Silent Detonations: Redirecting Focus, Preserving Identity, And Leading Under The Weight Of Microaggressions, Ray Lavan

Tapestry: Journal of Research in Education

African American educational leaders consistently navigate racial microaggressions that challenge their focus, identity, and well-being. This study explores how these leaders deploy attention to manage the emotional weight of microaggressions in K-12 public school settings. Using Gross’s emotion regulation theory and Sue’s taxonomy of racial microaggressions, this qualitative phenomenological study examines how attentional deployment serves as both a shield and constraint. Data from the African American leaders reveal that silence, background processing, selective focus, and redirection to professional goals are common strategies to sustain composure. These strategies protect leaders in the moment but create emotional strain, identity conflict, and cumulative …

The Rural Minnesota Principalship: Commitment Amid Challenge Interpreting The Minnesota Principals Survey Through A Rural Leadership Lens, Brennan Kent

Essays in Education

School principals occupy one of the most complex leadership roles within public education, particularly in rural communities where schools often serve as central institutions for both learning and community life. This paper interprets findings from the 2023 Minnesota Principals Survey (MnPS) through a rural leadership lens. While the survey reflects statewide perspectives on principal workload, leadership efficacy, and barriers to student learning, several findings carry particular relevance for rural districts where staffing capacity and access to services may be more limited. MnPS results indicate that principals work an average of 57 hours per week and that only 52% perceive their …

Department Chair: Perceived Training Needs, Holly M. Clifford

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Holly M. Clifford on March 18, 2026.

System-Level Drivers For The Adoption Of Evidence-Based Practices In Schools, Marijne Medhurst, Jen Jackson, Pru Mitchell, Romany Manuell

School and system improvement

This report outlines strategies that education system leaders can use to support the adoption of evidence-based teaching practices within schools, recognising the importance of teaching quality to lift student outcomes. It is based on an adapted systematic review of available evidence conducted by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for and in collaboration with the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). The report begins by identifying considerations or approaches that system leaders can apply to selecting strategies to support schools, to ensure that they are culturally reflexive, aware of contextual enablers and barriers, and aligned with the approaches evident in …

College President Preparation Strategies For Major Gift Solicitation, Michael T. Miller

Journal of Research on the College President

The study examined how college and university presidents prepare to solicit major gifts from individual benefactors, an increasingly important responsibility as institutions diversify revenue streams through philanthropic support. While extensive literature exists on higher education fundraising and presidential leadership, relatively little research has explored the specific practices presidents use to prepare for major gift solicitations. To address this gap, the study employed a descriptive research design consisting of two phases: a survey of 100 four-year public college and university presidents and follow-up semi-structured interviews with six presidents who agreed to discuss their preparation processes in greater detail. Survey findings indicated …

Utilizing School-Based Extracurricular Activities: An Embedded Single Case Study On How An Urban School District Combats Community Violence, Justin Errol Conyers

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single-embedded case study was to understand how school-based extracurricular activities (SBEAs) were utilized to combat community violence among students in an urban school district. Social learning theory guided the study, providing a framework for examining how participation in extracurricular activities influenced students’ behaviors and attitudes through the modeling and reinforcement of positive social interactions. The central research question asked: How were school-based extracurricular activities utilized to model and reinforce behaviors that combat community violence among students? This qualitative study employed a single-embedded case study design. The sample consisted of teachers and administrators from one urban school …

Interpreting Public School Administrators' Experience Of The Transformational Leadership Style During An Educator Shortage: A Hermeneutical Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Rose Sweet

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to interpret public school administrators' experiences with transformational leadership during an educator shortage. The research employed a hermeneutical-phenomenological approach, utilizing van Manen’s methodological data analysis procedures to capture the essence of the lived experiences of school administrators. Bass’s transformational leadership theory provided the framework for this study. Previous research has examined multiple factors related to leadership's connection to an educator shortage. This study aimed to explore administrators' lived experiences with the transformational leadership style and its impact on a teacher shortage in public schools. Using purposeful, convenience, and snowball sampling, school administrators were selected …

Introducing The Aasspectq Framework: A New Typology For Assessing Quality, Pedagogy, Outcomes, And Learning In Micro-Credentials, Felix Quayson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Micro-credentials have gained increasing attention as a flexible and competency-based approach to bridging the gap between formal education and workforce demands. Unlike traditional qualifications and degrees, micro-credentials focus on discrete, demonstrable skills that can be rapidly developed, assessed, and recognized across industries. I proposed the Auditing, Avoidance, Specificity, Skills, Personalization, Efficiency, Competency, Technology, and Quality Assurance (AASSPECTQ) conceptual framework to examine the current state of micro-credential implementation, highlighting the tools, learning outcomes, and assessment instruments necessary for effective program design. The challenges of quality assurance, portability, and recognition that continue to limit widespread adoption were also explored. By …

Braving Ai In Tertiary Education: Generative Artificial Intelligence And Chatbots In Civics, Magdalena Brzezinska

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article explores tested strategies for the responsible and inclusive use of text- and video-generating artificial intelligence (GenAI) and educational chatbots in university classrooms, with a focus on foreign language learners, including students from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Drawing on case studies from WSB Merito University in Poznan, Poland, the author presents methods for integrating AI in civics education in a culturally relevant and equitable manner, emphasizing the importance of responsible technology use. The strategies discussed are adaptable to various tertiary education settings and aim to enhance global skills, foreign language proficiency, AI literacy, and visual literacy among college students. …

Examining The Relationship Between Transformational Leadership Behaviors And Faculty Job Satisfaction At Hbcus: An Explanatory Correlational Study, Demissie L. Karorsa, Monica E. Allen

Journal of Research Initiatives

By inspiring followers to pursue and attain exceptional levels of performance, transformational leadership (TL) has been associated with high levels of follower job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Asencio, 2016; Banks et al., 2016; Bass & Riggio, 2006). The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine faculty perceptions of transformational leadership behaviors of their department chairs and their own job satisfaction at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the southeastern United States. The transformational leadership dimensions examined were idealized attributes (IA), idealized behaviors (IB), inspirational motivation (IM), intellectual stimulation (IS), and individualized consideration (IC). Data were collected using …

Marketing In Public Education: Proven Strategies And Common Implementation Barriers, Tanya Larkin, Neil Faulk, Clementine Msengi, Brett C. Welch, Thomas Harvey

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study investigated public-school superintendents' perceptions of the challenges and issues associated with implementing strategic marketing plans in the state of Texas. Guided interviews were conducted to determine the role of strategic marketing along with strategies and outcomes experienced because of past marketing efforts in Texas schools. Results indicated that school superintendents wanted and needed to know considerably more about strategic marketing in public schools. Superintendents also expressed strong desires to participate in and engage with marketing behaviors that were increasingly perceived as critical for communication and for maintaining and growing respective school districts. The study also identified strategies to …

Breaking Barriers, Transforming Digital Literacy, And Creating Immersive Learning Environments In The 21st Century, Romero D'Souza

Journal of Research Initiatives

This paper explores the future of educational technologies with a focus on breaking systemic barriers, enhancing digital literacy, and fostering immersive learning environments. Using Maharashtra, India as a case study, it examines disparities in infrastructure, internet access, and teacher readiness across government and private institutions. Local challenges are analyzed alongside initiatives like the Digital India Mission, while national policies and international best practices are reviewed for broader context. Cross-cutting themes of equity, access, and professional development highlight the need for inclusive technological integration. The pedagogical implications of emerging technologies—particularly AI and AR/VR—are assessed alongside ethical concerns around data privacy and …

Work Environments Matter: The Impacts Of Interpersonal Relationships On Student Affairs Professionals, Lawrence R. Daniel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how everyday workplace relationships influence engagement, professional identity, and retention among student affairs professionals in higher education. Guided by relational leadership theory, the study explored how leadership is experienced not only through formal position or authority, but also through relational presence, psychological safety, and advocacy. Seventeen student affairs professionals representing diverse institutional types, geographic regions, and career stages participated in in-depth semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and incorporated both in vivo and line-by-line coding to ensure that findings remained grounded in participants’ voices and lived experiences. Nine themes emerged from the analysis. …

Intersecting Identities: The Leadership Journeys And Challenges Of Black Women Senior Leaders In Southern U.S. Predominantly White Institutions, Quizanae' Y. Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at what Black women in high‑level leadership roles are experiencing at predominantly White institutions in Texas and Florida now that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have been rolled back. Using Black feminist theory and intersectionality as the foundation, the research focused on how race and gender shape their leadership, their decision‑making, and the ways they navigate their careers. Through in‑depth interviews with 10 Black women in executive positions, the study uses a narrative approach to understand their stories. Eight major themes emerged, and many participants explained that losing DEI initiatives created new obstacles, reduced support systems, …

Enhancing Science Accessibility And Engagement For Students With Visual Impairments: A Randomized Trial Of The Talking Labquest In Nigerian Schools, Sariat A. Adelakun Dr

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students with Blindness in Nigeria are often erroneously perceived as incapable of engaging with science at the basic education level, contributing to their low enrolment in science-related careers. Although various techniques and materials have been proposed to support students with blindness in science, many lack empirical validation. This study investigated one such approach by examining the impact of the Talking LabQuest on the interest of Students with blindness in science subjects.

A randomized controlled trial was conducted in inclusive junior secondary schools in Nigeria, involving 20 classrooms over an 18-week period. Twelve classrooms were randomly assigned to the intervention group, …

The Justice Implications Of Public-School Discipline For African American Students In The Usa, Dr. Demeka Denay Simmons, Dr. Festus Obi

African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies

National data illustrates that using exclusionary discipline practices has resulted in disproportionality and overrepresentation in school discipline. Additionally, research also illustrates that African Americans have been overrepresented in exclusionary discipline at higher rates than their White counterparts. This study aimed to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in the percentage of exclusionary discipline practices between African American and White students based on school district settings within Texas. The researchers analyzed archival data from 673 students in grades 3-12 enrolled in a Texas public school. The statistical tests used to analyze the research questions included Chi-Square and multinomial logistic …

Understanding School Board Members' Perspectives On Governance, Policymaking, And Training In Florida: A Phenomenological Study, Jacqueline Rosario

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenology study was conducted to explore Florida school board members’ perspectives on onboarding and ongoing training in governance and policymaking, emphasizing reflective interpretation to analyze participants' life experiences. The guiding theory for this study was Bass's theory of transformational leadership, which was relevant to school board governance and policymaking as it provided insights into democratic principles and leadership in public education. The central research question was: What were the lived experiences of school board members with onboarding and ongoing training in preparation for governance and policymaking in Florida? The data collection methods used triangulation through a questionnaire, an …

Consequences Of Time Poverty Due To Work Intensification: Lived Experiences Of High School Teachers, John Manning, Lisa Reason

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

This qualitative study sought to explore teachers’ lived experiences with work intensification in a public high school. Apple’s teacher work intensification thesis was used as a framework to evaluate how organizational conditions, time poverty, and job demands contribute to increasing complexity in teachers’ work as well as how they mediate their own responses to it. The research explored the lived experiences of 10 public high school teachers as they managed their perceived feelings of time poverty alongside increasing job demands. Data was collected through interviews, reflective journals, and a qualitative survey. Analysis strategies included in vivo coding, horizontalization, triangulation, and …

Leading Where You Live: A Qualitative Multi-Case Study Of Public High School Principals Who Reside In Their School Communities, Joseph Held

Doctorate in Education

Despite extensive scholarship on relational trust, social capital, place-based leadership, and culturally responsive practice, little is known about how a principal’s residency within the school community shapes leadership demands. This qualitative, multi-case study employed semi-structured interviews, reflexive memoing, and cross-case thematic analysis to examine how nine Minnesota high school principals who lived in the urban, suburban, and rural communities they served experienced leadership practice, equity work, and emotional labor. Findings revealed that residency functions as a consequential leadership condition that reorganizes how principals build trust, exercise judgment, engage families, navigate boundaries, and interpret equity-related tensions. Six themes illuminated residency as: …

Human-Centered Leadership Coaching For School Redesign & Career Connected Learning, Monica White

Bank Street Education Center

Focusing on the Bank Street Principal Innovation Fellowship’s first cohort, this report examines how coaching supported principals as they implemented FutureReadyNYC, the district’s career-connected learning initiative. Through case studies of four principal-coach pairs, the report identifies an emerging leadership coaching model—including key principles, practices, and outcomes—that contributed to meaningful school-level progress and offers insights for school systems seeking to use coaching to strengthen principals’ capacity to lead complex change.

Greater Newark Stem Ecosystem - 2026 Convening - Small Group Outcomes & Action Plan, Brad Schenker

STEM for Success Showcase

In January 2026, GNSE convened ecosystem partners for a co-design session focused on identifying shared challenges, opportunities, and near-term actions to strengthen STEM education and career-connected learning. Participants engaged in small-group discussions to surface barriers, enablers, and potential areas for coordinated action.

The Hidden Opportunities Within The Stem Workforce Pipeline, Brad Schenker

STEM for Success Showcase

_{Five Connections in STEM Education That Can Harmonize America's Workforce Pipeline}

The recent changes to our education system have created a state of uncertainty and instability, which presents a unique moment in time to change systemic design failures that can be accomplished within existing budget, people and resource constraints.

This analysis of research, mostly from 2015-2025, identifies five opportunities in the STEM workforce pipeline to create “Moments of Impact” that can change the direction of a student's STEM education pathway.

Dual Credit Enrollment And First-Year Undergraduate Experience In Texas: Insights From A Mixed Methods Study, Summer Pannell, Jennifer D. Goddard

School Leadership Review

There has been considerable expansion in the availability of dual credit coursework, however, there is still a lack of understanding regarding how effective these programs are in equipping students for success in post-secondary education (Struhl & Vargas, 2012). This study used a mixed-methods approach to explore the relationships between various components of dual credit programs and the experiences of first-time undergraduate students. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression indicated a statistically significant relationship between the modality of dual credit coursework and students’ first-year undergraduate GPAs but not between the setting of the two factors. Further, the results did not …

Multimedia-Based Interventions To Improve Science Learning Outcomes For Deaf Students At Wangsel Institute For The Deaf., Cheten Tshering Mr., Tshering Wangchuk

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Efforts have been made to ensure inclusive learning opportunities for all students, including those from diverse backgrounds. One key strategy to enhance children’s learning and academic performance involves the thoughtful selection and application of instructional tools tailored to meet learners' specific needs. This study examines the impact of multimedia-based instruction on science achievement among deaf students at Wangsel Institute for the Deaf in Bhutan. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research compared pretest and post-test results between a control group and an experimental group. Data analysis included descriptive statistics (t-test) and ANCOVA. The findings indicated a statistically significant differences (p = …

Shedding The Chrysalis: Black Women Leading In Higher Education, Olga M. Welch, Carolyn R. Hodges

Navigating Careers in Higher Education Series

Shedding the Chrysalis: Black Women Leading in Higher Education features the voices of six experienced and emerging Black females in a variety of academic leadership roles. This book provides a Black feminist perspective, highlighting the need to address racial realism within higher education administration. These personal testimonies focus on a variety of levels in the academic hierarchy to emphasize the continuum across the lived experiences of these women, some of whom have served in multiple upper-level administrative roles. The contributors’ positions range from postdoctoral research fellows to positions reporting to central administration at predominantly white institutions. Shedding the Chrysalis underscores …

From Contracts To The College Football Playoffs: Stephen Harper’S Unlikely Path To Iu Athletics, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

On Monday night, as the Indiana University football team takes the field with a national championship on the line, Stephen Harper ’11 will be where tens of thousands of IU alumni wish they could—on the sidelines of Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

For Harper, Indiana’s chief operating officer for athletics, the moment is the culmination of a journey that began far from packed stadiums and playoff spotlights. Before contract negotiations, NIL policy, and Big Ten championship trophies, Harper was a high school English teacher and basketball coach at Bloomington North High School.

Classroom To Campus: A Qualitative Case Study Of Exemplary First-Year Seminar Instructors In Student Transitions At A Louisiana University, Brianna J. Doucet

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how exemplary first-year seminar (FYS) instructors design and implement pedagogical strategies that support students’ transitions into higher education through the lens of Schlossberg’s (1981) Transition Theory. Conducted at a public university in Louisiana, the study explored how university-identified, award-winning instructors foster academic, social, and emotional adjustment among first-year students, a critical priority amid the impending enrollment cliff and the growing need to retain enrolled students. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, findings revealed exemplary instructors design intentional, relational, and reflective learning environments. They view transition as a shared institutional process, model adaptability and lifelong learning, …

Examining Alumni Engagement Policies Among R1 Universities: A Comparative Analysis Of Best Practices, Howayda Ackleh

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the need to update policies and enhance practices for alumni engagement in higher education institutions. Current alumni strategic plans require evaluation and refinement, while new approaches must be developed to strengthen alumni involvement. By analyzing the challenges institutions face in maintaining alumni connections, this review seeks to identify gaps and establish effective best practices. By examining the questions, how do alumni associations at select public R1 institutions apply Utilization-Focused Evaluation (UFE) principles to assess and improve their alumni engagement strategies, and how does this impact their alignment with institutional goals and objectives? This study aims to evaluate …

Exploring The Leadership Journeys Of Female College Presidents At Health Professions Focused Institutions: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study, Caroline S. Zeind, Bobbie Ann Adair White, Yoon Soo Park, Tewodros Eguale, Anne Thompson

Journal of Research on the College President

National data on the academic presidency reflect a long-standing gender gap with little known about the presidency at health professions focused institutions (HPFIs). This mixed methods study explored the relationships between the academic presidency and institutional characteristics of HPFIs, and the leadership journeys of female presidents at HPFIs. An analysis of institutional and leadership data for 487 HPFIs was conducted using a quantitative approach, followed by interviews of 15 female presidents at HPFIs to understand their perceptions of the barriers, and factors that helped with presidency attainment. The results of 479 HPFIs revealed that only 36.3% of women served as …

In The Circle Of My Sistas: Blackmotherscholars (Re)Defining Scholarly Identity, Dawn Stephens Jenkins

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

This dissertation examines how Black mothers in doctoral programs develop scholarly identities at the intersections of race, gender, and motherhood within historically white academic spaces. Grounded in endarkened narrative inquiry, the study centers the lived experiences and collective reflections of BlackMotherScholars to interrogate how racialized and gendered mothering shapes scholarly becoming. The research responds to a gap in the literature that overlooks Black maternal experiences as sites of intellectual production and identity formation in doctoral education.

Findings indicate that Black mothering serves as an onto-epistemological foundation for scholarly identity development, shaping participants’ ways of knowing, research commitments, and sense of …