Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Beyond Cough Drops And Band-Aids: An Interpretive Phenomenological Study Of Certified School Nurses’ Professional Scope And Enacted Roles In Pk–12 Settings, Brandy Gershon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative dissertation explored the underutilization of certified school nurses (CSNs) in PK–12 educational settings across urban, suburban, and rural school districts in western Pennsylvania. Despite their advanced preparation and wide-ranging scope of practice, school nurses are often limited to providing episodic care, including first aid, medication administration, and treatment of minor injuries. This limited use reflects a significant misalignment with their professional scope of practice, which encompasses chronic disease management, health education, mental health support, care coordination, and leadership in public health. Guided by role theory (Biddle, 1986), this study examined how school nurses perceived and interpreted their professional …

African American Male Administrators’ Perceptions Of Leadership Expectations At The Secondary Level, Dimitri D. Williams

ATU Theses and Dissertations 2021 - Present

The underrepresentation of African American male administrators at the secondary level in public education, paired with racialized leadership expectations, demands a deeper examination of their lived experiences. This qualitative phenomenological study explored the perceptions that came from the lived experiences of African American male administrators at the secondary level, with particular focus on their various leadership journeys, perceived expectations, and identity construction within predominantly Caucasian spaces. This study is rooted in Critical Race Theory and the conceptual frameworks of double consciousness, code-switching, tokenism, and impostor syndrome. This study investigated how race influences leadership expectations, professional advancement, and daily administrative practice. …

A Critical Analysis Of The Influence Of Ideology On Education Governance In An Urban, Midwestern School District, Carl Bryan

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This study examines how ideology operates within local education governance through a critical theoretical lens. As state and national education policies, accountability mandates, and partisan political discourse increasingly shape local school governance, this research investigates how power relations, ideological influences, and equity concerns are embedded in school board decision-making processes and public discourse. Addressing a gap in existing scholarship on ideology in education governance, the study employs a qualitative case study of an urban public school district in the Midwestern United States. Data sources include individual interviews with school board members, critical discourse analysis of school board meetings, and analysis …

Perceived Principal Influence Tactics And Early-Tenure Teacher Status, Vanessa Perez-Peterson, Christopher Benedetti

School Leadership Review

Teacher staffing stability remains a persistent challenge for schools, particularly during the early years of teachers’ placement. This study examined whether teachers’ perceptions of principal influence tactics were associated with early-tenure status, defined as 0–3 years at their current campus. Guided by influence tactics theory, a quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed using survey data from 167 certified teachers in Southeastern Texas. Participants completed the Influence Behavior Questionnaire–General (IBQ-G), and composite indices of noncoercive, soft-coercive, and hard-coercive tactics were included in a logistic regression model, along with teacher and principal demographic variables. None of the three influence-tactic categories was significantly associated …

Mind Over Measure: The Role Of Self-Care Practices In Mitigating Mental Health Strain Among K-12 Educators, Jerry Burkett, Ryan Hulla

School Leadership Review

Teacher mental health is a critical concern in K-12 education, with high rates of burnout demanding effective protective strategies. This study investigated the relationship between five dimensions of teacher self-care (Physical, Psychological, Emotional, Spiritual, and Professional) and overall mental health outcomes, while specifically exploring differences between elementary (K-5) and high school (9-12) educators. A sample of K-12 teachers completed the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) and the Self-Care Inventory. Correlational analysis found that all five self-care dimensions were significantly and positively associated with mental health, with Professional Self-Care demonstrating the strongest link (r=.48, p

Principals’ Questioning Practices As Drivers Of Innovation And School Improvement, Miguel M. Gonzales, Tiberio Garza, Elizabeth Leon

School Leadership Review

The art of asking questions plays a pivotal role in leadership and organizational change. This study examined the questioning practices of school principals for school improvement. The Discovery Skill of questioning, as illustrated in the Innovator’s DNA Framework outlined by Dyer and colleagues (2019), was adopted as the guiding framework. Data were gathered with a survey with open-response items from 124 school principals on their questioning behaviors for school improvement. Findings showed principals’ questioning from the qualitative investigation confirmed that most principal questioning habits resided in the description territory within the Innovator’s DNA Framework context. The findings suggest that school …

Leading A School District During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Teresa M. Murphy Phd

Educational Studies Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic altered the conditions of district leadership and required superintendents to make high-stakes decisions amid uncertainty, public scrutiny, and sustained operational disruption. Although scholarship on educational crisis leadership has expanded, fewer studies center superintendents’ own accounts of the knowledge, skills, and conditions that shaped their leadership during COVID-19, and its professional impact. This phenomenological study examined district-level crisis leadership during the first two years of the pandemic, with attention to crisis problem solving, role isolation, crisis communication, and superintendent sustainability. Three research questions guided the study: (1) What knowledge and skills did superintendents perceive necessary for leading during …

Artificial Intelligence Adoption Among Community College Faculty: A Comparative Analysis Of Rural And Urban Institutions, Morgan A. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has created new opportunities and challenges for higher education institutions. Community colleges, which serve diverse student populations and play a significant role in workforce development, must determine. The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate differences in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, usage patterns, and perceptions of importance among faculty at two rural community colleges and two urban community colleges in the United States. Specifically, the study investigated whether statistically significant differences existed in the perceived importance of AI and in the number of AI tools used by faculty across institutional contexts. In …

Leveraging Data Analytics For Student Success: Lessons From Building An Analytics Program At Bentley University, Jane De Leon Griffin, Edlira Stefani, Rahat Sabyrbekov, Patrick Dickson, Annie Raunikar

Student Success Publications

Higher education institutions across the United States face an unprecedented convergence of challenges: a shrinking pool of college-aged students, persistent learning gaps from the COVID-19 pandemic, the destabilization of longstanding federal support structures, and the rising cost of attendance, which increases public skepticism about the value of higher education and challenges access for low-income learners. In this environment, student success is no longer simply a strategic priority—it is an institutional imperative.

One way in which Bentley University has responded to these pressures is by launching the Building a Data-Driven Student Success Ecosystem (BaSSE) initiative, a comprehensive analytics program designed to …

Educator Perception Of Principal Leadership For Developing Teacher Self-Efficacy In Inclusive Education, Jessica L. Jones

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explored general education teacher perceptions of the most impactful principal leadership actions for developing teacher self-efficacy for the education of students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms and schools. An Inclusive Leadership Practices survey was developed by the researcher using qualitative research from Whybrew (2018), the Essential Best Practices in Inclusive Schools Tool (Jorgensen et al., 2012), and leadership research by Hitt and Tucker (2016). General education teachers with experience teaching students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms who chose to participate in this study completed the survey as a measure of their perceptions on inclusive leadership practices. They …

Grace Under Pressure: An Analysis Of School Administrator Personal And Professional Stress And Self-Efficacy, Andrew Mcdaniel

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indiana public school administrators are one of the most important factors for a school’s academic success. If those administrators are effective, they can help maintain an excellent school’s academic success or perhaps even turnaround a failing school. Without a doubt, their performance is critical for a school’s success. If they have confidence in their ability to help create positive outcomes, their school can achieve great things. Unfortunately, assistant principals and principals are facing significant challenges, not only from schools, but also at home. How do these personal and professional stressors affect their sense of self-efficacy? The purpose of this study …

We Are Still Here: A Narrative Inquiry Examining The Experiences Of Black Women Chief Diversity Officers At Historically White Institutions, Jasmin M. Robinson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of Black women serving as CDOs in higher education institutions to understand their unique challenges, opportunities, and contributions as diversity leaders. The study uses a narrative inquiry approach, comprising of in-depth, semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis to understand how six Black women CDOs lead DEI efforts at historically White institutions, what their identities mean to them, and the lessons learned along the way. Eight core themes emerged from the findings addressing institutional commitment to DEI, institutional perceptions of CDOs, chief diversity officer responsibilities, how Black women understand their race and gender, how …

Application Of The Mattering Model By Generation In The Context Of Teacher Retention In Indiana K-12 Schools, Byron C. Sanders Ii

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When teachers see their actions as significant and recognize they would be missed if they were gone, they realize the significance of their individual impact (Wilfong & Donlan, 2024). Understanding what matters to teachers is an important factor in the process of teacher retention. This study examined the difference in four generations of Indiana K-12 teachers against the eight elements of mattering identified by Dr. Shelly Wilfong (2021). A survey instrument utilized the Foundational Elements of Mattering Survey for K-12 Teachers (Wilfong & Donlan, 2024) and the Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale survey (1966a), and it was taken by …

Cracking The Hive Code: A Quantitative Examination Of Queen Bee Syndrome Behaviors In K–12 Education, Katie Renee Gordon

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Queen Bee Syndrome (QBS) has historically been used to describe women who distance themselves from other women and hinder the advancement of female peers (Staines et al., 1974). While early explanations framed QBS as rooted in individual competitiveness, more recent scholarship suggests it may reflect responses to gender discrimination and organizational context (Derks, 2017). In K–12 education, women comprise the majority of the workforce, yet remain underrepresented in upper leadership roles, particularly the superintendency. The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of Queen Bee Syndrome behaviors among female leaders in K–12 educational settings and to explore how internal …

Qualitative Insights In Superintendent Habits And School Culture, Katy Eastes

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Superintendents are responsible for shaping the vision of a district, yet they are often removed from the daily interactions that define building-level school culture. This study examined the relationship between superintendents’ professional habits and their ability to identify and demonstrate ownership of school culture. Guided by Leader–Member Exchange Theory and Organizational Culture Theory, the research explored whether relational and organizational dynamics influence how accurately superintendents perceive culture within their schools. Using a dataset from the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute, public school superintendents who had nominated a principal between 2021 and 2025 were identified as potential participants. Ninetythree superintendents were invited …

Commodore Kid To Campus It Leader: The Experiences Of Black Men On The Path To Becoming Chief Information Officers In Higher Education, William Adu-Mensah

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since its inception, the chief information officer (CIO) role has become increasingly crucial. Today, the role of the CIO has never been more important. Having CIOs on the leadership table is essential, and that table should include Black IT professionals whose perspectives have long been missing. Yet, Black male chief information officers remain profoundly underrepresented in higher education information technology leadership. Across higher education in the United States, only about three percent of CIOs identify as Black. This underrepresentation raises urgent questions about barriers to entry and how these men navigate institutions with minimal racial representation. The study examined the …

What We Want The Decision Makers To Know About First-Generation College Student Success: Insights From Students’ Perspectives, Monique N. Legendre

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

One-third of all undergraduates in the U.S. are first-generation college students (FGCS) (Center for First-Generation Student Success, 2020). Due to barriers such as inequitable access to rigorous college preparatory programs and coursework, limited resources and access to college and career counseling, financial constraints, and a lack of college knowledge such as the expectations, norms, and language of higher education, FGCS often arrive less prepared for college than continuing-generation students, impacting first-generation student success and persistence in post-secondary education (Broadhurst et al., 2023; Campoverdi, 2023; Cataldi et al., 2018; Hamilton et al., 2016; Katrevich & Aruguete, 2017; Osborne, 2023; Pratt et …

Leading Artificial Intelligence Integration: Trust, Tension, And Decision-Making, Teresa G. Perkins Ed.D.

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Artificial intelligence integration in education is advancing faster than shared trust and understanding are being established. Educational leaders are responding in real-time to questions of risk and efficacy while navigating conditions that are still forming. This article situates artificial intelligence integration within the paradox of educational leadership, identifying trust as the critical condition shaping leaders’ interpretations of the tensions.

Leveraging paradox and trust theory, the article explores how competing demands are not problems to be solved, but tensions to be navigated. When trust is present, leaders respond to tension points through both/and sense-making; when trust is absent, decision-making collapses into …

Small College Registrars As Leaders: A Multiple Case Study Of Shared Leadership, Kyle John Wigboldy

Dissertations

This study investigates the leadership relationship between the small college registrar and the people with whom they work most closely. The college registrar is not structured to be a strategic leader within the small college, but their leadership contributions across the campus are constantly felt. This research uses a qualitative case study approach to explore how three college registrars lead and participate with coworkers.

This investigation used a multiple case study design where data collection involved exploring three small colleges of fewer than 1,000 students. The study used semi-structured interviews with the registrar at each of the three colleges, and …

Designing The Future Of School Leadership: Cultivating Creative Capacity In Leadership Preparation Programs, Nicole Wagner

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Education systems are increasingly expected to prepare students with skills such as creativity, adaptability, collaboration, and problem solving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.  However, educational leadership preparation programs often provide limited explicit instruction in creativity and creative leadership.  This project examines how creativity is currently incorporated within educational leadership programs and explores ways creative problem solving and creative leadership competencies can be more intentionally integrated into leadership preparation.

Drawing upon scholarship in creativity, Creative Problem Solving (CPS), leadership, and educational change, this project includes three outcomes: (a) a comparative analysis of educational leadership preparation programs; (b) …

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative And Adaptive Thinkers, Robell Yeung

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

Abstract of Project

Future Ready Young Adults: Building Creative and Adaptive Thinkers addresses a developmental gap in educational practices that prioritize technical proficiency over the psychological frameworks necessary for navigating systemic ambiguity. This project introduces an interdisciplinary, modular curriculum specifically designed for the challenges of emerging adulthood. By synthesizing Creative Problem Solving (CPS), James Clear’s habit architecture, and Martin Seligman’s PERMA model, the curriculum provides a structured pathway for cultivating creative self-efficacy and financial capability. Moving beyond traditional views of innate creativity, this model employs asset-based frameworks to treat cognitive agility and ambiguity tolerance as developable competencies. The project culminates …

Why Do Teachers Leave? Investigating Teacher Attrition In A New Orleans Charter School: A Qualitative Phenomenological Case Study, Carlos J. Machuca Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to investigate the lived experiences of former teachers who worked at Goodlife Academy (GLA), a charter school in New Orleans, Louisiana, between 2019 and 2025, with particular attention to how teachers experienced job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction and how those experiences influenced their decisions to leave Teacher attrition—defined as educators leaving their school or the profession—has been associated with factors such as burnout, inadequate support, low compensation, and persistent challenges in addressing achievement gaps. Although these factors are well documented in the literature, many existing studies rely on quantitative methods and focus …

Parent Engagement And Advocacy In Individualized Education Programs In Rural Appalachian School Districts, Mollie Rutledge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore parent engagement and parent advocacy in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation in rural Appalachian school districts. Parent engagement and parent advocacy in Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and implementation are persistent challenges in special education. By intentionally grounding this research in rural Appalachia, the researcher responded to calls for education research that is attentive to the complexity and diversity of rural communities. Parents in rural areas face unique challenges related to poverty, isolation, and limited resources that can influence their engagement and advocacy in the IEP process. The …

A Phenomenological Study Of Educators' Perceptions Of The Impact Of The Building Assets, Reducing Risks Program On Foster Youth, Kelly S. Daly

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored educators’’ perceptions of how the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) program supports foster youth during the transition into ninth grade.  Ninth grade is an important year for later school success, but foster youth often experience school changes, disrupted relationships, and other challenges that can make this transition more difficult. Although BARR has shown positive results for ninth-grade students generally, limited research as examined its role in supporting foster youth.

This study focused on educators with experience working with both BARR and foster youth.  Data were collected through interviews and analyzed for shared meaning and themes.  The …

Culture, Context, And Change: How California Community Colleges Counseling Units Interpret And Enact Transformation, James A. Grabow

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study examines how practitioners experience and implement transfer-related reforms within the California Community College (CCC) system. Guided by sensemaking theory (Eddy, 21013) and organizational change frameworks (Kezar, 2014), this qualitative intrinsic case study explores how administrators, counselors, and student services professionals interpret and enact statewide transfer policies within a single institutional context. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven participants and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Findings reveal that policy implementation is a complex, non-linear process shaped by three primary factors: sensemaking and communication, organizational structures, and human and relational dynamics. Participants described navigating information overload, inconsistent messaging, and …

The Influence Of Intervention Strategies On Students With Disabilities Who Exhibit Challenging Behaviors In Rural Public Schools: Teacher Perceptions, Ben B. Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study addressed rural teachers' perceptions of the influence of intervention strategies on students with disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviors. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers’ perceptions of the effect of intervention strategies on academic achievement, student behavior outcomes, and teacher self-efficacy through the lens of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. This theory is a complex, dynamic interaction among people, their behaviors, and their environments. Data collection included 14 individual interviews, conducted on Zoom with educators from one school district in Southern Virginia, including seven general education teachers and seven special education teachers. Data analysis strategies …

At The Intersection Of Policy, Mission, And Student Needs: How New Mexico Higher Education Professionals Make Transfer Decisions, Roberto P. Vasquez

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Transfer is a critical step for community college students pursuing a bachelor’s degree, yet it remains a complex and inconsistent process. Transfer research highlights tensions related to student experience, institutional mission, and state transfer policy that higher education decision-makers must navigate.

This qualitative study examined how New Mexico higher education decision-makers experience these tensions in practice. Using narrative inquiry, thematic analysis was conducted on interviews with purposively selected decision-makers. Decision-maker stories were interpreted through a Critical Leadership Theory lens, examining how power, discretion, and institutional context shape transfer practices.

Findings indicate that policy is unevenly enacted, with institutional discretion significantly …

The Impact Of Targeted Remediation On Reading Growth Among Remedial Middle School Students, Jennifer Givens

Dissertations

Many middle school students enter secondary education with below grade-level reading skills and are unable to demonstrate measurable growth without structured intervention. This study examined relationship between participation in a targeted Remedial Education Program (REP) English Language Arts (ELA) course and reading growth, as measured by the Northwestern Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) Reading assessment. A quasi-experimental design compared fall-to-winter MAP Reading RIT growth between students enrolled in REP and academically similar students receiving special education services but not enrolled in REP. This study also investigated whether the effects of the intervention varied based on gender or …

A Case Study Of Experiential Learning In A High-Poverty Middle School, Diona F. Brown

Dissertations

This study examined the impact of experiential learning on student achievement in a high-poverty Title I middle school and explored how school leaders perceive and support its implementation. Grounded in experiential learning, active learning, and social justice theories, this research aimed to better understand how instructional practices can improve outcomes for students facing economic and educational challenges. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-assessments administered to two groups of eighth-grade mathematics students: one receiving experiential learning instruction and the other receiving traditional instruction. Qualitative data were collected through surveys of school administrators …

Narrating Experience: How Undergraduate Social Work Students See Themselves In The Social Justice Curriculum, Emily C. Soener

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Social justice is widely recognized as a foundational value of the social work profession, yet research indicates inconsistencies in how social justice is defined, taught, and experienced within social work education. This study examines how undergraduate social work students make meaning of social justice learning in relation to their own lived experiences. Using a critical narrative inquiry approach grounded in constructivist qualitative methodology, this study explores how students narrate their experiences of social justice education and how those narratives reveal tensions between professional ideals and classroom realities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eleven undergraduate social work students enrolled …