Education Commons^™

Student Engagement In Tennessee Ninth Grade Post-Covid Classrooms, Rebecca Houser

Ed.D. Dissertations

During the school closures associated with COVID-19, researchers found student engagement decreased, partially due to the concurrent increase in the number of adolescents diagnosed with problematic internet use and internet addiction. At the time of this study, there was limited research related to student engagement after students returned to face-to-face instruction. Moreover, when students returned to in-person school after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, a paradigm shift to internet-based learning occurred, which meant every student had a computer and spent more time learning online than before the pandemic. Unfortunately, this paradigm shift occurred while students were returning to school with …

Rural, K-12 East Tennessee School Principals’ Perceptions Of Principal Preparation Programs And Ongoing Professional Development Opportunities, Whitney Butler

Ed.D. Dissertations

There were concerns in both quantity and quality of principal candidates regarding training experiences and principals being prepared to lead schools. Research was limited when it came to principal preparation programs (PPPs) training rural, East Tennessee school principals to become instructional leaders and school district leaders providing ongoing professional development opportunities for rural principals. Due to the overall lack of research regarding these facets, further research was necessary to understand how PPPs advisors and school district leaders needed to better prepare rural school principals to lead instructionally. Twenty rural school principals responded to a questionnaire regarding principals’ perceptions of PPPs …

Perceptions Of Georgia Alternative School Principals Regarding Their Leadership Preparation Programs, Anterro Graham

Ed.D. Dissertations

Abstract

Alternative schools were characterized by numerous risk factors that impacted

student learning, teacher retention, and access to essential resources. The

implementation of self-efficacy was crucial in tackling and successfully finishing

difficult tasks. Studies were scarce regarding the impact of school principals'

self-efficacy on their leadership behaviors when running an alternative school.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how principals perceived their

self-efficacy, which was influenced by their participation in principal preparation

programs in Georgia. Additionally, I examined the impact of self-efficacy on their

leadership behaviors, the risk factors associated with leading an alternative

school, and how principals …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Motivational Factors That Influence Elementary Teacher Retention In Urban Title I Schools, Patrice Y. Graham

Ed.D. Dissertations

National teacher shortages have received attention in the last few years, and researchers have projected turnover rates will grow in the upcoming years. As a result, districts and administrators were challenged to hire highly qualified teachers. More research is needed on why teachers remained in urban Title I schools. Due to the lack of research, further research was necessary to form a better understanding of increasing elementary school teacher retention. Elementary school teachers from one school district in Georgia responded to a questionnaire to explore the motivational factors influencing their retention in Title I schools. The 29 certified teachers indicated …

The Influence Of Informal Teacher Leadership And Social Networks On Teacher Self-Efficacy In Rural Schools, Cassandra Doty

Ed.D. Dissertations

The number of formal teacher leadership roles, notably as instructional coaches and Professional Learning Community leaders, continued to increase. Rural school districts needed to improve their ability to create these roles. Additionally, researchers indicated many teachers preferred to avoid working with formal teacher leaders. The purpose of this basic, interpretive, qualitative study was to examine informal teacher leadership within the confines of social networks in rural schools and the influence of informal teacher leadership on the self-efficacy of other teachers when implementing instructional strategies. I utilized a questionnaire and snowball sampling, which led to 10 participants to gain insight into …