Digital Commons Network^™

Novice Teacher Attrition In Title I Schools: A Case Study, Beverley Cornish

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Novice teacher attrition is an international K–12 problem. This dilemma is most prevalent in low-performing schools that are also classified as hard-to-staff. In this qualitative case study, data were collected through a confidential online survey, a one-on-one interview, and a conference call focus group. Five teachers who taught at low-performing Title I middle schools during their first three years teaching were selected to participate in the study. The inquiry was viewed through a conceptual framework that combined social constructivism, human capital theory, path-goal theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In this study, the factors found to contribute most to novice …

Examining The Impact Of School Culture On The Perception Of Education For The School Surrounding Community. A Case Study Of Leadership Practices In A Rural Non- Profit School In Giza, Egypt, Noha Nagy Hussein

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the impact of school culture, produced by a servant leader, on the perceptions of the parents in the rural community. The research setting is a nonprofit school in a rural community that was established for a group of marginalized people. The study examined the relationships between the leadership style and the school culture in the observed setting. It further investigated the impact of the school culture on the perceptions of the community members concerning education. The participants of this work were educational leaders, teachers, and parents in a district near Giza, Egypt. The study adopts the servant …

Leading For Excellence: Behaviors And Strategies Of Assistant Superintendents Of Curriculum And Instruction That Support A High-Achieving School Environment, Robert Sherlock

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to determine the degree of importance for the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school assistant superintendents of curriculum and instruction (ASCIs). A secondary purpose was to explore and describe the leadership strategies for implementing the 12-step principles proposed by Harvey et al. (2014) to create a K-12 school environment that fosters high student achievement as perceived by public school ASCIs.

Methodology: This explanatory mixed-methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze …

Transformational Leadership Practice In The World’S Leading Academic Libraries, Patrick Lo, Bradley Allard, Hermina G.B. Anghelescu, Yawei Xin, Dickson K. W Chiu, Andrew J. Stark

School of Information Sciences Faculty Research Publications

This article analyzes 12 semi-structured interviews within the framework of transformational leadership, using a set of open-ended questions addressed to 12 directors (six men and six women) of academic libraries in high-ranking universities in four different countries (Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America). It also investigates the interviewees’ approach to managing and leading their library organizations within the context of the opportunities and challenges facing their organizations as well as their parent institutions. The interpretation of the participants’ responses is based on the four ‘I’s, the four dimensions of the concept of transformational leadership: …

Pneumatology Of Sacred Sustainability: Foundation Of Cosmicism And Enspirited Leadership, Jojo M. Fung

Loyola Papers

This paper presents a pneumatological framework for sustainability grounded in Rûah Elohim, the primordial Spirit active in creation. It explains how this Spirit enables the “triunological othering” of God, such that creation becomes the sacred abode of the Triune God who sustains all life. Creation is thus understood as sacralized and interconnected. The author proposes an emerging ecomysticism called Cosmicism, inviting all to experience the divine presence within the ongoing recreation of the world. This vision redefines human identity as “cosmic-spirits” called to participate in caring for creation. Consequently, the paper advocates for Enspirited Leadership that embodies the ethics of …

Allocation Of Faculty Among Nursing Programs At A Community College, Jessica Ivey Msn

Education Projects

Organizational structure is important in any business to ensure that organizational mission and goals are being met. The structure defines roles, establishes a hierarchy, and creates the culture for the organization. Establishing the structure will assist with communication, decision-making and the overall culture of the organization. Gaston College expressed a need to redesign their structure by combining all their nursing programs to create a School of Nursing. Currently, each nursing-related program is separated into their own departments/programs. This includes faculty and staff assigned to one program instead of allocating staff to multiple programs. This project consists of defining new roles, …

A Study Of The Dimensions Of Principal Leadership: How Do Principals Allocate Their Time And Energy?, Michael L. Genovese

Theses and Dissertations

School principals have important roles in instructional leadership, building management, visionary leadership, culture and climate, and emotional intelligence. The main purpose of this dissertation was to determine how principals allocate their time and energy among these five dimensions of school leadership.

The research methodology used was an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. In the quantitative component of the research, a survey was distributed to elementary, middle school, and high school principals in Suffolk County, New York. Demographic information was collected from participants, including gender, years of experience as a principal, grade level of the school (elementary, middle, high), and whether the …

Optimal Professional Development Ict Training Initiatives At Flagship Universities, Xi Wang, W. James Jacob, Christopher C. Blakesley, Weiyan Xiong, Huiyuan Ye, Shangmou Xu, Fang Lu

staff_fulltext

This study explores best practices and roles of information and communication technology (ICT) in select professional development centers at 16 flagship universities. Through adopting a qualitative case study design, this study explores the strengths and weaknesses of current technology training initiatives in the selected professional development centers. As part of the research and teaching programs at flagship universities, professional development center leaders shared about the current ICT practices as well as the strengths and limitations of their own centers. The analysis section includes a critical look at ICT practices among flagship universities from a human resource theory lens. Findings indicate …

Creating High Performing Teams In A Professional Practice, James O. Gist

Education Projects

Latta Family Dentistry is a small rural dental office located in Latta, South Carolina. The owner, Dr. Kareem Sprattling, is looking to provide affordable dental care and would love to open another office in a similar town. In order for him to open a new office, he must first improve the effectiveness of his current team and improve on structures already in place such as technology, the website, and the current efficiency while attracting new patients. Challenges this dentistry faced ranged from a revolving door of new employees, people working within a silo, the need for a much updated website, …

Understanding The Impact Of Leadership & Pedagogy On Black And Hispanic Students In High Poverty Communities Of Nyc, Carlos Iván Falcón

Theses and Dissertations

Disenfranchised and marginalized groups of students are not being met with the same level of academic success as their counterparts in other parts of the city. Specifically, the achievement gap among Black and Hispanic students in New York City urban high schools, has not improved to culturally acceptable norms. Despite gains in achievement across all races, there continues to be an achievement gap among different ethnic groups, particularly for Black and Hispanic students. The purpose of this quantitative study tested the theory of Stratified Urban Education which compared the theoretical constructs of Urban Leadership, Urban Pedagogy, and Urban Opportunities to …

The Principal And School Culture: An Exploration Of Principals Strengths Of Personality And The Collaborative Characteristics Of Schools, Chase R. Huotari

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The search for the factors that define an effective school have proved elusive. A look at the inputs of school (Coleman et al., 1966), the outputs of schools (Fund, 1961; National Manpower Council, 1964), and the schools themselves, have led to a lot of research but not to a formula proven to result in an effective school for all kids. Although the research has yet to land on a formula for school improvement, the building principal and the culture of the school are mentioned often as factors that just may lead to the improvement in schools so often sought out. …

Essential Leadership Characteristics For Retaining High-Quality Teachers, Smith Lyndsi Wisher

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine which area of principal supports are important to retain high quality teachers. The three areas of focus were emotional supports, social supports, and instructional supports. This study was sent to all Indiana PK-12 public school teachers and 1,232 responded. This study determined if there was statistical significance between teacher perceptions of principal characteristics in the categories of emotional, social and instructional support and the retention level of teachers. This study shows that all three areas of principal support are significant in teacher retention. While all three are significant, instructional support ranked …

Radiation Actions And Dimensions Of Radiation Safety Among U.S. Radiologic Technologists, Quentin T. Moore

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Background: Radiation safety culture is a fundamental contributor to procedural justification, exam optimization, and dose-limiting practices in medical imaging. Multiple intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy factors could influence the outcomes of radiation safety culture.

Purpose and Aims: The purpose of the study was to examine the determinants of radiation safety culture among U.S. radiologic technologists. The specific aims were to: 1) develop a survey instrument tailored to radiation actions and dimensions of radiation safety with a sequential use of multiple techniques; 2) examine determinants of radiation safety culture employing McLeroy’s socioecological model; 3) examine relationship between the determinants of …

Developing A Marginalized And Segregated Community: Case Study Of A West Virginia Neighborhood, Christopher Belkon Agba

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A lot of work has been done in the field of community development targeting less developed communities. Many questions have also been raised about why some communities are not as responsive to change as others, despite the efforts and recommendations. This dissertation, therefore, is a critical attempt on how to develop a specific, marginalize, and segregated neighborhood, using residents’ historical narratives and worldviews in Westside, Fairmont, West Virginia. The author uses focus group discussions, informal communications, and semi-structured interviews as primary data sources. He analyzed the manuscript of W.O. Armstrong, the pioneer principal of Dunbar School, which was an All-Black …

Expectations And Experiences Of Short-Term Study Abroad Leadership Teams, Desen S. Ozkan, Kirsten A. Davis, James C. Davis, Matthew James, Homero Murzi, David B. Knight

Journal of International Engineering Education

This paper explores the expectations and experiences of faculty, academic advisors, and graduate students leading a study abroad experience for first-year engineering students. In the current age of globalization, engineering students require a global understanding of engineering to be competent in the global workforce. In response, undergraduate engineering programs have created various programs to fill this student need. The research surrounding these initiatives focuses on the student experience but is limited when describing that of program leaders. This qualitative study draws from track leader journals that were completed during and shortly after the international program as well as semi-structured interviews …

Developing A Framework For Understanding The Personal Motivations Of Sustainability Leaders, Jennifer Licad Horn, Walter Wehrmeyer

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

This study explores the initial and sustaining motivations that drive leaders to pursue sustainability as a profession or vocation. Exploratory interviews were conducted with 16 sustainability leaders in the Philippines working in sectors ranging from corporate to social enterprise, NGO, and academia. Findings from thematic analysis reveal significant life experiences that drive initial motivation, how feedback sustains motivation, and the importance of self-awareness and positive psychological factors in starting and sustaining their work or advocacy. A framework for understanding motivations is developed therein, drawing on themes extracted from the interviews, Stern’s Value-Belief-Norm Theory, and Authentic and Transformational Leadership theories. Recommendations …

The Sinking Of The Schooner Sofia And How It's Crew Utilized Adaptive Leadership To Survive, Kevin H. Cox

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This is the historical account of the tall ship, or schooner, Sofia that sank on February 23, 1982, off the North Island of New Zealand, between Cape Reinga and North Cape. Of the 17 crew members on board, 16 of them made it into the life rafts. They were rescued by the Russian trawler Vasili Perov more than five days later. How the crew managed to survive in the life rafts is further examined through the adaptive leadership framework by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, and Marty Linsky. Through this examination, the Sofia’s survival leadership is compared and contrasted to the …

The Charger: A Case Study Of Leadership Decisions And The Oxford High School Student Newspaper, R. J. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This case study uses qualitative interviews with administrators, advisers, former editors, and others, along with researcher observations and more than 50 years of archival documents to construct a comprehensive portrait of the history, successes, and challenges of the student newspaper program at Oxford High School, and how administrative decision making has affected that success and vice versa. The OHS student newspaper, called the Charger since the late 1980s, has consistently ranked at or near the top of the best high school newspapers in Mississippi and has at times been named one of the top high school newspapers in the nation. …

Assessing Generational Preferences In Characteristics Of An Admired Leader Among Career Library Professionals, Amy Tureen, Susie Skarl

Library Faculty Research

This study utilizes Posner and Kouzes’ Characteristics of an Admired Leader (CAL) instrument to determine if there are generational preferences in characteristics of an admired leader among career library professionals. Data was gathered from nearly 800 respondents, coded into generational cohorts, and assessed from commonalities across generational lines. Additional assessment of the data sought trends across generational cohorts within the context of employment status, library type, library subfield, and generational identity. The authors concluded that while there is little generational difference in the characteristics of an admired leader, there are commonalities across the profession at large and suggest that library …

Tensions Of Learning On The Job, Brandon M. Butler, Diane Yendol-Hoppey

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

What does it mean to lead in teacher education? This is a question to which self-study scholars have provided some answers, but there remain opportunities to more deeply explore this question. Although there is an extensive research base in self-study on the transition from teacher to teacher educator (e.g., Williams et al., 2012) and a broader base of scholarship on higher education leadership as department chairs (Buller, 2012; Cipriano & Riccardi, 2010) and the deanship (e.g., Clift et al., 2015; Elliott-Johns, 2015), self-study research into teacher education leadership is still in its relative infancy (Allison & Ramirez, 2020).

In this …

An Examination Of Factors That Impact The Choices Of Female Athletes In Pursuit Of A Career In Collegiate Sports Leadership, Gloria Lynn Bradley

Wayne State University Dissertations

Abstract

The Social Cognitive Career Theory was applied to examine how the desire to coach or administrate are impacted by self-efficacy, occupational valence, perceived hindrance, and role model influence. This study was conducted to address the underrepresentation of females in collegiate sports leadership positions. The study examined if being coached by males or if males in leadership positions is preferred. Women coach less than half, (40.2%) of women’s sports and women account for 19.6% percent of administrators in college athletic departments. Hypothetically, the results of this study will support and enhance the NCAA college sports model by revealing quantitative data …

Assessment Of The Status And Alignment Of Practitioners' Leadership In The Environmental Sector, Marie Veronique Couttee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The scientific and technological achievements of the 21st century have failed to tackle the

Public Service Employee Perceptions Of Leadership Behaviors That Engage Or Disengage, Beverlyn A. Banks

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A high percentage of U.S. employees do not engage in their work, resulting in lower productivity. U.S. corporations are losing more than $400–$500 billion per year because of low productivity at work. This phenomenological study involved an examination of leadership behaviors that engage or disengage employees in public service organizations. Kahn’s conceptual frame of engagement and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs motivation theory guided this study. The purpose was to determine why disengagement behavior continues despite extensive literature on the benefits of engagement and what organizations can do to encourage leadership behaviors that engage employees and discourage leadership behaviors that disengage …

Perceptions Of High School Principals About Improving African American Male Academic Outcomes, Andre Lavelle Credit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the African American male students’ academic achievement gap and the principals’ strategies to overcome this problem were investigated. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to assess the viability of the different strategies that principals have put in place in their respective schools with the aim of improving the academic outcomes of African American male students. The study was guided by the theoretical foundation of culturally responsive teaching, which ensures effective diversity management through the cultural resources of teaching. The research questions addressed 3 major components: the principals’ self-perceived beliefs and attitudes toward enhancing the …

Behavioral Health Leadership Perspectives On The Transition To Medicaid Managed Care, Cynthia Lyn Gee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Healthcare and behavioral healthcare reform are sweeping across the United States to improve health outcomes, increase client satisfaction, and to decrease healthcare expenditures through statewide transitions to Medicaid managed care (MMC). Leaders of behavioral health organizations face significant challenges when implementing wide scale organizational change. A case study design was used to explore senior leaders’ experiences with transitioning from a fee for service environment to MMC at a behavioral health organization, which operates in the Northeastern region of the United States. The Baldrige excellence framework was used as a conceptual lens to assess the organization’s effectiveness in key factors. Senior …

Registered Nurses’ Assessment Of Clinical Leadership Knowledge And Competence, Valerie D. Wright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As a prevalent component of the health care workforce, clinical nurse leaders play a vital role in reducing costs and promoting quality patient outcomes. The purpose of his project was to assess clinical leadership skill of nurses at a 160-bed rehabilitation hospital in a metropolitan city in the southeast United States. Guided by the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses model (AMSN), the practice-focused question explored the extent to which nurses perceived that they held clinical leadership knowledge and leadership competencies which impact positively on the nurse workforce and patient care. Thirty clinical registered nurses (RN) participated. According to the clinical leadership …

Sudden Leadership Loss And The Importance Of Succession Planning In Behavioral Health Care, Angela R. Dawson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examined sudden leadership loss and the importance of succession planning in behavioral health. The organization at the center of the study is located in the midwestern United States and is known for providing stellar services to its clients and fostering a quality workspace for its employees. The findings provided the organization with a clear and specific understanding of the value of succession planning for sustainability. The study was conducted using a qualitative research method. Semistructured interviews with 5 senior-level leaders from a single site location provided the primary source of data. Additional data were collected from the organization’s …

Employee Resistance To Change During The Implementation Of Trauma-Informed Care, Tara A. Chalakani

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee resistance to change can impede organizational success. Resistance can occur when the proposed change is beneficial. Trauma-informed care requires a complete paradigm shift within a behavioral health organization to be executed successfully. This single-case study explored the leadership experience of employee resistance to change during the implementation of trauma-informed care in a large nonprofit behavioral health organization. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 4 organizational leaders, and a thematic analysis was conducted on internal documents, including staff satisfaction surveys, exit interviews, meeting minutes, strategic plans, manuals, the organizational website, and information from the employee portal. Findings were validated …

Healthcare Organizational Design Strategies To Improve Performance, Katherine Madonna Chubbs

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Business leaders are exploring ways to improve organizational performance through organizational design, including reviewing the structures of their organization. Grounded in McKinsey’s 7S framework, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore organizational design strategies healthcare leaders used to improve organization performance. Participants were 6 leaders within a healthcare organization in Alberta, Canada, who successfully developed and implemented organizational design strategies to improve organizational performance. The data collection techniques included a review of internal and external documents, a reflective journal, and semistructured interviews. I used methodological triangulation and thematic analysis to complete the data analysis. The data …

Strategies For Reducing Voluntary Employee Turnover In The Food Service Industry, Jerahn D. Hyman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Owners of small food service businesses experience high levels of voluntary employee turnover causing loss of productivity and profit. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that foodservice business owners used to reduce voluntary employee turnover. A purposeful sample of 5 business owners of small food service businesses in the Midwest region of the United States participated in the study. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews as well as reviewing internal company documents such as employee surveys, training materials, and documented procedures. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with …