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Full-Text Articles in Education
A Missing Link: Exploring The Connection Between School Climate And Teacher Retention, Christine Lynn Whitt
A Missing Link: Exploring The Connection Between School Climate And Teacher Retention, Christine Lynn Whitt
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This quantitative correlational study examined the strength of the correlations between school climate and teacher retention in rural, low-income elementary schools in North Carolina. In addition to identifying the overall relationship of school climate to teacher retention, this study examined the relationships between the overall climate factors (autonomy, community, induction, shared leadership, responsibility, and recognition) and teacher retention. Utilizing data from the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWCS), 150 teachers were surveyed. Teachers included in the data collection were identified as working in low-income and rural schools, serving pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Existing data was requested from school …
A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Principals Who Implemented A Schoolwide-Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports Framework, John P. Frias
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of principals who had implemented Schoolwide-Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (SW-PBIS) frameworks in New York State. The theory guiding this study was Situational Leadership Theory, as it focuses on the idea that leadership is contingent on the situation that is presented. The researcher sought to understand those varying leadership experiences which surround the implementation of this framework. Research data came primarily from interviews with 10 principals who had experience implementing this framework; however, data was also collected from timelines and from analysis of documents from the implementation process. Data …
A Phenomenological Study Of The Job-Related Experiences Of Early Career Catholic Elementary School Principals In The Mideastern Region Of The United States, Sarah Kerins
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the job-related experiences of early career Catholic elementary school principals in the Mideastern region of the United States. Alderfer’s (1969) existence, relatedness, and growth theory provides a foundation to answer the central research question: How do early career Catholic elementary school principals in the Mideastern region of the United States describe their job-related experiences? Participants were purposefully selected from a population of Catholic elementary school principals employed within the Mideastern region of the United States who had completed one but not more than five years of service. Using a transcendental …
A Quantitative Study Of School Leadership Style Based On Gender, Jeffrey A. Dufour
A Quantitative Study Of School Leadership Style Based On Gender, Jeffrey A. Dufour
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to analyze data from one eastern North Carolina school district and examine the influence of gender on leadership style to determine if one’s gender influences leadership style. Data was collected using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5). Participants who were involved in this research were school-based administrators from a school district in the eastern part of the United States who were serving in an administrative role within the school district. The data was compiled by Jeffrey A. Dufour while utilizing the MLQ-5 survey that was administered via an online format and was sent to …
A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Women Superintendents In North Carolina, Latoia Aster Valentine
A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of African American Women Superintendents In North Carolina, Latoia Aster Valentine
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American women superintendents in North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Collins’ black feminist thought, as it clarifies and calls attention to the analysis of ideas and experiences specific to African American women, which relates to African American women superintendents in North Carolina. The central question of the study is “How do African American women describe their lived experiences in superintendent positions in the state of North Carolina?” This qualitative phenomenological study included six current and/or past African American women North Carolina superintendents. Data were …
A Case Study Exploring Effective Leadership In Technology Integration In Three Southeastern U.S. Elementary Schools, Lauren Woodward
A Case Study Exploring Effective Leadership In Technology Integration In Three Southeastern U.S. Elementary Schools, Lauren Woodward
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the characteristics of effective leadership in technology integration for school leaders and staff members in three southeastern, U.S. elementary schools. The theoretical framework that guided this study was based on Spillane’s (2005) distributed leadership model and Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) model of transformational leadership. These theories provided an understanding of leadership practices and characteristics that fostered an environment, which successfully supported the process of technology integration. The rationale for the study was that there is a gap in the literature that addresses effective leadership and practices for technology integration. …
A Case Study Of The Characteristics Of A Lead Administrator Of A Full-Time Faith-Based Virtual School, Todd English
A Case Study Of The Characteristics Of A Lead Administrator Of A Full-Time Faith-Based Virtual School, Todd English
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this instrumental case study is to investigate the leadership characteristics of the lead administrator at East Online Academy (EOA). At this stage in the research, characteristics will be generally defined as the daily actions that affect the success or failure of leading the organization. The term "lead administrator" will refer to any individual who is the overall leader of the organization. The lead administrator for this study will be the director of the online school. The rationale for the study is a void in the literature addressing the characteristics of an administrator in the daily operation of …
Leadership Qualities Necessary For Educational Leaders To Become Effective Turnaround Principals: A Grounded Theory Study, Sherri Irish
Leadership Qualities Necessary For Educational Leaders To Become Effective Turnaround Principals: A Grounded Theory Study, Sherri Irish
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative grounded theory study was two-fold: to understand how educational leaders help failing schools and to generate a theoretical model to explain the leadership qualities necessary to elicit a successful turnaround. Four research questions related to turnaround principals' experiences and leadership qualities guided this study. Participants included four middle and high school principals within the state of Michigan. Participants were selected based on their involvement in successfully turning around a failing school. Data was collected through surveys, interviews, and observations. Data was analyzed using the grounded theory process of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding …
The Effect That Confidence Has On The Behavior Of The Principal And Superintendent As The School's Educational Leader, Thomas Thompson
The Effect That Confidence Has On The Behavior Of The Principal And Superintendent As The School's Educational Leader, Thomas Thompson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this qualitative bounded, multi-site case study was to explore the effect that confidence has on the behavior of the principal and superintendent as the school's educational leader. The participants of this study were principals and superintendents of eight K-12 institutions in Northern Colorado. While the data addressing this multi-level epistemological observation are revealed through the narrative process, the framework for observing and codifying the research was derived from a qualitative multi-site case methodology where participants engaged in interviews and surveys, and whereby the researcher synthesized three research fields into one. Data were collected from the participant leaders …
Working Towards School Goals At Lion Elementary: A Phenomenological Study, Benjamin Butcher
Working Towards School Goals At Lion Elementary: A Phenomenological Study, Benjamin Butcher
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this hermeneutical phenomenological study was to understand the perspectives of educators regarding school goals at Lion Elementary. Perspectives concerning school goals were generally defined as the importance of competing priorities as described by participants. This research can inform educators about whether perspectives regarding school goals were aligned, and provide insight regarding the reasons behind similarities and differences by having considered several questions: (a) What were the perceptions of the principal and teachers regarding school goal priorities? (b) What were the main challenges they perceived for meeting school goals? (c) What factors contributed toward schools successfully meeting goals? …
The Relationship Between Principal Leadership And Teacher Morale In The Elementary Schools In A Northwest Georgia School District, Daniel Webb
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study examined the difference between 2012 CRCT math sores based on principal leadership styles and teacher morale, as well as the relationship between teacher morale and 2012 CRCT math scores at each of the 12 elementary schools within a Northwest Georgia county school district. There is a gap in current research regarding the importance of teacher morale and principal leadership at the elementary level, and another gap exists in research that compares teacher morale and student success. Teacher morale was quantified through the use of the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO), principal leadership practices were quantified through the use of …
The Leadership Practices Of Non-Traditional Students Pursuing A Bachelor's Degree: A Predictive Study, Michael Ammons
The Leadership Practices Of Non-Traditional Students Pursuing A Bachelor's Degree: A Predictive Study, Michael Ammons
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This non-experimental, regression study examined the relationship between leadership practices and academic achievement for a non-traditional student population. The study was conducted at a small, four-year private college in Eastern North Carolina. The sample consisted of N=146 (73 male, 73 female) non-traditional students enrolled in an accelerated bachelor's degree program. Volunteer participants completed the survey which consisted of the Leadership Practice Inventory-Self (LPI) (Kouzes & Posner, 1998) assessment and a demographic questionnaire. Kouzes and Posner's (2007) model of Transformational Leadership Theory is used to explain the leadership practices of non-traditional students. The results of the survey were analyzed using hierarchal …
Development Of An Instrument To Measure The Attitudes Of Christian School Leaders Towards Factors That May Influence Their Decisions To Implement Special Education Programs, Julia Elliott
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this study is to develop and field-test the School Leader's Special Education Decision-Making Scale and to determine its validity and reliability for use with Christian school leaders. This 11-item scale, derived from the literature, measures the attitudes of Christian school leaders towards decisions to implement a special education program based on four factors: shared vision, parental considerations, teacher input, and religious concerns. This study was exploratory in nature and sought to extend a previous qualitative study by determining a way to quantify six intangible factors identified in that study. Three panels of experts in the fields of …
A Phenomenological Study Of Principals Who Transformed A Positive Impact Of School Change, Jason Faklaris
A Phenomenological Study Of Principals Who Transformed A Positive Impact Of School Change, Jason Faklaris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This phenomenological study gathered, examined, and described the knowledge, beliefs, and actions of selected high school principals who had improved student achievement in their schools. This study was conducted to better understand the experience of providing moral leadership in schools, responding to moral challenges within educational settings, and understanding the factors which resulted in the phenomenon of high school principals raising student achievement to consistently meet state requirements. High school principals were selected for participation in the study based on their record of increasing the scores of their students on the Georgia high school graduation test and the Scholastic Aptitude …
A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner
A Qualitative Inquiry Into Teachers' Perceptions Of Change, Theresa Gardner
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this study was to identify teachers' perceptions of how leadership styles and practices of administration can improve the process of broad-based change in an educational organization. The study focused on the lived experiences of 12 teachers and school administrators (coresearchers) during a major change in their school district. Guided interviews were utilized in order to understand the essence of their experiences. Results indicated the importance of communication during the process of change as it relates to perceptions of involvement, buy-in, self-worth, job satisfaction, and support and impact on instruction.
School Board Members And The Underrepresentation Of Women In The Superintendency: A Case Study, Cherri S. Barker
School Board Members And The Underrepresentation Of Women In The Superintendency: A Case Study, Cherri S. Barker
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The general purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how personal attitudes, values and beliefs of individual board members, and the culture of the community affect hiring decisions for the position of superintendent in rural West Texas as it relates to the underrepresentation of women in this position. Local school boards are responsible for selecting and hiring the superintendent of schools. Although most educators are women, women continue to be underrepresented in the superintendency. The research design of the study utilized a qualitative multi-site, multi-subject case study of 15 former school board members in eight rural West Texas school …
Mentoring Programs: Key Differences In Support For Beginning Teachers, Virginia Fick
Mentoring Programs: Key Differences In Support For Beginning Teachers, Virginia Fick
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study explored the issue of mentoring and its problems in aiding in the induction of new teachers into various school systems. Such a study is justified because teacher shortages remain a real threat in many areas of this country. The research sought to demonstrate that a mentor program without clear guidelines and accountability may actually damage new teachers. Some of the goals of a mentoring program were considered: the suitability and selection of mentors, the training of mentors, and program evaluation. A review of the literature included such topics as the high cost of attrition, the needs of new …
A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of New Secondary School Assistant Principals, David Stanton
A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of New Secondary School Assistant Principals, David Stanton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This phenomenological study followed five secondary school assistant principals during the 2010-2011 school year. The participants range in age from their early 30s to early 50s, three of the participants serving as assistant principals in high schools; and two as assistant principals in middle schools. All five participants work in two school districts in Oakland County, Michigan, a suburban county northwest of Detroit and were promoted to administrative work within the past three years. The participants provided monthly calendars and journals along with discipline reports to demonstrate through their schedules, duties, and, most importantly, their own words, the experiences of …
Teachers’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Styles And Practices Of Principals Influence Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Eric Matthew Denton
Teachers’ Perceptions Of How Leadership Styles And Practices Of Principals Influence Their Job Satisfaction And Retention, Eric Matthew Denton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study addresses the challenge principals face in retaining highly qualified and effective teachers in their schools. Although efforts to recruit new teachers have proven successful, teachers are leaving education at alarming rates, especially in the first four years of their careers. The purpose of this study was to identify what school principals can do to increase teachers' job satisfaction and retention. To do so, 12 veteran teachers from four schools were interviewed from February to April 2009. The participants answered questions concerning their levels of job satisfaction, their perceptions of their principals' leadership styles, and their reasons for continuing …
The Application Of Transformational Leadership Among Christian School Leaders In The Southeast And The Mid-Atlantic North Regions, Dan L. Bragg
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Transformational Leadership is part of a growing body of research that is having impact in leadership development in every industry and service organization. The Christian schools leader can also take advantage of the ideas that integrate so well into Biblical principles. This causal comparative study utilizing correlation and parametric statistics (ANOVA) along with descriptive cross-sectional observation investigated the differences of Transformational leadership in two distinct regions to understand how transformational leadership responded to differing cultures. This research has taken a deeper look into the elements of transformational leadership that must be enacted for a Christian school to succeed and thrive …