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The Leadership Of C.S. Lewis: Ten Traits To Encourage Change And Growth By Crystal Hurd, Mark-Elliot Finley

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

No abstract provided.

The Transformational Leader In Nursing Practice – An Approach To Retain Nursing Staff, Anita C. Reinhardt, Teresa G. Leon, Linda Ochart Summers

Administrative Issues Journal

Transformational leaders have been shown to influence positive work environments and support the retention of nursing staff. While exemplars have been found in upper-level management, the implementation of these characteristics in unit-based leaders is less explained. The elements of the transformational leader on followers and the organization—individual consideration, individual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and idealized influence—can engage nursing staff to remain in an organization which will promote positive patient outcomes. This article will review the elements of the transformational leader and share two exemplars of the transformational metanarrative as demonstrated in nursing care units. Both exemplars demonstrate how the transformational leader …

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions Of Preparedness And Self-Efficacy In Instructing Students From Diverse Cultural And Linguistic Backgrounds, Babafunso Adegbola

Administrative Issues Journal

This study aims to determine a connection between the pre-service teachers’ perception of preparedness and their self-efficacy in instructing students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The researcher was guided by three research questions: 1) What are pre-service teachers' perceptions of their abilities to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students? 2) To what degree do pre-service teachers believe their teacher education program prepared them to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students? 3) To what extent do pre-service teachers' self-efficacy influence culturally and linguistically diverse students?

Participants were pre-service teachers (education undergraduates in their last year or last semester of graduation), …

Gender Difference In Stem Career Aspiration And Social-Cognitive Factors In Collectivist And Individualist Cultures, Wei-Cheng Mau, Shr-Jya Chen, Jiaqi Li, Emily Johnson

Administrative Issues Journal

Gender equity in STEM demands that girls and women are provided with learning experiences, opportunities, and resources that meet their educational and vocational goals. This study examined gender difference in STEM learning experience, parental involvement, and self-efficacy to predict STEM career aspiration of different sociocultural groups. Two independent samples of high school students, one recruited from a collectivist culture (Taiwanese sample, N = 590) and the other recruited randomly from an individualist culture (American sample, N = 590), were used to examine the differences. Findings suggested a greater gender difference in STEM learning experience, parental involvement, and STEM self-efficacy of …

A Deductive, Participative, And Iterative Process: A Case Study In Curricular Review, Elizabeth Rozell, Jenifer Roberts, Cathy Starr, Sandy Bailey

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper focuses on a deductive, participative, and iterative process for curricular revision at a public Midwestern university in the Merchandising and Fashion Design program. A systematic, nonlinear, organized process is presented and details specific components used in curricular review. The guiding framework for the redesign was that of Garner and Buckley (1988). That is, feedback was solicited and incorporated from educators, students, and employers. In each of the two-year process, the program was viewed as a whole, with input from faculty at every step, and also viewed from a micro-perspective by examining each course individually. The process included peer …

Mastering Critical Thinking Competencies In Online Graduate Classes, Douglas Hermond, Tyrone Tanner

Administrative Issues Journal

Many colleges of education have embraced online course delivery as an expeditious means of delivering graduate programs. It behooves us to ensure that this delivery method does not compromise our ability to provide these students with necessary critical thinking competencies. This research was designed to determine the degree to which participants in online graduate courses value critical thinking and the degree to which they developed these skills. The results indicated that students both valued understanding, judgment, caution/skepticism, originality, and reflection/action, and developed them in their online classes. The implications confirm that online platforms allow for the development of critical thinking …

Protect Students’ Educational Futures Through Social Capital Opportunities In Sport And Non - Sport Extracurricular Activities, Roxanne Long

Administrative Issues Journal

his study provides empirical support that extracurricular participation correlates positively and significantly to future education, both directly and indirectly. However, which type of extracurriculars are best for students in their pursuit of higher education, sport or non - sport activities? Rooted in Social Capital Theory, the present study focuses on which type of participation provides the best capacity to acquire social capital that correlates to gains in higher education. Structural equation modeling was used with a representative, longitudinal sample of 5,239 ninth through twelfth graders. Total effects reveal that mixed participation (at least one sport and one non - sport …

Teacher Hiring: The Disconnect Between Research Based Best Practice And Processes Used By School Principals, Laurie Kimbrel

Administrative Issues Journal

Student success is dependent on teacher quality; therefore, it is imperative that principals hire the teachers most likely to experience success as measured by the impact on student outcomes. This study investigated teacher hiring processes to determine the extent to which practices that are supported by selection science and teacher quality research are utilized by school principals. Data were gathered using a survey e-mailed to principals in ten states in the southern and western regions of the United States. Analysis indicated that principals do not use consistent processes and vary the hiring approach based on their opinion of conditions. Principals …

Attaining Philosophical Alignment: Localizing Systemic Change Through Adaptive Professional Development, Laura B. Kent

Administrative Issues Journal

This article describes the impact of an adaptive professional development program for K-8 mathematics teachers to enhance their implementation of standards that were streamlined to promote improved student learning and achievement. Students from the participating district scored higher than the state average and a neighboring district during the three years of implementation. Survey data showed growth in teacher enactment of dynamic problem-posing lessons during the three years of professional development. Peer classroom observations and shared reviews of student work samples were considered pivotal to teachers changing their instructional practices.

Tenure Clock Policy Transparency For Biological Clock (Family Friendly) Events, Michelle Mceacharn, Katherine Boswell, Kriti Chauhan, Sarah O. Siereveld

Administrative Issues Journal

The intention of this study is to investigate the transparency of information on university websites regarding the policies in place related to leave and/or tenure clock extensions for child-related events such as childbirth, adoption, or placement of a foster child. The main purpose is to improve awareness about the policies existing in academia related to these events. The secondary purpose is to determine whether major institutional characteristics affect the family-friendly policies of these institutions. Nearly 80% of the institutions studied communicated some type of information on their website related to tenure clock extension policies. An analysis of the data from …

Executive Recruitment Triads From An Agency Theory Perspective, Carlos Miguel Baldo, Ramon Valle, Miguel Olivas-Lujan

Administrative Issues Journal

The relationships between clients, headhunters, and candidates during the executive search process has not been researched using agency theory as the theoretical framework. This is puzzling, as the existence of common objectives and information asymmetries between these three parties make agency theory an ideal one to explain the interactions between them. We addressed this gap by developing six testable propositions for researchers. Practitioners may also benefit from the study as understanding the human assumptions in the process of executive recruitment may help increase the chances of achieving positive outcomes.

A Review Of Some Diverse Models Of Summer Bridge Programs For First-Generation And At-Risk College Students, Berverlyn Grace-Odeleye, Jessica Santiago

Administrative Issues Journal

Many colleges are pursuing innovative alternative approaches for the development of education I that aims to accelerate students’ progress in gaining important academic competencies. Summer bridge programs are one such approach. These bridge programs offer underprepared and at-risk students the opportunity to advance toward college-level coursework during the summer before their freshman year. These summer bridge programs have grown increasingly popular, as a strategy for providing students with the foundational college courses, knowledge and skills required for college success. Many integrated programmatic approaches and resources have been developed to address this issue, including general education freshman courses in reading, writing, …

Not Too Small To Be Strategic: The State Of Academic Program Review Guidelines And Instrumentation In Public Institutions, Veronica F. Mcgowan

Administrative Issues Journal

In higher educational settings, the academic program review process allows academic units to solicit feedback, make data-driven decisions regarding effectiveness and sustainability, and report to stakeholders. In order to discover trends and best practices in the current state of academic program review in higher education, examined was a sample of 53 processes representing a range of small-to-large public institutions in the United States in the categories of associate-degree granting, bachelors-degree granting, and masters-degree granting. Using a content analysis methodology, outcomes assessment and the use of data results featured prominently with 86.7% of the sample requiring their incorporation in academic program …

The Accounting Doctoral Shortage: Accounting Faculty Opinions On Hiring Jd-Cpas As Accounting Educators, Ramsey L. Cardwell, Ronald O. Cardwell, J.T. Norris, Michael P. Forrest

Administrative Issues Journal

Objectives: Prior studies have noted that the number of PhDs in accounting are far below the number needed to meet program hiring needs. This paper reviews how the JD-CPA alternative credential is viewed by three academic accreditation bodies (SACS, ACBSP, and AACSB), the American Bar Association (ABA), and current accounting faculty at SACS-accredited institutions of higher education. Methods: An online survey was distributed to accounting educators at 439 institutions accredited by SACS, with 248 complete responses received. Individual demographics and institutional information were summarized statistically. Responses to two questions assessing inclination to hire an otherwise-qualified JD-CPA candidate using …

Using Curriculum Mapping And Visualization To Maximize Effective Change, Kelli Schutte, Chris Mccullick, David Line

Administrative Issues Journal

This paper shares the process of developing a fully integrated assessment framework and model for a mapping curriculum. The foundational aspects of this model are the development of layered outcomes that occur at each level of the curriculum and the linking of courses together to ensure building blocks that are progressive within a program. The presented framework not only measures this integrated nature but also allows for assessment that is both summative and formative. A view of the different aspects of curriculum application—from knowledge building, application of knowledge, and transferability of knowledge to new contexts—is a focus of the course …

Examining The Relationship Of Textbooks And Labs On Student Achievement In Eighth Grade Science, Don Jones, Marie-Ann Mundy, Lavonne Fedynich, Anacita Sugalan

Administrative Issues Journal

One of the most important objectives of teachers, parents, school administrators, and students is to improve student scores on standardized tests, such as the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) in eighth-grade science. This quasi-experimental study examined the science achievement scores between schools that used different textbooks and labs when delivering instruction. This study utilized a quantitative approach, using archival data and survey design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression were used to analyze the data while controlling STAAR eighth-grade reading scores to reveal significant differences between classes. The sample and population for this study were predominantly …

"This Doesn't Happen Here": Child Sex Trafficking In Rural Oklahoma, Denise Blum, Tania Benoiton, Sean Kinder

Administrative Issues Journal

The sex trafficking of minors is a hard-to-detect and underreported crime. Its insidiousness makes it exceedingly difficult to recognize, and treatment, once a victim is recovered, is long-term and costly. Urban areas are in the spotlight when it comes to the trafficking of minors. However, the unsuspecting rural context consists of specific dynamics that may make children in the countryside more vulnerable than in the city. Using the case of an Oklahoma town, the researchers conducted a presentation on child sex trafficking for school personnel at a K-8 rural school. They administered pre- and post-surveys and conducted follow-up interviews with …

State Of Practice In Accessible Instructional Material Policy In Public Post-Secondary Settings, Veronica Mcgowan

Administrative Issues Journal

For many students, easy access to instructional materials is an expectation of course enrollment. However, for students with disabilities, obtaining instructional materials may involve hurdles such as transcription, captioning, and requesting a braille or large-print version. In order to explore themes related to accessibility and services for students with disabilities, the goal of this study was to examine the similarities and differences between publicly communicated policies related to accessible instructional materials in public post-secondary educational settings. To that end, this study consists of website-provided accessible instructional materials policy of 60 higher educational institutions, representing five American geographic areas and four …

Universities Can Learn Too: Extracting The Value Stram From Small-Dollar Transactions, Richard J. Palmer, Mahendra Gupta, James Brandt

Administrative Issues Journal

Based on survey responses of 350 colleges and universities in North America in 2017, we find that the majority of benefits from purchasing card use are falling to a minority of card-using educational institutions. This study examines the extent to which p-card programs at colleges and universities in North America “fail to launch,” and presents an outline for program selfassessment, identifies common obstacles in implementing a successful p-card program, and provides a roadmap to rehabilitate a languishing p-card program.

The Relationship Of Academic Indicators And Professional Disposition To Teaching Skills: A Secondary Data Analysis, Justin J. Wageman, Sarah K. Anderson, Stacy Duffield, James Nyachwaya

Administrative Issues Journal

This study compared teaching skill evaluations and professional disposition evaluations for candidates accepted and denied admission to an educator preparation program based upon GPA and testing requirements. The study sought to determine the relationship between academic and non-academic indicators and teaching skills. The data revealed academic indicators of GPA and test scores do not relate to teaching skills. A correlation was found between non-academic indicators, professional dispositions, and the teaching skills evaluation score. The results suggest professional dispositions may be a stronger indicator of success for admission to educator preparation programs and future licensure than GPA and test scores.

Ready For Action: Developing Classroom Teams To Prepare Students For The Business World, Bradley Wesner, Ashly Smith, Traci Austin

Administrative Issues Journal

The ability to work in teams is one of the most highly valued professional skills. Preparing students to operate effectively in workplace teams, therefore, is naturally a priority for business and management faculty. Managing course-based teams, however, can be a challenging and complicated process for many instructors. This article offers instructors practical solutions to those challenges. After a brief review of relevant literature on workplace and course-based teams, the authors provide the results of a survey of 207 current undergraduate business students conducted in the fall of 2015 in which the authors sought to determine: (1) the factors that influence …

A Cloud Of Witnesses: External Mediation In Frodo’S Journey To Rivendell And Beyond, Carl P. Olson

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

Applies Rene Girard’s mimetic theory to a study of Frodo’s motivations and role models in the early phases of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s incorporation of extensive background material deepens our understanding of his main characters, most of all his central hero, Frodo. Commonly described as “role-models,” external mediators work to pacify relations in a community, and act to endow individuals with meaning, purpose, and direction they otherwise would not have. By the imitation of role-models, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry become real to Tolkien’s readers by comparison and contrast to Bilbo Baggins, Gildor and his high elves, …

School Board Governance In Changing Times: A School’S Transition To Policy Governance, Katherine Curry, Sean Kinder, Tania Benoiton, Jessica Noonan

Administrative Issues Journal

The expansion of the school choice movement and greater flexibility allowed by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) means that education governance is emerging as an important issue for school effectiveness. This longitudinal case study sought to gain an understanding of the implementation of a new governance structure, Policy Governance, in a private, independent school with deeply entrenched culture and patterns of behavior. Findings suggest an immediate positive influence on leadership and culture in the district, including a “trickle down” effect on shared leadership. However, challenges to sustainability indicate that even strict adherence to the model, unanimous support among board members, …

Enhancing The Cultural Competency Of Prospective Leaders Via A Study Abroad Experience, Douglas Hermond, Mathias R. Vairez, Jr., Tyrone Tanner

Administrative Issues Journal

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether an experiential learning opportunity, specifically a study tour experience, would improve the cultural intelligence of prospective educational leaders and would challenge them to expand their own cultural understanding and behavior. Several prospective leaders who enrolled in a graduate program in Educational Leadership volunteered to attend a study abroad program that was intended, in part, to enhance their cultural competence. They were then asked to complete a survey that measured the four domains of cultural intelligence, namely metacognition, cognition, motivation and behavior. They were also asked to respond to prompts about how …

Developing The Capacity Of Culturally Competent Leaders To Redress Inequitable Outcomes: Increasing Opportunities For Historically Marginalized Students, Sheri Williams

Administrative Issues Journal

Objective: This study investigated the practices and impact of interdisciplinary faculty at a flagship university in the American Southwest who were engaged in the process of redesigning curriculum in order to center candidates on what they need to know and do as culturally competent school leaders.

Method: Participants were 31 interdisciplinary faculty involved in preparing candidates for leadership in early childhood and elementary and secondary education, in diverse contexts including high need and Native American-serving schools. The qualitative study utilized document analysis of faculty’s multi-year work in developing the capacity of candidates to increase opportunities for historically marginalized students. An …

How Managers Use The Stockdale Paradox To Balance “The Now And The Next”, C. W. Von Bergen, Martin S. Bressler

Administrative Issues Journal

Recent discussions of leadership paradoxes have suggested that managers who can hold seemingly opposed, yet interrelated perspectives, are more adaptive and effective. One such paradox that has received relatively little attention is the “Stockdale Paradox,” named after Admiral James Stockdale, an American naval officer who was held captive for seven and one-half years during the Vietnam War and survived imprisonment in large part because he held beliefs of optimism about the future, while simultaneously acknowledging the current reality of the desperate situation in which he found himself. This contradictory tension enabled him and his followers to emerge from their situation …

Letter From The Editor, Amanda Evert

Administrative Issues Journal

The Winter 2017 issue of the AIJ begins with an invited article on the evolution of a bridge-to-college program at Idaho State University.

Invited Article: Bridging The Gap – Supporting The Transition From High School To College, Julie A. Frischmann, Kelly S. Moor

Administrative Issues Journal

Idaho State University’s Bengal Bridge is a summer program designed to help students successfully transition from high school to their first year of college at Idaho State University. All Bridge students at ISU take two general education courses, plus an additional credit of supplemental instruction focused on academic strategies specific to the disciplines represented by those general education courses, as well as a First Year Transition (ACAD) course to facilitate engagement with and acculturation to the university community—a total of nine to 10 credits in just seven weeks. Bridge students are also supported by one-to-one academic coaching, supplemental tutoring, peer …

Classical Literature Gives Life To Business Paradox And Systems Integration, Robert A. Page, Samuel K. Andoh, Robert A. Smith

Administrative Issues Journal

Professors bemoan the great difficulty students have understanding the complexity of their disciplines or functional specializations. Many non-traditional students have work and family commitments that limit the time needed to reflect professionally and to master these concepts. This disconnect has persisted despite decades of work developing more integrated, interdisciplinary curricula. One potential, partial solution is to simply start sooner and partner with liberal arts courses to introduce business students to complexity and paradox before they arrive at the business school. Grounding these concepts in the Classics embeds them in great stories of passion, betrayal, commitment, and emotion normally absent in …

Authentic Leadership—Is It More Than Emotional Intelligence?, Phyllis Duncan, Mark Green, Esther Gergen, Wenonah Ecung

Administrative Issues Journal

One of the newest theories to gain widespread interest is authentic leadership. Part of the rationale for developing a model and subsequent instrument to measure authentic leadership was a concern that the more popular theory, the full range model of leadership and its instrument, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Bass & Avolio, 1985), did not sufficiently emphasize aspects of leader emotional intelligence (EI), such as self-awareness (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).

In its current configuration, the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) (Walumba, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing & Peterson, 2008) measures four dimensions of leadership: relational transparency, internal moral perspective, balanced processing, and self-awareness. …