Digital Commons Network^™

The Cultural Dimension Of Structural School Reforms: The Case Of Schedule Changes, Maylen Sullivan

Dissertations

The four-by-four (4x4) schedule—a type of high school block schedule—presents promising prospects for improving teaching and learning. Using a qualitative, single case study methodology, I investigated a school transitioning from a traditional six-period schedule to a 4x4 schedule during its 2nd and 3rd year of implementation. The study aimed to understand the factors that influenced the transition, the stakeholders’ responses to the decision, and the factors that influenced their responses. Some of the main considerations that motivated the decision included the desire to provide more opportunities within the school day for students to meet A/G college eligibility requirements, allow students …

Understanding Ethical Leadership In Intelligence: Themes In Accountability, Self-Development, And Communication Among Cia Leaders, Caroline Walsh

Dissertations

This dissertation elucidates the concept of ethical leadership within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Based on interviews with ten former senior-level officers from across different departments, the study analyzes how these leaders understand issues of accountability, self-development, and communication. The research also provides insights into their processes of sense-making and their methodologies for fostering ethical conduct amidst the complexities of intelligence operations.

Against the backdrop of the CIA's mission, structure, and norms, the study sheds light on the challenges and tensions inherent in the organization's operations. Through a thematic analysis of participant narratives, themes of moral cognition, personal values, and …

Intercultural Perspectives On Managing Organizational Change In Response To Government Policy Reform: A Case Study On The Leadership Of New Oriental Education, Yihe Yang

Dissertations

In 2021, a policy aimed at addressing educational inequality triggered a significant upheaval in the private tutoring sector of China by fundamentally transforming prevailing business models and financial viability within the industry. New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (New Oriental Education), one of the preeminent private tutoring enterprises in China, attracted considerable attention for its subsequent organizational change. This study explored the leadership dynamics and organizational change efforts implemented by New Oriental after the policy enactment.

The theoretical framework synthesized organizational change theory, organizational culture, and transformative leadership approaches from both Western and Chinese perspectives. It elucidated effective practices …

Who We Are Is How We Lead: Storytelling As An Intervention In A Manager Development Program, Brittany Grieb

Dissertations

Leadership development programs (LDPs) have long been recognized as a means for organizations to develop their leaders, yet studies on their efficacy or use of creative interventions are limited. Despite the plethora of leadership studies that exist today, research is still seeking to answer the question: what is the best way to develop leaders? This qualitative study sought to investigate how storytelling can be used as an intervention for leadership development in a manager development program (MDP), an LDP for entry-level to midlevel managers at a biotechnology corporation. Using storytelling as an Indigenous model for knowledge cocreation as a framework, …

Convergence And Divergence: Comparative Analysis Of Procedural Rule Changes Of The Hong Kong And Singapore International Arbitration Centers Within The Framework Of Neo-Institutional Theory, Phillip Hoang Tran

Dissertations

International commercial arbitration (ICA) plays an essential role in resolving disputes between companies engaged in complex, cross-border business transactions. It offers an efficient, neutral, and enforceable mechanism for resolving disputes across different legal and cultural backgrounds. ICA is generally conducted at international arbitration centers located throughout the world. According to the extant literature, there is convergence of procedural rules among these centers. Sabharwal and Zaman (2014), for example, claim increasing convergence of procedural rules among all the major arbitration centers. Similarly, Sharma (2021) proposes that this convergence helps build the international arbitration system. However, there is a near absence of …

Vital Voices From The Digital Divide: Testimonies Of African American Women Leadership Across Tech, Vinsche' Gray

Dissertations

Many organizations seek to highlight diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, but African American women are still significantly underrepresented in leadership roles within the workplace (McKinsey, 2023). Within the technology (i.e., tech) space, there is concern regarding the inclusivity of African American women in leadership positions. A hostile and unsupportive environment raises concern for the future of African American women being able to attain key leadership roles. (McGee, 2018).

This study explored multifaceted experiences of eight African American women leaders in for-profit tech organizations. Black feminist thought and organizational culture and belonging were conceptual frameworks that shed light on the persistent …

Ripple Of Hope: Understanding The Lived Experience And Academic Achievement Of Latinx Students At Arrupe College And Dougherty Family College: A Case Study, Richard P. Virgin

Dissertations

One of the most common and important entry points into higher education for Latinx and other underrepresented students is through community college. However, national completion rates for Latinx community college students have been trailing their white peers. This gap in academic achievement has prevailed since the 1990s. The trailing rates of degree completion for Latinx students can lead to lower lifetime salary earnings, lack of career advancement, greater risk of losing employment, and an increased chance of living in poverty. However, a successful community college model may be seen as a disruptor in the educational sector due to its much …

Borderland Voices: Exploring The Educational Journey Of Transfronterizx Students, Families, And Educators For Enhanced Engagement And Empowerment, Sobeida Velazquez

Dissertations

Transfronterizx students and their families cross the U.S.–Mexico border for academic, economic, social, cultural, and linguistic reasons. Socioeconomic disparities, deportation, and work have propelled some families to live in Mexico and enroll their U.S.-born children in U.S. schools to provide more socioeconomic opportunities in the United States. Educators of transfronterizx students are uniquely tasked to work with these nontraditional students. Moreover, transfronterizx students and their families have distinct needs in U.S. schools; as such, there is a need for further research on the transfronterizx experience in the U.S. K–12 system. This qualitative narrative inquiry study aimed to understand the experiences …

Navigating The Bow Wave Of Change: The Felt Experience Of Belonging To The United States Naval Academy's First Gender-Integrated Class, Peter Shaner

Dissertations

On July 6, 1976 the United States Naval Academy (USNA) admitted its first-ever gender-integrated class. I was a member of that class, along with 81 female classmates who entered USNA with the class of 1980 (USNA ‘80). Those classmates were pioneers, though few of them realized at the time just how long and how hard their journey would be. The numerous challenges faced by USNA ‘80 on their journey through the Academy have been well documented (Gelfand, 2008). But there has been far less research on the lived experience of that pioneering class. This study fills a gap between historical …

Leadership And Teacher Agency For Inclusive Classrooms: Insights About Integrating Students With Disabilities Into Inclusive Classrooms From Teachers And School Leaders In Three International Schools, Chad Wood

Dissertations

As international schools continue to flourish, they must consider how to be inclusive and meet the needs not only of multicultural populations of students, but also the needs of students with diagnosed learning difficulties (i.e., students with special needs). Promoting teacher agency is a potentially important component in successfully implementing inclusive practices given that teachers are key actors in the implementation process. Currently, however, there is limited empirical evidence regarding the interconnectedness of teacher agency and inclusion of special needs populations in international schools.

This qualitative research explores the role of school leaders in promoting teacher agency to support the …

Black School Leader Truth: How Black School Leader Epistemology Influences Liberatory Mindset Development In Their Staff, Orpheus Williams

Dissertations

Black students in the United States have consistently been denied access to empowering, culturally affirming, and responsive learning experiences in the traditional public system. The epistemological and pedagogical beliefs embedded in a liberatory mindset can subvert this pattern of disempowerment (Shujaa, 1998). Black school leaders (BSLs) who understand the systemic and institutional pressures Black children may face and have to overcome, having undergone similarly racialized experiences in school, are uniquely placed to create liberatory spaces for Black students by recruiting and developing these liberatory mindsets in their staff. This instrumental case study used qualitative research methods of front-porch pedagogy (McTighe …

Movin’ On Up: The Lived Experience Of Women Of Color In Leadership And The Supports That Helped Them Make It To The Top, Rozina Kapadia

Dissertations

Purpose: The number of women of color in leadership continues to be significantly lower than the number of men. The lack of opportunity combined with the lack of support results in less women of color in leadership. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of women of color in their roles as leaders in corporate environments with respect to the support (personal supports, organizational supports, cultural supports, and stereotypical supports) received. Specifically, the research examined the stories of female leaders of color to understand how their experiences have supported or hindered their growth in leadership. …

A Phenomenological Study On The Perceived Impact Of Bass's Four I'S Of Transformational Leadership, Yarissa Marn

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe World of Warcraft game leaders’ perceptions of the impact on their guilds regarding Bass’s 4 I’s of transformational leadership.

Methodology: This qualitative study interviewed 13 World of Warcraft game leaders who have led their guild members for at least one year. The main source of data collection was semi-structured open-ended interview questions with other resources to include artifacts. The researcher coded and analyzed data for themes and patterns.

Findings: Several domains of Bass’s Four I’s Transformational Leadership framework were found to have an impact on World of Warcraft …

The Use Of Personal Disruption Strategies By Female Executive Ministry Leaders For Career Advancement, Neko Green

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods research study was to identify and describe the perceived impact of Johnson and Mohr’s (2019) five disruptive career skills on females in church executive leadership.

Methodology: This mixed methods study highlighted eight women in executive ministry positions in the United States and the impact that disruptive behaviors had on their advancement to executive leadership positions.

Findings: Analysis of the mixed methods data from the eight female ministry executives revealed that females found it difficult to challenge authority in ministry. They understood preparing and the benefit of improvisation. They were humble in self-promotion …

One Tiger, Many Lions: Uneven Adoption Of China's Political And Economic Investment Among Democracies In Sub-Saharan Africa, Tommy Callan

Dissertations

This dissertation examines how unique qualities of democracies in Sub-Saharan Africa and their foreign policy decision making processes affect their ability to exercise state agency. Specifically, democratic qualities affect a state’s receipt of investment from China and how well those investment projects fare once accepted. It is hypothesized that a strong executive branch leads to decreased or inconsistent Chinese investment while a strong legislature may have the opposite effect. A strong executive may also lead to an increased chance of project success while a strong legislature may have the opposite effect. High levels of party contestation may lead to decreased …

A Comparison Of Emotional Intelligence And Resilience Between Bachelor's Degree And Associate Degree Nursing Students, Natalie Board

Dissertations

Emotional intelligence and resilience are essential proficiencies critical for nurses to deliver safe and quality patient care. In the healthcare industry, nurses are exposed to numerous complex circumstances in demanding and high-stress environments. The quality of patient care a nurse can deliver depends on one's capacity to handle certain situations effectively. Emotional intelligence and resilience were potentially important variables in improving clinical practices and patient outcomes (Cleary et al., 2018). With the nursing shortage in the US, all nurses became necessary and required on the front lines of patient care during this time of dire need, regardless of their levels …

Pain Interference In Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: Examining A Resilience Model Of Dispositional Optimism, Coping Responses, And Mind-Body Practices, Trey Heffernan

Dissertations

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is the leading cause of disability in the United States. Pain interference, or the ways chronic pain negatively interferes with everyday life, is the biggest problem impacting individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although previous research has targeted risk factors associated with poor health outcomes, the adaptive functioning of some patients with chronic pain highlights a need for research investigating resilience factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between resilience factors of optimism, coping responses, and mind-body practices on pain interference for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Specifically, the resilience model …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Suicidal Ideation Among Thai Women, Raya T. Albataineh

Dissertations

According to a Thai Public Health Ministry spokesman, more than 300 Thai individuals commit complete suicide per month, making Thailand the nation with the third-most suicides in the world. Despite the high rates of suicidal ideation in Thai adult women, the predictors associated with suicidal ideation rates are still unknown. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine those predictors, specifically the extent to which quality of life, intimate partner violence, social support, employment status, partnership status, and parenthood status predict suicidal ideation in this population.

Phenomenological Research Examining Administrators And Special Education Teachers' Perception, Experience & Knowledge Of The Mississippi Special Education Growth Rubric, Tricia Pittman

Dissertations

In the current era of accountability, public school administrators’ responsibilities may include evaluating special education teachers and providing them with feedback and support to improve their effectiveness. The problem that exists is that administrators who do not have a background in special education are charged with the responsibility of evaluating special education teachers, resulting in special education teachers not getting the support or feedback necessary to improve their instructional practice.

In addition to administrators not having the background knowledge necessary to effectively evaluate and support special education teachers, the problem of developing an effective evaluation model to evaluate special education …

Finding Focus: Authentic Inquiry And Composition In The Third Space, Noah Brewer

Dissertations

This research seeks to better understand the attitudes and dispositions of advanced-level English Language Arts students toward the activities of academic research and writing, and to explore the ways that critical pedagogies focused on authentic inquiry and composition interact with these attitudes. The project draws upon research in student motivation, sociocultural definitions of literacy, and theories of hybrid identity in order to discover the potential impact of engaging students in critical reflection on their own meaning-making practices, and of curricular and pedagogical choices aimed at making the lessons of the classroom more relevant to the demands of real-world literacy practices …

A Phenomenographical Study Of One School’S Efforts To Improve Student Reading Skills And Parent Literacy Support, Karey L. Williams

Dissertations

Providing early literacy training for children is a vital part of establishing the foundation for the learning they will do for the rest of their lives, so it is important that we do the right work from the start. Unfortunately, too many children are still reading below grade level by third grade, and instead of reading to learn new materials, they are still trying to learn to read. At Van Buren Elementary School, there are many challenges for students and teachers. The school’s Free and Reduced lunch rate is over 86%, the students receiving English to Speakers of Other Languages …

Thoughts, Conflicts, And Feelings Of Ela Teachers’ Experiences During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Matthew Osborn

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many complications and challenges for educators. There is a need to document and describe teacher experiences during this time to determine common themes that may inform future educational practice. This study utilized narrative inquiry to examine the lived experiences of five secondary ELA teachers during the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three themes concerning how teachers perceived their students, work demands, and self were identified through several rounds of coding and thematic analysis. The findings and conclusions of this study contribute to developing a shared understanding of what happened in secondary education during the various …

The Value Of Mentorship For Black Ballerinas, Anna Dunn

Dissertations

Much research has been done in other fields about the relationship of gender and race to the success of mentors to increase student confidence to pursue additional training or a career in certain fields. The purpose of this study was to articulate formally the importance of the relationship between Black ballet students and a mentor who has lived a similar life experience, having navigated the ballet industry as a Black ballerina. This research sought to answer the questions of what value do Black ballet students perceive in having a Black ballerina as a mentor and how white ballet teachers can …

Promoting Civic Engagement And Knowledge Amongst Middle School Adolescents Through Simulation Based Teaching Models, Karrie Palmer

Dissertations

Public schools, and education in general, were founded on the principles of preparing young people to participate in civic life as active and informed citizens. Yet, civic competency scores are consistently low and demonstrate that students are not prepared for the civic engagement required of them when they leave school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental mixed methods study is to determine if participation in simulations and utilizing experiential learning theory while teaching the government standards will lead to a greater understanding of civics, and a positive improvement in students’ beliefs and values regarding civic engagement beyond the classroom. While the …

Thinking Outside The Box: Exploring The Instructional Conversations Model Beyond English Language Learners Into Gifted Learners, Terri Thornton

Dissertations

Gifted students, characterized by exceptional intellectual abilities and unique learning needs, often find themselves navigating an educational landscape that may not fully cater to their specific requirements. Traditional teaching methods may fall short of engaging and challenging these students to realize their full potential. This dissertation delves into the efficacy of instructional conversations as an innovative pedagogical approach tailored to the distinctive learning profiles of gifted students. Through a comprehensive examination of relevant literature, theoretical frameworks, and empirical evidence, this study seeks to illuminate the impact of instructional conversations on the academic, social, and emotional development of gifted learners.

The …

Business Students’ Perceptions Of The Influence Of Career, Technical, And Agricultural Education (Ctae) On Career Readiness And Graduation Outcomes, Spencer T. Fortson Jr

Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to identify and analyze the perceptions of business students on the influence of CTAE programs on career readiness and graduation outcomes. The study adopted a phenomenological approach to explore how and why students develop their perceptions of CTAE. Notably, the study explored how business students perceive the programs and their roles in promoting career readiness and graduation outcomes and provide recommendations to improve student engagement and interest in CTAE programs. The study was conducted in a large high school in Georgia among a diverse population – regarding gender, race, and socioeconomic status – of students. Notably, …

Teacher Initiated Collaboration In Community: A Case Study Considering Communities Of Practice At A Title I Middle School, Katherine Stewart

Dissertations

This qualitative case study investigates how faculty members in a Title I middle school engage in collaborative practices to enhance professional growth without formal professional learning. Framed within a descriptive lens (Merriam, 1998) and informed by Brown and Duguid's Community of Practice (CoP) framework (1991), the study addresses two research questions: (1) How do teachers collaborate to improve their practice outside formal professional learning? (2) In what ways do these methods reflect the elements of CoP: working, learning, and innovating? Through data analysis, the study reveals that teachers predominantly collaborate on student behavior and classroom management, with curriculum being a …

Evaluating The Need For Professional Learning That Highlights Proficient Teaching Strategies For Students With Autism In The Elementary Environment, Allison Norman

Dissertations

There is an increase in the identification of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the country. There is also an emphasis on inclusion within the classrooms in the country. This qualitative study addresses the need for teachers to grasp more knowledge about Autism so that they can help children with autism have better access to the general education curriculum and increase support for success in the classroom. Through an action research project, this study aimed to gauge elementary school teachers' existing knowledge about Autism and identify areas where they desired further education. The study involved surveying teachers to understand …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Technology Professional Development And Implementation In An Urban Middle School: A Case Study, Valeria Williams

Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on understanding teachers’ perceptions of technology-based professional development sessions and the impact of technology requirements on their decisions to remain in or exit the teaching profession. The study involved seven middle school teachers with varying teaching experience and technology backgrounds. Participants shared their insights through journals, interviews, and document notes, which were then organized into themes reflecting their responses to the research questions.

The findings revealed key themes such as the structure and availability of professional learning sessions, facilitators’ positive impact, teachers’ emotions during and after training, optional learning strategies, and how these factors influence …

A Correlational Study Of The Relationship Of Nurses' Pain Assessment And Patients' History Of Substance Abuse, Valerie A. Esposito Kubanick

Dissertations

Patients experience physical pain for a myriad of reasons. The patients' expression of pain is often difficult to quantify and treat based on individuality of the patients and the viewpoint of the nurses. Therefore, the treatment of pain can become discounted or marginalized, especially in patients who use alcohol or drugs. The use of opioids is the gold standard for pain management, but current administering trends are to use less, or to use non-opioid treatments for fear of patient dependency. There is also an opioid epidemic and patients are sometimes categorized into this unfortunate situation as a precaution. Nevertheless, pain …