Motivational Factors That Sustain Experienced Teachers In High-Need, Low-Performing Public Schools In North Carolina: A Phenomenological Study, Samuel J. Smith, Michelle Casey
Sep 2016
Motivational Factors That Sustain Experienced Teachers In High-Need, Low-Performing Public Schools In North Carolina: A Phenomenological Study, Samuel J. Smith, Michelle Casey
Samuel James Smith
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe factors that sustained public school teachers in high-need areas in North Carolina. Teacher sustainability was generally defined as teachers who remained in a high-need public school located in southeastern North Carolina beyond the initial three years of teaching. This study explored the following: (1) How do public school teachers describe their experience working in a high-need educational community in North Carolina? (2) How do public school teachers perceive their former life history as having an impact retaining their profession beyond the initial three years of teaching in a high-need, low-performing …
Implementing A Christian Philosophy Of Education: Teaching Through The Lens Of A Biblical Worldview, Samuel J. Smith
Apr 2016
Implementing A Christian Philosophy Of Education: Teaching Through The Lens Of A Biblical Worldview, Samuel J. Smith
Samuel James Smith
In India, where 80% of the population is Hindu, how do Christian-school teachers -- many of them Hindus themselves -- carry out the school's goal to implement a Christian philosophy of education? This presentation was arranged by Leadership Development International (LDi) for teachers from five campuses of Carmel English Schools of India.
Horace Bushnell: Advocate Of Progressive Orthodoxy And Christian Nurture, Samuel J. Smith, Elmer L. Towns
Dec 2015
Horace Bushnell: Advocate Of Progressive Orthodoxy And Christian Nurture, Samuel J. Smith, Elmer L. Towns
Samuel James Smith
Disparaged by his critics as a liberal, Calvinist, mystic, and heretic, Horace Bushnell’s theology—particularly his notion of Christian nurture—has prevailed as a significantly influential model for religious education. His legacy reveals one who attempted to bridge the divides of his time, including the chasm between Orthodox Calvinism and Unitarianism. Though many were confused by his language theory and mediating stance on doctrinal issues, his principles of Christian nurture clearly served as a pilot light that ignited the flame of the twentieth-century religious education movement.
Challenges For Novice School Leaders: Facing Today’S Issues In School Administration, Andrea P. Beam, Russell L. Claxton, Samuel J. Smith
Dec 2015
Challenges For Novice School Leaders: Facing Today’S Issues In School Administration, Andrea P. Beam, Russell L. Claxton, Samuel J. Smith
Samuel James Smith
Challenges for novice school leaders evolve as information is managed differently and as societal and regulatory expectations change. This study addresses unique challenges faced by practicing principals (n=159) during their first three years of the principalship. It focuses on their perceptions, how perceptions of present novices compare to those of experienced school leaders, and how pre-service programs can better prepare them for these challenges. Findings revealed that two themes shared relatively the same prominence among experienced leaders as they did with novices: navigating politics and gaining a sense of credibility. Experienced leaders expounded more on specific political hurdles with school …
