Education Commons^™

Strategies Used To Retain Teachers In Hard To Staff Schools, Levi Shavers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher attrition has serious consequences in hard to staff schools. Mostly poor and ethnic minority students are deprived of being taught by stable, experienced teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used to effectively retain teachers in such schools through the perspective of teachers at a high school that comprises poor and ethnic minority students in southwest Georgia. The conceptual framework that guided this study was Chen's theory about race and social class which postulated that a high percentage of poor ethnic minority students results in low teacher morale. This study explored the reasons why teachers …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of The Lived Experiences And Mentoring Relationships Of Black Women Student Affairs Administrators, Tiffany Shawna Wiggins

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Contemporary literature regarding the experiences of Black women in higher education administration is scarce, and that which does exist, often focuses on those who serve in teaching faculty roles, and/or fails to provide a holistic perspective on the lives of those who makeup this group. Utilizing an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, this qualitative investigation explored the lives of Black women college administrators from their perspective. Grounded in the theoretical framework of Patricia Hill Collins’s Black Feminist Thought, this study aimed to uncover the lived experiences of Black women student affairs administrators as they relate to their professional demands and pursuits …

An Investigation Of The School Superintendent Mentoring Program In Arkansas, Mary Ann Spears

Theses and Dissertations from 2017

The School Superintendent Mentoring Program was established in 2011 in Arkansas to provide essential training and support to enhance the new superintendents’ potential for success during their first year as school district leaders. This research study utilized a qualitative research approach in which an open-ended survey instrument was used to gather data. The Theory of Context Leadership served as the theoretical framework for this study. A systematic review of the data indicated that new superintendents perceived the program as beneficial, time spent with the mentor was helpful, finance was the topic about which participants had found it most important to …

High School To College Transition Among Black Males: An Action Research Project, Orval Albert Jewett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A participatory action research project involving social workers as stakeholders from high schools and the local community college in Nassau County, New York, provided the basis for an inquiry that addressed the effectiveness and implementation of clinical social work practice with Black male students transitioning to community college from high school. This study addresses how clinical social work practice may be utilized to enhance the experience of the transition process for Black male students from high school to college. Through the use of a qualitative in-depth interview process, 16 school-based social workers provided professional perspective and expertise that resulted in …

A Study Of Latina Superintendents In New Jersey: “Cumpliendo Metas”, Nurka Liz Nieves

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Latinas¹ have been known for certain leadership roles throughout the history of the United States. They have impacted the country’s government as having the reputation of being strong, resilient women capable of great ingenuity and creating paradigm shifts for the welfare of Americans. These endeavors are a demonstration to other Latinas in the United States that they too are capable of attaining any profession they prepare themselves to embrace. It is that si se puede² attitude that such role models express by their examples in positions of power that with perseverance cumpliendo metas³ is possible.

The focus of …

Perceptions On Interventions Impacting The Self- Efficacy Of At-Risk Students, Natalie Giddens Giddens

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers need interventions to improve at-risk students' self-efficacy, which may improve their academic performance in school. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of elementary school teachers at a Texas public middle school as to what research-based interventions they felt would improve the self-efficacy of these students. Bandura's social cognitive theory, which framed the study, indicates that self-efficacy beliefs affect the courses of action that people seek and the choices people make. Many at-risk students who experience a lack of academic success have low self-efficacy, which may affect their school performance. The research questions that …

Supporting The Professional Needs Of Alternatively Certified Secondary Education Teachers, Michelle Latrice Washington

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The reliance on alternative teacher certification to address teacher quality and quantity is an educational issue worthy of study because non-traditionally prepared teachers fill the nation's classrooms. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of secondary education teachers with no preservice training who earned a professional educator certificate in Alabama through the alternative baccalaureate-level program. The central research questions of this study related to the professional needs of alternatively certified teachers and how educational leaders supported those professional needs. The conceptual framework of this project study included the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education's differentiated induction model based …

The Impact Of A New Teacher Support System On Teacher Efficacy, Tonja Denise Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Retaining novice teachers is a major concern for school districts across the United States. At an urban high school in a Southeastern state, over 30% of novice teachers hired over a 3-year period did not return after their first year of teaching. The purpose of the study was to examine novice teachers' perceptions of support received during their first year to determine how school-based support could increase novice teacher retention. The theoretical framework was Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and the concept of teacher efficacy espoused by Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, and Hoy. The research questions focused on the perceptions of novice teachers …

The Relationships Among Job Satisfaction, Length Of Employment, And Mentoring Of Nursing Faculty, Zelda Suzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The shortage of faculty in nursing education programs has been well documented by the National League for Nursing. Job satisfaction is important in retaining nurse educators, and one New York nursing program was interested in examining the potential impact of mentoring on satisfaction. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine job satisfaction, measured by the Job Descriptive Index/Job in General scale (JDI/JIG), between nurse faculty participants in formal mentoring programs compared to participants receiving an informal type of mentoring. In addition, the length of employment was examined as a possible factor in predicting job satisfaction. The theoretical framework …

Beginning Teachers' Experiences And Use Of Time, Laura Marie Ahles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

New teachers in a southeast Texas school district are having difficulty using their time effectively for instruction while balancing a multitude of tasks. New work responsibilities for teachers are contributing to teacher burnout and early attrition. The purpose of this study was to examine new teachers and administrators perceptions of novice teacher practices and their daily use of time. Apple s theory of intensification was used as the conceptual framework for this study. A case study design was employed to answer research questions regarding how procedures and policies affect teachers time, teacher perceptions about prior experiences with managing multiple responsibilities, …

Predicting Success In First-Year Associate Degree Nursing Students, Laura J. Hope

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

An associate degree of nursing program in the southeastern region of the United States has had significant increases in student attrition over the past few years. Admission requirements did not include an entrance exam, such as the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), which may be useful in decreasing the deficiencies associated with poor student progression. Guided by the Knowles' theory of adult learning and Bandura's social learning theory, the purpose of this correlation study was to explore the relationship between the TEAS scores and the cumulative grade point average (GPA) of first-year students to determine if success at the …

Exploring The Experiences And Relationships Of First-Year Teachers And Mentors, Melanie Jane Strey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educators have a moral imperative and job-embedded expectation to effectively teach all students, which requires a commitment to continued personal growth. The purpose of this instrumental project study was to explore the lived experiences of first-year teachers and their mentors who teach in a culturally-diverse school district. The conceptual framework was based on supporting adult learning methods through the theories of critical thinking, constructivist perspective, the theory of mentoring, and culturally-instructional teaching. The guiding research questions addressed the perceptions of 5 first-year teachers and 5 mentors regarding individual and shared learning as a result of mentor-mentee relationship. A constant comparison …

Perceptions Of Cooperating Teachers Concerning The Student Teaching Field Experience, Dawn Marie Paulson

Theses and Dissertations

PERCEPTIONS OF COOPERATING TEACHERS CONCERNING

THE STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCE

Dawn Paulson

142 Pages December 2014

This study explored the views of cooperating teachers on (a) their work with student teachers and university supervisors, and (b) ways to improve the student teaching process. In a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study, 153 cooperating teachers answered closed-and open-ended questions using an electronic survey; then a subset of 12 participated in follow-up interviews. All participants taught at rural or semi-rural middle schools and high schools in Central Illinois; all had experience with student teachers from a mid-sized institution in that area.

Major findings of …

School Principals’ Sources Of Knowledge, Arland Early Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what sources of professional knowledge are available to principals in 1 rural East Tennessee school district. Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an understanding of what sources of knowledge are used by school principals in 1 rural East Tennessee school district and the barriers they face to using knowledge sources. This study questioned whether these resources are adequate for, accessible to, and used by school principals. In this study I examined principals’ perceptions of the need for a district-led mentoring program.

The study first consisted of a preliminary data collection procedure. …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of A Teacher Mentoring Program, Irish Phaletta Mccollum

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The decline in teacher retention is a growing problem in the 21st century. Beginning teacher turnover rates have grown by 50% over the past decade, with the national rate increasing to over 20%. Beginning teachers entering the profession are leaving within their first 3 years, with half leaving the profession in the first 5 years. To meet their growing needs, districts and states spend billions of dollars to recruit, hire, and try to retain new teachers. The purpose of this case study was to examine beginning teachers' perceptions of their teacher mentoring program located in an urban school district. Bandura's …

Morale For Principals : Does Mentoring Make A Difference?, Stacia Patterson Felicello

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current demands placed on administrators, specifically principals, have become progressively more complex due to litigation, pressure from parents, societal changes, internal workplace expectations, and more than ever, mandates levied from state and federal government. Support through mentorship may be one means to help administrators meet the demands. This study examines the extent, to which mentorship leads to increased morale and perceptions of autonomy, which the literature has shown are important attributes of effective school leaders.

Combining Appreciative Inquiry And Emotional Intelligence To Understand And Improve The Professional Development Of K-12 Teachers, Jamie Elizabeth Dewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Creating meaningful and effective professional development (PD) programs for K-12 teachers is an ongoing challenge. The problem is exacerbated when PD models are implemented without fully aligning PD resources and plans with the training needs of teachers and the organization. The guiding question sought to understand the experiences of teachers at an online charter school about the implementation of PD as a means for improving student outcomes. The purpose of the study was to find ways to enhance PD in order to improve student outcomes at the school. The conceptual framework for this study is interwoven through the constructs of …

Mentoring School Leaders: Perspectives And Practices Of Mentors And Their Protégés, Dana Sue Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful tool to help prepare future school leaders in the context of leading a school. The purpose of this study was to identify perspectives and practices employed in mentoring relationships within a principal preparation program. Through interviews, observations, and the analysis of artifacts, this study identified how these mentors supported their protégés in the development of theoretical understanding, technical skills, and reflective practice.

This study took a multiple case study approach to analyze data about leadership mentoring obtained within three-cases of a mentor and the mentoring relationship with his or her protégé. Each …

An Investigation Of First-Year Teacher Induction Programs In Jesuit Secondary Schools Within The California Province, Justin James Dixon Christensen

Doctoral Dissertations

This mixed methods study invited principals (n=5) and first-year teachers (n=25) in five Jesuit secondary schools in the California Province to participate. Online surveys and follow-up online interviews were designed to assess the degree to which the schools met 11 standards that constituted the conceptual framework for the study: (a)Program vision, goals, and institutional commitment, (b)Formation of the Ignatian educator, (c)Program administration and communication, (d)Principal engagement, (e)Program assessment, evaluation, and accountability, (f)Assessing first-year teacher practice, (g)First-year teacher professional development and learning communities, (h)Mentor role and responsibilities, selection, assignment, and assessment, (i)Mentor professional development and learning communities, (j)Focus on instructional practice, …

Perceptions Of Mentoring: Examining The Experiences Of Women Superintendents In Georgia, Scarlett Copeland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The number of women superintendents working in Georgia public schools exceeds the national average, but unfortunately, when compared to the number of men in the same position, women are not as well represented. This gap between female and male superintendents, and the reasons why this disparity exist, has been the subject of many research studies. One possible explanation for this phenomenon is a lack of mentoring for women superintendents.

This descriptive mixed methods study gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on the mentoring experiences of women superintendents in Georgia. The quantitative participants in this study included 39 women superintendent in …

Mentors And New Teachers: A Qualitative Study Examining An East Tennessee School Systems Mentoring Program., Nikki Lynn Manning

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With almost half of all new teachers leaving the profession in the first few years, it is imperative that school systems find ways to support and retain these new teachers. Formal mentoring is a growing necessity. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the effectiveness of one school system's mentoring program.

This study included 4 sets of mentor and mentee teachers. Each set consisted of a beginning teacher in her 1st year of teaching and an experienced teacher trained by the school system to serve as a mentor. This study was conducted in a rural East Tennessee School …

The Reported Needs Of A Teacher Mentoring Program, Kimberly Myers Tillman

Dissertations

The following study was conducted in four public school districts in south Mississippi and involved a combination of 167 administrators, mentors, and novice teachers. The purpose of this study was to measure the reported needs of a teacher mentoring program as perceived by novice teachers, mentor teachers, and administrators. An additional purpose of the study was to examine administrators’ perceptions of how alternate route and traditional route teachers differ in their needs of a teacher mentoring program.

Two multivariate of analysis (MANOVA) tests were conducted to measure the differences among novice teachers, mentors, and administrators in their perception of what …

Job Stress, Mentoring, Psychological Empowerment, And Job Satisfaction Among Nursing Faculty, Catherine Emily Ebersole Chung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The National League for Nursing (NLN) endorses mentoring throughout the nursing faculty career trajectory as the method to recruit nurses into academia and improve retention of nursing faculty within the academy (NLN, 2006). One way mentoring assists faculty is by easing socialization to the culture of the employing institution and decreasing faculty stress (Lewallen, Crane, Letvak, Jones, & Hu, 2003). Mentoring can also be a facilitating factor of an individual's psychological empowerment. Academia is an environment able to foster psychological empowerment, a state in which faculty may be self-directed, highly productive, confident, and find a meaningful connection to their work …

Set Up For Success: An Examination Of The Ronald E. Mcnair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program's Mentoring Component, Dwuena Cene' Wyre

Dissertations

Often, individuals are set up to fail. However, effective mentoring can set individuals up to succeed. This nonexperimental cross-sectional, predictive study examines the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program's mentoring component. Specific focus is placed on faculty mentor competency and its impact on McNair student intent to attain a doctoral degree and awareness of graduate school.

Cohen's (1993, 1995) Principles of Adult Mentoring Scale-Postsecondary Education Scale is utilized to assess McNair student perceived faculty mentor competency. Carrera's (2002) measures of effectiveness for the McNair Program's mentoring component are also used in this study.

Sequential multiple regression is the employed method …

The Development Of And Relationship Between Elgin U-46'S Teacher Appraisal System And Mentor Program: 1998-2010, Joseph William Schumacher

Dissertations

This study investigated the historical development of Elgin School District U-46's teacher appraisal system and teacher mentor program during the years of 1998-2010. In 1998 a formal mentor program was implemented for the first time in district history. Shortly thereafter, district and union leadership agreed to revamp the twenty-five-year-old appraisal system. The study aimed to explore how district and union leadership prepared for, adopted, and implemented appraisal and mentoring during this time period through the framework of Thomas Sergiovanni's (1992) sources of authority for leadership.

The research questions of this study focused on five topics: the historical development of the …

Teacher Retention: Program Evaluation Of A Beginning Teacher And Mentor Program, Janet B. Anthony

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation evaluated a beginning teacher induction and mentor program currently used in a rural, county school system in western North Carolina and its effectiveness in the retention of teachers. The system has 29 schools, around 16,690 students, and employs approximately 1200 certified staff members. Using the CIPP Evaluation Model with a formative approach, information was gathered about the conditions that necessitated the program, procedures and practices used by the system to provide support and assistance to beginning teachers, whether or not established processes were being followed, and the impact of the program on beginning teacher retention. Individual and focus …

The Principal's Role In Teacher Retention, Sametra Danyal Chisolm

Dissertations

As efforts are made to identify factors contributing to teachers leaving or staying in the teaching profession, teacher retention continues to pose a challenge for school administrators. Factors such as principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs seem to positively impact teachers' decisions to remain in the profession.

The purpose of this study was to gather data to determine whether principal behaviors, principal leadership, school climate/teacher morale, professional development opportunities, and teacher mentoring programs affect teacher retention. A questionnaire, adapted from the Mecklenburg Citizens for Public Education (formally Charlotte Advocates for Education) research …

An Examination Of The Experiences Of Nine Novice Principals Who Were Participants In New Jersey's Revised Monitoring Program, John C. Anzul

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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A Qualitative Study Of The Efficacy Of A Preservice Experience By Alternate Route Teacher Candidates At A Regional Training Site In Union County, New Jersey, Ethel Kozlik

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Role Of Mentoring In Developing Professional And Personal Competencies For School Administrators, Marguerite Verble Shook

Legacy ETDs

In the state of Georgia and across the nation there was a shortage of principals. A new supply of administrators was needed to guide education through the 21st century. These leaders needed updated knowledge and skills to address the needs of an educational system affected by educational reform. Effective leadership allowed administrators to view situations in both the eyes of management and leadership. A mentoring program for beginning administrators provided guidance in developing these skills and in recruiting and retaining individuals for these critical positions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of a mentoring program for …