Education Commons^™

Women Doctoral Students In Computer Science: Nevertheless, They Persist, Shannon L. Mccoy-Hayes Edd

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Throughout millennia systemic restrictions have prevented women from full participation in science. Even now, with science ubiquitous to life as we know it, double standards impact women’s access and equal participation in STEM. Computer science (CS) is one STEM field where women remain significantly underrepresented in both academia and the workforce, yet despite decades worth of semi-annual reporting, there is still no consensus as to why. A survey was deployed to twenty-nine institutions inviting women doctoral students in CS to participate in personal interviews. Six women from different institutions at different stages of their programs responded. Qualitative interviews using phenomenological …

Teacher Leadership And Principal Turnover In Elementary Schools: A Deductive Mixed Methods Multiple Case Study, Kenneth Salazar

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study investigates the impact of principal turnover on teacher leadership, using mixed methods to analyze teacher leadership in low and high principal turnover elementary schools. Data collection includes teacher surveys and interviews with principals in four low turnover and four high turnover schools. Quantitative results indicate significant differences in teacher leadership, while qualitative findings reveal themes such as teacher professional development, support, leadership opportunities, anxiety, and sustainability. Mixed methods results suggest the need for increased time to develop trust between principals and teachers, greater teacher involvement in school leadership, more opportunities for teachers to share leadership, and a better …

Indigenous Leadership: Leading The Journey So Others Follow, Ophelia M. Sanchez

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Leadership is a ceremony. All leaders need to envision a sense of purpose as the journey begins. I examined interactions among attitudes, perceptions, and decisions through Indigenous female leaders’ personally identified leadership styles and how to integrate Indigeneity for positive change in their environment. The purpose of this study was to help guide school leaders through initiating educational change and to give courage to Indigenous female leaders to continue to lead or step into leadership. In exploring these interactions, I examined Indigenous women’s leadership experiences, values, and beliefs. This study provided valuable insight to women of all ages, educators, school …

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement, Learning Spaces, And Sacred Places As Factors For Native American First-Year Students In Higher Education, Danielle E. Yepa Gunderson

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Native American undergraduate students have the lowest college degree completion rates, between 0.7% and 1%, of those earning an undergraduate degree (National Center for Education Statistics, 2017). The purpose of this study was to contribute to the research literature to improve college success by answering this research question: What are the experiences of first-year Native American college students when Indigenous land acknowledgement, dedicated learning spaces, and sacred spaces are present on their campus? This research was a baseline exploratory study that utilized a quantitative approach to survey first year, Native American students at nine public higher education institutions in the …

Narrative Research: You Did What With Technology? Exploring Student Narratives Of Technology At A Research-Based University In The Southwest, Alma M. Sanchez

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This qualitative study examined the impact of high school instructional technology on college students' academic strategies. It examined the historical and modern advancements of technology in education, uncovering significant milestones in technology integration within classrooms in the United States. Using a narrative inquiry approach grounded in John Dewey's philosophy of experience, it centered on the narratives of students in their second and third semesters of college. The study highlighted the gap in understanding students’ personal experiences with technology and emphasized the role their narratives play in shaping future technology integration strategies.

The methodology involved utilizing digital surveys and online semi-structured …

Newark To Navajo: An Autoethnography Of A Cultural Outsider, Vincent Lloyd Mays

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study aims to explore the experiences of an African American Male leader in the Bureau of Indian Education. The focus of the study is to understand how I experienced inequitable workplace opportunities that may prohibit me from attaining and advancing into executive leadership roles. A qualitative Autoethnographic approach explores how my lived experiences may help the human resources division recruit and retain “Cultural Outsiders.” It denoted the career trajectory for an African American Male in the Bureau of Indian Education sector to capture the essence of their experiences navigating inequities along the leadership pipeline. To examine my experiences, adaptative …

Are The Housing Staff Alright? A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Examination Of The Experiences Of On-Campus Student Housing Professionals Through The Covid-19 Pandemic, Megan J. Chibanga

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

College and university housing professionals served a role they were generally underprepared for as long-term crisis managers during the global COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted and shifted higher education operating structures on a grand scale, and housing staff were asked to continue operating on-campus housing facilities throughout the ever-changing response to COVID-19. The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of housing professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the collective experiences of 21 participants three major threads emerged: comfort in the unknown, a need for connection and community, and relentless resilience. Each of these …

A Phenomenological Study Of Successful Superintendent Retention In A North-Central New Mexico School District, Adán G. Delgado

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Superintendent of Schools is uniquely critical in a school district due to its tremendous effect on the operational and cultural bearing of the organization (Myers, 2011). Superintendent turnover can hinder district reform and improvement (Grissom & Andersen, 2012; Marzano, 2006). The United States and New Mexico struggle with superintendent retention and northern New Mexico is especially plagued with short superintendent tenure (Grissom & Andersen, 2012; NMPED Stat Books, 2021; Sawchuck, 2022). In this study, I investigated the initial selection and subsequent interactions and relationships between school board members and superintendents. Using a phenomenological approach, I interviewed two superintendents and four …

Being Culturally Relevant And Responsive: A Comparative Analysis Of The Girl Scouts Of Usa Leadership Experience Program To The Diné Philosophy Of Hózhó And The Kinaaldá, To Illuminate Leadership, Rekindle Identity, And Revitalize Language Among Diné Girls, Deborah J. Belone

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

How does analytically comparing the Girl Scouts of the United States of America’s (GSUSA) Leadership Experience program to the Diné philosophy of Hózhó (harmonious way of life) and the Kinaaldá (female puberty ceremony) positively affect the unique diversity of each Diné girl and give attention to leadership skills, self-identity, and the Diné language? This is the research question that guided this research study of comparative analysis. In addition, there are three subquestions: (a) How does aligning the GSUSA Leadership Experience program to the Diné philosophies of Hózhó and the Kinaaldá build leadership skills, positive self-identify, and a healthy social and …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of New Mexico Charter Leaders Through The Covid-19 Pandemic, Nadine T. Torres

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus has impacted the educational landscape in unbelievable ways. The changes to the learning environment in schools required leaders to obtain and exercise different competencies. New Mexico charter leaders are leading in the new normal of public education. With the additional roles, requirements, and expectations brought on by the pandemic, leaders cannot return to their prior leadership practices. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand and give voice to the lived experiences of NM charter leaders working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The narrative of the participants highlighted four major themes: …

A Phenomenological Study Of Collegiate Recovery Leadership, Marni Goldberg

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Due to the marginalized status of the population they serve, collegiate recovery programs are generally underfunded and employ one staff member who typically holds other job tasks in addition to those of collegiate recovery leader. The consequence of the varied nature by which collegiate recovery programs are founded and implemented is inconsistency, which can threaten the longevity of the field. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to elicit information directly from collegiate recovery leaders to gain a deeper understanding of their lived experience, in order to determine how to best serve and support higher education students in recovery from …

Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Project-Based Learning (Pbl) Education: A New Mexico Case Study For Equity And Inclusion, Kimberly A. Scheerer

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This research addresses how student participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) project-based learning (PBL) education activities encourages underrepresented minority student achievement in STEM career field trajectories. Seven New Mexico high school counselors and 12 STEM organization personnel were interviewed during this study. Their responses represent the nuanced professional voices where New Mexico public education intersects with STEM student interest and cultural influence.

For students, STEM PBL can foster deep integration across educational disciplines and enhance STEM career trajectory interest and readiness. STEM education converged with PBL methodologies has the ability to leverage community support while broadening student networks. …

Teachers Of General Education: Perceptions And Experiences Teaching Inclusion In U.S. Schools, Ann C. Sander

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This phenomenological qualitative study explored the perceptions and experiences of a group of U.S. public schools, kindergarten through fifth grade teachers, certified in general education with experience teaching inclusion--a federally mandated practice requiring schools to educate students both with and without disabilities in the same classroom. Much of the literature surrounding inclusion focuses on the perceived benefits of the program and children with disabilities' legal rights. The literature has a limited number of references describing the perceptions and experiences of teachers who are required to provide the educational services necessary for inclusion in the classroom.

In this study, 35 participants …

The Role Of Self-Efficacy And Emotional Exhaustion In Teacher Considerations Of Job-Related Stressors And Attrition: A Mixed-Methods Study, Raymond Nance

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Teacher attrition is a problem currently afflicting classrooms around the world. Emotional exhaustion and teacher self-efficacy have been demonstrated to be factors in attrition. This study assesses the efficacy of potential tools for use in evaluating emotional exhaustion and self-efficacy before problems arise and to guide professional development in efficacious directions.

This parallel-convergent mixed-methods study performed quantitative regression analyses on the joined effects of emotional exhaustion and self-efficacy to assess their potential mediating role between teachers’ job stressors and considerations of leaving the job. The existence of mediation was demonstrated. Qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts from six interviews with current …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Digital Divide On Public Education In New Mexico, Robert Christner

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The digital divide and digital equity have long been a concern for educators, and public schools. In 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic swept across the country, public schools closed for in person classes and moved to a new paradigm of online only classes, issues of digital equity and the digital divide became a critical focus for families and young learners seeking to continue their academic progress. New Mexico with its low population density, rural nature and lack of infrastructure was particularly vulnerable to issues of digital equity when public schools moved to online only classes. This study investigates the …

Art As Experience: A Case For Art Museum Field Trips In New Mexico’S Public School Art Education, Zoila A. Caamaño-Pumarol

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Since 2011, multiple studies have found that school field trips to art museums and other cultural institutions produce measurable improvements in standardized test scores, academic engagement, and substantial improvements across a range of factors including empathy, critical thinking skills, and creativity. These findings are especially prominent with children in rural areas, from low-income families, and non-Native English speakers. Nevertheless, the priorities in U.S. public education have shifted away from field trips and art education since the 1980s.

In this case study licensed art teachers in the New Mexico K to 12 public schools shared their experiences, discussed the obstacles they …

The Return On Investment For Dual Credit, Samantha Sengel

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Scrutiny of colleges and universities based upon student success factors such as retention, persistence, time to degree and graduation has indicated that interventions often have incremental impact. Access to dual credit, the taking of college courses while in high school, as an intervention for maintaining the engagement of high achieving students and re-connecting disengaged, underserved student populations has had proven positive outcomes for many decades. The purpose of this research study was to understand the relationship between dual credit and several higher education measures and outcomes including retention and persistence, likelihood of receiving an award, and ultimately the cost of …

Text Nudges: Proactive Communication By An Urban Community College, Ann L. Hall

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The landscape of higher education has shifted over the last ten years. Student needs have changed. Educational institutions have begun to change the way they conduct business to support student needs more fully including just-in-time communications that are focused and customized to the individual student. Higher education institutions are using text nudges to support student outcomes from enrollment to graduation. This study evaluated the impact of text nudges on retention at a large, urban community college in the southwest region of the United States. The study found a small, negative relationship between the number of text nudges received and fall …

Student Voice And Choice: Factors Influencing Student Participation In Secondary Arts Classes In An Urban Public School District, Alan D. Lambert Ed. D.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to capture the student voice regarding the value, importance, and relevance of visual and performing arts education in public schools. The host institution for the study was an urban school district in the southern central United States serving 75,000 students, with 55% students identified as Hispanic, and 52% of students experiencing poverty. Graduating seniors responded via questionnaires with forced choice and open-ended items regarding several topics, including what they do in their free time, how they perceive the value of arts classes at school, access to arts classes and the match of their interests …

Perceptions Of Current Secondary Mathematics Teachers About Their Teacher Preparation, Peterson Chiliromango Moyo

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods case study was to examine how current secondary mathematics (6-12) teachers (SMTs) perceived their teacher preparation. The population consisted of 27 current SMTs who taught mathematics in a southwestern state of the United States. The first research question asked how SMTs perceived that mathematics methods courses influenced mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT). The second research question examined ways in which content and instruction in mathematics methods courses contributed to the teaching of mathematics

. During quantitative phase, 27 SMTs completed the questionnaire. Chi-Square statistical analysis showed no significant relationship between participants’ mathematics …

The Value Of An Education - An Exploratory Study Of The Relationship Between Cultural And Institutional Values And First-Generation Native American Student Success, Michelle L. Lee

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to explore the value and meaning that first-generation American Indian students place on higher education. Are these values different from those of the institution and how does that impact their educational journey? Finding purpose and meaning in your education encourages continued commitment to your educational goals. I conducted a single-site qualitative study at a Southwestern Non-Tribal Community University (SWNTCU), collecting data through an arts-based inquiry methodology employing photovoice narrative as a tool. To situate these narratives, I utilized an Indigenous paradigm interweaving Tribal Critical Race Theory, Relationality, and an Indigenous Wellness Model (Brayboy, 2006; …

An Examination Of Leadership Needs, Preparation, And Expectations In Rural Indigenous Communities, Roselyn Carroll-Trujillo

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT Every single person has leadership ability. Some step up and take them. Some don't. My answer was to step up and lead. ̴Wilma Mankiller ̴ How well prepared are New Mexico school leaders to serve in leadership positions in rural communities with high ratios of Indigenous populations? In this study, I utilized an Indigenous research paradigm to explore policy, reciprocal relationships, licensure requirements in one state, and perceptions from a variety of individuals in rural communities to develop an understanding of what is necessary to create and sustain successful school leadership in an Indigenous community. An Indigenous paradigm of …

Effectiveness Of Growth Mindset Intervention On Elementary Students’ Academic Performance: A Systematic Review, Salma Yeasmin

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The lack of academic success of the U.S. adolescents and wide achievement gap have become a persistent problem of the United States. Therefore, several educational reforms have been made to increase U.S. students’ academic performance as well as close achievement gap. However, despite the various reforms and efforts that have been enacted in educational sectors, U.S. students’ academic performance seemed not enough. Therefore, psychological factors were considered in the educational reform strategy, in which promoting growth mindset among students has become a way to accelerate students’ academic performance as well as reduce the achievement gap. Since then, numerous growth mindset …

Staying Afloat: Experiences Of Previously Incarcerated Students, Jodi Burshia, Jodi Burshia

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The experiences of Previously Incarcerated Indigenous Students (PIIS) need to be understood so that educators and administrators can include the experiences, perspectives, and realities of Indigenous students who have been previously incarcerated in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and collegiate programs at Tribal Community Colleges and Universities (TCUs). To date, considering and providing targeted support for this population has not been part of the focus of TCUs even when all tribal colleges work to strengthen the cultural heritage of their respective tribes (Bad Wound, 1990) and some students at TCUs are PIIS. This qualitative study offers a respectful critique of higher …

Utilizing K'É To Build A New Mexico Higher Education Collaborative: Supporting Native Student Success, Catherine N. Montoya

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The purpose of this study is centered around a need’s assessment and creation of a collaborative entity in New Mexico that will support Native students in higher education institutions. There is always a need to support Indigenous students pursuing post-secondary degrees in higher education programs, because often professionals and programs function in silos. Instead, professionals and programs that support Native students would benefit from working to create supportive environments where Native students can succeed; provide encouragement; and make their environments safe and welcoming. This can best be accomplished through collaborative efforts across New Mexico. A state level higher education collaborative …

The Impact Of Federal, State, And Local Policy On The Pedagogy Of Ell Assessment In New Mexico Public Schools, Cheryl Anne Ford Ed.D.

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

ABSTRACT

The impetus for this study came from the understanding that bilingualism and multilingualism are innate components of America’s immigrant and Native American cultural fabric. With issues ranging from writing ELL policy to developing English as a second language (ESL), pedagogical support, to identifying the non-static, cultural, and linguistic needs of ELLs, their intersection and impact on bilingual education in New Mexico’s public schools was the focus of this study. To ensure a nonbiased focus on that narrow intersection, a qualitative methodology with a grounded-theory genre and an emic approach was used to address the research question: How do cumulative …

Fishing Without A Pole: Experiences And Insights Of Adults Working To Prevent Youth Suicide In A Low-Income, High-Rate State, Victoria L. Waugh-Reed

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This study explores the underrepresented perspective of suicide preventionists in the state of New Mexico, their experiences and insights surrounding the prevention of youth suicide. I present these in narrative form; the primary method of investigation was purposeful, individual interviews with an initial and follow-up interviews. Preventionists in New Mexico face the enormous task of reducing historically high youth suicide rates when compared with the rest of the nation; additionally, New Mexico is a rural state that exhibits a complex mix of risk and resiliency factors. I invited participants to discuss their experiences, share barriers to their work, offer success …

Elementary Math Teachers' Narrated Noticing: What Occurs Between Teacher Listening And Teacher Response, Allison F. Stansbury

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Teacher noticing requires listening to student sense-making, interpreting the mathematical understandings teachers hear, and deciding how to respond based on what they notice in a specific interaction. Teachers manage what they notice about students in instructional interactions to both make key teaching decisions and adjust their interactions with specific learners. Elementary teachers narrate their procedural and declarative knowledge in the moment between listening and deciding how to interact. The data is generated through qualitative interviewing, observation, and documentation. There is a cyclical process of listening to student sense-making, then recalling the student criteria that triggered an interaction, as well as …

Factors Contributing To Young Men Of Color Dropping Out Of High School And Experiencing Incarceration: What Influenced Their Decision To Return To School And Graduate?, Justina C. Montoya

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Dropping out of high school is an issue that disproportionately affects the lives of young men of color in New Mexico and across the country. While there are multiple reasons that impact a student's decision to drop out of school, it is often compounded by other factors that also lead to incarceration.

This study focused on young men of color who dropped out of school, experienced incarceration, and through this process made the decision to return to school and earn a high school diploma. This study was performed at a charter high school in a southwestern state. The mission of …

Study To Work, Or Work To Study? An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis Of International Students' Internship Experiences In The United States, Ivet S. Rosev

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

This is a phenomenological qualitative research study that explores the essence of the international student experience while studying at a Master’s or Ph.D. level in the U.S. This study examined two main concepts: work experience and cultural transformation. The work experience component explores the professional development and acculturation process for international graduate students and the cultural transformation element aims to understand the cultural differences, self-identity, and transformative aspect from the participants’ experiences abroad.

Using purposeful sampling and a transcendental research design, twelve international students (five pursuing a Master’s degree and seven pursuing a Ph.D.) were interviewed in a chronologically structured …