Education Commons^™

Exploring Resilience In Exemplary Rural School Superintendents, Silas Gaussoin-Radcliffe

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary rural superintendents to maintain personal resiliency based on Everly, Strouse, and McCormack’s (2015) five factors of personal resilience (active optimism, decisive action, moral compass, relentless tenacity, and interpersonal support).

Methodology: This exploratory phenomenological study used purposeful criterion sampling and recommendations from the county superintendents in the identified geographic area. Each of the 8 identified exemplary rural superintendents was interviewed using an instrument aligned to the five factors of personal resilience and their definitions. The researcher collected rich qualitative interview data, that were …

Piloting A Theoretical Framework For Understanding Teacher Resilience In Hard-To-Staff Schools, Traci Durant

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the nature of hard-to-staff schools in relation to teacher resilience. The study proposes a theoretical framework that blends theories of self and collective efficacy, critical race, and resilience theories with Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to examine personal and organizational factors that contribute to or weaken the resilience of teachers in challenging urban schools.

Two research questions guided the study: What are the personal factors that strengthen resilience in teachers in hard-to-staff schools? And, What organizational factors impact teacher resilience in hard-to-staff schools?

Participants were recruited using convenience sampling methods. School administrators were asked to identify teachers who …

The Effectiveness Of Trauma-Informed Practices And Resilience For Students Impacted By Adverse Childhood Experiences, Alison Kutter

Culminating Projects in Special Education

In 1998, a groundbreaking medical research study was published that created widespread interest in what researchers were calling adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Felitti et al.’s (1998) research highlighted the prevalence of adverse incidents and the correlation with future health morbidity. The study established that more than 50% of adults in the study experienced at least one traumatic event during childhood, allowing the research to become a powerful tool to identify and intervene with children. It became apparent that the effects of traumatic events in the lives of children had a huge impact on biological, physiological, and psychological development. An evolution …

Academic Resilience, Student Engagement, And Academic Achievement Among Black Male Undergraduates At Predominantly White Institutions, Henry C. Mccain Iii

Dissertations

The proportion of Black men enrolled in college is representative of the Black male population in the U.S. (Toldson, 2019). However, an investigation of the 2010 college entry cohort of Black men showed that only 34% graduate within six years (National Center for Education Statistics; NCES, 2019). The disparity in Black male graduation rate is clearer when compared to other races such as White men (61%), Hispanic men (50%), and Asian men (70%) (NCES, 2019). Within-group disparities also exist in that Black women graduate at a rate of 44% (NCES, 2019). Much of the literature on Black undergraduates has been …

Exploring The Impact Of The Achievement Gap On Shame And Resilience In African American College Students, Brittany R. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap refers to the stark difference that occurs between racial or gender groups, as one group performs significantly higher than the other. An achievement gap has the propensity to produce psychological distress, as well as buffering techniques that are necessary for survival and success. Growing research shows that African American college students experience unique levels of trauma, shame, hardship, macro, and micro-aggressions, suggesting that these students learn to self-preserve as early as 10 years old. This study used a Pearson correlation, Independent T-Test, and a Moderated Multiple Regression to explore the impact of the achievement gap on shame …

Fostering Sustainable Wellness Practices Through Programming For Residential Education Staff At The University Of San Diego, Edith Velasco

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to focus on supporting staff at the University of San Diego (USD). This includes resident assistants, community directors, and graduate students taking on the role of assistant community directors to develop resilience in the form of tangible tools and resources to provide recommendations for office policies and procedures to prevent burnout. The department of residential education (ResEd) is primarily student facing at the USD, so my goal was to focus on the residential life staff experience who directly manage communities of students residing in on-campus housing. I found residential life jobs have a high …

Fostering Resilience Through Early Childhood Education, Amanda Nelson

Graduate Teacher Education

Resilience is the capacity to thrive in, rather than just survive stress and adversity (Ernst et al., 2019). Supporting children to develop resilience is an essential part of holistic developmentally appropriate practice within the field of Early Childhood Education because an improved capacity for resilience benefits other domains of education and wellness (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2011). Studies on resilience in early childhood education were examined to identify and explore protective factors, classroom strategies, and home relationships that contribute to an increased capacity for resilience in young children. In addition, position statements and articles from early …

A Self-Study Of Need-Supportive Teaching In Elementary Art, Craig Jacobowitz

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I present a self-study of my need-supportive teaching practice. I have long been curious about what it is about my teaching, what I say and do, that motivates students to work harder on their artwork and persevere when they become mired in difficulties. Need-supportive teaching addresses students' basic psychological needs within the classroom setting through high-quality teacher/student relationships and structure. Need-supportive teaching, motivation, and academic resilience are areas I made an extensive study of, as presented in chapter two. In March of 2020, the educational landscape in the United States was altered by the arrival of the unprecedented and novel …

Ohiohealth Mayo Well-Being Collaborative: Driving Associate Culture, Resilience, And Efficacy Of Practice, Bethany Gwinn

Masters Theses/Capstone Projects

The Mayo Well-Being Index is a validated nine-question self-assessment tool that enables individuals to better understand their overall wellbeing. The Mayo Well-Being Index is 100% anonymous, and provides individualized feedback with access to local and national resources through the tool at any time. Additionally, three process improvement questions are asked at the end of each assessment, allowing the users to share their feedback on topics such as the drivers of stress in the workplace, additional resources desired, etc. OhioHealth utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data from the Mayo Well-Being Index to identify teams in high distress as well as opportunities …

Burnt Out Educators: A Phenomenological Study Of Minnesota Teachers, Hannah Frink-Levenhagen

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of how Minnesota teachers have experienced and define teacher burnout. Prior to the study, the most current data on the subject was last collected in 1984 (Farber, 1991). Moreover, the researcher sought to better understand the impact professional learning networks can have on teacher well-being in relation to burnout status.

In order to understand how the phenomenon is experienced and viewed by Minnesota teachers, the researcher conducted a phenomenological study that was comprised of seven in-depth interviews. Participants reflected on and defined their experience with teacher burnout, determined their …

Feeling Smarter: The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence And Situational Academic Stressors On Resilience, Coping, And Well-Being, Jenna Bohrer

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Since its inception, Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) construct of emotional intelligence has been associated with positive outcomes from heightened academic performance to resilience (Connor & Slear, 2009; Costa & Faria, 2020). The present study focused on the impact of emotional intelligence and academic stress on coping, resilience, and psychological well-being within a college population. It was hypothesized that those high in emotional intelligence would employ more approach coping strategies and fewer avoidance coping strategies compared to those low in emotional intelligence, and that the higher stress scenario would result in more avoidance and less approach coping compared to the moderate …

Understanding First-Generation Latinx Students' Experiences In A Predominantly White Private Institution: A Grounded Theory Study, Jacqueline Aparicio

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Latinx student enrollment in higher education institutions has increased over the years. Despite their increased number of enrollments, there is also an increase of Latinx first-generation students dropping out of higher education. Not only are they not earning a degree, but they are leaving these institutions with debt. This is a concern because students dropping out affects the institution's overall graduation rates. This qualitative study examined factors that contributed to ten first-generation Latinx students’ persistence and success at a predominantly White, private institution. The study used grounded theory methodology and methods to develop an initial exploratory theory. The dissertation study …

An Adventure Therapy Mountain Bike Program For Middle School Students: A Pilot Study, Cian L. Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time of significant physical, mental, emotional, and social development marked by numerous transitions and challenges. Middle school is one of the earliest and perhaps first times of significant social and physical transition that impacts early adolescent development. As a result, schools are becoming a primary care setting for children and families to identify and address mental health needs. However, only 2% of school mental health services are provided by licensed professionals. Therefore, schools and service providers continue to seek out comprehensive modalities that can efficiently provide preventative and responsive interventions to students beyond individual and school counseling …

Impact Of School-Based Mindfulness Programs In Elementary Schools, Hannah Rosholt

Graduate Teacher Education

Educators in the 21st Century face a myriad of emerging concerns with child and adolescent behavior. Surfacing educational issues include increased anxiety disorders, cyber bullying, students who have experienced trauma, increased aggressive behavior, absenteeism, and suicide ideation. As new concerns arise, educators seek ways to support students in these challenges. Mindfulness practice in schools has become more and more prevalent in the past twenty years. Research on adults who practice mindfulness has revealed lowered stress, increased resilience, and clearer focus. Researchers aim to understand the effects of mindfulness on children and adolescents. This paper analyzes how mindfulness practice impacts students’ …

Narratives On The Academic Resilience Of Former Homeless Students, Alia Aboulhosn

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of homeless students in U.S public schools continues to rise. Although many homeless students drop out due to challenges they face, lacking is research on how some homeless students overcome challenges and graduate high school, referred to as academically resilient. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences that promoted former students who were homeless during their senior year of high school to graduate despite adversity, using Resiliency Theory as the theoretical framework. Semi-structured interviews with five participants provided insight into the broader sociopolitical and personal contexts in their stories, …

Can We Build It? An Action Research Study Of Integrated Academics And Resilience, Shanda Jones

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study was an action research project seeking to gather evidence regarding the impact of integrating academic objectives and resiliency-building topics. As the focus on trauma and mental health increased, literature provided rich descriptions of how trauma may negatively impact students. Research presented findings indicating potential physical, mental, emotional, social, academic, and behavioral effects resulting from trauma. What was lacking were studies investigating the impact of implementing trauma-informed instructional strategies. In an effort to address gaps in the literature and improve professional practice, action research in a mixed methods approach was conducted with two research questions exploring the impact, if …

College Students’ Perceptions Regarding High School Influences On Academic Buoyancy, Jeremy Travis Irwin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed by this study is the lack of student input in the development of resources to support academic buoyancy, leading to a gap in educational practices. Academic buoyancy is the ability to successfully deal with academic setbacks and challenges that are typical of the ordinary course of school life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of recent high school students regarding the common academic setbacks and challenges they experienced in high school and how high schools could support students experiencing these challenges. Research questions examined participants’ perspective of the common academic setbacks and challenges …

Growth Mindset Scholars: A Growth Mindset Community Intervention For A First-Year Experience, Robert Anderson

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This thesis is concerned with how higher education has contributed to a rigid, inequitable view of intelligence that stifles education experiences for the sake of quick return on investment. Historically, this view of intelligence was used to justify slavery and other means of integrating people as human capital in society. I propose a one semester workshop intervention, based on Carol Dweck’s research into mindsets, for first-year students to increase the salience of growth mindsets in new students. Research suggests that growth mindsets will increase students’ resilience and adaptability when faced with adversity (Yeager & Dweck, 2012). Increasing growth mindsets may …

The Relationship Between Stress And Quality Of Life In People With Multiple Sclerosis: The Mediating Role Of Resilience, Byung Jin Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system encompassing the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve, in which the patient’s immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues. Due to the unpredictable characteristics of the disease, MS can lead to an unusually high level of stress and may negatively impact the individual’s QoL. Resilience is a psychological structure that shows positive coping and adaptive ability from difficult or stressful situations. Resilience also indicates a buffering effect on the stressors of individuals with disabilities and serves to protect psychological health and function from disability. The purpose of this …

Mothering Through Our Pain: Single Black Mothers’ Narratives, Yolanda E. Surrency

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black women’s voices and historical contributions have been dismissed, and even excluded, making it difficult for their cultural knowledge to be transmitted to future generations. Black women battle with an unsettled consciousness from subscribing to the normalization of what dominant culture defines as good mothering. This study uses Black feminism to examine single Black mothers who navigate the negative images of the welfare queen and the matriarch. This narrative study uses Black feminism to examine the stories of single, Black mothers and their daughters. The purpose is to investigate Black mothers’ lived experiences to understand their struggles and resistance. Purposeful …

Stress Resilience Development Of Undergraduate Student Leaders At Faith-Based Universities During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Grounded Theory Study, David Heitman

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Undergraduate student leaders express increasing stress levels, often leaving them unprepared to lead in a complex world of challenge and change. While higher education heavily invests in preparing graduates to think critically and lead successfully, research shows an increasing number of students display low-stress resiliency and risk-aversion while struggling to cope with challenge and failure pre-and post-graduation. This study, conducted at faith-based Christian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic, used grounded theory to generate a generalizable leadership stress resilience model that explains: (a) Why and how undergraduate student leaders experience stress; (b)The influence of stress on student leaders at faith-based institutions; …