Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Study Of Student Support Services: The Impacts They Have On The Lives Of Two-Year College Student, Sonya Yvette Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This phenomenological study aimed to understand and discover the impact that student support services had on the lives of two-year college students during the duration of college and after graduation. The central research question was What are the experiences of college students, in South Arkansas, who utilized student support services at two-year institutions and how did they impact their lives? The study also focused on the services provided to remove barriers so students could remain in school long enough to earn a degree and how they can continue to be successful after graduation. The theory that guided this study was …

African–American Faculty Retention At Community Colleges: A Phenomenological Study, Wontae Javar Neal

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the retention rates of African-American faculty in community colleges in the Northeast Region of the United States, highlighting their unique experiences and the factors influencing their professional lives. The theoretical framework for this study was the critical race theory (CRT), which is a post-Civil Rights social philosophy, legal theory, and technique for dealing with racism and our rapidly changing society. The central research question was: What are the professional and academic experiences of African-American community college faculty? The three research sub questions were: (1) How do the professional and academic experiences of African-American community college …

Heroines Of Their Own Stories: Lower Socio-Economic Black And Hispanic Giftedness, Dace Ashcraft

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of racially, ethnically, and economically diverse (REED) learners in developing gifted traits and behaviors for female students who have taken part in an extracurricular online course from the northeastern United States. Gifted traits and behaviors, or giftedness, was generally defined as what might be perceived as advanced ability or the potential for advanced ability in one or more specific areas. The theories guiding this study are Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which aids in understanding the influence of a student’s culture on higher-order mental functions originating in the social …

From Laity To Leadership: A Training Program For Christians New To Leadership, Arlene J. Hopkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Christian leadership development is vital to fulfill the mission of the church, to build up and equip the saints to live in abundant spiritual closeness to God and others. As congregants look to church leaders for guidance, instruction, and a godly leadership model, educating, training, and nurturing these leaders as they impact the congregation is imperative. This is especially true for individuals new to leadership roles within the church. Therefore, this project aims to provide foundational biblical, spiritual, and leadership training to new lay leaders at the New Life Worship Center Church. The new leadership training program, a mandatory and …

Understanding How On-Campus Involvement And Socioeconomic Status Impacts Academic Success: A Causal-Comparative Study, Eric Ryan Rivenbark

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine the differences between a college student’s academic success based on campus involvement (low, medium, or high) and a student's socioeconomic status (low, medium, or high). This study employed quantitative causal-comparative methods to explore the impact of student characteristics on college transition and academic success. A successful high school-to-college transition was pivotal for overall achievement and degree pursuit. Focusing on 253 college students, the study examined links between socioeconomic background, on-campus involvement, and academic achievement. Participants completed the Academic Success Inventory for College Students and a survey to determine on-campus involvement. …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Noncognitive Abilities Related To Resilience In Homeschooled Students Managing The Transition To College, Adele Elena Malavé

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the noncognitive experiences associated with resilience that contribute to the academic and social success of homeschooled students in their first year of college at XYZ University. Rutter’s (1999, 2006) resilience theory guided this research, emphasizing how individuals develop coping mechanisms to navigate challenges. This study examined how resilience-related traits, including self-discipline, adaptability, and problem-solving skills, influenced students' college transitions. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected from 10 homeschooled students who had completed their first year of college or at least 30 credit hours. Participants shared their experiences through writing …

Predicting Job Satisfaction Based On Empowerment Factors For Elementary And Secondary Teachers: A Quantitative Study, Tenise R. Williams

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, predictive correlational study examined the association between empowerment factors and job satisfaction among elementary and secondary school teachers in rural and suburban public schools in the southeastern United States. Teachers who are satisfied in their jobs commit to the best interests of students, thereby positively impacting retention. The study consisted of a convenience sample of 129 elementary, middle, and high school teachers in a southeastern United States coastal area. The two instruments used were the Teacher Empowerment Scale and the Teaching Satisfaction Scale. All data were collected through an email recruitment letter inviting teachers to participate in this …

Navigating Knowledge: An Autoethnographic Journey Through Instructional Decision-Making And Educational Technology Development, Daniel James Clark

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

Have you ever felt lost while learning? Guided by this curiosity, the researcher embarked on a decade-long journey to understand how students navigate learning environments and how educational technology might offer clearer pathways. In response, the researcher designed and developed Navigating Knowledge, a learning platform informed by his dual roles as a higher education instructor and educational technology developer. This capstone is distinct in its simultaneous integration of theory, design, and implementation to bridge pedagogical insight with technological innovation. Using an analytic autoethnographic methodology, this qualitative research critically examined 33 instructional, platform development, and reflective journal artifacts from 2013 to …

Student Affairs Professional Preparation: A Scholar-Practitioner Guide To Contemporary Topics, Nikheal Patel

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This review examines a recent edited volume that offers a timely and comprehensive exploration of the Higher Education/Student Affairs (HESA) field. The book distinguishes itself through its dual emphasis on foundational knowledge and contemporary challenges, while weaving together faculty and practitioner perspectives—a structural choice that reflects the collaborative ethos of the field itself. Organized into three parts, the book addresses traditional curriculum areas, institutional type considerations, and emerging topics shaping HESA practice today.

The review highlights how the authors thoughtfully engage Student Development Theory (SDT) as a framework not only for student growth, but also for the professional evolution of …

The Role Of Social Media In Higher Education For Recruitment And Retention And The Implications For Nursing Programs, Cari Granier, Jamie Gravois

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Abstract:

Purpose: This review article assesses findings related to social media use in regards to student recruitment and retention for higher education institutions (HEIs) including schools of nursing. This review outlines the need for building a social media presence, creating engaging content for target audiences, available platforms, and posting times and frequency. Methods: A literature review was conducted with keywords including the following terms in combination with “social media and” higher education marketing, higher education recruitment, university marketing, university recruitment, college marketing, and college recruitment. Results: College applicants rely on social media when making decisions about …

Promoting Student Engagement In Interprofessional Education To Advance Institution-Based Research, Curriculum Development, And Practice Interventions, Natalya Salganik, Nicole Trupiano, Vani Patterson, Rajesh Mangrulkar

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Promoting Student Engagement in Interprofessional Education to Advance Institution-Based Research, Curriculum Development, and Practice Interventions

Abstract

Background

The Michigan Center for IPE (C-IPE) Student Advisory Committee (SAC) is a student-run committee that serves as a collaborative student community among health professional schools at our institution. Since its creation in 2018, SAC identified a need for students to take a lead in improving the interprofessional education (IPE) experience at the University of Michigan in collaboration with the C-IPE.

Methods

Together with the C-IPE, SAC focused on three tasks to achieve its goals: (1) increasing student engagement in IPE, (2) increasing transparency …

Book Review Of The Power Of Positive Leadership: How And Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams And Organizations And Change The World, Bethany Peppers

Online Journal for Workforce Education and Development

This book review examines the impact a leader has once they set a tone of positivity. It examines the importance of a leader's mindset, as it will be the determination of success for an organization. A single individual has the power to change the culture of an organization to allow for improvement within the organization. This book shows the strategy of positive leadership and how it can create a transformative workplace.

Leading Through Crisis: San Diego County Schools' Response To The Social Emotional Needs Of All Students, Johana Bielma

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented school closures, forcing administrators to take decisive action to radically change the educational system. The imperative to switch to remote learning transformed the dynamics of teaching and learning, leading to both immediate and long-term academic and social emotional consequences for all stakeholders. When schools reopened, administrators faced the challenge of reintegrating students into in-person learning while addressing the pandemic’s lasting effects on academics, mental health, and school safety. While academic regression was evident, the extent of students’ emotional struggles was less anticipated. Many students exhibited increased irritability and mental health issues such as depression …

How We Show Up Matters: Transformative Adult Social Emotional Learning To Build Equity-Centered Schools, Samantha L. Rummage-Massey

Dissertations

Transformative Social Emotional Learning (tSEL) expands traditional SEL by integrating equity and social justice to cultivate student development and as a framework for educator growth and systemic change in education (Jagers et al., 2019). Unlike traditional SEL, which primarily targets students, tSEL emphasizes educators’ role in disrupting inequitable practices, making it a powerful tool for reimagining schools as justice-oriented spaces. This qualitative case study explores how tSEL professional development influences educators’ sense of identity, agency, and belonging, along with their reflections on systemic inequities and application of Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 1970) in personal and professional contexts. Data collection included semi-structured …

Understanding And Engaging In Equity Work: A Phenomenological Action Research Study Of Community College Esol Instructors, Emily E. Packer

Dissertations

Community colleges (CCs) are regarded as accessible and affordable pathways to higher education and financial mobility, offering significant potential to promote educational equity (Fink et al., 2023). These institutions enroll the largest number of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in adult education; however, CC ESOL students face lower rates of degree completion and transfer compared to their non-ESOL peers (David & Kanno, 2021; Fink et al., 2023; Raufman et al., 2019). While research has examined factors contributing to low CC ESOL student persistence and interventions to improve overall CC student outcomes, research on specific efforts to support …

Becoming A Beloved Community: A Restorative Reckoning For A Radical Conversion To Transform Discourse In Higher Education, Latasha Tomay Varlack-Butler

Dissertations

This dissertation critically examines the misappropriation of Restorative Justice Discourse (RJD) within three predominantly white institutions (PWIs), analyzing 59 institutional documents through Critical Discourse Analysis, Relational Critical Discourse Analysis, and Rhetorical Criticism (Fairclough, 1995; Vaandering, 2021; van Dijk, 2008). Tribal Colleges and Universities and South African institutions have emerged as exemplars of authentic RJD, countering co-optation within PWIs. The findings demonstrate that RJD as applied in PWIs is framed in ways that attenuate its transformative potential, perpetuating color-evasiveness (Bonilla-Silva, 2017) and obscuring the intersectional experiences of Black, Indigenous, and disabled communities (Crenshaw, 1991; Million, 2009).

Grounded in decolonial praxis (Smith, …

Restricted Access: Structural Gatekeeping And The Black Student Experience In Accounting Education, Richard W. Hurt Iii

Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of Black accountants as they reflect on their memories of the pipeline to their profession and the affective dimensions of their educational experiences as accounting majors in college. Grounding into Unapologetic Black Inquiry (UBI), a framework rooted in critical race theory, this investigation integrates narrative inquiry as a tool to capture rich descriptions from participant interviews and written reflections. Furthermore, this descriptive qualitative study explores how the structures and values of accounting education are rooted in a form of professionalism that prioritizes technical proficiencies over cultural knowledge, thus ignoring community forms of assets related to …

Quest For Purpose In Education: An Autoethnographic Study Of A Chinese Student’S Cross- Cultural Journey Through Logotherapy And Culturally Relevant Leadership, Bingsheng Chen

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This autoethnography examines a Chinese student's search for meaning while transitioning between Chinese and U.S. academic systems, shaped by the interplay of cultural values, societal pressures, and personal agency. Guided by Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy and Culturally Relevant Leadership (CRL), the study uses reflexive narrative analysis to explore how this personal quest for purpose intersected with institutional structures and cultural contexts (e.g., St. John's College, University of New Mexico). Illuminating profound challenges—including cultural shock, systemic inequities, and the emotional toll of adaptation—the research reveals a transformative journey of navigating dissonance, reframing adversity, embracing a dual cultural identity, and ultimately finding meaning …

Examining Factors That Shape The Perspectives Of Afro-Caribbean Parents On The American Special Education System, Eldine Beaubrun Montauban

Educational Studies Dissertations

Cultural beliefs of disabilities and education can impact parents’ perspectives of special education. There are pertinent concerns over the cultural factors shaping the perspectives of Afro-Caribbean parents on the American special education system. This qualitative case study explored the perceptions of six parents of children with special needs who identify as Afro-Caribbean living in Massachusetts. Applying a theoretical/conceptual framework that includes acculturation, assimilation, social identity, and school family partnership, this study reveals challenges Afro-Caribbean parents and their children encounter in the U.S. special education system. The analysis of the data yielded seven findings. The findings detail parents’ negotiations of their …

Enhancing Digital Accessibility For Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing Learners- Innovative Strategies For Inclusive Education, Felicia Rutledge Ph.D.

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

This research-to-practice brief explores innovative strategies to enhance digital accessibility for Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) learners, focusing on practical applications for inclusive K-12 education. Despite advances in digital learning, D/HH learners face unique barriers due to auditory-centered designs. Accessibility legislation such as the ADA, Section 504, and IDEA mandate educational inclusion for these learners. Key strategies include the integration of assistive technologies (e.g., captioning, ASL video interpretation), the application of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 3.0 guidelines, and adherence to WCAG 2.1 principles for accessible content design. The research-to-practice brief provides actionable insights for educators, administrators, and …