Education Commons^™

Timely Doctoral Completion Rates In Five Fields: A Two-Part Study, Angela Miller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Roughly half of all doctoral students who begin a program do not continue through graduation, and many of them face significant financial losses and emotional burdens as a result. Although this completion rate has stayed fairly constant for the past few decades, it has recently gained attention on a national level. In 2011, the National Research Council published the Assessment of Research Doctorate Programs in the United States, and provided a wealth of data on over 5,000 programs in 212 universities. This study used that dataset to examine the relationship between timely doctoral completion rates and 22 Program, Faculty and …

Students' Perceptions On Issues Related To Globalization At A Four-Year Community College In Florida, Vickie Hall Stevens

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to survey community college students in order to evaluate their perceptions of the awareness and significance of global-mindedness or worldview of interconnectedness to the global community. The sample of participants included students at a 4-year community college in Florida. The results can be valuable and informative as a needs assessment in curriculum reforms to provide more globally minded courses and programs; consequently, better prepare graduates to compete in the global job market.

The Man Behinf The Mask: A Principal's Search For A Moral Leaderhip Purpose, James Franklin Lane

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this autoethnographic narrative inquiry was for the researcher to describe and explain how he discovered, constructed, and refined his sense of moral purpose as a principal during his seven-year tenure at Orange Pines Middle School. He inductively analyzed and reflected primarily on self-authored texts tied to critical professional ethical dilemmas so as to discover emergent themes, patterns, insights, and epiphanies in the development of his persona as a morally directed school leader. He then analyzed and reflected on how he applied those defined values in interactions with groups of teachers to design and implement elements of school …

A Descriptive Study Of Four Principals' Experiences In Leading, Lewis Curtwright

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this portraiture study is to describe four African-American principals'

experiences, in the context of their principal's role, with the interventions they championed in

meeting the needs of their struggling students. This research attempts to answer questions

concerning: What role did the four principals play in the targeted school reform? What

interventions did each principal introduce and what evidence of effects do they identify for each

one? How did each principal's values and beliefs affect what they chose to do? Framed within

Social Justice Theory (SJT), the study provides insight into how these respondents increased

student achievement …

The Underrepresentation Of African American Women Faculty: A Phenomenological Study Exploring The Experiences Of Mcknight Doctoral Fellow Alumna Serving In The Professoriate, Dionne Jones Ferguson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While African American women have been participating in higher education for more than a century, they remain significantly underrepresented among college and university professors in America. This study was pursued in an attempt to address the underrepresentation of African American women faculty at public and private universities within the State of Florida. More importantly, the study aimed to examine the role of the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship program (MDFP) in assisting McKnight Doctoral Fellow alumna in doctoral degree attainment, preparing them for the professoriate and contributing toward their professional success. A phenomenological methodological approach was used for this study, which was …

Examining School Capacity For Inclusion Using A Multi-Dimensional Framework: A Case Study, Amy Lenee-Monnier Toson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2002) and the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), the inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) in general education classrooms has become more prevalent within our public schools (DuFour & Eaker, 1998; Mcleskey et al., 2010). Current research on inclusion focuses on student outcomes and procedural changes and not the contexts and capabilities of education leaders who are implementing it. Empirical research that examines how schools have built the capacity for sustaining these models, especially through the perspectives of those who implement it, is limited …

How Does A Principal Use Intention And Strategy In The Enactment Of Advocacy Leadership, Lisa Marie Grant

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

District and school leadership are essential to the success of our students and our schools. While extensive conceptual literature describes leadership characteristics, there are few empirical studies that address the daily reality of schools. In addition, additional research is needed describing how principals maneuver within the context of schools and school districts. This phenomenological study explored how one elementary school principal understands and enacts leadership and to what extent she employs intentional strategies to facilitate change. The purpose of the study was to offer a rich profile of one elementary school principal's practice to understand how a principal constructs meaning, …