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Educational Leaders' And Teachers' Opinions About Changes In The Turkish Education System: A Qualitative Case Study, Mustafa Samancioglu, Murat Baglibel, Fatih Bozbayindir, Mahmut Kalman

International Journal of Leadership and Change

This qualitative case study discusses the opinions of teachers and principals (educational leaders) working at primary schools regarding recent changes implemented in the Turkish education system. “E-okul,” the “FATIH project,” and “MEBBIS,” which are technology-focused changes; and “girls’ education,” “the unfragmented 8-year compulsory education,” “children’s school participation,” and “promotion of literacy” and “students’ clothing” are changes that broaden the boundaries of the teaching and learning processes and are viewed as successful. However, “the new elective courses,” a component of the 12-year compulsory education reform, were perceived as a failed change. The most striking finding of the study indicated no agreement …

Leading And Managing The 21st Century Research University: Creating, Implementing, And Sustaining Strategic Change, Paul W. Ferguson, Gene E. Hall, Julie D. Hopwood

International Journal of Leadership and Change

Universities are competing in an environment in which only the most adaptable to sustainable change will prosper. In order to evolve in this challenging time, universities must embrace strategies for transformational change. This paper reviews two case studies that illustrate the universal applicability of theories of Change Science for achieving sustainable change in stressful times of prosperity and austerity. Understanding the phases of the Change Process that include Creating Vision, Implementing Vision, and Sustaining Vision can promote sustainable change directly related to the culture and mission of the institution.

Lindenwood University New Academic Appointments,, Lindenwood University

New Faculty Booklets

No abstract provided.

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Available Public Education Programming And The Influence Of Professional Perceptions, Heather Wilmot

All Theses And Dissertations

A mixed-methods research study was conducted in a small, rural western Maine school department. The intent of this research was to reveal what kind of programming is available to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and how the availability of programming is influenced by the perceptions of educators and leaders in a public school department. In addition, the research addressed how the background and professional development of the employees impacted the availability of programming for students with ASD. Forced survey questions included quality indicators for programming for students with ASD and pre-selected follow-up focus groups questions were used.

Data analysis …

Pathways To Student Success: A Multiple Case Study On Four-Year Colleges’ Organizational Change In Performance Funding States, Lindsay K. Wayt

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

Federal and state policies have recently moved the higher education accountability focus from access to completion. As completion and other student success accountability measures are put in place, institutions are going through organizational change to accommodate these new policies and to adjust their focus onto student success measures such as retention and graduation rates. This multiple case study’s purpose was to describe the institutional efforts and changes at small- to medium-sized, four-year public institutions in states where at least 20% or more of state funds are or are planned to soon be allocated based on performance metrics. The findings of …

Training Needs Of A Worldwide Military Exchange Salesforce, Chelsea Camarda

OTS Master's Level Projects & Papers

The problem of this study was to determine the training needs of a worldwide military exchange salesforce to enhance their ability to train store personnel on product knowledge and customer service at military exchange stores.

A Structurational Approach To Organizational Change: Exploring Idaho’S Students Come First Initiative, Matthew Aaron Mccarter

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study embraces a structuration approach to explore how the staff at the Idaho State Education Agency (SEA) reacted to implementing a unique and sweeping K-12 education reform package commonly known as “Students Come First.” By embracing a communicative perspective to studying change in public education, this study provides insights to how public sector employees at an SEA who work in a field governed by a unique set of features (politically-driven policies from elected officials and outcome expectations from the electorate), and who are driven by a passion to serve children engaged in changes that challenged their everyday understandings of …

A Case Study Of Complex Systems In Leadership In Higher Education Fundraising, J. Michael Bonnette

All Dissertations

Institutions of higher education are more focused on raising private funds today than ever before. This need to increase funding has provided opportunity for emergent behavior among all levels of the institution and has provided an opportunity for the study of leadership among those responsible for managing the fundraising operation. This study will endeavor to understand the emergent enabling and adapting leadership in an institution of higher education during a change to a centralized fundraising model. A case study approach will build a narrative of interaction among those involved in the change and develop insight through the lens of Complexity …

Food Insecurity Challenge To Families In The Greater Chattanooga Area: The Case Of The Food Bank, Samantha K. Elliott, Irina Khmelko, Richard Beeland

Journal of Adolescent and Family Health

This paper discusses food insecurity challenges to families in the Greater Chattanooga Area and factors that contribute to combating the challenge. Specifically, the paper places regional developments in a national context and analyzes the multiple roles of regional food banks in this process. Food banks have shifted focus from providing foods with sufficient caloric intake to also ensuring that they are providing food with sufficient nutritional value. We identify several factors that contribute to this change, including federal policy changes, economic fluctuations, the nutrition initiative, and organizational changes from the umbrella organization, Feeding America. This case also explores the reaction …

Leadership For Sustainability And Peace: Responding To The Wicked Challenges Of The Future, Rian Satterwhite, Whitney Mcintyre Miller, Kate Sheridan

Education Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"In the past century our understanding of leadership has changed as the contexts in which leadership occurs evolve. Today, constructs of leadership that do not incorporate emergent concepts such as systems thinking no longer match the realities of the world in which it is exercised and the challenges it seeks to address. The challenges we face as a global community have increased in complexity, size, scope, and consequence. As a result of this contextual evolution, our definition of effective leadership is evolving as well."

Applying Systems Theory As A Lens On Teacher And Student Perceptions Of Assessment And Feedback In An Intensive English Program, Thomas A. Germain

MA TESOL Collection

The goal of this project was to apply systems theory, or more generally, systems thinking as a lens on the perceptions of teachers, students, and administrators who work together at an intensive English program (IEP). This goal necessitated a two-part project: a review of pertinent literature on systems theory and a limited qualitative study situated at the IEP. Sixteen participants, including seven teachers (more than half of the current faculty), two teacher/administrators, and seven students from different levels within the program, were invited to participate. The primary focus of the study was on participants’ awareness of and attitudes about two …

The Impact Of A Head Coaching Change On Intercollegiate Student-Athletes, Stacey A. Forsythe

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to discover the impacts on intercollegiate student-athletes subsequent to a head coaching change. One research question guided this study: What is the impact of a head coaching change on intercollegiate student-athletes? This qualitative study utilized eight case study interviews in order to achieve a rich description of the phenomenon of a head coaching change in one mid-major NCAA Division 1 institution in the Southeast. Using inductive analysis and the constant comparative method, three emergent themes were identified: (1) Student-athletes seem to accept head coaching changes, (2) Head coaches are essential to team success, …

Action Items, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Overview of action items handled by the Graduate Council.

Enhancing Apprentice Training Through Supervision Of Work Experience, J. Scott Christman

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

To remain globally competitive, U.S. companies need to consider new strategies for developing a workforce. The apprenticeship model has been identified as a viable solution for companies to invest. The problem of this study was to determine if an apprenticeship experience was enhanced by the type of supervision given during the work-related component of a program. To aid current and potential companies offering apprenticeship programs, this study identified a population of apprentices (N = 877), tracked them from entry into the program until five years after graduating, and analyzed their outcomes relative to program completion, academic GPA, work-related GPA, …

Perceived Barriers And Solutions: Engineering Design Implementation, Ken L. Turner

Dissertations

Engineering Design, part of the practices dimension of the Next Generation Science Standards, NGSS, is widely recognized as the most challenging piece for teachers to implement. It involves practices that teachers are unfamiliar with, have not taught before, have not been taught, and have not experienced as a student. This manuscript documents a mixed-methods survey of over 200 K-12 teachers on their perceptions of both the greatest barriers to implementation of Engineering Design, and those items that will be of most value as a solution to those barriers. A systems approach to understanding Engineering Design was utilized; with data collection …

An Institutional Ethnographic Account Of Mandatory Professional Development In New Mexico, Lanysha Adams

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Current research has focused primarily on prescriptive models of professional development (PD), yet few have focused on teachers experiences of mandatory PD. Furthermore, researchers (Adams, 2014; Elmore, 2002; Hargreaves, 2011) have shown numerous points of disconnection between the prescribed policies for teacher PD and the de facto policies reflected in teachers' experiences of PD, leaving teachers' accounts of mandatory PD largely underexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the institution of mandatory PD in New Mexico, exploring the characteristics of mandatory PD and full-time public high school teachers' perceptions of their PD experiences at one high school and …

Making The Invisible Challenges And Opportunities Visible, Maureen A. Scully, Lisa Deangelis, Katie Bates

Emerging Leaders Program Team Projects

The 41 fellows in the 2015 Emerging Leaders Program worked with community partners to generate the theme, “Making the Invisible Challenges and Opportunities Visible: Collaborative leadership for economic and social well-being."

The projects provide fellows an opportunity to practice elements of collaborative leadership in peer-led teams working with multiple stakeholders. The projects focus on civic engagement, building a leadership base for Greater Boston that is ready to tackle the big challenges that ensure the broader economic and social well-being of the region. The project sponsor with whom each team works is a nonprofit or governmental organization with big goals. Each …

Stimulating Diversity Outcomes? A Multicase Study Exploring Entrepreneurial Architecture And Storytelling In Higher Education Institutions, Noel Criscione-Naylor

Theses and Dissertations

There is limited research that explores the relationship between entrepreneurial architecture and diversity and its significance to the university and in higher education (Morris, 2010; Nelles & Worley, 2011; Nelles & Worley, 2010). This qualitative, multicase study explored how entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling by administrators contributes to university diversity agendas by investigating the linkages between entrepreneurial structure, process, and strategies and institutional diversity outcomes at two, New Jersey, public, four-year institutions. Semi-structured interviews took place with 12 administrators in which the characteristics of entrepreneurial architecture and storytelling at the universities was evident. Three main themes were identified including diverse voices, …

School Climate Study In Greater Atlanta Schools Of The Georgia-Cumberland Conference, Beverly Amlaner

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

School climate is a relevant topic for both public and private parochial schools to understand the value placed upon the school by the stakeholders. School climate studies are a critical component of effective education delivery in all school settings. The researcher was most interested in the private parochial school setting and the unique challenges facing the private Christian schools. In this study the researcher chose to use a survey previously created by the researcher to ascertain the perceptions of the students in six environments of the school setting. The survey instrument had already been validated and its reliability well established. …

Leveraging An Instructional Leadership Team To Support Educator Evaluation In A Rural Elementary School, Kimberly Roberts-Morandi

All Theses And Dissertations

A principal may struggle to provide the depth and breadth of expertise required to adequately address the educational leadership demands, particularly in a rural system where oftentimes the principal and staff carry out responsibilities outside their contracted roles. How would a shared-leadership approach promote the staff’s acceptance of the high-stakes, state-mandated educator evaluation system and would the rural context be a significant factor? This dissertation study investigated key actions and supports related to the functions of an Instructional Leadership Team’s (ILTs) implementation of the Massachusetts Framework for Educator Evaluation, referred to in the study as the Educator Evaluation System (EES). …

The Caribbean Educational Policy Space: Educational Gradualism, Zero-Sum Policy Reforms, And Lesson-Drawing In Small (And Micro) States, Tavis D. Jules

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper analyzes national educational policy discourse in ten of the now 15 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries and advances that the failed socialist experiments in the small (and micro states) of Guyana, Grenada, and Jamaica during the 1980s ultimately led to the creation of the Caribbean Educational Policy Space (CEPS). CEPS is intended to engender the movement of service, goods, labor, capital, and the right to establishment – i.e. CARICOM citizens may establish companies and business enterprises in any CARICOM nation and be treated as a local national. This discursively created space that employed the external delivery mechanism of ‘lesson-drawing’ …

A Stitch In Time Saves Caribbeanization: Meta-Steering And Strategic Coordination In An Era Of Caribbean Trans-Regionalism, Tavis D. Jules

Education: School of Education Faculty Publications and Other Works

This article sets out to theoretically explain the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) integrative stalemate. It argues that this needs to be studied in light of a changing regional, geographic, and geostrategic climate. A shift is occurring from ‘endogenous regionalism,’ which concentrates on the Caribbean’s historical past, to ‘exogenous regionalism,’ which focuses on creating a borderless Caribbean space and promotes Caribbeanization through the Caribbean Single Market (CSM), which came into force in 2006, and the stalemated Caribbean Single Economy (CSE). I argue that new trans-hemispheric relations are emerging and Caribbean regionalism is now both multi-centric—arising from actions in numerous places rather than …

Impact Of Latina Identity On Leadership Styles, Blanca Ruiz-Williams

Dissertations

This program evaluation focuses on the impact of Latina identity on school leadership. I offer voice to a silenced and minimally recognized group by including my story and the story of other Latina leaders. Through this ethnographic and case study approach, I explore the central question: “How does race and gender of Latinas influence their leadership style?” Being female and Latina, I seek to understand how the pressures of conforming to traditional White male leadership style impacts Latinas’ ability to lead with authenticity. This research suggests that in order for Latinas to practice authenticity, we must create an environment in …

Paradigm Transformation: Preparing Students For The Transition To Middle School, Lasabra Warner Patterson

Dissertations

This Change Leadership Plan is the second part of a three-part dissertation on effectively transitioning students from elementary school to middle school. Currently, there is no local program to aid students in transitioning from elementary to middle school. The rationale is that by addressing the need for increased focus on improving current practices, students’ needs will be met. This is important to the school, the district, and the educational community at large in preparation for implementation of the Common Core State Standards where all learning will spiral from grade level to grade level, continually allowing students and teachers to make …

Utilizing A Systematic Approach To Problem-Solving In The Elementary School Setting: A Program Evaluation Project, Edie Sohigian

Dissertations

Sunnyside Elementary School, an anonymous name, had a high number of discipline referrals. The purpose of this inquiry was to develop and follow an action plan to reduce behavior issues. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry, I collected discipline and academic achievement data as well as survey data to analyze the impact of the Eight-Step Problem-Solving Process on the rate of discipline referrals. Although the overall number of referrals increased, other significant findings were determined. The leadership team and faculty must be vested in the action plan as a priority in order to achieve positive results. It was …

An Evaluation Of Teacher Morale In Four Elementary Schools: The Difference A School Makes, Jennifer Blackburn

Dissertations

This Program Evaluation Plan (PEP) investigates teacher morale in several schools and explores how it may possibly relate to school grade. There are many factors that influence teacher morale, but I believe that school grade plays a major role; and this dissertation takes a closer look as to how some teachers and administrators feel about their schools and positions. By implementing a questionnaire, and conducting interviews with teachers and administrators, I was able to discover that school grade is weighing in teacher morale.

This study breaks down the findings from the questionnaire that was given and offers some recommendations on …

Professional Learning Communities And School Culture: A Case Of Study In District-Wide Implementation Of A Plc, Jaime Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this study is to explore what influence a school district’s transformation to a PLC had on culture. In particular, the study examined what dimensions of a PLC are evident, how the district approached the change process, and its influence on student achievement. The methodology employed in this study is a Type 2 single-case study. Data regarding this district’s implementation of a PLC, and its influence on school culture was gathered via sources of evidence common in case study research; survey, documents, archival records, direct observations, and interviews. In summary, the findings suggest the following; (1) PLC work …

Master Teachers As Instructional Leaders: An Instrumental Case Study, Deborah Renee Moore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to understand the role of the master teacher as an instructional leader in South Carolina schools implementing the System for Teacher and Student Advancement, formerly known as the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP). This qualitative study sought to explain the role of the master teacher, how the master teacher assumes the role of an instructional leader, what support is provided by the master teacher, what issues master teachers face as instructional leaders as well as how the master teacher enhances the school environment. The focal participant in this study was a SC TAP …

The Superintendent As Transformational Leader: A Case Study Analysis Of The Strategies, Initiatives And Processes Used By Superintendents Of Exemplar 21st Century School Districts To Implement District-Wide Change For The 21st Century, Rebecca A. Summers

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify and describe the visions, frameworks, strategies, initiatives and change models used by eight superintendents of exemplar 21st century school districts as designated by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, in order to successfully implement a district-wide 21st century learning model. Semi-structured interviews were used to provide rich narratives of the superintendents’ experiences with the transformational change processes in their districts as they implemented 21st century models of education. The interviews were coded and analyzed for common themes and patterns. The findings revealed that although the superintendents were system thinkers about …

An Investigation Of The Relationships Between And Among Power, Trust And Job Satisfaction Of Nurse Managers In Acute Care Hospitals Using Rogers Science Of Unitary Human Beings, Maureen A. Schneider

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Background: Defined as control and freedom, power is often characterized as hierarchical. Power-as-freedom exists as a unitary manifestation of the whole and is acausal. Thus a worldview that emphasizes mutual process rather than a causal (control) view supports a culture of trust in the healthcare environment that generates a committed and a thriving work force. When nurse leaders support a climate of trust, managers develop a sense of commitment to the organization which may lead to job satisfaction. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting the relationship between power, trust and job satisfaction among nurse managers.

Purpose: The …