Education Commons^™

Exploring Student Experience Through Photovoice: A Transformative Approach To Studying School Climate And Culture At Chs, Christopher W. Gold-Thomas

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Student data is an integral part of the decision-making process in classrooms, school buildings, and school districts. However, what is often missed within data collected is student voice. At Castle High School there is a current push to understand current school culture and make positive changes to enhance the student experience. Current forms of data collection methods conducted by the school include surveys and focus groups, but these methods exclude large parts of the student body. Photovoice, a form of qualitative participatory action research engages students in an emancipatory practice that allows them to photograph their experience in the school …

A Case Study On Promoting A Healthy School Culture To Combat Childhood Obesity And The Role Of The Principal, Nancy Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

AbstractObesity is the leading cause of death worldwide. Childhood obesity has jumped to 22.4% in 2020 from 19.3% in 2019. One-third of children are overweight and obese, with an approximately 66% chance of becoming an obese adult. The costs of obesity are to overall health: financial, physical, social, and emotional. Obesity affects students at school, a point of service. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine what efforts has the principal undertaken to address childhood obesity in a Title I elementary school on the US-Mexico border and how these efforts helped to define and shape the schoolâ??s culture. …

Anti-Exclusionary Leadership: Increasing The Achievement Of Marginalized And Minoritized Students In An Ontario High School, Nicholas J. Woolley

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) seeks to address the underachievement of marginalized and minoritized students at an Ontario secondary school. Using critical theory, the OIP recognizes that systemic barriers, the pervasive neoliberal performativity agenda, and educator biases and practices combine to reinforce stubborn inequities that negatively impact students who are racialized, poor, and/or identified as having special educational needs. The term anti-exclusion is used to propose an activist stance that challenges inclusion’s connotations of assimilation into a dominant culture. Addressing inequities in a publicly funded, top-down school district context requires adaptive leadership to foster collaborative professionalism while interrogating the status …

Improving School Culture: Teachers’ Perceptions Of School Culture In A Title I School And Their Beliefs About Improvement, Gina Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to promote a positive school culture in a Title I school by listening to veteran teachers’ voices about the policies and practices being implemented daily. The primary research question guiding this case study was: What are the perceptions of teachers, who have been in their position for 15+ years, about school culture in a Title I school? The secondary research question guiding this study was: What changes in policies and practices in a Title I school do veteran teachers suggest might improve school culture? Participants were purposefully sampled and included four classroom teachers …

Teachers’ And Principals’ Perceptions Of The Influence Of Principal Behaviors On Middle School Culture, Heather Daniel

Ed.D. Dissertations

Before this study, the research was limited regarding teachers’ perceptions of their principals and the influence on school culture. Even less research was dedicated to self-perceptions of principals’ behaviors within a middle school setting. Due to the lack of research, further investigation was necessary to understand specific behaviors performed by middle school principals and their influence on school culture. In this study, and teachers from one Tennessee county responded to questionnaires to investigate the relationship between perceptions of teachers and principals on principal behaviors and the influence on school culture. Through this study, principals and teachers listed multiple principal behaviors …

A Qualitative Study Of Leadership Tools And Traits That Foster Effective Relationships In Rural School Communities, Julie Boyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify leadership qualities and practices that nurture relationships in school settings. The central question framing this study was: What leadership tools and traits foster effective relationships in rural school communities? I conducted semi-structured interviews in a small Northwestern school district. Non-classroom leaders and classroom leaders, who will be referred to using pseudonyms, were recruited from the elementary, middle, and high schools based on recommendations from the district’s superintendent. Prior to conducting interviews, participants were provided with a framework based on Kouzes and Posner’s (2017) exemplary leadership practices and asked to choose five …

Because “Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast:” An Examination Of Selected Minnesota Principals’ Use Of Social Media To Influence School Culture, Alicia Fischer

Culminating Projects in Education Administration and Leadership

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of high school principals about the impact their use of social media has on school culture. The problem of this study emerges from the lack of empirical research in the field examining the ways in which high school administrators use social media platforms to influence school culture. The urgency in the need for the research is derived from the increased use of social media in education as well as other industry areas. School principals have been using social media for real-time communication and updates, however this study’s focus is on …

Elementary Grade Students’ Perspectives On The Impact Of Adult Behaviors On School Climate, Tameka Walker

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Social and emotional learning (SEL) had become a focus of educators around the world because of global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing social unrest that hurled the topic to the forefront of today’s educational conversations (Bozkurt, et al., 2020) Despite this recent interest in SEL, it is not a new concept. This research informs educational leaders on students’ perceptions of school culture and contributes to literature that has shown that improvements in students’ social and emotional skills transfer to other areas of their lives. The teaching of reading, writing and arithmetic is not enough to equip today’s …

Establishing A Student-Centered Culture: A Case Study Identifying Leadership Skills Of Exemplary School Principals, Katie Booth

Dissertations

Purpose: The phenomenological study identifies and describes how elementary school principals who have been recipients of the Terrel H. Bell Award develop a student-centered school culture.

Methodology: This qualitative study identifies and describes an elementary school principals’ ability to build guided coalitions and form strategic visions to ensure a student-centered culture. Participants were purposefully chosen based on specific criteria. The researcher collected data through semi-structured interviews, observations, and artifacts. Data was coded and themes were identified allowing the researcher to analyze findings and draw conclusions.

Findings: Analysis of data from 13 participants led to 10 major findings on how …

Exploring Principals’ Perceptions About Collective Efficacy In Urban K-8 New Jersey Schools Designated For The School Improvement Process, Crystal M. Joye

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Leadership plays an important role in determining organizational culture and maintaining a commitment to the collective goal. Leaders not only play a critical role in developing and implementing policies to direct an organization toward a goal, but also serve as role models for those with whom they work. Research has shown that relationships between principals and teachers are critical to impact teaching practices, school climate, and students positively, yet these relationships can affect student learning and achievement.

Research has also shown that students’ overall performance in school and any decrease in their overall achievement data are directly related to teacher …

High School Administrators’ Perspectives Of Leadership Practices Influencing Teacher Leadership And Culture, Andrea H. Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a southeastern state in the United States, a gap in practice exists regarding the consistent implementation of instructional leadership practices to promote teacher leadership and culture in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore administrators’ perspectives of their implementation of instructional leadership practices to influence teacher leadership and culture. The conceptual framework for this qualitative approach was Bass and Avolio’s transformational leadership theory. The research question focused on high school administrators’ perceptions of the instructional leadership practices they are using to influence teacher leadership and school culture. Purposive sampling was used, and six high school administrators participated …

The Relative Impact Of Transformational Leadership On The Academic Optimism Of High Poverty Urban Elementary Schools In Alabama, Cheritta Latrice Hayes

All ETDs from UAB

THE RELATIVE IMPACT OF TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP ON THE ACADEMIC OPTIMISM OF URBAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN ALABAMA In an era of accountability, educational leaders seek and implement reform efforts to help promote school improvement and student achievement on a regular basis (Marzano et al., 2014). When considering school improvement, a possible strategy to increase student achievement could be the relationship between the school leadership style and the characteristics of the organization that are within the control of the school leader. The purpose of this study was to examine the relative impact of transformational leadership on the academic optimism of schools. Elementary …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of School Administrators On Fostering Relational Trust With Teachers In Texas Urban Charter Schools, Meesha-Gay Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Accountability has placed immense pressure on principals leading K-12 public charter schools to increase standards for success. Overwhelmingly, principals accept the charge to produce promising results every day, despite the public scrutiny principals may ensue for not meeting the state’s standard of excellence. Principals are expected to drive high academic standards, initiate instructional vision, interact with parents, oversee policy mandates, address students’ needs, and foster relationships with teachers. The daily demands requiring principals’ attention stimulate stress and may cause principals to wrestle with prioritizing trusted relationships. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand how principals foster relational …

Successful Impoverished Schools: What Are The Existing Conditions In High Poverty Schools That Have A Higher Than Average Proficiency Rate?, Mitchell Winn Nerdin

Theses and Dissertations

Proficiency levels in schools often correlate with the poverty levels of schools. However, in 2018 three schools in Utah beat the state average proficiency rate on all three of Utah's end of year summative English language arts, mathematics, and science exams. These high scores provide evidence that schools are not necessarily limited by poverty in helping students succeed academically. By examining the schools that beat the state average on at least one exam, this study describes the conditions that were in play, which contributed to their students' academic achievement. A description is given of the conditions in the schools that …

The Influences Of Equity And School Culture On Black, Latinx, And Mixed-Race Student Enrollment In Advanced Secondary Mathematics Courses, Fyniss Nixon

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This quantitative, descriptive analysis of three large, urban secondary schools in the South used equitable practices to intentionally increase the percentage of Black, Latinx, and mixed-race students in advanced mathematics courses. Each high school observed in this study acknowledged a disproportionately higher percentage of White students taking rigorous college and career-ready courses when compared with the Black and Latinx population. This disparity was not just isolated to the schools in this study. District, state, and national initiatives across the country are becoming acutely aware of the accessibility gap between (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) BIPOC and non-BIPOC secondary …

The Relationship Between Shared Decision-Making And School Climate, Sara Bardwell

Dissertations

The focus of this study was to determine the extent of the relationship between shared decision-making and school climate. In order to explore these constructs, a quantitative survey included SEDS-R, OCI, and demographic items. The 109-item survey questionnaire was made available to K-6 elementary teachers in Mississippi.

Two hundred twenty-nine teachers responded to the questionnaire using Qualtrics. Survey results from SEDS-R and OCI were downloaded into Excel and cleaned of incomplete data sets and participants who did not meet the specifications set by the researcher. SPSS was then used to average the results from SEDS-R and OCI. Demographic information gathered …

The Development Of A Social And Emotional Well-Being Scale Using Esem And Cfa: Synergistic Stories In Complex Models, Christopher Hughes Busath

Theses and Dissertations

School districts face unique challenges as they implement social and emotional learning (SEL) initiatives, particularly when choosing or developing a high-quality scale to measure non-academic competencies. Like collaborations with the CORE school districts described by West, Buckley, et al. (2018) and the Washoe County School District described by Davidson et al. (2018), Alpine School District (ASD) partnered with Brigham Young University (BYU) to develop a scale (80 items) that reflected their Vision for Learning framework. In this pilot study, I describe the collaborative and iterative process used to develop a shortened version of the ASD Social and Emotional Well-Being Scale …

The Leader In Me And Its Effects On School Culture And Leadership, Amber J. Sainz

Dissertations

The Leader in Me is a school transformation process that focuses on teaching and embedding Stephen Covey’s (2004) seven habits into the school day. The seven habits are a framework and process for transforming school culture but are not taught as a scripted curriculum (Covey et al., 2014). This mixed-methods study was designed to analyze the perceptions of elementary teachers, counselors, and principals regarding the Leader in Me process and to look at its effects on school culture and leadership. Surveys were sent to teachers and counselors in three Missouri elementary schools who had implemented the Leader in Me for …

Creating A Unified School Culture In A Rural School Serving Families In Multiple Communities, Elliott Roellchen-Pfohl

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

This Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) addresses the fractured culture of School X resulting from an influx of staff and students from neighbouring communities following rural school closures. The problem of practice (PoP) presented explores ways that a unified school identity can be developed in a receiving school with a student population coming from three separate communities. Through the utilization of both distributed and authentic leadership, the methods that principals of rural schools can use to address this problem are explored. The focus of the problem when viewed through the social capital theory is that all stakeholders of the school have …

Culture And Collective Teacher Efficacy: A Case Study In Efficacy, Scott Jason Benson

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of collective teacher efficacy was first introduced by Bandura (1997) in the 1990's. Hattie's (2016) identification of collective teacher efficacy as the number one influence on student achievement has led to the idea that educators within a school have the ability to positively impact student achievement. In his research, Bandura identified four sources of both individual and collective teacher efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasion, and affective state. The purpose of this qualitative research study is to identify aspects of school culture that support collective teacher efficacy. This was done by interviewing 32 members of the faculty …

Teacher Perceptions Of Shifts Within The School Culture After Implementation Of A Trauma-Informed Program, Jennifer Green

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the educators’ perceptions of shifts within the culture of Jefferson Elementary School after the implementation of a trauma-informed approach. This study focuses on examining changes to the school culture after implementing trauma-informed practices. As educators continue to feel the pressure of increased academic expectations alongside the social and emotional demands that arise from childhood trauma, increased support through trauma-informed practices becomes necessary for the wellbeing of everyone. However, there are challenges in the implementation of these practices which can impact the culture of the school.

The researcher used the qualitative method of …

Influential Factors Of School Culture On Teacher Self-Efficacy And Motivation: An Ethnographic Case Study, Katrina Washington Rouse

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this qualitative study was to determine the influence of teacher perception of ownership and empowerment on teacher self-efficacy and motivation. Tools of ethnography were used to create a descriptive narrative of teacher perceptions. Data was collected through focus group and individual interviews.

Results show that teacher perception of ownership and empowerment can influence teacher self-efficacy and motivation. Even though most teachers are intrinsically motivated, teachers still wanted to feel valued. Other factors that influence teacher perceptions of ownership and empowerment included relationships with colleagues and opportunities for shared leadership

This study concludes that teacher perception of ownership …

Teacher-Student Relationships And Their Effects On School Culture, Craig Curtis

Dissertations

Teacher-student relationships are an important part of every school’s culture. This study used surveys and interviews to find to what extent teacher-student relationships impact school culture. In the end, the research found that teacher-student relationships have a significant impact on school culture and an action plan and recommendations were suggested for the school’s continued growth and improvement in the area of school culture with a focus on teacher-student relationships.

The Impact Of Relationships On School Culture From Perspectives Of Faculty At A Philadelphia High School, Richman Mathis

Education Doctorate Dissertations

A school's culture is heavily influenced by the development of relationships between students and faculty. This study explores 13 faculty member stories to investigate what is in the culture at a private Philadelphia religious based high school that builds or hinders relationships. To inform this research investigation, evidence was gathered through a three step process: administering a survey, conducting semi-structured interviews, and the co-construction of narrative reflections. Faculty data collected shared moments revealing an understanding of the importance of healthy relationship building as an aspect in culture growth through empowering voices, autonomy, support, genuine love for one another, traditions and …

Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri: Who Should Solve The Problem? A Three-Tiered Analysis Of Teacher Retention And Attrition In Missouri, Joshua Flores

Dissertations

Abstract

Teacher attrition is an ongoing issue in the United States and more specifically in the state of Missouri. This dissertation, using a three-tiered analytical approach, offers suggestions, recommendations, and strategies, aside from raising salaries or increasing benefits packages, that schools, their districts, and leaders can implement to bolster teacher retention. The findings are based on the practices of successful districts, buildings, and leaders. The first level of research included semi-structured interviews with district level personnel to offer guidance and recommendations that can be implemented at the local school district level. Similarly, the second level of research utilized the same …

Crew As A Tool To Foster Belonging At School, Leendert De Visser

Master of Education Program Theses

This research study evaluated the effectiveness of Crew as a model to cultivate a sense of belonging among high school students. Crew, as it was implemented at this school, involved the daily meeting of a group of approximately twelve students of different genders and grade levels with the goal of building a sense of community in the student body. The participants were students at a private Christian high school in Ontario, Canada. The study consisted of a closed-ended survey of the student body and semi-structured interviews with eight students. The results of the study revealed that students perceived Crew, as …

Strategies That Exemplary Elementary Dual Immersion Principals Use To Create An Organizational Culture Of Inclusiveness, Stephanie K. Smart

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy’s (2008) five leadership qualities of cultural differences.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed methods research study utilized quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews of 15 exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California to identify and describe the strategies used to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness according to Kennedy’s (2008) five qualities …

Challenges Within The Education System: An In-Depth Analysis Of The School To Prison Pipeline In The United States, Roxanne Camarena Castillo

CMC Senior Theses

Many scholars have hypothesized the existence of a school to prison pipeline (STPP) – a phenomenon that describes how particular school policies and practices have inadvertently created a pathway from schools to the juvenile criminal system. The pipeline disproportionately affects certain communities and has serious short- and long-term consequences for students. This paper explores the validity of the hypothesized pipeline and examines three underlying mechanisms: zero-tolerance policies, school safety, and school culture. After reviewing the research literature on these three mechanisms, I conclude that there is evidence for both STPP risk and STPP protective factors embedded within the school system. …

Culture Change: Examining The Impact Of Professional Learning Communities And Trust On School Culture, Jessica Floyd

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact professional learning community (PLC) implementation and collegial trust have at the organizational level and the effect these elements have on the positive school culture that nurtures academic achievement in select rural Title I elementary schools located in southeastern North Carolina. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used to design the study. The study occurred in two phases. Phase 1 was the collection of quantitative data from the Learning Community Culture Indicator (LCCI) 4.0 survey (Williams et al., 2007) and the Team Trust Inventory (Costa & Anderson, 2011). Phase 2 …

A Quantitative Study Of The Impact Of Leadership On School Culture In A Small Rural School District As Measured By Stakeholder Satisfaction, Hope L. Littlejohn

Doctor of Education Dissertations

This study examined the relationship of school leadership on school culture. Given the demands on educational leaders, the goal is to improve student achievement and school culture. The literature review examines the previous study of the history of school leadership, history of school culture, effective school leadership, elements of effective school culture, and public perception as it relates to school culture. The literature review discusses leadership styles and how each one contributes to positive school culture as perceived by various stakeholders to build the case for the current study. The study uses the School Culture Triage Survey by Wagner (2002). …