Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Charter School Administrators' Perceptions Of Local Policies Regarding Transgender Student Access To School Facilities, Derrick Armstead

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have focused on the viewpoints of conventional public-school leaders regarding school policies and implementation that influence transgender pupil access to school facilities; the perceptions of charter school administrators are less known regarding this phenomenon. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of charter school administrators regarding their school policies and implementation that influence transgender student access to school facilities that correspond to their gender identity. Raffo and Gunter's combination of leadership for inclusiveness and use of local setting knowledge when implementing policies provided the conceptual framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews …

Financial Aid Knowledge And Resources Among First-Generation College Students, Carmelitia J. Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFirst-generation, freshmen students struggle to complete the financial aid process at a 4-year private university in Louisiana, impacting their financial and academic well-being. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore first-generation, freshmen student perceptions of how they construct knowledge about the financial aid process and resources needed to help them complete the process. The conceptual framework of the study was comprised of Piaget’s theory of constructivism, which is grounded in the idea of learners constructing their own knowledge based on experience. The first research question addressed how first-generation, freshmen students constructed knowledge about the financial aid process. …

Attainment Of Superintendent Roles For African American Women In Rural U.S. School Districts, Likisha Tamese Coleman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American women are underrepresented in the attainment of superintendent roles from a racial and gendered standpoint. African American females hold only 1% of superintendent positions in a field in which 27% of superintendents are women and 8.6% of superintendents are African American. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe the barriers and supports experienced by African American women in their attainment of superintendent roles in rural U.S. school districts. Black feminist thought and intersectionality provided the conceptual frameworks for this qualitative study. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with eight African American female superintendents from rural …

Lived Experiences Of Elementary School Principals In Dubai, Lama Jbara

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Limited research exists about leadership styles and influences of elementary private school principals in Dubai, who identify as transformational leaders. Insights from this study can inform further research into school leadership in the Arab world, as well as how best to share leadership experiences among elementary private school principals Dubai. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the lived experiences of self-reported transformational leaders in elementary private schools in Dubai. The conceptual framework for this research was transformational leadership. The research question addressed in this study is: How do elementary private school principals in Dubai describe their lived …

Investigating Why Alternatively Prepared Special Educators Frequently Depart The Classroom, Lorraine Renee Philyaw

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractA quarter of special education teachers who have been trained through an alternative teacher preparation program have left assigned classrooms throughout the United States after 1 year, and almost half have left within 5 years. However, little is known regarding why special educators, alternatively prepared for the classroom, leave the classroom after 2-5 years of classroom experience. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand why special education teachers enter school districts through alternative teacher certification programs but exit the classroom. The conceptual framework for this study was in the societal theory attributed to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. …

Educational Community Leaders’ Support Of African American Students In Low-Performing Schools, Malishai Lynnette Woodbury

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Educational community leaders struggle to be involved with the educational processes in schools; their involvement has the potential to improve proficiency among African American students in low-performing school. This basic qualitative project study was conducted to investigate how educational community leaders perceive their involvement with the educational process at the study site. The conceptual framework was Epstein’s school–family–community partnership model. The research was conducted to determine how educational community leaders perceive their involvement with the educational process of low-performing schools to support the academic growth of African American students. Purposeful sampling was used to select 10 community leaders who were …

Principal Perspectives On The Dual Roles Of Manager And Instructional Leader, Cynthia Celeste Chairez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe responsibilities of school principals in the United States have shifted to include instructional leadership in addition to the management of facilities and people. Principals at all levels can find it challenging to balance their administrative and instructional leadership roles. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand principals’ perceptions of their dual roles as managers and instructional leaders, including how they set priorities. Instructional management theory and instructional organization framework informed the study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 principals from one district in the southern United States; participants had at least 2 years in their roles. …

Elementary Teacher Experiences Regarding Use Of Technology In The Western Pacific Islands, Lynn Ordonez Mendiola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the Western Pacific Islands School District (WPISD), technology standards were last developed and adopted in 2008. These standards have not been revisited or revised. The problem is that teachers are expected to use the latest educational technology, but technology standards are not current for preparing students for the 21st century workforce. The purpose of this basic qualitative inquiry was to explore how elementary teachers use current classroom technologies to address 21st century skills as mandated by the WPISD, despite having outdated technology standards. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework guided the study in order to integrate pedagogy, content, …

Title I Middle School Teacher And Principal Perspectives On Inquiry-Based Science Instruction, Kirsten R. King

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Title I middle schools face challenges delivering effective inquiry-based science instruction within the framework of Title I requirements. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore Title I middle school teacher and principal perspectives on and experiences with the challenges of delivering inquiry-based science instruction within the framework of Title I requirements. Dewey’s theories of experiential learning and Vygotsky’s theory of sociocultural constructivism provided the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions focused on teacher and principal experiences with inquiry-based science instruction and the impact Title I school policies and practices had on the delivery of inquiry-based …

Servant Leadership On Burnout Among Physicians In Residency Training, Karen Grant-Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Physicians in residency training (PIRTs) in the United States are facing extreme burnout. The prevalence of burnout among physicians in residency training may cause adverse consequences such as medical malfeasance, alcoholism, or suicide due to physical and mental exhaustion. The purpose of this study was to analyze the servant leadership style of physician trainers and burnout among PIRTs in academic medical centers in the United States to ultimately increase wellness and thereby mitigate burnout. Servant leadership was the theoretical foundation for this study. This research investigated whether servant leadership characteristics of physician trainers played a statistically significant role in burnout …

Urban School Board Members’ Perceptions Of Their Roles In Improving Student Achievement, Jacinto Arturo Ramos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem explored in this study was that the state education agency recommended school board members of low-performing school districts participate in a governance training called student outcomes governance to address student achievement, yet no data suggested the training changed school board members’ understanding of how to create policies advancing student achievement. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand how urban school board members perceive their roles in improving student achievement using the new model. General board theory and the theory of adaptive leadership informed this study. Six school board members who had completed the student outcomes …

Middle School Administrators’ Perceptions Of The Implementation Of Restorative Practices, Janis Marie Grace

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractPublic school administrators use restorative practices (RPs) as a discipline intervention to reduce student expulsions and suspensions. The problem addressed in this qualitative study was that despite the implementation of RPs in a school district in the Southwestern United States, student misconduct increased. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school administrators’ perceptions regarding the use of RPs to decrease the number of student expulsions and suspensions at the school district. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Vaandering’s critical theory of restorative justice in education, which supports the need for school administrators to implement …

Current School District Administrators’ And Math Teachers’ Perspectives Of Teacher Buy-In For Problem-Based Learning In Middle School Math, Kelly Riley Hastings

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Project-Based Learning (PBL) in middle school math classrooms is a topic that has not been well-researched, even though math scores in the United States have been declining. In a school district in the Southcentral United States, the local problem was that teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math classes was unknown, as current literature regarding administrator and teacher perspectives on teacher buy-in is limited. The purpose of the study was to explore current school district administrators’ and math teachers’ perspectives of teacher buy-in for PBL in middle school math in a Southcentral U.S. state. Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory contributes …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Factors Affecting Racial Minority Students’ Reading And Language Arts Performance, Dominique Heyward

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem was the low reading level and language arts performance of Hispanic American and African American elementary school students, compared to European American students. The problem was addressed because it affects students’ academic achievement and overall education as they progress further in school. Teachers, administrators, and district leaders will benefit from this study as it provides an insight on what could be changed to alleviate the problem. The purpose of this study was understanding teachers’ perceptions regarding factors that may be influencing African American and Hispanic American students’ low reading and language arts performance and the effectiveness of current …

Motivational Communication Strategies For Virtual Teams, Monica Metri

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Organizational leaders may not communicate effectively to motivate their virtual teammembers to achieve goals. Leaders who lack communication strategies to motivate virtual team members can lead to dissatisfied employees and increased timelines to achieve project goals for their organization. This may adversely impact the accurate and timely achievement of goals, reducing profits and thereby, shareholder returns. Grounded in Herzberg's two-factor theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore leaders' communication strategies to motivate virtual team members to achieve project goals. The participants consisted of eight virtual team leaders in the northeastern United States who successfully implemented communication …

Promoting Social Involvement To Increase The Graduation Rate Of At-Risk Students, Kenya Waters Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Graduating from high school is a step in preparing students for positive life outcomes, enabling them to participate in the economy and to engage in civic life. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and student support staff regarding cocurricular learning and extracurricular activities and their influence on the graduation rate of at-risk students. Astin’s student involvement theory served as the framework for this study. The research questions addressed how administrators, teachers, and student support staff perceived how programs at an urban high school in a southeastern state influenced the graduation rate …

Using Distributed Leadership At The Middle School Level To Improve Academic Outcomes For Students With Disabilities, Kalisha Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The achievement gap between students with disabilities and their nondisabled peers continues to be a major issue in most school systems across the United States, with this gap expanding as students move from elementary to middle school. Using the distributed leadership framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore middle school principals’ perspectives on leadership practices within their instructional leadership teams that improved the academic achievement of students with disabilities. Researchers have demonstrated that distributed leadership is embodied through the collaboration of school leaders, followers, and their situation to influence organizational and instructional changes. The research question …

Teacher Perceptions Of Disproportionate Suspensions Between Minority And White Students, Tanika Rachelle Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Throughout public schools in the United States, minority students continue to receive more disciplinary consequences compared to other groups of students. The problem addressed in this study was the persistence of discipline disproportionality between minority students and White students at a public U.S. middle school, even with recent efforts such as the implementation of the positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) framework. Guided by the theory of behaviorism, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions about the persistence of this discipline disproportionality between minority and White students and ways to improve the use of PBIS …

Exploring Student Loan Borrower’S Financial Decisions After Florida Enacted Statute 1009.45, Vijantie Michelle Boodoo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Florida implemented Statute 1009.45 as of July 1, 2017, to require colleges and universities to provide annual student loan debt notifications to students to inform them about their student loan obligations. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how college students in the State of Florida make financial decisions about their education, focusing on the influence of the notifications and what additional supports would help them improve their decision-making. There was a gap in the literature in identifying what information students were using from the notification. Rational choice and human capital theories were used for the conceptual …

Teachers’ Experiences Using Phonics Instruction In Korean Elementary School Classrooms, Jung-Hye Choi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Public elementary schools in the Republic of Korea (Korea) do not reliably include phonics in their third and fourth grade English language curriculum. Therefore, examining how teachers are currently including phonics instructions in the classroom could significantly impact the level of reading skills acquired in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Korea. This basic qualitative study addressed what teachers needed to reliably and competently teach phonics in Korean public elementary school districts, what difficulties they encountered, and what kind of support could effectively ameliorate said difficulties. The conceptual framework for this research was provided by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory …

Perceptions Of Experienced African American Male Principals Of Supports Needed To Improve Their Instructional Leadership Skills, Vance M. Benton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African American male principals frequently are placed in low-achieving schools but provided limited support. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of experienced African American principals regarding the support they receive to improve their instructional leadership skills as a way to improve student academic achievement. The social cognitive career theory and the transformative learning theory served as the conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study. The research questions for this study examined principals’ perceptions of how they were being supported, the challenges of getting support, and how their support could be improved. Nine experienced African …

Women Superintendents’ Mentoring Experiences And Attainment Of The Superintendency, Araceli Chavarín

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in the school superintendency in the United States may be attributed to a lack of role models, mentoring, and educational networking. The problem that this study addressed is the lack of insight into how mentoring influences women’s attainment of the superintendency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the mentoring experiences women superintendents identified as important in their lives and work. The conceptual framework of this study was based on Higgins and Kram’s developmental network. The research questions in the study explored how women superintendents describe mentorship experiences in their careers and describe …

Principals’ Leadership Role In Supporting Culturally Responsive English Language Learner Programs, Lawrence Cowger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

English language learners face different challenges in accessing relevant curriculum content compared to native English speakers. There is limited research on effective strategies that teachers use to ensure learning outcomes among English language learners. The purpose of this case study was to explore the leadership strategies that principals implement to support teachers’ culturally responsive strategies when working with English language learning (ELL) students. Culturally responsive school leadership (CRSL) was the basis of the conceptual framework, using research from Walker and five CRSL concepts. The research questions focused on school leadership and how administrators support teachers of ELL programs using CRSL. …

Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Online Student Engagement, Teri R. Cruzan

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Low student engagement and high attrition rates in online classes were observed at community colleges in a Western U.S. state. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore online faculty members’ perceptions of student engagement and how they described their teaching practices and experiences. The study was grounded in the community of inquiry, a collaborative and constructivist model, which posits that social, cognitive, and teaching presences are critical to engagement and online learning. Data were collected from 10 online faculty members who provided responses to an online qualitative survey. Data analysis involved coding by hand in several stages to …

Undergraduate Nontraditional Adult Students’ And University Administrator Perceptions Of Supports For Program Completion, Sarah Franchesca Ellison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated by this study is the low completion rates of nontraditional undergraduate adult students attending a 4-year university located in the West coast region of the United States. In 2020, the program completion rate was less than 44% at the study site and 45.8% for nontraditional undergraduate adult students nationally. The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore undergraduate nontraditional adult students’ and university administrators’ perceptions and experiences of supports needed for success as it relates to retention, persistence, and program completion. Using Knowles’s andragogy and Tinto’s persistence theories as the conceptual framework, research questions …

Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face In Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships, Deborah Sue Fingerhut

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Walden University

College of Education

This is to certify that the doctoral study by

Deborah Fingerhut

has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made.

Review Committee Dr. Joanna Karet, Committee Chairperson, Education Faculty Dr. Sydney Parent, Committee Member, Education Faculty Dr. Leslie VanGelder, University Reviewer, Education Faculty

Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D.

Walden University2022

Abstract Challenges Child Life Specialist Faculty Face in Supporting Child Life Specialist Candidates Seeking Internships by Deborah Fingerhut

MA, Mills College, 1983BS, California State University, Sacramento, …

Disciplinary Practices Among High School Administrators, Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School administrators are responsible for the safety and physical well-being of the students. Although school disciplinary policies are in place, there is a problem with school administrators' practices and decisions when administering discipline for students' inappropriate behavior. The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the disciplinary processes used by school administrators when administering student discipline to determine the relationship between levels of offenses and the gender and race of students. Guided by the theory of justice, this study investigated the relationship between the level of offenses and disciplinary processes that reflect the level of offenses, as described in …

Administrators’ Perceptions Of Their Role In Increasing Parental Involvement, Jessica Demetria Smith Grant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Parental involvement is a critical component of student academic achievement. However, parental involvement in a Mid-Atlantic school district was dwindling, specifically in elementary schools. The current study examined school administrators’ roles in involving parents in academic activities at elementary schools in the district. A conceptual framework based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler’s process model of parental involvement guides the study. The research questions examined administrators’ roles in increasing parental involvement, possible challenges they face when addressing low parental involvement and underlying factors to low parental involvement. In addition, the study gathered data on administrators’ beliefs about the underlying issue of low …

Academic Advising Predicting Student Persistence At Historically Black Colleges And Universities, Amanda Holmes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student retention has been a problem for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for many years. Academic advising has been used to improve retention. This quantitative correlational study addressed the lack of research on the relationship between academic advising modalities, academic advising, self-assessed academic learning outcomes, and student persistence at two HBCUs. Tinto’s student retention theory framed the examination of academic advising, self-assessed academic advising learning outcomes, and student persistence. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior framed the relationship between a student’s intention to persist, predicting the student’s actual persistence to the next term. Research Question 1 examined academic advising modalities, …

Influence Of Student Evaluations On College Instructors’ Professional Practice, Veronda Hutchinson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many post-secondary institutions make significant use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) to evaluate teacher effectiveness and students’ perceptions of their learning experiences in the course. However, it is unclear how teachers use SETs to inform their professional practice. Hence, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how SETs influenced instructors’ professional practice at a local community college from the perspective of the instructors, which the research question was centered on. The conceptual framework for the study was the cognitive dissonance theory, because it explains the changes in the individual’s behavior through the need to reduce mental …