Digital Commons Network^™

Human-Centered Leadership Coaching For School Redesign & Career Connected Learning, Monica White

Bank Street Education Center

Focusing on the Bank Street Principal Innovation Fellowship’s first cohort, this report examines how coaching supported principals as they implemented FutureReadyNYC, the district’s career-connected learning initiative. Through case studies of four principal-coach pairs, the report identifies an emerging leadership coaching model—including key principles, practices, and outcomes—that contributed to meaningful school-level progress and offers insights for school systems seeking to use coaching to strengthen principals’ capacity to lead complex change.

Voices Unheard: The Paradox Of Teacher Leaders In Educational Decision-Making, Diane E. Johnson, Kelly Brown

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

This phenomenological study explores how teacher leaders (TLs) perceive the impact and recognition of their voices within a high-performing suburban high school. Despite their pivotal role in shaping instruction and school culture, TLs often feel their insights are undervalued, particularly by district-level administrators. Through in-depth interviews with ten formal and informal TLs, the research reveals a disconnect between TL input and policy implementation, with on-campus administrators more receptive but limited in authority. Findings highlight the importance of collaborative leadership structures, professional capital, and authentic engagement to empower TLs. When TL voices are genuinely integrated into decision-making, schools experience improved teacher …

A Professional Series: Servant Leadr, Jeremy P. Todd

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Jeremy Todd on May 2, 2024.

Understanding Administrators' Perceptions Of Gifted Ell Students, Abigail Eaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Students with gifts and talents are identified in school districts across the nation. However, there is severe underrepresentation of minority groups in gifted education programs, specifically students with ELL backgrounds. This issue is important because students from diverse backgrounds are the fastest growing group of the K-12 population. If the issue is not addressed, many talents will be overlooked and underdeveloped (Peters & Engerrand, 2016). The purpose of this study was to analyze administrators’ perceptions of gifted ELL students.

Participants in this study include six administrators from a small, rural district in Southcentral Kentucky. All of the administrators participated in …

Computer-Based Interactive Project E-Book: A Guide For Genetic 1 Course To Enhance Biology Students’ Cognitive Learning Results, Hikmah Buroidah, Siti Zubaidah, Susriyati Mahanal, Azizul Ghofar Candra Wicaksono

Jurnal Pendidikan: Teori, Penelitian, dan Pengembangan

This study aims to develop a computer-based interactive Genetics project guide e-book to enhance undergraduate biology students’ cognitive learning outcomes. This development was carried out because there had been no available written guidebook for the Genetics project, which resulted in non-optimum project implementation. The content in the e-book consists of a description of material related to Drosophila melanogaster, descriptions and videos of general procedures, PjBL-based learning activities, and quizzes. Lee and Owen’s development model was used in this study which consisted of 4 stages, (1) multimedia need assessment and analysis; (2) multimedia instructional design; (3) multimedia development and implementation; and …

Creating And Sustaining Positive School Climate During Covid-19 Pandemic, Corinne Brion, Bilgen Kiral

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

The researchers used a qualitative design with a descriptive phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of 10 principals in creating and sustaining a positive school climate during COVID-19. The researchers conducted interviews over Zoom from October to December in 2021. The principals have worked in two American states, one Midwestern state and one in the South region of the country. Findings indicated that although the principals knew about school climate, they did not have a complete understanding of the concept. In the present study, it was concluded that a positive school climate is created and sustained with specific leadership skills …

The Relationship Between Introverted Student Behavior And Teacher Perception Of Student Engagement, Megan M. Dubee

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate if a relationship exists between introverted student behavior and teacher perception of student engagement. The purposive sample was composed of high school teachers in the United States. Using the Engagement Rating Scale, teachers scored student engagement across four domains when considering two descriptions of students. One student was described using characteristics of an introvert; teachers then completed an identical version of the scale for a second student who was described using characteristics of an extravert. Independent samples t-tests were used to analysis differences in scores by personality type and revealed …

Menzies School Leadership Incubator: Insights, Adrian Field

Educational leadership

The Menzies School Leadership Incubator (the Incubator) is a national trans-disciplinary initiative to design, test and learn about transformative innovations that will support lasting systems change in Australian schools’ leadership. This review explores the successes, challenges and learning from work in the Incubator to date, from the perspective of a collaborative seeking longstanding systems change. The design of the review is informed by thinking in the innovation literature, principally communities of practice and socio-technical systems theory. This review was undertaken as a rapid exploration of experiences and learning, drawing on interviews with eight individuals from within the Incubator (six interviews) …

Creating The Conditions For Deeper Learning: Leadership Practices For Reframing 21st Century Education Systems, Caryn M. Lewis

All Theses And Dissertations

The convergence of advanced technologies, sociocultural trends and transformative shifts in global industries is accelerating the need for change in the American education system. Research and practice reveal promising developments in pedagogical approaches and a growing movement toward the implementation of deeper learning models. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences and perceptions of superintendents leading dynamic shifts in public education to provide equitable access to deeper learning methodologies. The application of a dual framework supported the development of the study design and allowed for synthesis of the key components impacting system redesign. Data was elicited through semi-structured interviews to …

Illinois 60 By 25 Network Impact Report, Edith Njuguna

Reports, Analyses, and other Publications

No abstract provided.

Teacher Leaders: Transforming Schools From The Inside

Occasional Paper Series

Teacher leadership is "hard." Many of the reasons are obvious: Teaching is a highly labor-intensive profession to begin with, leaving little downtime for work with other adults. School schedules are notoriously stingy with space for adult collaboration. Teachers are rarely paid to exercise leadership; when they are, they are never paid enough. This volume is a modest attempt to restore the issue of teacher leadership to the prominence it deserves and requires. Although there is considerable overlap among the essays, they have been organized loosely into three categories: "mentoring," to address the essential question of teacher helping teacher; "transforming school …

A Case Study On Leadership Identity Development Of Tutors In A Learning Center, Samantha L. Crandall

Dissertations

The effectiveness of a tutor training program is often only measured by student results rather than tutor outcomes (CRLA, 2016). Experiences in college, such as on-campus employment, greatly contribute to the development of students (Savoca, 2016). However, little research exists on the leadership development of tutors (NADE, 2016). Having a better understanding of how tutoring experiences, learning center environments, and leaders of tutor programs influence tutors’ leadership identity development offers the potential to help learning center professionals and other on-campus employers as they design programs to impact employees as future leaders. In this study, leadership identity development of tutors working …

Exploration Of Peer Learning In A Formal Cohort Healthcare Leadership Development Program, Melinda Marie Gruber

Dissertations

Many new and emerging leaders will move into leadership positions in healthcare as experienced leaders retire or move to other positions. These individuals need leadership development that supports them in becoming transformational change leaders. This study explored the topic of peer learning as a leadership development approach in a healthcare setting. The purpose was to better understand the role of peer learning in creating transformational leadership and healthcare change leaders.

This study utilized a qualitative case study approach to explore and understand how peer learning supports leadership development. The study focused on the key learning elements of an 18-month cohort-based …

Becoming A Teacher Leader Within Your Classroom: A Dialogue, Jill Stacy, Nayantara Mhatre

Occasional Paper Series

Describes a spontaneous relationship that has equal measures of mentoring, peer coaching, and teaming.

Emerging Roles For Librarians In The Medical School Curriculum And The Impact On Professional Identity, Anne Linton

Himmelfarb Library Faculty Publications

This article discusses the impact on professional identity for health sciences librarians participating in the curriculum revision and development process. A qualitative survey, designed to examine the current roles, values, and self-identification of health sciences librarians involved in curricular revision, was conducted. The respondents discussed how they had participated in the planning, implementation, and rollout phases of revised curricula. They identified skills and values essential to successful participation and described the impact of expanded professional relationships on new identities as educators, change agents, and problem solvers. The study may add to the knowledge base of skills and attitudes needed for …

Enhanced Participation: Creating Opportunities For Youth Leadership Development, Clara Waloff

Occasional Paper Series

Demonstrates how young people in an arts-based after-school program develop leadership.

Changing Through Laughter With “Laughter For A Change”, Laurel J. Felt, Ed Greenberg

Occasional Paper Series

This paper describes systematic observation, research, and analysis of Laughter for a Change (L4C)’s 2011–2012 after-school improv workshop, revealing the program’s multiple impacts. Our data suggest that improvising creates a “safe space,” a supportive context in which participants feel empowered to take risks and play freely.

A Review Of: The Test: Why Our Schools Are Obsessed With Standardized Testing—But You Don’T Have To Be, Lasisi Ajayi

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This is a review of Anya Kamenetz's book, "The Test: Why our schools are obsessed with standardized testing—but you don’t have to be"

Learning Sustainability Leadership: An Action Research Study Of A Graduate Leadership Course, Heather L. Burns

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study used action research methodology to examine the development of sustainability leadership in a graduate leadership course. The research investigated the impact of this leadership course, which was designed using transformative learning theory with attention to integrating thematic content, multiple and non-dominant perspectives, a participatory process, and a contextual place-based approach. Grounded theory was used to explore if and how students’ understanding of sustainability leadership changed, and the pedagogical strategies that were most influential to their learning. Results revealed that students came to understand sustainability leadership as: the facilitation of a shared process, a process of emergence, and a …

A Case Study Of Teacher Leadership At An Elementary School, Allison Wills

EDL Sixth Year Theses

The purpose of this research study was to explore the status of teacher leadership at one elementary school. With increased attention on accountability for student achievement, educators have begun to look for ways to take the lead in reform efforts. But, little research has been done to identify why particular teachers emerge as leaders. This study explored the philosophies and leadership behaviors of a group of elementary teachers at Center Trail School. Quantitative and qualitative methods of data were collected using three surveys- Philosophy of Education Inventory, Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment, and Teacher Leadership School Survey- and individual interviews. Descriptive statistics …

Military Millennials As Next Generation Leaders: Do Leadership Traits Matter?, Phillip Michael Green

Dissertations

Employers are constantly evaluating individuals to fill leadership roles within their organizations to extract the highest return from their resources and investments. Millennials, born between 1982 and 2000 (Howe and Strauss, 2000), represent the youngest and newest generation entering the workforce. A sub-population of this generation consists of military veterans returning to the United States after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This quantitative study examines the leadership traits of the military Millennials that have transitioned to civilian life and compares this population segment with Millennials without a military background. To compare the two groups of the generational cohort, a …

Editor's Note, Padraig O'Malley

New England Journal of Public Policy

On December 3, 2013, when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, the ranking of the United States as number 27 on the global scoreboard elicited little surprise among teachers, educational professionals, academics, and educational policymakers. The usual platitudes were trotted out—no mention that the United States’ standing was getting any worse, just which other countries were passing us by. We were stuck at a perennial average.

The results are in a sense a metaphor of the slow decline of the United State since the 1970s from a position of …

Discursive Leadership And Conceptual Fluency In Non-Native English Speakers' Online Task-Based Dialogues, Umit Boz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Much research has examined how different patterns of social interaction shape language learners' interactional roles (e.g., collaborative, dominant, passive) in peer-to-peer conversations. However, little or no research has investigated the co-construction of such roles in multiparty, online task-based dialogues within the framework of discursive leadership. For the purpose of this study, discursive leadership is defined as the ability of the interlocutors to (a) shape the discourse via topic introductions and subsequent topic mentions and (b) manage the process of the task through the use of a series of task-oriented speech acts such as directives and assertions. Using a multi-method approach …

Communication Patterns Among Members Of Engineering Global Virtual Teams, Holt Zaugg

Theses and Dissertations

Global virtual (GV) teams provide an opportunity for engineering students to participate in meaningful, cross-cultural learning projects without additional costs of time and money associated with study abroad programs. However, students must learn how to communicate effectively with international team members. Instruction to help students learn which virtual communication technologies to use and how to use them is needed. Training must include cross-cultural training that facilitates team communications and interactions with people from different cultural backgrounds. This study focused on how 10 specialized lessons, Principles of Global Virtual Teams (PGVT), facilitated the communications and interactions of students participating on GV …

Effects Of Personality On Attitudes Toward Academic Group Work, William R. Forrester Jr., Armen Tashchian

Faculty Articles

This study investigated the effects of personality on attitudes toward academic group work among a sample of 225 business students. Data were collected using pre-existing scales for measuring personality and attitudes toward academic group work. Specifically, the Neo-FFI scale was used to measure the five personality dimensions of openness, agreeableness, extroversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism. Regression analysis indicated that extroversion was the best predictor of respondents' attitudes toward academic group work. Individuals with high extroversion scores had positive attitudes toward academic group work. Neuroticism, agreeableness and conscientiousness were also related to respondents' preference for group work and discomfort with group work. …

Standards For School Leadership : A Critical Review Of The Literature, Lawrence Ingvarson, Michelle Anderson, Peter Gronn, Andrew Jackson

Teaching standards and teacher evaluation

This document contains the review of literature, which maps recent and current developments in relation to standards for school leadership, professional learning and purposes for standards, such as professional development and certification, in Australia and overseas. It also provides a brief review of contemporary theory and research on leadership relevant to leadership standards. There is widespread concern about the recruitment, preparation, continuing professional development and recognition of school leaders. Leadership standards are a central component of most proposals for addressing these concerns.

The Leadership Of African American Women Constructing Realities, Shifting Paradigms, Gloria Murphy Gostnell

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to learn more about leadership from the perspectives, norms, and values of a selected group of African American women leaders. I sought to develop a more inclusive view of the realities of leadership, and a better understanding of the impact of the interlocking status of race, gender, and social class on the practice, pursuit, and perceptions of leadership by these women.

This study is grounded in a Black women's standpoint, and places Black women's experiences at the center of analysis. In answer to the question "How do we know the world?," the standpoint …

Problem Solving Ability And Effective Group Behavior Of Introductory Education Students, Gary Lewis Lord

All Master's Theses

The need to understand group processes in the classroom and to use them to develop more effective learning is growing among educators. The group and its dynamics comprise significant conditions for learning and work either for or against the individual's development. One of the most significant learning developmental characteristics that is readily influenced by group variables is the individual's ability to solve problems. Not only is problem solving ability influenced by group variables, but it is through group process methods that this ability is most effectively learned. Thus, problem solving is believed to be a social skill. That group variables …

An Evaluation Of The Performance Of Latter-Day Saint Seminary Coordinators As Instructional Supervisors, U. Carlisle Hunsaker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the present practices and procedures of the seminary coordinators in their role as teacher supervisors and to make recommendations based upon standards established by authorities in the field of supervision.