Digital Commons Network^™

Building An Affirmative Lgbtq+ Leadership Paradigm: An Autoethnography., Joshua D. Covington

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study is an autoethnography written in the form of layered accounts with a theoretical framework of queer theory. It was based on my journey as an LGBTQ+ individual and educational leader. The purpose of this study was to utilize my experiences as an LGBTQ+ educational leader to investigate the conditions that supported and limited my self-efficacy as an LGBTQ+ educational leader. Furthermore, this study investigated what things my experiences could teach us about building an affirmative LGBTQ+ leadership paradigm. My autoethnography was written as three significant stages of my life. The first stage was my experience with education as …

Covid-19'S Impact On School Principals' Self-Efficacy As Managerial Leaders, Krystle Marie Ballatore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice (DiP) employs qualitative research and educational theories to examine the impact of COVID-19 on school principals' self-efficacy in one South Carolina school district. Its theoretical framework is based on Bandura's (1977, 1986, 1997) social cognitive theory. The dissertation begins by outlining the specific problem at hand, relevant general concerns, and a purpose statement. This problem serves as the foundation for the research questions: How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted principals' self-efficacy as their schools' managerial leaders? How do these principals' experiences vary in degree of impact by school level (i.e., early childhood, primary, elementary, intermediate, middle, …

Women In Executive Level Education Leadership Positions: Perceptions, Challenges, And Supports., Adrienne Usher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the perceptions, challenges, and lived experiences of women, in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, holding executive level leadership positions to inform tailored support strategies. As female educators aspire to higher levels of leadership in schools and districts, limited avenues of structured informal and formal support exist. A review of literature reveals an understanding of how female educators have been historically positioned in education which provides a foundation for present day challenges. Research is lacking on utilizing these lived experiences and challenges as a source to provide informed support. In order to take educated steps to a more …

Is Being Respectable Enough?: A Critical Investigation Of Code-Switching And The Lived Experiences Of Black Leaders Who Work At Nonprofits In Bridgertown, Ramona Crawford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current literature on Black nonprofit leaders is scarce, causing little to be known about the experiences that they have encountered when navigating their roles and responsibilities. Even less literature is available on these Black leaders and their usage of code-switching strategies when attempting to navigate those same nonprofits. Based on themes uncovered during the literature review this study employs an in-depth narrative inquiry qualitative methodology. While using theories such as critical race theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 200; Ladson-Billings,1998), the politics of respectability (Higginbotham, 1993) and the theory of capital (Bourdieu, 1985; 1996) the researcher examines the leadership experiences of …

Uncovering An Alternative Social Structure To Social Dominance: A Blend Of Ethnography And Community Based Participatory Research, Andrew A. Fox

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated social structures that are alternative to the prevailing assumption of Social Dominance Theory (SDT), which is that all human interaction is based on social hierarchies. The implications of social dominance impact health at an institutional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal level. The intersection of these levels of social dominance cause health disparities that perpetuate gaps between populations. This study explored one community organizing group who is challenging social dominance by creating alternative social structures. The methods of this study included Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and Arts Based Research (ABR) as ways to generate middle-range theorizing and attempt to …

Administrators' Benevolent And Corrective Humor And Suspensions Of African American School Age Females, Roslyn E. Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American female students suspension rates are rising and outpacing those of all categories of students, including African American males. This is due, in part, to an administrators over-reliance on zero-tolerance disciplinary policies, as well as a teachers negative perception of African American female students. Soaring rates of suspension contribute to school disengagement, high dropout rates, and a formidable risk of involvement in the school to prison pipeline. In addition to the toll these risks take on human lives, society loses the benefit of human productivity, taxable wages, and stable, thriving communities. As attention to the rising rate of suspension …

The Relationship Between Servant Leadership And Teacher Retention And Student Achievement, David Earl Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This non-experimental quantitative study aimed to determine if servant leadership influenced teacher retention or student achievement and if teacher retention influenced student achievement. This study’s respondents were 145 middle and high school teachers within a contiguous rural region of the Southeastern United States. Survey responses were received and analyzed during the late summer of 2020. Three research questions guided this study: Does servant leadership [high, low] influence teacher retention intention; What is the effect of servant leadership [high, low] on student achievement by categorical population groups as identified by the GaDOE; and lastly, What is the effect of teacher retention …

Don't Let Their Future Blow Away: An Integrated Methodology To Inform School Leaders Of The Dimensions And Determinants Of School Vulnerability Leading To Disaster Learning Loss, Kaleen Daneil Weiland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

School leaders play a key role in the critical functions of emergency response in a school system, including purposefully sustaining safe, secure, and healthy learning environments for all students before and after a disaster. Despite these values, school leaders remain underprepared and often unaware of the vulnerabilities associated with weather, climate, and other disaster events and the potential threat that climate change poses to both student achievement and access to education. This study presents school-leaders with a landscape-scale geospatial vulnerability assessment of school districts exposed to, or threatened by, hurricanes in order to improve mitigation efforts in schools. In this …

Interrogating Racialized Scripts: Parents And Students Organized For Leading Educational Justice, Stefanie Iona Gurulé

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative critical case study portraiture examines several racialized scripts found in family engagement, educational leadership, and social justice literature regarding under-resourced parents and students of color as leaders for educational justice. These scripts, or dominant narratives, discuss racially-minoritized parents and students as deficient in character and culture. They also deem that educational leadership for social justice is too complex an issue for these parents and students to have any positive effect. Therefore they are viewed in the literature as being only passively active in their own education. Analyzing a successful and authentic parent and student activist organization that focused …

Increasing Teacher Retention: An Applied Research Study On The Effects Of Mentoring And Culture In The Abc County School District, Jimmy Holland Weeks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Innovation Through Instructional Renovation: An Applied Research Study On Building Capacity Of Mathematics Teachers In Bark County Schools’ Excel Department, Lashonda Quina Ross-Ivory

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this applied research study was to build the capacity of middle school mathematics teachers to increase student achievement. The need to build the capacity of middle school mathematics teachers arose from the trend of low content and pedagogical knowledge exhibited by teachers throughout the department. This applied research study uses four elements individual collective and collaborative professional development as well as student achievement to build the capacity of middle school mathematics teachers and measure student achievement growth. A national screener surveys learning walk/focus group and interviews were used in the study. Using of the aforementioned elements and …

Improving The Quality Of Teaching: An Applied Research Study On Improving The Quality Of Teaching In Third-Grade Reading At Tigerville Elementary School, Valeree Ellis-Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This applied research study sought to improve the quality of teaching in third-grade reading at Tigerville Elementary School (TES). The need to improve the quality of teaching in third-grade reading was identified through Standardized Test for the Assessment of Reading (STAR. 2017-2018) reading data and Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP 2017-2018) test data. This study used three elements providing instructional support for teachers building teaching capacity and improving student achievement to address the central issue of improving the quality of teaching in third-grade reading. The program utilized an action plan and a program evaluation design to address improving the …

Constructs Of Collaboration : A Multi-Case Embedded Study Of A Community-Wide Partnership For School-Age Youth., Charles Curtis Davis Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Observing the efficacy of school-community partnerships has historically been a challenge for researchers. This study seeks to investigate a city-wide partnership between the community and local educational agency through the lens of the cross-sector collaboration theoretical framework. The three components of the theoretical framework which will guide this study are observing the antecedent conditions present in collaboration, the processual dimensions of collaborations and lastly making sense of the perceived public value created by collaboration. By utilizing a multi-case embedded case study design, this research seeks to analyze the bounded case of the CARDS partnership to determine the reasons for choosing …

Principal Perceptions As Literacy Leaders At High-Need Elementary Schools, Janet Marie Lear

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study explores the perceptions of principals as literacy leaders and the enactment of these perceptions in high-need elementary schools. Literacy leadership, as perceived by principals, was analyzed based on interview data from six participants. Individual cases were studied for the unique characterizations each participant brought to the construct of literacy leadership through their own lived experience. Cross-case analysis was conducted in order to draw out themes among participants. Conclusions suggest that there are commonalities among principals' perceptions and enactments as literacy leaders in high-need elementary schools. Participants focused on: adoption of literacy programs and curricular fidelity; data use …

The Experiences Of First-Generation Women From South-Central Appalachia Who Have Obtained Their Doctorate Degree In Educational Leadership, Teressa Ann Dobbs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to investigate the experiences of first-generation women from South-Central Appalachia who completed a doctorate degree in educational leadership (EdD). Research indicates that nearly one third of doctoral recipients reported being first-generation, and the majority of these students concentrated in certain academic areas such as education. Furthermore, the literature suggests that there is a strong correlation between educational achievement levels and family background as well as cultural and geographic factors. While the amount of literature on minority groups has increased over the past 20 years, literature on the people and culture of Appalachia is limited. When first-generation …

Examining Practices Of Elementary School Principals: Selection Of Co-Teaching Teams, Jeannette Tejeda

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of urban elementary school principals in relation to co-teaching and their co-teacher selection process. Three elementary school principals who exemplify characteristics of shared, ethical, and transformational leadership from a large urban school district in the southern United States were interviewed. The findings from the interviews were utilized to create a Likert-type survey to be administered to select co-teachers and select teachers not co-teaching at each of the three schools. The interview data were examined using Hycner's guidelines for phenomenological analysis. The Likert-type surveys administered to co-teachers and teachers not …

Examining Teacher Perceptions Of Leadership And Student Achievement In Kentucky Schools., Angela L. Newcomb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Leadership is crucial in schools, especially when implementing change. Research shows that leadership can have a positive effect, albeit indirect, on student achievement (Cheng, 1994; Heck, Larsen & Marcoulides, 1990; Hallinger & Heck, 1996; and Johnson, Livingston, Schwartz, & Slate, 2000). This indirect effect implies a need for teacher expertise and distributed leadership to increase teacher buy-in for reform movements in schools. Recent studies have attempted to tie leadership to student achievement (Heck, et al., 1990; Chen, 1994; Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Johnson, et al., 2000; Heck & Hallinger, 2009; Leithwood, Patten, & Jantzi, 2010; Supovitz, Sirinides, & May, 2010; …

An Exploratory Study Of The Strengths Of Islamic School Principals In California, Texas, New York, Florida, And Illinois, Syed Kamran Qadri

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the focal point of the school, the principal’s leadership is integral to its effective functioning. This study used a self-assessment to analyze the self-identified strengths of principals in Islamic schools within the five most populated states in the United States (which also have the largest number of mosques) and the commonalities in those strengths based on (a) the enrollment of the school; (b) year school was established; (c) the gender of the principal; (d) the principal’s professional preparation, e.g., degree in education vs. other fields and years of experience; and (e) geographic location. While only a small amount of …

An Examination Of School Principals' Moral Reasoning And Decision-Making Along The Principalship Track And Across Years Of Experience, Trent Ling

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Previous research by Vitton & Wasonga (2009) and Strenth (2013) found public school K-12 principals struggling in the moral reasoning and decision-making measures of the second Defining Issues Test ("DIT-2"). In response to these studies, this research sought to collect, to examine, and to compare DIT-2 data for educational leaders at various stages of the principalship track in an effort to determine and/or to isolate the locus of principals' reported underperformance. The moral reasoning and decision-making of regular-education K-12 public school principals and assistant principals in Florida, and current master's degree students in educational leadership programs at a large public …

Cultivating A Culture Of Success In Catholic Secondary Schools In Tanzania, Peter Felix Asantebwana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many people agree that a "child's teacher can make a bigger difference to his or her educational success than most other school variables" (Darling-Hammond, 2006, p. 19). Quality education as a result of quality teaching has been a subject of discussion in many countries (Karras, & Wolhuter, 2010). According to Nyerere (1967), "the purpose of education is to pass from one generation to the next the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the society, and to prepare the young people for their future membership of the society and their active participation in its maintenance or development" (p. 268). Following the history …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Successful Leadership, Gary L. Childers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this qualitative multiple case study were to determine the catalysts and pathways that caused principals to move from managers to effective leaders. Data were collected through a series of interviews with 4 principals who were selected through a purposeful sampling procedure. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive coding to determine themes. Findings were presented for each theme within the context of reviewed literature.

National polls indicate that 6 out of every 10 of the nation’s schools need major changes or an overhaul. Can improving the skills of their leaders make a difference in …

Bob Johnson: Coach, Leader, Role Model, Community Servant, Daniel Cantone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many things are known about Coach Bob Johnson including his military background and dynamic coaching career, but there are still many more facts that are unknown. By most accounts he was a dynamic leader who was able to motivate, influence, and lead over the course of his 27- year career coaching and teaching at Emory and Henry College. The success of his career is visible through the success of his players and teams, the number of wins, and the many accomplishments, awards, and recognitions he received.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe Coach Johnson’s life by examining …

The Relationship Between Teacher Empowerment And Student Achievement, Valerie Denise Squire-Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between teacher empowerment and student achievement. Participants in this study were administered the School Participant Empowerment Scale (SPES); this scale measures teacher empowerment on six dimensions: decision making; professional growth; status; self-efficacy; autonomy; and impact (Martin Crossland, & Johnson, 2001). The participants' mean score of the 2010-2011 Criterion Referenced Competency Test scores (CRCT) were used as a measure of student achievement. The SPES were distributed to teachers in five middle schools in one school district in Georgia. The response rate for this study was 85.2 percent. A Pearson Correlation was …

A Qualitative Study: Understanding The Value Of Formal Leadership Preparation Programs To Novice Principals, Marty Kent Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand the value of formal leadership preparation programs as described by novice principals. The study focused on the lived experiences of the eight principals and their reflection of their formal leadership preparation experiences as they transitioned into the role of principal. Through a series of semi-structured interview questions, individual responses revealed leadership preparation experiences were beneficial and highly valued by novice principals. Formal experiences such as internships, mentoring relationships, shadowing experiences and educational leadership coursework were described as building blocks for novice principals. The results of this study state that leaders …

Leadership Orientations Of Female School Superintendents: A Multidimensional Framework Perspective, Patricia Susan Tillman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As school districts struggle to find qualified superintendents to lead their systems to meet recent high-stakes accountability measures, it has been noted throughout history that few females attain this position, both nationally and in the state of Georgia. The organizational leadership behaviors of these administrators have been abundantly scrutinized in research; however, much of this research has been limited to the white male population. The primary purpose of this study was to describe to what extent female superintendents in Georgia exhibit leadership behaviors within Bolman and Deal's (2008) four organizational frames. A secondary purpose of this study was to create …

Second-Order Change Leadership Behaviors Of Principals Of Urban Elementary Schools And Student Achievement In 2010, Janet Kearney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus on specific principal leadership behaviors that positively impact student achievement has become more and more pronounced since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Recently, researchers have begun to focus on a more dramatic type of change as a method for improving student achievement in schools. Marzano, Waters, and McNulty (2005) conducted a meta-analysis of more than 5,000 studies and identified seven leadership behaviors that related to improved student achievement and were viewed as second-order in nature. In many cases, second-order change was needed (a) to accomplish the student achievement improvements necessary to attain …

Examining Teachers' Perceptions Of Psychological Gender And Leadership Behavior Of Principals In Public Elementary Schools., Brittany D. Carpenter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that various leadership styles have different impacts on leader outcomes such as satisfaction, extra effort, and effectiveness. Specifically, researchers have found that transformational leadership positively impacts follower perceptions of satisfaction, extra effort, and leader effectiveness (Avolio, Bass, & lung, 1995; Philbin, 1997; Yammarino, Spangler, & Bass, 1993). However, research has shown that not all leaders display transformational leadership. In fact, Eagly, Karau, & lohnson (1992) and their colleagues have shown transformational leadership in education to be linked to the extent to which male and female principals carry out their gender roles - referring to role congruity. Currently, …

Principals' Leadership Behaviors As Perceived By Teachers In At-Risk Middle Schools., R. Anthony Johnson 1970-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A need for greater understanding of teachers' (N= 530) perceptions of the leadership behaviors of principals in Title I middle schools (n = 13) is prevalent exists. The researcher used the "Audit of Principal Effectiveness" survey to collect data. The researcher also used Hierarchical Linear Modeling as the quantitative analysis. Significant teacher-level variables were teacher age, years the teacher worked for current principal, and teacher gender. Significant school-level variables were principal gender, principal teaching experience, and percentage of low-income students scoring proficient in mathematics. Principals should understand how teacher- and school-level variables affect the principals' perceived leadership behaviors. This study …

Comparing Turnaround Leadership In A Rural Church And In Schools., Ronald Brent Mays 1969-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study sought to illuminate successful practices of a turnaround leader in a rural church that are applicable cross-contextually, so as to inform the leadership efforts of various organizations seeking to reproduce organizational renewal on a wide-scale basis. Utilizing the principles of case study research, the researcher conducted participant observations, mined documents, and interviewed the pastor, three part-time staff members, and 24 members of a rural congregation in a South-central Kentucky congregation that had grown 289% in active membership over the last 14 years. Proceeding with the assumption that leaders can, by the practice of specific, intentional behaviors, positively …

Technology Integration In Georgia Public Elementary Schools, Timothy H. Sawyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify actions and practices that effective technology leaders use to support and sustain technology integration in elementary school classrooms. Three Georgia public elementary school principals who had been identified as top building level technology leaders and three each of their teachers were interviewed using researcher developed interview questions that addressed the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) seven factors for successful technology implementation. The interviews provided insights into the principals' and teachers' perspectives regarding the principals' roles in effectively implementing classroom technology in their schools. Interview data were analyzed inductively through …