Education Commons^™

Identifying Successful Strategies Within An Extrinsic Reward System To Improve Behavior In The Alternative School Setting, Christian Burner

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to identify strategies that are successful within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system to improve alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting. A second purpose was to rate the effectiveness of the identified strategies for improving alternative school student behavior in the alternative school setting.

Methodology: This study used a Delphi method, consisting of 3 rounds, to collect data from alternative schoolteachers who are experts in implementing strategies within a school-wide extrinsic rewards system. In Round 1, participants were asked to identify strategies to improve student behavior in the alternative school …

Mental Health And The High-Performing Student: A Study Of Stressors And Effective Supports For High-Achieving High School Students, Jodi Boyle

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of high-achieving 11th- and 12th-grade high school students participating in International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), or Honors courses. An additional purpose of this study was to identify the academic and social stressors experienced by students and the coping strategies used to overcome them.

Methodology: This study used a phenomenological research design to describe the lived experiences, academic and social stressors, and coping strategies of high-achieving students. For this study, in-depth interviews were conducted to understand the academic and social experiences of students participating in …

A Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By High School Principals, Darrick Rice

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe the perceived impact of Patterson’s (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs on high school principals in establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological study described the lived experiences of high school principals who lead schools that have implemented Patterson's (2003) 7 servant leadership constructs for establishing a culture of high performance in Los Angeles County, California. The researcher was a part of 8 peer researchers and 2 faculty advisors. The data collection included virtual face-to-face semi structured interviews using a protocol developed by the thematic team. …

District-Based And School-Based Variables Predicting Performance Of High Schools In Arkansas, Justin Luttrell

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the predictive effects of school size, teacher absenteeism, pupil-teacher ratio, district health literacy percentage, and highly mobile student population rates. These predictive factors were examined on persistence as measured by the 4-year graduation rates, on accountability ratings as measured by the ESSA building score, and on the overall academic achievement as measured by the average ACT composite score of juniors for high schools in Arkansas, respectively. A quantitative, multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The sample data for this study comprised 75 Arkansas public high schools, selected and stratified …

Predictive Effects On Transfer Student Success By Prior Academic Integration And By Social Integration, Jacob Brownfield

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine predictive effects among the transfer GPA, the number of hours transferred, a remedial course taken pretransfer, the transferred completion percentage, the use of on-campus housing, participation in collegiate athletics, and participation in social clubs on transfer student success as measured by the post-transfer first semester GPA and graduating GPA of undergraduate transfer students at a private liberal arts university in Central Arkansas. The post-transfer number of semesters until graduation was included as a predictor variable for the fourth Hypothesis. Tinto’s longitudinal model of student departure served as the theoretical framework, and the …

Mental Health And Discipline In California Community Schools, Damien Phillips

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed method study was to determine if there is a difference in achievement, absenteeism, graduation rates and suspension for students enrolled in community schools that do and don’t have access to school-based mental health services. In addition, it was the purpose to identify and describe the practices most effective in improving attendance, reduction of suspension, achievement and graduation as perceived by community school employees.

Methodology: This mixed-method dissertation attempted to determine the difference between California county community schools for expelled students who have had access to school-based mental health and those who do not as …

Saudi Elementary Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge For Teaching Fractions, Mona Khalifah A Aladil

Dissertations

Recent reform efforts in Saudi Arabia attend to mathematics instruction with a great deal of emphasis to improve Saudi mathematics education. Studies in different countries have confirmed that teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching plays an important role in mathematical quality of instruction and students’ achievement (e.g., Ball, 1990; Baumert et al., 2010; Hill, Rowan, & Ball, 2005). Yet few studies about mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching have been conducted in the Saudi context. This study investigates Saudi elementary mathematics teachers’ knowledge for teaching in the content strand of rational numbers with an emphasis on fractions, which is an important step …

A Study To Determine The Relationships Among Grit, Engagement, And Student Achievement, Jill Dennison

Dissertations

In the absence of high quality and impact interventions, undesirable consequences of poverty will be seen to fruition. In this study, the Golden Circle business model (Sinek et al., 2017) served as the framework to understand how students’ grit, engagement, and achievement are related in Title I elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between grit and engagement, engagement and student achievement, and finally grit and student achievement. The relationship between grit and engagement was measured by teacher and student perceptions, respectively. Student engagement and achievement were analyzed using student self-perceptions of …

Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By Public School District Superintendents, Robin Stout

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe K12 public school superintendents’ perceived impact of the seven servant leadership constructs established by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance.

Methodology: This phenomenological research study identified and described the extent to which superintendents perceived the impact servant leadership has on establishing a culture of high performance. Eight participants were selected through non probability purposeful and convenience sampling based on specific criteria including a minimum of three years of experience at their current district and a minimum of five years of experience as a superintendent. The …

An Examination Of Indicators Regarding Student Choice In Social Media Marketing And Platforms Of Higher Education Institutions In Missouri, Emmy J. Zimmerman

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate relationships between social media marketing, social media platforms, and student choice of higher education institutions. Through evaluating current research, this study addresses potential changes needed to ensure colleges’ and universities’ marketing and admissions teams are using social media in ways that increase return on investment (ROI) and attract students to institutions. Previous research exposed social media marketing as a relatively untested method of reach for students’ college choice; therefore, the study will be original in nature. Previous studies provided data from an admissions counselor’s perspective, notably, a study by Barnes and Jacobsen …

The Effects Of Principal Feedback On Instruction And Student Achievement, Jeremy Brownfield

Dissertations

Legislative and educational reform through the first 20 years of this century has focused largely on the impact of the teacher and principal on student achievement (Kraft & Gilmour, 2016; Marshall, 2017). Principals’ influence upon achievement is second only to that of classroom teachers; however, principal impact is indirect and difficult to quantify (Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstorm, 2004). This mixed-methods study involved the analysis of secondary data and elicitation of teachers’ and principals’ perceptions in order to determine the impact of principals on student achievement. The quantitative portion of the study involved an analysis of secondary data including the …

Gender And Change Over Time On Reading Achievement For English Learners In Grades 3-4 In Northwest Arkansas, Molly Wingfield

Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the effects by change over time between males versus females on reading achievement measured by the NWEA MAP Growth Reading 2-5 AR 2016 for ELPA21 Beginning and ELPA21 Intermediate levels for third- and fourth-grade students from a school district in Northwest Arkansas. This study is important because serving English learners, which is the fastest growing population of students, will help close the achievement gap and eliminate gender bias. This study is rooted in the five main hypotheses of Krashen’s theory of second language acquisition (Krashen, 1981, 1982, 2002). To address each of …

Exploring The Relationship Between Student Online Discussion-Board Activity And Student Grades, Frank Robert Talbott

Dissertations

As students, instructors, and higher-education administrators delve further into cyberspace, scholarly literature and practice require further insights into the dynamics of online learning. This study examined the relationship between online student discussionboard activity and student grades and, consequently, addressed a dearth in the literature about this relationship. Student Involvement Theory provided the theoretical foundation of this research. This study’s sample consisted of 200 online undergraduate students in online business-analytics courses. Regression-analyses findings supported the relationship between student postings of certain mathematical-symbol references (e.g., for equalities, inequalities, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) and student grades. Therefore, administrators, faculty, and course designers …

Linking Police Attitude To Behavior In Interactions With Mentally Ill Consumers, Raymond Wooten

Dissertations

In this project, the author aimed to examine law enforcement officer attitude and behavior toward individuals with serious mental illness. There were two distinct sections of this project; one quantitative and one qualitative. For the quantitative portion, one hundred fifty four (N = 154) officers completed an online questionnaire providing information on their attitude toward individuals with serious mental illness in a variety of contexts. The questionnaire also generated information regarding officers’ general knowledge of mental illness, their level of contact with individuals with mental illness, and their desired social distance from individuals with mental illness. In the qualitative portion, …

Impact Of Transformational Leadership Behaviors Of Administrators As Predictors Of High Performing And Low Performing Schools In Mississippi, Audra Rester

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the relative impact of principal transformational leadership as it relates to school accountability status. Teachers from schools that have been assigned the labels of A, B, C, D, and F by the Mississippi Department of Education were surveyed. A quantitative design was used to test six research hypotheses to see if any differences exist between the perceived leadership behaviors of school administrators by teachers among the accountability labels. The principal leadership behaviors, which were based on transformational leadership theory, were (1) provides vision, (2) models appropriate behavior, (3) fosters …

Living On Campus Is Beneficial: Studying The Impact Of Student Involvement Through Living-Learning Communities, Stephen R. Mccay

Dissertations

Since the early days of higher education, living-learning communities have been beneficial for student success, involvement, and retention. A living-learning community can be studied using the following as a basic definition for this research: a group of students living together who have a purpose of focusing on learning outside the classroom and that interacts with the institution’s staff, who assist with the students’ holistic development. Research suggests that students who are involved and those who live on campus have greater academic success and are more likely to return for their next academic semester. Astin’s involvement theory explores the interactions between …

Diversity And Inclusion: Examining The Lived Experiences Of Lgbtq Students At Historically Black Colleges And Universities (Hbcus) In The Bible Belt, Steven Jones

Dissertations

Throughout the twentieth century, the Gay Rights Movement has gained momentum as LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) individuals have fought for civil equality and social acceptance. However, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been slow to adapt, implement, and effect change that improves the quality of education for LGBTQ students. Strong religious beliefs derived from the church; especially in the South, may be the connection to understanding why homosexuality isn’t vastly accepted or celebrated in the Black Community and at HBCUs; particularly, in the Bible Belt.

Thus, this phenomenological qualitative study, guided by the theory of care framework, …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Attitudes Toward And Their Participation In Technology-Based Professional Development Training In Mississippi’S High School Districts, Natalie N. Hill

Dissertations

The use of technology has become an essential part of daily interaction in Career and Technical education learning environments. There is very little research regarding career and technical teachers’ attitudes and participation in professional development, although previous studies have been conducted referencing K-12 teachers’ attitudes. A qualitative research methodology was employed to investigated the insight of CTE teachers’ attitudes toward the professional developments that they had attended. This study also investigated whether training was appropriate to teachers’ learning needs in high school districts in MS. The population for this study included seven high school career and technical teachers in five …

Organizational Stressors As Predictors Of Burnout, Kristen Albritton

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine if organizational stress, measured by role conflict and role ambiguity, predicts burnout among employees. A review of the related literature identified variables that demonstrate a relationship with burnout, supported by the Maslach (1998) theory of burnout and Katz and Kahn’s (1966) organizational role theory. The researcher also examined whether organizational level and demographic variables (gender, education level, and job tenure) moderate the relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and burnout.

The study follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design using data collected from a survey. Results of linear regression analyses reveal role conflict and …

Are They Ready? Implementing 21st-Century Learning Skills Integration Into Indonesia Science Instruction, Esty Haryani

Dissertations

Science and technology education are essential subjects for achieving the desired workforce skills for the 21st century (Bybee & Fuchs, 2006). In 2017, Indonesia adopted the 21st century learning and innovation framework into its national curriculum to address the demand to improve students’ readiness for the complexity of the future whether for the work environment or in their personal lives. This learning and innovation skills framework focuses on the development the skills of creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, and communication, known as the 4Cs. However, there is little knowledge on the integration of these skills into …

Teacher Perceptions Regarding The Purpose Of K-12 Education, Peter M. Grostic

Dissertations

This study explored the perceptions of teachers regarding the purposes of K-12 education and the influence of belief sources on their perceptions. Purposes of K-12 education and the ways in which they have changed over time are topics for which researchers are concerned (Carpenter, 2005; Labaree, 2013). Addressing this concern, there is existing literature focused on understanding purposes through K-12 school mission statements (Schafft & Biddle, 2014; Stemler & Bebell, 2012), and a multitude of reflections regarding what K-12 education purposes should be (Biesta, 2015; Macallister, 2016; Robinson & Aronica, 2014). Less is known regarding what frontline K-12 education practitioners …

Let’S Talk Fluency: Elementary Educators’ Perceptions Of The Impact And Implementation Of Fluency Instruction Within The Leveled Literacy Intervention Framework, Megan L. Michalczak

Dissertations

This study was warranted to thoroughly understand general and special education teachers’ perceptions of the implementation of Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) within Tier II and Tier III of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) while focusing on reading fluency instruction. Using a mixed methods approach, this study described the impact of LLI on student outcomes in reading fluency, as well as examined the integrity of LLI implementation within Tier II and Tier III through descriptive statistical analysis of student achievement data and a document review of intervention records. In addition, through the use of inductive thematic analysis of observations and …

Providing Head Start Services Amid A Global Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Explanatory Study Of Capacity, Resources, And Support, Kelly L. Vigants

Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered education in dramatic ways including immediate building closures and the implementation of virtual instruction. In March of 2020, Michigan faced a statewide shutdown on all non-essential travel as Michiganders were ordered to “Stay Home. Stay Safe.” Head Start began to provide remote services to families and students. Head Start lead teachers were charged with using virtual methods to teach their students. With little direction in the beginning and many unknowns, Head Start lead teachers used innovative methods to promote family engagement.

This study used a mixed method, explanatory sequential design to evaluate the most effective methods …

Understanding The Influence Of Interdisciplinary Research: An Examination Of Carol Hirschon Weiss’S Scholarship, Gregory Dee Greenman Ii

Dissertations

Research evaluation is the subfield of evaluation that examines the processes and products of scientific and technological research. This dissertation explores the case of interdisciplinary research evaluation by reviewing the publications of one of the most influential and highly cited scholars in evaluation, public administration, and knowledge utilization: Carol Hirschon Weiss. As one of the foundational theorists of evaluation, the evaluation perspective of Weiss's work typically pervades discussions. That approach ignores her influence in other fields, particularly her centrality to the knowledge utilization field. Prior research indicates that the influence of interdisciplinary research is challenging to ascertain because research evaluation …

Schools’ Civil Rights Obligations To English Learners: Leadership Perceptions On Key Issues, Pamela R. Schwallier

Dissertations

English Learners (ELs), who now represent nearly 10% of all K-12 public school students, 4.8 million of who speak over 400 different languages and dialects, continue to lack equitable educational opportunities as demonstrated through gaps in achievement outcomes, poor graduation rates, and identified systemic barriers related to the intersectionality of language, culture, race, and racism (Crump, 2014; DeMatthews & Izquierdo, 2017; Menken & Solorza, 2015; Morita-Mullaney, 2018; National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition [NCELA], 2015, 2018). This quantitative study captured over 800 K-12 educational leaders’ perspectives, via an anonymous electronic survey, on key issues regarding equitable programs for ELs that …

Implementing A Professional Learning Community In A Private School In The Dominican Republic: An Instrumental Case Study, Miguelina Adelaida Coronado Cornelio

Dissertations

The initiative of turning schools into Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is being implemented by many schools and school systems in different countries. PLC processes have shown to be successful in enhancing teachers’ and students’ learning (Gumus, 2013; Michalak, 2009; Mullen & Schunk, 2010). The fact that the Dominican Republic (DR) is committed to improving the quality of education, the implementation of PLC processes seems to be a compelling option to reach this goal. The Dominican Ministry of Education has followed the guidelines that research in the U.S. and other countries have set and has recently adopted PLCs’ features and processes …

Female Graduate Students’ Experiences And Career Orientations In Stem: A Comparative Case Study, Jasvir K. Pannu

Dissertations

Regardless of implementation of government policies to promote STEM education and eradicate the underrepresentation of women and minorities, the number of women choosing STEM throughout their educational career remains low. In 2018 65% doctorate degrees were awarded to men and only 35% to women. Moreover, 40% of all students enrolled in doctorate programs drop out before completion. The process of socialization in graduate school and students’ non academic responsibilities play critical roles in graduate students’ success and future career orientations. Processes of socialization involve interactions with faculty, peers, and administration while taking courses and conducting dissertation research. Non academic engagements …

Novice Second-Career Teachers: Experiences And Meaning-Making Of The Transition Process, Paula Dennisse Núñez Del Rosario

Dissertations

The world we live in is in constant change. During change, people focus on the observable part of what is not there anymore and what has come in its place, not being conscious of the adaptation process that underlies the change: the transition. The transition is a process that has different phases and the development of the process is differentiated depending on the individual. Transition is also directly related to the type of experience. Although circumstances differ among individuals, it is possible to say that there are some common aspects in terms of challenges faced by all novice teachers, both …

Exploring How Andragogical Principles May Enhance Doctoral Students’ Persistence To Dissertation Completion, Bernice Bush

Dissertations

The Doctorate is a terminal degree, in that, a student has accomplished the ultimate academic achievement within an educational field of domain. Although industries worldwide continually demand ever-advancing scholarly workforces and the innovation developments of higher thinkers, this degree has been impeded by a staggering 50% attrition rate among colleges and universities for decades. Also obstructive to degree attainment has been the phenomenological trend of the All-But-Dissertation (ABD) phase experienced by multitudes of candidates within their courses’ timelines. Researchers have studied these issues over the last century, specifically seeking relevant sources of influence among dozens of student attributes and pursuing …

African American Women Attaining And Maintaining The Position Of Superintendent, Twyla Harris

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

There is an underrepresentation of African American women in the position of school district superintendent. The purpose of this research was to uncover the barriers and challenges African American women face both as aspiring and sitting superintendents. To gain a lived experience perspective on the problem, five African American women superintendents were interviewed. The primary research question was: How have African American female superintendents attained and successfully held the superintendent position? Using narrative inquiry, interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for the discovery of common themes. Findings include the value of networking for mentoring and support, accepting and bearing …