Education Commons^™

The Stained Glass Ceiling: Women College Presidents In A Catholic Higher Education Context, Nicole Giglia

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Women are underrepresented in executive leadership positions across different industries, including higher education. The literature suggests that there are many gender-based barriers making it difficult for women to achieve executive-level leadership within higher education. Further, gendered organizations that promote the authority of one gender over another present additional barriers for women to access leadership roles. Catholic organizations are inherently gendered organizations given the Church’s exclusive male leadership. This creates a “stained glass ceiling” making it difficult and, in some cases, impossible for women to rise to the top of Catholic higher education leadership. This interpretive phenomenological study explores the experiences …

Those Who Came Before: Learning From Native American College Alumni About Walking The Path Of Persistence, Jacqueline Schram

Dissertations (1934 -)

The very low college success rate of American Indians and Alaska Natives has inspired a scholarly literature that seeks to explain this outcome and, more recently, to account for why some Native students persist in college. Few studies, however, look at Native students who actually have graduated from college, and these rarely reflect Native voices or examine the life histories of Indigenous students. To achieve a broader understanding of successful educational trajectories, this qualitative exploration moves beyond the category of students currently attending college and examines the lives of five Indigenous Marquette University alumni. Employing an archival oral history method …

Trauma Exposure And Resident Assistants: A Study Of Meaning Making, Sarah Ann Olejniczak

Dissertations (1934 -)

Resident assistants are at the front line of crisis management within college campus residence halls. As such, it is imperative that student affairs professionals consider the specific needs of this paraprofessional group and build networks to guide these student leaders through the traumatic occurrences to which they respond through their roles. This dissertation studies the impact of resident assistants' exposure to traumatic occurrences and the meaning making that happens following these experiences, in an effort to expand a knowledge base that will support future student development practices. This dissertation employs a phenomenological approach to qualitatively understand the impact of trauma …

Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Gap Between Specialized And General School Systems, Alexis Ketterman

Senior Capstone Papers

Functionality, communication, socialization, and the ability to have some degree of independence are common attributes that many may not take the time to consider. However, for individuals who are autistic, these attributes are critical to forming secure relationships and successfully adapting across the lifespan. The two primary care systems paramount in supporting and nurturing social competence for children include general and specialized school systems. General school systems may not always have a well-developed understanding or awareness around a particular diagnosis or developmental disability; however, they may have a holistic special education program. Specialized schools often have access to trained professionals …

Coaching To Success: Moving From A Fixed Mindset To A Growth Mindset Through Positive Motivation, Shannon Dianna Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore my students’ belief perseverance and fixed mindset and help them shift toward self-determination and a growth mindset. Incorporating goal setting, positive intentions, and coachable techniques in my sixth-grade math class, I collected data through an observation journal, student artifacts, and pre and post assessments. I found that goal setting, positive intentions, and coaching techniques enabled students to shift from belief perseverance toward self-determination that will transfer into life outside of the classroom. My findings showed helping students move from a fixed mindset to one of growth is possible but takes time. Creating …

The Impact Of Embedded Coaching On Educational Leader Professional Practice, Heather J. Sanchez

Education Dissertations

School and district leadership is complex work. Educational leaders today are charged with a myriad of responsibilities, ranging from everyday operational duties to strategic development of school improvement plans. Leaders are expected to be experts at everything ranging from transportation to transforming teaching and learning. Gone are the days when a leader was expected to manage the school or district. Today leaders are expected to meet the robust needs of staff, students, and families inclusive of social-emotional needs, academic needs, and physical needs. Today’s leaders are expected to be transformative, to have skills sets that enable them to effectively partner …

High Impact Practices In First Year Composition Courses, Haley Hamilton

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

This capstone project explores High Impact Practices and how they can interact with First Year Composition Pedagogy through the creation of a Course Design for English 1102. The literature review is primarily an examination of research from the field of composition studies and high impact practices in higher education, as well as several aspects of composition studies such as transfer theory and first year composition pedagogy. The course design details ways to implement high impact practices into English 1102 in the context of specific university requirements. Through this project, I was able to make the connection between the WPA Outcome …

Equity Audits For Schools Within Restrictive Settings, Matthew Phillp Milanowski

Masters Theses

This project creates a framework and process for conducting facility wide equity audits for schools within juvenile justice and restrictive settings. To accomplish this, an extensive review of existing literature in both the field of education and the field of juvenile justice and existing frameworks and processes were reviewed to create the new framework, Milanowski’s (2023) Facility Wide – Equity Audit Framework, suitable for juvenile justice and restrictive settings. The new framework was then used to guide the development of a process, data collection tool, improvement planning tool, and fidelity instrument to evaluate the implementation of the overall process. This …

The Resilience Of A School Community During A Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study Of The Trials And Tribulations Of Bishop John Paul Academy, Christopher Aquino

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted the world of education. Schools were forced to rapidly adapt to new modes of teaching, learning, and assessment to continue providing education to students safely and effectively. This study examines the experiences of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their challenges, responses, and impact on students, teachers, and staff and how their promotive and protective factors contributed to their resilience.

The qualitative study includes narratives from school administrators, teachers, and students. The results showed that schools had faced numerous challenges during the pandemic, including shifting to remote learning, maintaining student engagement and motivation, addressing …

The Path To Full Reparations: A Community-Driven Model Of Education Reparations For Black Youth In Los Angeles County, Phase I (Early Learners), Andrew S. Murphy

LMU Theses and Dissertations

The unresolved long-term effects of slavery and past and ongoing systemic racism directed toward Black Americans can be seen in the devaluing and aggressively racist treatment of Black students in Los Angeles County schools. Through qualitative interviews with Black education community members in Los Angeles County, this study collected Black education community members’ perspectives on the need for a multiphase education reparations system for Black youth, beginning with early learners (ages 0 to 8), and what components such a system should include. Participants overwhelmingly supported an education reparations system due to the over-policing and criminalization of Black students and the …

Are The Teachers Alright?: High School Teachers’ Use Of Emotional Labor Strategies In The Covid-19 Context And Its Effect On The Profession’S Sustainability, Nina C. Benegas

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Teacher burnout during the pandemic has resulted in a mass exodus of teachers that, compounded with consistently low enrollment in teacher preparation programs, has caused a severe and catastrophic teacher shortage. This qualitative study investigated teacher perceptions of pandemic-related workload and emotional stress and their effects on job satisfaction and burnout. The dissertation study consisted of semi-structured interviews of sixteen current or former high school educators who taught before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest a wide range of disruptions to teachers’ preexisting professional responsibilities and additions to what has been considered to constitute a teacher’s typical workload, particularly: …

When They See Us: The Lived Experiences Of Tenured Black Male Faculty At Research 1 Institutions, Quintavis Marquel Cureton

Theses and Dissertations

Numerous research studies have been conducted on the experiences of Black faculty, faculty of color, and Black female faculty in the academy. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about the lived experiences of Black male faculty, especially the lived experiences of tenured Black male faculty at Research 1 (R1) institutions. There remains a dearth of research that examines and amplifies voice to the experiences of tenured Black male faculty. It is essential to understand how Black male faculty have navigated their way through earning the rank of tenure at an R1 institution. This research provides a roadmap for …

Navigating Age Of Majority-Related Issues In Special Education: The Current Needs And A Potential Means For Aligning Professional Values With Policy And Practice, Charles Blayne Walters

Theses and Dissertations

The paper that follows serves to collect three articles that investigate policy and practice regarding adult decision-making support for students with disabilities receiving special education services. Each has been led by the author of this multiple-manuscript dissertation, Charles Walters. Following a short introduction to these works as Chapter One, Chapter Two provides a reformatted version of an interview-based study with special education directors at the school district level. It was originally published in Volume 35, Issue One of the Journal of Special Education Leadership and titled “An Exploratory Study of Special Education Director Experiences with Issues Related to Age of …

Stories From North Carolina Teachers Of Color: An Inquiry Of Racialized Experiences In The Workplace., Deborah Stephanie Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

Growing educational research shows that teachers of color are finding themselves working in racially hostile schools through experiencing racism from their White colleagues in explicit and inexplicit ways. There is a need to further categorize how North Carolina teachers of color are experiencing racism in the workplace and identify how they are affected by it through experiential knowledge and analysis underpinned by critical race theory. Through action research, this study’s goals incorporated the implementation and evaluation of a collaborative book as a method of intervention on the effects of racial trauma. The collaborative book presents full counternarratives of teachers of …

Cultivating Community In A Sixth-Grade Classroom: An Action Research Study, Jennifer Weller Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Students who experience trauma bring this trauma to school with them in the form of exaggerated behaviors—acting out or withdrawing, being violent or extremely passive, or exhibiting rudeness or academic difficulty. Because students react to trauma in many ways, there is no one way for teachers to respond. The classroom community is vulnerable to the sheer unpredictability of behaviors. Grounded in ecological systems theory, whole-child theory, and compassionate teaching theory, this study explored my efforts to mitigate the results of trauma and increase the sense of community and well-being in my sixth-grade classroom. During the last few weeks of the …

The Effects Of Gamified Peer Feedback On Student Writing In High School English Language Arts, Kerise Amaris Broome

Theses and Dissertations

National assessments on writing show that student proficiency is low in part because many high school students lack revision skills. Compounding the problem is that as classroom sizes grow, teachers have less time to give the feedback that students need to improve. Peer feedback shows promise in being able to solve the feedback problem, but it must be carefully structured to be effective. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of gamified peer feedback in a high school English Language Arts classroom at Southern Charter High School. Three research questions guided this study: (1) What impact …

An Examination Of Measurement Invariance With A Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach, Ruiqin Gao

Theses and Dissertations

This multiple-manuscript dissertation explored the measurement invariance (MI) testing with multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) approach from different perspectives. Study 1 explored MI from a theoretical perspective by conducting a systematic review study on MI practices in education. The findings of this study indicated inconsistency in MI practices and showcased the limitations of the MI practices conducted by researchers in the field of education. Study 2 examined MI from an empirical perspective by implementing a cultural MI test of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires for elementary school students in the United States and China. The study provided a step-by-step demonstration of …

Deficit Thinking In Teacher Course Level Recommendations, Andrew Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze teacher perceptions of the impact of deficit thinking in student course level placement to derive greater insight into the causes of the over-representation of students of color in lower-tracked classes. This study was conducted as a virtual focus group using Google Meet that took place across 3 meetings in which 6 teachers participated in activities designed to promote dialogue around the impact of deficit thinking in the placement of students into course levels.

This study found that teachers perceived deficit thinking in institutional deficiencies in meeting the needs of students and the …

The Effects Of Problem-Based Learning On Mathematics Motivation In A Flipped Classroom Instructional Environment, Joshua David Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

In response to decreasing motivation in high school math classrooms, teachers are transforming classrooms with various instructional techniques. Traditional math instruction relies on direct instruction and memorization of content, processes, and skills. Teachers are transitioning to more constructivist student-led approaches. Utilizing multiple instructional designs provides teachers more opportunities to access the major components of the ARCS Model: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction.

Therefore, the purpose of this action research was examining problem-based learning in a flipped classroom instructional environment and measuring its effect on students’ motivation and achievement in Algebra 2. The study addressed the following research questions: 1) What …

Impact Of Virtual Models On Students’ Multilevel Understanding Of An Organic Reaction, Eli Martin

Theses and Dissertations

As the number of STEM opportunities and the need for a scientifically literate society increases, educators in STEM fields require tools that help support these needs. Chemistry is one STEM content area that would benefit from exploring educational technology that supports conceptual understanding. An action research study was conducted to understand how students engage with the content and virtual representation to develop their understanding of a chemical reaction. This convergent mixed methods study looked at the effect of dynamic virtual molecular representation on students' ability to understand a reaction mechanism at the symbolic and subparticulate level by measuring content knowledge …

Digital Literacy Integrated Into Academic Content Through The Collaboration Of A Librarian And A Core Content Teacher, Jeri Leann Jeffcoat

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to investigate the impact of collaborative teaching involving a school librarian and a social studies teacher on sixth-grade students’ unit projects, classroom engagement, and digital literacy skills. This study's innovation was twofold: academic content was infused with digital literacy skills instruction, and the librarian/researcher co-taught the unit with a regular academic content teacher. The study was designed to answer three research questions involving how instruction that integrates digital literacy and social studies content taught collaboratively by a librarian and social studies teacher influences sixth-grade social studies students’ performance on summative …

Electronic Portfolios In A High School Community Of Practice: Action Research Exploring Writing Experiences In An Advanced Placement Writing Course, Archibald Franklin Harrison Iv

Theses and Dissertations

The underlying assumption of this study is that writing as a process has profound implications for success and fulfillment both in and beyond the classroom. A second assumption is that electronic portfolios provide students a space to write, revise, reflect, share, and explore themselves as writers. Students who engage with and embrace the writing process to the point that they self-identify as writers may be more likely to not only succeed at academic writing tasks but to integrate writing into their future lives (Lengelle and Meijers, 2014). For writing to play a prolonged role in this level of academic, professional …

The Impact Of Opendyslexic Font On The Reading Comprehension Of Tier Ii And Tier Iii Reading Intervention Students, William David Whitmire

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research project measured the effect of OpenDyslexic font on the reading comprehension of MTSS Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students. A review of the literature revealed little research about OpenDyslexic font or its effect on reading comprehension. The study consisted of a 7-week period with 4^th grade Tier II and Tier III reading intervention students using OpenDyslexic font while reviewing previously taught comprehension strategies before end of the year testing. Results show positive growth for Tier II reading intervention students and results were inconclusive for Tier III students.

Mathematics Teachers’ Attitudes And Intentions Towards Instructional Videos As Part Of A Flipped Learning Model, Jessica Lee Lambert

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers’ attitudes and intentions play an integral role in the integration of technology into their lesson designs for mathematics. All K-8 students at the research site are now one to one with a device, either a tablet or laptop, depending on their grade level. It is up to teachers to determine how and when to integrate technology into their instructional design for mathematics. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate and describe mathematics teachers’ attitudes and intentions for integrating instructional videos as part of a flipped learning instructional model. The following questions served to guide this cycle of …

Implementing Meaningful Problem-Based Learning In A Middle School Science Classroom, Celestine Banks Pough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to explore the impact of problem-based learning on science instruction in my eighth-grade college preparatory classroom. Constructivism was the framework for this study. Problem-based learning is based on constructivist principles, and it served as the instructional model for this study. PBL can foster the use of problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and communication skills, which are needed in the 21st century. This research study was centered around three research questions. The first question asked about the impact PBL has on students’ science achievement. The second question asked how does PBL impact students’ …

The Impact Of The Flipped Classroom Model On Elementary Students’ Achievement And Motivation For Learning Geometry, Kimberly M. Smalls

Theses and Dissertations

National and state data show students in poverty perform lower on math standardized assessments than their peers who are not students in poverty. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the implementation of the flipped classroom model on the achievement and motivation towards mathematics for fourth-grade students at an elementary school in the Southeast United States. Traditional teaching methods such as teacher-led modeling, the use of manipulatives, and small-group math instruction present barriers which have not led to overall academic improvement for these students. This study focused on three overarching questions: (1) Is there a difference in fourth-grade …

The Impact Of Cognitive Coaching On High School English Teachers’ Implementation Of Metacognitve Reading Strategies, Charrai Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

The problem that this action research study addressed was the ineffective facilitation strategies used in professional development for teachers. The purpose of the study was to determine whether reflective practices impact teachers’ instructional decisions. The study used Cognitive Coaching, a reflective coaching model, as its intervention. To gather data the study used classroom observations, coaching conversations, and an eight-question structured survey administered at the end of the study. This qualitative case study included three high school English teachers as its participants and the study was conducted at two different high schools in a suburban school district in the Southeast. The …

A Critical Examination Of An In Class Tabata Based Physical Fitness Protocol On Student Engagement Levels In A Sixth Grade Math Class, Justin R. Kulik

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Tabata Based Physical Fitness Intervention (TBPFI) on measures of student engagement in a middle school mathematics class. Student engagement was measured with the Student Engagement in Mathematics Scale (SEMS) which a Likert style scale. The results of this survey supplied a numerical rating for the social, emotional, and cognitive engagement of each studentparticipant in the study on days when a TBPFI was implemented and on days when it was not implemented. Additionally, pre- and post-interviews were conducted with the student-participants and the teacher-participant. Finally, researcher observations and rating …

A Qualitative Study On Mental Health Resource Utilization Of Enlisted Airmen During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hassahn Khali Wade

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative action research study examines the impact of COVID-19 on Airmen serving in the aircraft armament systems career field, while also studying the utilization of mental health resources among those same Airmen. Nine Airmen chose to participate in interviews, received an intervention in the form of a resource guide outlining mental health resources offered on-base, and received a second interview to measure any changes in attitude. Respondents found COVID-19 impacted their workload negatively, and adversely affected their personal lives. Culturally, there is an unenthusiastic viewpoint on mental health assistance, which leads many Airmen to suffer in silence and not …

Online Professional Development’S Effect On Teachers’ Technology Self-Efficacy And Continuance Intention To Use Pear Deck, Katherine Shirley Degar

Theses and Dissertations

Districts and schools are spending millions of dollars on technology, training, and professional development each year; however, a disconnect between technology use and good pedagogy remains. The one-shot, sit-and-get professional development model has not provided North Lake Intermediate School’s teachers the necessary skills and knowledge to prepare students for the 21st century through the use of innovative technologies. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate how a TPACK-focused online professional development experience influenced teachers’ development of technology self-efficacy and intention to integrate the technology tool, Pear Deck, and measure changes in their attitudes toward Pear Deck.

The …