaya Saeed Al Humaidi Shaheen Al Ghafli

Theses

The purposes of this study were to identify the constraint faced by the school principals of Al Ain Educational Office in the school decision-making process, examine the most important type of constraints (personal, organizational, or social) for school decision- making. Also, identify the impact of the following variables (gender, age, educational qualification, and the number of experience years) to make decision and suggest how to overcome the constraints from the point of view of the study sample. The researcher used the descriptive method. Data for the study were collected through the use of a questionnaire. The population of the study …

A Study Of Assistant Principals’ Perceptions Of The Principalship And Their Career Aspirations, James Dewitt Oliver Iii

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The importance of attracting, selecting, and retaining effective principals is essential. Due to the negative perceptions of the principalship, there are concerns about who will fill these vacancies. Therefore, this study focused on perceptions of second and third year assistant principals toward the principalship and their career aspirations. The following research questions guided this study: (a) How do assistant principals perceive the role of the principal? (b) What are the factors that influence assistant principals’ motivation to seek or not to seek a position as a school principal? The research design used a qualitative approach to ascertain in-depth information to …

My Child Is An Angel From Allah: Perspectives From Muslim Parents Of Children With Special Needs In The United Kingdom, Katie Bonawitz

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation investigated how Muslim parents of children with special needs bring understanding to raising their child with special needs. This researcher conducted a qualitative study to find out if Muslim parents from different ethnic backgrounds had similar experiences to those studied by Jegatheesan, Miller, and Fowler (2010). The researcher developed and administered qualitative interviews to four Pakistani Muslim parents in England and three Somali Muslim parents in Minnesota. These Muslim parents were asked questions regarding background of their child, community experiences, positive and negative school experiences, and whether faith or culture played a greater role as they reflected …

Factors That Influence Superintendents In Iowa To Implement A One-To-One Computer Initiative, Gerald Eugene Schnabel

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that influence superintendents in Iowa to implement a one-to-one computer initiative. An in-depth, phenomenological based interview method was used. Two interviews were conducted with each of the five superintendents in the study. The superintendent responses were then organized using the Saskatchewan Educational Indicators, which are context, process and outcome indicators. The major questions addressed in the study were: 1. What factors influenced the decision to implement a one-to-one computer initiative? 2. What are the results of implementing a one-to-one computer initiative? 3. What decision-making process do superintendents in Iowa use when …

A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify teachers' perceptions of how leadership styles and practices of administration can improve the process of broad-based change in an educational organization. The study focused on the lived experiences of 12 teachers and school administrators (coresearchers) during a major change in their school district. Guided interviews were utilized in order to understand the essence of their experiences. Results indicated the importance of communication during the process of change as it relates to perceptions of involvement, buy-in, self-worth, job satisfaction, and support and impact on instruction.

Leading Through Change: A Study Of The Role Of Central Office Leadership In The Process Of Secondary Change, Dirk A. Halupnik

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to more fully understand the actions of district level leaders in a major change effort and their effects on the change process. Furthermore this study aimed to provide additional information about the factors that school district central office administrators confront when making the decision to add another high school and the actions taken by these administrators to lead the district through this process so that other school districts and leaders may learn from this. The methodology for this study was a qualitative case study approach in which central office leaders in a district that …