Education Commons^™

Pathways To The Superintendency: Case Studies Of Hispanic Superintendents In Texas, Sandra Calzada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this study were (a) to learn about the pathways to the superintendency for Hispanic superintendents in Texas and (b) to examine cultural issues encountered along the way. Collected data were compared to Scheinâ??s theory of organizational career mobility. A triangulation approach consisting of in-depth interviewing, survey completion, and observational data solicited information pertaining to their career development tracks, personal and career preparation, and incentives or disincentives to pursuing the superintendency. Participants were purposively selected from approximately 120 to 130 current Hispanic superintendents in Texas. The selected superintendents lead large districts (student enrollment exceeding 25,000) throughout various Texas …

Work-Life Balance: A Phenomenological Study On How Female Principals Balance Their Professional And Personal Lives, Blanca Estela Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore lived experiences of female principals and to examine how female principals balance professional and personal lives. A qualitative methodology provided a detailed and rich understanding of the experiences of women in the principalship from women's perspectives. Five female principals were the focus of the study.

The findings revealed that female principals experience work-life conflict because they are expected to fulfill family and work responsibilities. The research resulted in identifying the challenges, the support systems, and strategies utilized by female principals as a means of realizing work-life balance. A conclusion to …

Student Experiences In College Readiness Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Marisa Elva Pierce

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study discusses the concept of college readiness initiatives and defines what educational systems expect from this level of readiness of a high school student. It demonstrates that the topic of college readiness is broad and particularly concerned with academic rigor, teacher preparedness, and administrative support systems. The purpose of this study is to examine an aspect of these initiatives that is not often addressed - how students experience these programs.

Attempts to research the topic of college readiness from the lens of the student yielded few studies on the issue. Consequently, seeking a grounded understanding of the meaning and …

Challenges In Assessing College Students' Conception Of Duality: The Case Of Infinity, Grace Olutayo Babarinsa-Ochiedike

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Interpreting students' views of infinity posits a challenge for researchers due to the dynamic nature of the conception. There is diversity and variation among students' process-object perceptions. The fluctuations between studentsâ?? views however reveal an undeveloped duality conception. This study examined college students' conception of duality in understanding and representing infinity with the intent to design strategies that could guide researchers in categorizing students' views of infinity into different levels.

Data for the study were collected from N=238 college students enrolled in Calculus sequence courses (Pre-Calculus, Calculus I through Calculus III) at one of the southwestern universities in the U.S. …

Health And Stress Symptoms In University Professors And Their Relationship With The Process Of Obtaining A Permanent Position, Irene Concepcion Carrillo-Saucedo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research study used a quantitative, correlational method to examine health and stress symptoms in university professors and their relationship with the process of obtaining a permanent position and participation in a merit pay program. The Stress Profile Inventory (PEN) was used to measure professors’ health habits, social support network, Type A behavior, cognitive hardiness, coping styles and psychological well-being. An original measure with a Likert-type scale was used to measure health status. The questionnaires were distributed to 104 professors from the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) who provided voluntary participation. Based on the results of the study, certain …

Dual Language K-2 Latina Teachers: Juxtaposing Linguistic Identities And Pedagogical Practices On The U.S.-Mexico Frontera, Brenda Oriana Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This ethnographic study explored the linguistic identities and pedagogical practices of Latina bilingual-certified K-2 teachers in a dual language (DL) program in the U.S.-Mexico border area. Drawing on sociocultural theory, methods of data collection and analysis focused on linking DL Latina teachers' identity formation with both their conceptions of teaching and their actual pedagogical practices related to language use. The findings from this study painted a portrait of how DL teachersâ?? languages, literacies, and identities intertwined to shape their pedagogical practice. The linguistic backgrounds of DL teachers on the border were shaped by country of origin and languages, schooling experiences, …