Education Commons^™

Voice And Volume Of Leader Self-Awareness, Michael J. Mcdonald

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study proposed that the level of self-awareness possessed by a leader has a direct relationship with the engagement level of the team he or she leads. A quantitative approach using the results of self-other leadership ratings and team engagement ratings were examined to explain employee engagement through perceptions of leadership awareness.

By understanding leadership through the integration of two instruments, one designed to measure seven specific demands of leadership (the L7 instrument) and another to measure employee engagement on twelve dimensions (the Q12 instrument), this study explored the relationship between leader self-awareness and the effect of that awareness on …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Career American Missionaries In The Countries Of Kenya And Tanzania Relating To Their Overseas Field-Based Orientation Experiences, John S. Basham

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to examine the lived field orientation experiences of 12 missionaries living in Kenya and Tanzania relative to their perceptions of personal effectiveness. This study was driven by how a segment of missionaries described their field orientation in relation to perceived effectiveness on the field. Four major themes relative to field orientation emerged. Recommendations relating to missionary field orientation programs were offered.

Every year thousands of new missionaries relocate overseas with the intent of ministering in a new culture. All experience cultural shock and problems. Orientation experiences and personal definitions of effectiveness could impact why …

Experiences Of Community College Students With Adhd: A Qualitative Study In The Tradition Of Phenomenology, Charla N. Lawrence

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Postsecondary educational institutions of all types have seen increases in the number of enrollees diagnosed with ADHD. Despite such increases less in known about ADHD among college students because the majority of research has focused on children and adolescents. This qualitative study conducted in the tradition of phenomenology, explored the lived experiences of ten students attending a community college. Personal interviews were conducted for the purpose of gaining insight into how students with ADHD experience higher education in a community college environment; what support services were most/least useful; challenges faced and successes enjoyed; factors influencing success or failure, and the …

Nebraska School Facilities: Educational Adequacy Of Class Iii School District Structures, John M. Weidner, Sr.

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In 2009, a replication of the Pool study was conducted. This study, however, focused on the school systems classified as Class III districts. Nebraska has 252 Class III districts. Compared with Class II (21), Class IV (1), and Class V(1) districts, the Class III districts offer a wide array of school settings, from urban to extremely rural, and from the third largest school system in Nebraska to a single school district occupying a county in the western sandhills.

The survey responses were sorted and analyzed by five indices: Class, Quartile of Valuation per Pupil, Population Change Category of the 2008 …

Parental Perceptions Of Body Mass Index Referrals And Overweight School-Age Children, Misty Schwartz

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It is well documented that there is a worldwide epidemic of obesity in children. To address obesity in children, emphasis must be on factors within family, school, and community environments. Although most parents and school officials are aware of the problem of overweight children, there is little data available to guide decision making about the acceptability of school-based Body Mass Index (BMI) screening and referral programs. As states mandate BMI screening and referral, parental insight is essential to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of BMI notification.

The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the perceptions of parents …

Developmental Asset Building In At-Risk Youth: A Mixed Methods Study, Kraig James Lofquist

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this mixed methods triangulation design study was to explore how “service learning” affects “at-risk” student’s overall level of Developmental Assets. Quantitative data were obtained by using a pre and post assessment. Specifically, the Developmental Asset Profile (DAP) was used to determine if “service learning” opportunities increased the overall levels of developmental assets experienced by the atrisk student group. Additionally, qualitative data were gained by interviewing service learning participants to supplement the quantitative data collected in the Developmental Asset Profile.

Participants included 37 “at-risk” youth who were selected to participate in a service learning program. The students selected …

The Influence Of Departmental Affiliation And Pedagogical Training On Faculty Adoption Of Innovative Pedagogical Methods In Georgia Technical Colleges, Linda G. Grisham

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This quantitative study used factorial design and survey research to examine the influence of departmental affiliation and pedagogical training on full-time faculty members’ (n = 2193) working in the Technical College System of Georgia. The tool for data collections was a web-survey instrument, modified with permission from the Faculty Survey on Teaching, Learning and Assessment” (Matney, 2001).

Two independent variables (departmental affiliation and level of pedagogical training in active learning practices) and three dependent variables (participation in the scholarship of teaching and learning, introduction of new teaching techniques, and active learning practices) were measured by responses on a 5-point Likert-scale. …

Women Leaders In Student Affairs: A Case Study Exploring Career Choices, Julie C. Taylor-Costello

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This qualitative, multiple case study explored what women working in student affairs reported as influences on their career choices and the impact that the type and level of student interaction has on their careers.

Data from semi-structured interviews and journal entries were obtained from ten women working in student affairs at private, four-year institutions of higher education in the Midwest. The “Stage Model of the Careers of Successful Women” (White, Cox, & Cooper, 1992) provided the theoretical framework and the basis for selecting women for the study. Two women at each of the five stages of White, Cox, and Cooper’s …

The Journey From Bedside To Classroom: Making The Transition From Nurse To Nurse Educator, Anne M. Schoening

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In spite of a national nursing shortage, American schools are turning away students in record numbers. This is due in large part to a critical shortage of nursing faculty. Recruitment and retention of qualified nurse educators is essential in order to remedy the current staff nurse and faculty shortage, yet nursing schools face many challenges in this area. New nurse educators are often recognized as expert clinicians at the bedside, and most have advanced degrees in nursing; however, few have formal preparation for teaching, and faculty orientation programs vary widely between institutions. Thus, new nurse educators often begin their academic …

Professional Development Of Early Childhood Administrators Within A Professional Development School (Pds) Learning Community, Ginger L. Zierdt

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD ADMINISTRATORS WITHIN A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCHOOL (PDS) LEARNING COMMUNITY

Ginger LuAnne Zierdt, Ph.D. University of Nebraska, 2009

Advisor: Marilyn L. Grady

The traditional roles of early childhood educators have expanded to include management and leadership responsibilities. Through the stories and observations of early childhood administrators who participated in a Professional Learning Community within a Professional Development School (PDS) partnership, we discover new insights about the leadership and management skills needed to lead quality early learning programs.

Given the importance of professional development for early childhood administrators, it is important to understand how this phenomenon is …

College Students And Service: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Motivations, Choices, And Learning Outcomes, Ronald Chesbrough

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Advisor: James V. Griesen
The purpose of this two-phase exploratory mixed methods research was to add to an understanding of the motivations toward service among college students, to get a clearer sense of how students choose their particular service involvements, and to better understand the learning outcomes from service involvement during college. Underlying philosophical assumptions of the study were that service involvement during college contributes in several positive ways to student development, and that student descriptions of their motivations, choices, and learning from service will vary based on gender, year in college, and amount of service performed.

Findings indicated that …

Attracting College Men To Sexual Violence Prevention: A Multiple Case Study Of Male Peer Educators, Janice M. Deeds

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The prevalence rate for sexual assault of U.S. college women has stayed around 13% since 1982 despite the efforts colleges and universities have made to create effective prevention programs. Campus violence prevention programs have changed in focus and approach as research has provided a broader understanding of sexual violence and the important roles men can play in its prevention.

Peer education is currently the most commonly used method of teaching sexual violence prevention information to college students, but unless college men become involved as sexual violence prevention peer educators, campus programs will not be able to effectively reach other male …