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Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers As Facilitators Of Students’ Socioemotional Learning, Crystal January Jan 2020

Perceptions Of Administrators And Teachers As Facilitators Of Students’ Socioemotional Learning, Crystal January

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current conditions in the United States have resulted in an increasing number of middle and high school students experiencing trauma. To improve positive learning environments and graduation rates, a Southern school district transitioned from punitive, exclusionary consequences to restorative practices such as socioemotional learning (SEL). A bounded qualitative case study was used to explore the perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding teachers’ facilitation of SEL, the most effective strategies to facilitate SEL, and teacher preparedness to facilitate SEL. The study was guided by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning framework. Data were collected from 5 teachers and 3 …


Principals' Behaviors And Practices In Closing Gaps Of English Language Learners, Cathy L. Hernandez Jan 2020

Principals' Behaviors And Practices In Closing Gaps Of English Language Learners, Cathy L. Hernandez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractStudents in the United States who are English language learners (ELLs) are increasing in number, and they lag in academic performance in comparison to native English speakers. Educators and community members need to know more about how school personnel address closing the achievement gap as defined by local, state, and national assessments. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the behaviors and practices principals used to address the instruction of ELLs in their schools. The conceptual framework was based in Hallinger’s model of instructional leadership with emphasis on instructional supervision and management. Data were collected during interviews …


Rural School District Principals’ Perceptions For Recruiting, Hiring, And Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers, Mary Giles Jan 2020

Rural School District Principals’ Perceptions For Recruiting, Hiring, And Retaining Highly Qualified Teachers, Mary Giles

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly qualified teachers (HQTs) have more influence on students’ academic success than class size, curriculum, school culture, and technology. However, principals display discrepant practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining HQTs. The purpose of this basic exploratory qualitative study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary, middle, and high school principals from a rural school district in a southern state concerning practices of recruiting, hiring, and retaining HQTs. Senge’s paradigm of a learning organization and an adapted model of Dickinson’s recruitment, selection, and retention of child welfare workers guided this study. Research questions addressed administrators’ perceptions of strategies used to recruit, …


The Perceptions Of African American Females In Educational Leadership, Shonda Matia Harris-Muhammed Jan 2020

The Perceptions Of African American Females In Educational Leadership, Shonda Matia Harris-Muhammed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractIn a Southeast U.S. state, African American female school administrators had difficulty obtaining administrative roles within the local district. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of African American females in educational leadership roles and the challenges they faced in obtaining leadership positions. Delgado and Stefenic’s Black feminist theory provided the conceptual framework for this study. Two research questions addressed African American female administrators’ perceptions of their administrative roles, contributions, support of diversity, and experiences in obtaining leadership positions. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 African American female administrators who had a minimum …


Principal Leadership For The Establishment Of Family-School Partnership, Mickelli Dunn Jan 2020

Principal Leadership For The Establishment Of Family-School Partnership, Mickelli Dunn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The area of family engagement and its benefits to the academic outcomes of students has been well researched. Educators, including practitioners and those who prepare them, and community members need to understand more about the leadership actions of principals, especially in urban, low-income predominantly African American schools, that lead to effective communication and learning at home partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the leadership actions of principals that support teachers establishing productive communication and learning at-home family engagement practices. Epstein’s school, family, and community partnership model was the framework that guided this research. Research questions …


Adult Learners' And Instructors' Perceptions Of The Andragogical Instructional Method Used At A Northern Mississippi Community College, Renee Lajune Hall Jan 2020

Adult Learners' And Instructors' Perceptions Of The Andragogical Instructional Method Used At A Northern Mississippi Community College, Renee Lajune Hall

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand adult learners’ and instructors’ perceptions of the andragogical instructional method used at a Northern Mississippi Community College. In addition, this study explored how well the andragogical instructional method worked as a way to educate adult learners. A qualitative phenomenological design was used to examine the perceptions of six returning full-time adult learners and six full-time instructors regarding the use and impact of the andragogical instructional method via purposeful sampling. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews. Through the participants’ shared experiences and reviewing the interview transcripts, several themes emerged regarding their perceptions of …


Elementary And Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions On Implementing Change Toward Inclusion Practices, Nicole J. Taguinod Jan 2020

Elementary And Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions On Implementing Change Toward Inclusion Practices, Nicole J. Taguinod

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inclusive education programs exist in public schools to provide equitable education opportunities for all students, including students with disabilities. However, the processes for administrators to implement change toward inclusive classrooms and achieve program sustainability remain unclear. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative case study was to investigate campus administrators’ perceptions concerning challenges and facilitators that influence the implementation and continuation of inclusion practices and their roles in initiating change. An integration of Fullan and Quinn’s coherence framework and Lewin’s 3-step change model was the conceptual lens for the study. Research questions were focused on how administrators view aspects that hinder …


Survey Of Teachers’ Use Of And Preferences For Professional Development Regarding Available Technology, Shannon Main-Petelka Jan 2020

Survey Of Teachers’ Use Of And Preferences For Professional Development Regarding Available Technology, Shannon Main-Petelka

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem in a medium-sized school district is the lack of data regarding what currently accessible technology and technology learning activities (TLAs) teachers use, have access to, and for which technology and TLAs they desire professional development (PD). There is a gap in practice in that technology directors lack data-based plans for PD. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative study was to analyze teachers’ ratings of technology access, use, and desire for PD including the correlation between teachers’ use of technology and their previous PD hours as well as between teachers’ desire to use technology and their location in their …


Understanding Causes For Jamaican Dropouts From The Career Advancement Program, Eron Garfield Mclean Jan 2020

Understanding Causes For Jamaican Dropouts From The Career Advancement Program, Eron Garfield Mclean

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In Jamaica, a significant number of at-risk older youths do not attend school, nor are they employed. The government created the Career Advancement Program (CAP) to provide skills and career options for them, but many students drop out of the program. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of the reasons why students were dropping out of CAP and what could be done to retain them longer. The study was designed to explore why students dropped out of the CAP before completion, to what extent experiences in CAP satisfied student needs, and how experienced …


Leaders And At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of Online Credit Recovery Opportunities And The Role Of Efficacy, Angelo Mitsuo Barcinas Jan 2020

Leaders And At-Risk Students' Perceptions Of Online Credit Recovery Opportunities And The Role Of Efficacy, Angelo Mitsuo Barcinas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although online credit recovery opportunities are available to high school students enrolled in a United States of America territory credit recovery school, the inability of students to access these courses outside of the school is difficult because students do not have online access. This study examines the role self-efficacy plays on students successfully completing high school through taking advantage of online credit recovery opportunities. The purpose of this general qualitative interview study was to examine at-risk students’ perceptions of online credit recovery opportunities and the role of efficacy for students enrolled in online credit recovery school. Using the social cognitive …


Special Education Teacher Retention In The Early Years, Caroll Brant Jan 2020

Special Education Teacher Retention In The Early Years, Caroll Brant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The intent of this qualitative study was to examine the impact of intrinsic motivators and extrinsic workplace experiences on the retention of beginning special education teachers of students with low incidence disabilities (LIDs). This study was designed in response to district leaders’ shared concerns of the continuous turnover experienced annually in several districts in a region of a southern state. Two research questions were developed to gain a deeper insight into the influence intrinsic and extrinsic factors have on beginning special education teachers’ decisions to stay in the self-contained, LID classroom. Ten beginning special education LID teachers participated in interviews …


Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Implement Ccss Writing Standards, Latonja Allen-Mallard Jan 2020

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Their Preparedness To Implement Ccss Writing Standards, Latonja Allen-Mallard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Writing achievement is a concern in the United States at the national and local level. The problem addressed in this study, in an urban Illinois school district, is that there has been a lack of adequate teacher instructional preparedness in Common Core State Standards (CCSS) writing instruction coupled with low student writing performance. The purpose of this study was to explore how elementary school teachers who teach Language Arts perceive their instructional preparedness to teach writing that aligns with the CCSS writing standards; and, to explore what elements of instructional preparedness they perceive would be beneficial to meet the demands …


New Primary School Principals’ Understandings And Practice Of Instructional Leadership In Ethiopia, Dorothy Aanyu Angura Jan 2020

New Primary School Principals’ Understandings And Practice Of Instructional Leadership In Ethiopia, Dorothy Aanyu Angura

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Instructional leadership (IL) is recognized as an essential role of a school principal, yet in the African school context, there is a paucity of research on understanding new principals’ perceptions and practice of IL. This basic qualitative research explored the IL understandings and practices of new primary school principals and their understandings of teacher support for effective instruction. The study utilized the Practical Ideal Type (PIT) microconceptual framework to gauge what new principals understood and practiced and compared with what is established in literature in the Principal’s Instructional Management Rating Scale model. Using thematic data analysis, interview data of seven …


Retaining Teachers Rated As Effective In Title I Schools, Jessica Nicole Johnson Jan 2020

Retaining Teachers Rated As Effective In Title I Schools, Jessica Nicole Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teacher retention and continuity are important for students, particularly for those in middle- to high-poverty, low-achieving schools. There is a gap in practice related to providing support for and overcoming barriers to the retention of teachers rated as effective, particularly keeping them with students with socioeconomic and academic need. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of leaders in Title I schools to understand better the elements and support they identify for retaining teachers rated as effective. Bruner's work explaining how needs, motivations, and expectations influence perceptions informed the study. Research questions were designed to …


Educator Perceptions Of Participation In A Vertical Professional Learning Community, Katherine Orlando Jan 2020

Educator Perceptions Of Participation In A Vertical Professional Learning Community, Katherine Orlando

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many researchers have studied best practices within school-based professional learning communities (PLCs). Practitioners need to understand more about different PLC configurations, such as vertical PLCs across schools, and how leaders influence implementation and outcomes. The purposes of this case study were to understand vertical PLC participant perceptions of leadership and school improvement, educator growth, and the effectiveness of the vertical PLC structure. The conceptual framework incorporated leadership of change, commitment to continuous improvement for individuals and organizations, and support of active and compelling adult learning. A collaborative, vertical PLC structure in a medium-sized public school district in a Mid-Atlantic state …


Student Satisfaction And Educational Experience With Collaborative Learning Teams, Jacquelyn Lee Jenkins Jan 2020

Student Satisfaction And Educational Experience With Collaborative Learning Teams, Jacquelyn Lee Jenkins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe use of collaborative learning teams is successful at many traditional higher education institutions. However, the use of collaborative learning teams at 3 University X campuses was noted as a source of frustration for students and may affect student satisfaction. Lower satisfaction rates equate to lower rates of success, graduation, referrals, and retention. The purpose of this study was to explore student satisfaction with the use of collaborative learning teams and how learning teams affect students' educational experiences at University X. Vygotsky's social learning theory and Astin's theory of student involvement framed the study. The mixed-method design included a quantitative …


Financial Viability Strategies For Leaders Of Small, Private, Nonprofit Universities, Elizabeth Ann Postlewaite Jan 2020

Financial Viability Strategies For Leaders Of Small, Private, Nonprofit Universities, Elizabeth Ann Postlewaite

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The percentage of full-time college students decreased by 7% in the United Statesbetween 2010 and 2018. Modern university leaders confront difficult decisions regarding their institutions' future because of financial challenges related to reduced tuition revenue. Grounded in the theory of diffusion of innovations and the balanced scorecard, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies leaders of small, nonprofit, private universities use to remain financially viable in a highly competitive environment. The participants included 6 university leaders from 2 small, private, nonprofit universities in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States who implemented successful …


Using Student Engagement And Reengagement To Reduce Chronic School Absenteeism, Janet Lassiter Dennis Jan 2020

Using Student Engagement And Reengagement To Reduce Chronic School Absenteeism, Janet Lassiter Dennis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractChronic absenteeism is a problem in an urban school district in Virginia. This problem not only affects the staff and administrators, but it also affects the surrounding communities, students, and parents. The purpose of the study was to the investigate the perceptions of teachers and administrators in the local school district regarding students’ chronic absenteeism. Bowen’s family system theory comprised the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on the perceptions of Grade K-12 teachers and administrators about the causes of chronic absenteeism in the local district and their views of the effectiveness of methods that have …


Perceptions Of High School Principals About Improving African American Male Academic Outcomes, Andre Lavelle Credit Jan 2020

Perceptions Of High School Principals About Improving African American Male Academic Outcomes, Andre Lavelle Credit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the African American male students’ academic achievement gap and the principals’ strategies to overcome this problem were investigated. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to assess the viability of the different strategies that principals have put in place in their respective schools with the aim of improving the academic outcomes of African American male students. The study was guided by the theoretical foundation of culturally responsive teaching, which ensures effective diversity management through the cultural resources of teaching. The research questions addressed 3 major components: the principals’ self-perceived beliefs and attitudes toward enhancing the …


Perceptions Of Leaders Regarding Succession Planning In State Universities In A Western State, Amy Jennifer Buckway Jan 2020

Perceptions Of Leaders Regarding Succession Planning In State Universities In A Western State, Amy Jennifer Buckway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Succession planning is used to identify potential leadership vacancies, develop new leaders, and provide systems for knowledge transfer to ensure optimal functioning of the organization during leadership changes. Leaders in higher education have been reluctant to develop and implement succession planning. The local problem is that higher education leadership in a Western state has experienced aging leadership and a lack of succession planning. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine the use of succession planning in 5 state universities in a Western U.S. state and to explore the leaders’ perceptions and experiences in the implementation of …


Interventions To Address Teacher Attrition From Low-Income Schools, Kenneth Bradley Darnell Jan 2020

Interventions To Address Teacher Attrition From Low-Income Schools, Kenneth Bradley Darnell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem was teacher turnover from low-income K–12 schools to higher-income K–12 schools. This problem is important because of the negative effects on student learning and the high cost of replacing departed teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to describe how low-income schools can implement interventions that will positively address the challenges teachers face that lead to teacher attrition through the support of administration, parental support, coworker relationships, and safety as perceived by teachers who formerly taught in low-income schools. The conceptual framework for this study was human capital theory. The participants were 56 K–12 teachers …


Association Between Perceived Department Chair Leadership Characteristics And Faculty Job Satisfaction, Dr. Braylon Jacob Gorman Jan 2020

Association Between Perceived Department Chair Leadership Characteristics And Faculty Job Satisfaction, Dr. Braylon Jacob Gorman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low faculty job satisfaction observed in higher education institutions can result in high rates of turnover and lack of commitment. With limited research on department chair leadership and faculty job satisfaction, there is also a gap in research in small liberal arts college settings. Guided by Avolio and Bass’s full-range leadership model, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between faculty perceptions of department chair leadership characteristics and faculty job satisfaction at 3 small, liberal arts institutions in the southeastern United States. For this nonexperimental study, the college’s self-developed Adapted Employee Satisfaction Survey was distributed to 720 …


Teacher And Administrator Perspectives On Low Reading Achievement Among Middle School Hispanic Students, Erica Criswell Jan 2020

Teacher And Administrator Perspectives On Low Reading Achievement Among Middle School Hispanic Students, Erica Criswell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic middle school students in Southeast Texas were scoring below their peers on the Texas standardized reading exam, and the study site was placed on the Texas Education Agency needs improvement list. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to identify the perceptions of reading teachers and administrators regarding Hispanic students’ low reading achievement. Cummins’ empowerment of minority students formed the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research question focused on the teacher and administrator perceptions about low reading achievement of Hispanic students in grades 7-8. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 3 …


Effect Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports On Middle School Students’ Discipline, Ricky Lamont Thomas Jan 2020

Effect Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports On Middle School Students’ Discipline, Ricky Lamont Thomas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research has documented that a pervasive problem affecting today’s schools is disruptive student behavior and the long-term, negative outcomes associated with the use of out-of-school suspensions (OSS) to address it. The program, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), was implemented in a local middle school with a diverse student population at which there was a history of student discipline problems in an effort to improve student behavior and reduce discipline referrals. Guided by Skinner’s theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the effect that PBIS had on the following discipline-related variables: number of office discipline …


Instructional Leadership Practices Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Teachers' Burnout, Lakeva Lajune Winchester Jan 2020

Instructional Leadership Practices Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Teachers' Burnout, Lakeva Lajune Winchester

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers who experience burnout leave the teaching profession. School principals in a public school district located in the southern United States are inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers who experience burnout. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to understand the instructional leadership practices of school principals regarding teachers’ burnout. The conceptual framework was Vygotsky’s theory of zone of proximal development, which posits that people are more motivated to learn when they are supported and encouraged and is based on Malcolm Knowles’ theory of andragogy, known as the adult leaning theory. The research question considered how …


Career And Technical Education Teachers Integrating Literacy And The Support Administrators Provide, Heather Denese Piccott-Bryan Jan 2020

Career And Technical Education Teachers Integrating Literacy And The Support Administrators Provide, Heather Denese Piccott-Bryan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Education regulations in many U. S. schools require teachers, including career and technical education (CTE) teachers, to integrate literacy skills into the curriculum to support student performance on standardized tests. Changes in teaching strategies and content for literacy integration require administrators to improve the support systems for CTE teachers. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore CTE teachers' experiences in integrating literacy into the curriculum and the support they receive from administrators. Fullan's change model informed the conceptual framework for this study. Individual interviews with 4 teachers and 3 administrators from a state on the east coast …


Persistence Towards Graduation Of First-Year Native American Students At A Local College, Dolores Becenti Jan 2020

Persistence Towards Graduation Of First-Year Native American Students At A Local College, Dolores Becenti

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the graduation rate for Native American (NA) college students was less than 1%. As enrollment increases in local colleges and universities, so do concerns about the persistence, retention, and completion of NA students. The purpose of this study was to investigate what influenced first-year NA students to persist toward graduation at a local college. The conceptual framework concentrated on social integration perspectives based on Tinto's student integration model. A qualitative case study design was chosen to gain insight into the phenomenon. Purposeful sampling procedures were used to recruit 6 first-year NA students …


Afterschool Reading Intervention Program With At-Risk 10th Grade Students, Phyllis Alexander Hampton Jan 2020

Afterschool Reading Intervention Program With At-Risk 10th Grade Students, Phyllis Alexander Hampton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThis study investigated the effectiveness of an afterschool reading intervention program (ASRIP) in addressing the problem of at-risk English 10 students in an urban high school in danger of failing the Tennessee End of Course Test (TEOCT) because of low TEOCT pretest scores, poor regular school attendance (RSA), and low grade point average (GPA). The theoretical framework for this study was based on Dewey’s constructivist learning theory. The purpose of this quantitative ex-post-facto research study was to determine whether participating in the ASRIP led to changes in the official TEOCT scores, RSA, and GPA for at-risk English 10 students who …


Instructional And Managerial Challenges Of School Principals In Small Rural Schools, Brenita Jordan Jan 2020

Instructional And Managerial Challenges Of School Principals In Small Rural Schools, Brenita Jordan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Principals in rural schools often must do more work with fewer resources and serve in many capacities performing both instructional and managerial duties. School principals in small rural school’s experience challenges when performing instructional and managerial tasks. The purpose of this case study was to examine how school principals in small rural districts handle instructional and managerial tasks and the perception of their readiness to manage these instructional and managerial tasks. The conceptual framework was Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership, which defines main quadrants of leadership as (a) telling or directing, (b) selling or coaching, (c) participating or supporting, and …


College Freshmen Perspectives Of Teaching And Learning About Emotional Wellbeing, Kathrine Ann Pigeon Jan 2020

College Freshmen Perspectives Of Teaching And Learning About Emotional Wellbeing, Kathrine Ann Pigeon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study responded to a problem reported by freshman on evaluations from a university experience course. The students identified mental health as a significant barrier to succeeding academically, and the most critical area of students’ need. The rationale for this study was to develop policy recommendations based on the content of the interviews that provide new insights and information to improve student experiences, offer adequate support and relief, and more effectively meet student needs. The first research question explored the perceptions of first-year students enrolled in a freshmen experience course at a local 4-year college regarding their learning about …