Digital Commons Network^™

Journal Of Critical Issues In Educational Practice Vol. 12, Tiffany Bates, Jaime Welborn, Christine Uliassi

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

It is our great privilege to be the editors of this journal. The opportunity to review the scholarly work of others and provide a forum for dissemination is important work. Three original pieces of research are included in this volume of the journal. Selected for originality and timeliness, it is our hope that some part of your educational practice might be informed. It is our goal to feature voices that might be considered outside of the expected or usual.

What is your philosophy of education? One might ask if this is ever a serious question or rather just an academic …

Digital Devices And Digital Literacy Skills Among Library And Information Science Students In Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Abraham Tabor Etebu, Choice Meniwoze Zaccheus Ms

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study focused on Digital Devices and Digital Literacy Skills Among Library and Information Science Undergraduate Students in Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Survey design was used. The population of the study covered the 200 and 300-level students of the Department of Library and Information Science, Niger Delta University. The sample size of the study was 165. The total enumeration sampling technique was used to determine the sample size of the study. The instrument used for data collection was a self-constructed questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis. The findings revealed that students of LIS, Niger …

The Effect Administrators Have On Employee Morale Within The University Of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Sherry L. Beaty-Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between Arkansas County Extension County staff morale and their perceived relationship county staff had with their County Staff Chair. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (UAEX) can utilize the results from this research to identify individuals who have the capacity to build high-quality relationships with staff members, thereby promoting higher levels of morale within the organization. Administrators can use this study to identify current or future leaders within the organization by identifying those who can promote high-quality relationships with county-level staff. Results from this study may also be used …

The Presence Of Relational Trust In Teacher-Principal Relationships And The Correlation Of Teacher Intent-To-Persist And Teacher Efficacy, Maryum Bilal

Dissertations

Principals and teachers must work together for students to be academically successful. Teachers directly influence the students, and principals directly affect the teachers. Before students' success can occur, the principal and teachers must have a relationship. The development of trust begins with leaders who have quality relationships with their teachers (Bryk & Schneider, 2002). When teachers trust their principals, teachers are loyal and develop self-efficacy. According to Lacks and Watson (2018), teacher self-efficacy is developed through significant interactions with the principal, making teachers feel better about themselves and their collective mission, and they become more effective in the classroom. Trust …

2022 December 8 - Academic Council Agenda And Minutes, Academic Council, East Tennessee State University

Academic Council Agenda and Minutes

No abstract provided.

We Are ... Marshall, December 7, 2022, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

Advisement Challenges And Opportunities In Pre-Service Teacher Education: Insights Into The Experiences Of Diverse Pre-Service Teachers, Latasha Casterlow-Lalla

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Effective pre-service teacher educator programs are among the most important components in preparing the nation’s next generation of educators. Today’s educators collectively work to support the diverse cultural, linguistic, and social needs of students through the unprecedented demands of a transitioning school system. This dissertation examined the components of advisement challenges and opportunities as an impact on the preparation of pre-service teachers in Northern New Jersey. The study explored the influence of approaches available to pre-service teachers in the areas of program structure, a variety of support services, and the role of the advisor-advisee relationship to discover whether such programs …

Student Government And The University Administrative Agenda Alignment, James M. Diloreto-Hill

Journal of Research on the College President

Within institutions of higher education, shared governance is an essential component to a healthy functionality. Among the many stakeholders at these institutions, students are the largest in number and hold primacy. Participation in student governance establishes a sense of shared ownership over their communities while also providing a unique avenue for students to gain wisdom and develop critical skill sets. Senior administrators at these institutions have many inherent challenges due to an organization that is largely decentralized and autonomous. The purpose for conducting this study was to analyze Student Government Associations (SGA) at 8 select land-grant institutions of higher education …

Presidential Perceptions Concerning Human Capital In College Student Enrollment And Persistence, David V. Tolliver Iii, Michael T. Miller, Daniel P. Nadler

Journal of Research on the College President

With a declining population of traditional college aged students, institutions must find both new student groups to recruit and do a better job at retaining them. One obvious pool for institutions to consider are first-generation students who do not have family traditions of going to college. This population, along with others, require institutions to understand the personal development of young adults and the factors that might lead to their college enrollment. The purpose for conducting the study was to identify how college presidents perceive the importance of human capital capacity for college students in their decision to enroll in college. …

Presidents And The Campus Mental Health Crisis: Challenges, Options, And Strategy, Charles P. Ruch, Kenneth M. Coll

Journal of Research on the College President

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every institution of higher education differently. It is recognized that a return to pre-pandemic institutional life is no longer possible. Presidential leadership is being required to reposition the institution to face this new era. One of the most vexing results of the pandemic is the emergence of student, faculty and staff mental health and wellness as a priority issue. Upon examination, the campus mental health crisis encompasses most aspects of campus life. The purpose of this review is threefold: 1) to illuminate the impact of campus mental health and wellness issues 2) to outline institutional …

Effective Practices Of Feedback Of Elementary School Administrators During The Post-Observation Conference, Michael Galvin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research identifies two purposes for teacher evaluation: measurement and professional growth; however, the literature provides limited research on the impact of the post-observation conference in teacher evaluation on professional growth (Marzano, 2012). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to examine the perceptions of Indiana public elementary school principals on the impact of the post-observation conference on professional growth of teachers. The study uses an Elementary Administrators’ Background Questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to gather an in-depth understanding of administrators’ perceptions.

Four research questions framed this study as I examined public elementary school administrators’ perceptions of post-observation feedback within the …

The Effects Of The Avid Program On Rural Student Growth In Middle Grades Mathematics, James Allen

All Dissertations

From this mixed method study, I present my findings on the effects of selected aspects of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program on rural middle school students’ mathematics achievement. Previous research on the AVID program has focused on implementation in urban schools, although rural communities’ student populations continue to grow.

Most research on AVID’s success in urban settings show positive correlations between how long students participate in the AVID program and their college readiness. Other research about predictors of college success shows students who do not enroll in advanced level mathematics courses in middle school are less likely to …

Advancing Women For The Presidency In Higher Education: Communication Competencies And Gender, Maria Dwyer, Surabhi Sahay

Journal of Research on the College President

The typical image of the academic president is shifting, with women occupying more presidential offices at colleges and universities, constituting an upward trend toward gender equity. An analysis of communication competencies and behaviors of academic presidents and governing board members in the context of hiring was conducted via interviews and surveys. Universities and colleges in the U.S. that had recently hired new presidents were sampled. Communication skills were identified as important factors that influenced board member’s perceptions of the candidates.

The Greatest Teacher: Modeling Jesus In Urban Education, Harley Rusk

Senior Honors Theses

Several key best practices from urban education research are reflected in the pedagogy of Jesus Christ, providing a practical foundation for Christian educators in urban schools. Related to the prevalence of poverty and trauma are the practices of learning students’ backgrounds to better interpret behavior, which Jesus reflects by healing before teaching, and holding high standards, demonstrated in Jesus’ interaction with the rich man and the Sermon on the Mount. Related to racial diversity are the practices of addressing implicit bias, a crucial part of being Christlike, and connecting instruction to students’ culture, like Jesus did through parables. Christians can …

Complex Adaptive Systems Leadership In A Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, And Ambiguous (Vuca) Environment: A Case Study Of A First-Year Female Superintendent Of Color, Karika Ann Parker

Dissertations

Superintendents in the K-12 education system in the United States are called upon to ameliorate problems and issues derived from many internal and external forces since its inception. Current literature reveals that, superintendents face complex challenges to improve district level educational outcomes for students within environments that are more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) and do require a shift from dominant traditional (hierarchal and control) leadership approaches. The aim of this qualitative case study of interviews is to represent the single voice of a first-year female superintendent of color’s (Asian, Indian descent) perspective, perceptions, thoughts, and experiences. The interviews …

Investigating The Effect Of Perceived Social Support And Professional Support On The Ability To Persist As A Building Administrator In Arkansas, Jill Annette Larosa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Across the United States, our K-12 public schools have very low levels of principals persisting in their jobs. The national average for principal tenure is four years, and one out of every five principals in poverty districts leaves after one year (Levin et al., 2019). The tenure average of four years is a devastating statistic because, according to an investigation commissioned by the Wallace Foundation (Leithwood et al., 2011), it takes an average of five years with a new administrator for a school’s performance to rebound to the level of achievement that existed before the administration change. At the current …

Evidence Of Emotional Intelligence In College Presidents’ Public Writing: Does Their Emotional Intelligence Change Over Time?, Karen Powers Liebhaber

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education (HIED) presidents face a wide variety of competing demands and pressures. High emotional intelligence (EI) has been found to be effective in good leadership, but few studies exist which examine HIED presidents’ EI. This quantitative growth model study attempted to expand the understanding of EI and its source of change among HIED presidents. Several conceptualizations link together in this study to better understand HIED presidents’ EI. First, higher EI has been linked to strong leadership and strong communication. Studies show EI can change over time and EI is associated with certain demographic factors. Further, language, particularly written language, …

Factors Affecting Teacher Satisfaction And Retention In Small Rural School Districts In Arkansas, Toni Hopkins

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine by teacher certification level the effects of 0-9 years of experience versus 10 years or more of experience on the perceptions of pay, supervision, colleagues, and working conditions as measured by the Lester Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire. Understanding teachers’ perceptions of job satisfaction may increase teacher retention. The theoretical framework was Maslow’s theory of motivation and the hierarchy of needs. A stratified random sample of 144 teachers from five small rural school districts in West-Central Arkansas was used for the study. Data analysis involved the use of 2 x 2 factorial ANOVAs. …

The Impact Of Grade Inflation On Teachers’ Evaluation: A Quantitative Study Conducted In The Context Of Five Lebanese Universities, Bassem E. Maamari, Hiba S. Naccache

Journal of Global Education and Research

Asking students to evaluate teaching faculty by every ending semester in modern education is an established trend. In the higher education circles, it is validated based on a large body of research showing a relationship between these evaluations and students’ achievement. The arising problem is whether this relation is positively associated or not, and the presence of a growing debate pertaining to the many factors influencing this correlation. Most of the cited research shows a link between the attitude of students and their achievement. This research studies the effect of students’ grade point average (GPA), together with the type of …

2022-12-01 Agenda Book, Morehead State University. Board Of Regents.

Morehead State Board of Regents Agenda Books and Meeting Minutes

Agenda booklet for the Board of Regents meeting of December 1, 2022 which includes the meeting minutes of the meeting held on August 4, 2022.

Crafting A Different Kind Of Story: Experiences Of Creative Writers Leading In Higher Education, Meredith L. Dodson

Dissertations

Connections between creativity and leadership often focus on how fostering creativity can help an organization. Despite the value that creativity can bring to organizations, Mueller et al. (2011) found that creative people themselves are not seen as leadership material. Yet many people with creative backgrounds do take on leadership roles, particularly in higher education.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of higher education leaders who have a background in creative writing and how those leaders perceive the interaction of the leadership role with their creative experience. The sample included 12 mid-level leaders in higher education who had an MFA or …

Natural History Of Discourse Of Missouri House Bill 1042: Bringing A Critical Perspective To Policy Engagement In Two-Year Contexts, Mary Casey Reid

English Theses & Dissertations

In this autoethnographically-infused natural history of discourse (NHD) (Silverstein and Urban, 1996; Slembrouck, 2001), I use methods from critical discourse studies (CDS) to trace 10 years of changes in “remediation” discourses within a corpus of texts associated with Missouri HB 1042, a piece of legislation passed in 2012 that requires higher education institutions to “replicate best practices in remediation” (CBHE, 2013). After providing national and state context related to HB 1042 and the discourses circulating within the HB 1042 corpus of texts, I describe what I call the “higher ed’s remediation problem” discourse, focusing on three discourse features that I …

K-5 Elementary Alternative Program: A Case Study, William E. Scheuer Iv

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study was to examine how the K-5 elementary alternative program All Students Can Thrive (ASCT) used student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. There is a lack of research on K-5 elementary alternative programs, such as ASCT, and specifically those that integrate student-centered learning practices to influence the whole child. Literature does not contain universally accepted interventions that are effective in the elementary alternative setting to help students return to the mainstream classroom setting better prepared to display appropriate behaviors when a student is removed from a mainstream classroom setting due to disruptive behaviors. …

Sros In The State Of Alabama: Primary Functions And The Perception Of Meaningful Work, Adam Andrews

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

In response to mass school shootings and other violent acts committed on school grounds, some school systems have turned to introducing or expanding police presence on school campuses. However, police and school culture, expectations, and norms are not always compatible and are sometimes even at odds with each other. Excessive force by School Resource Officers (SROs); law-enforcement officers who work in the school setting, has prompted calls for police reform or complete SRO removal from school campuses. This research project sought to identify the activities of SROs in the state of Alabama, explore the level of meaning SROs perceive in …

Training Needs And Applications For Special Educators With Paraeducator Supervision Responsibilities, Joanna M. Cornejo

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This project highlights the need for training for paraeducators working in Special Education settings. Duties performed by paraeducators often overlap with teacher duties and much of the direct instruction provided to students in self-contained classrooms is delivered by paraeducators. The tasks of training and supervising paraeducators often falls on the special education teacher, who may not have received training in supervision. The project includes a brief review of the literature on this topic and two project reports. I designed my project with the objective of improving the quality of instruction being delivered to students in my classroom through training of …

Predicting Student Success In A K-12 Online School, Andrea Connolly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Given the rapid growth of K-12 online learning, research is needed in the effective identification of at-risk students so that administrators and teachers can develop appropriate supports and interventions. The purpose of this research was to determine if student success in an online course could be predicted for English Learners (EL) using identifiable student characteristics and traits. This study looked at the student traits of behavior, structure, and demographics to determine if they could be used as predictive variables for successful course completion in a K-12 online course. The behavior characteristics were measured by a survey tool and were identified …

Easing The Middle To High School Transition: An Evaluation Of The Gold Program, Leilani Shive

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Some effective components of effective transition programs include using a freshman academy or school-within-a-school model, teacher and peer mentoring and summer bridge programs. This study analyzed the effectiveness of the Gold Program, a middle to high school transition program for at-risk youth in a large urban high school in the southwestern United States. This program incorporated those components in addition to several others, such as: parent involvement, career and technical education, blended learning, behavior interventions, and Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC). Individual components of the Gold Program were chosen to meet the four S’s of Schlossberg’s transition …

We Are ... Marshall, November 30, 2022, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Investigation Into The Academic Advisors’ Perceptions Of Best Advisement Practices, Tracy Crowder Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to better understand academic advising by examining the perspectives of academic advisors at a Georgia Research 1 institution located in a large city. Initially, the purpose of this case study was to learn more about how academic advisors view effective strategies for boosting their students' performance. Nine academic advisors from a multi-campus institution in the southeastern United States were interviewed for this qualitative study. The participants were asked to complete 30 to 60-minute interviews with the researcher. By evaluating the personal responses used throughout the study, the researcher could identify frequent themes during data collection and analysis. …

Examining Perceptions Of Good Leadership In Confucian Contexts: A Study Of South Korean University Faculty, Andrew Schenck

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Cultural values impact conceptions of good leadership, explaining why some Western-oriented leadership strategies appear to fail in Confucian contexts. To better understand how cultural values influence the process of leadership, the Vannsimpco Leadership survey was given to 291 Korean faculty members at a university in South Korea, along with 168 faculty members from an American university who served as a comparison group. Following the collection of 95 surveys (48 from Korean faculty and 47 from American faculty), factor analysis was used to evaluate respondents’ perceptions of leadership. Results suggested that Confucian values do indeed influence conceptions of leadership. As for …