Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

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 …

Reducing Family Risk Factors Caused By Poverty Through Family Support Services, Aaliyah C. Williams

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This study aims to determine whether preventative measures are effective if implemented while a family is in crisis, through Family Support Services (FSS), to alleviate Risk Factors, prevent family separation and ensure prolonged family stability, instead of as services to reunify a family that already separated due to a lack of resources. This study examined the Poverty Related Risk Factors of Homelessness, Single Parenthood, and Unemployment as Risk Factors that families enrolled in Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation (OACAC) Head Start experience as negative influences on child development and Family Unity and analyzed OACAC Head Start’s implementation of FSS as …

Building Administrator Preparation And Readiness To Lead Inclusive Practices For Special Education, Nikki Jo Whiting

Dissertations and Theses

The role of the building administrator as the special education leader of inclusion is one of major importance when supporting students with disabilities. The building administrator may face a multitude of decisions dealing with areas of special education such as eligibility, least restrictive environment, services, discipline, and instruction. Being able to make special education decisions that demonstrate an inclusive focus while maintaining an equitable environment for all students is a challenge faced by many building administrator, regardless of experience. This study aimed to determine the perceptions of building administrators regarding their knowledge for leading inclusive practices for special education. This …

Native American Women Superintendents’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs During The Covid 19 Pandemic, Janet Jeannine Metzger

Dissertations and Theses

This multiple case study focused on three Native American women superintendents’ self-efficacy beliefs and the impact of the Indigenous culture on their decision making as they led their school district through the Covid 19 pandemic. Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory served as the underpinning theory of this study. The qualitative research design for the study relied on data gathered from individual interviews and written responses to journal prompts. All participants had at least two years of superintendent experience in public school districts during the time of the pandemic. The researcher analyzed the data through open coding/In Vivo coding. The data were …

A Phenomenological Study Exploring Arab Muslim Students At Community College And Islamophobia, Dustin French

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Arab Muslim students continue to face various forms of islamophobia on campus despite efforts from the college to make campus more welcoming and inclusive. As Muslim students express concern about the rise of islamophobia on campus and bigoted rhetoric on social media, college leaders, administration, and faculty have an imperative role to play in curbing anti-Muslim sentiments, xenophobia, and racism across campus and in the classrooms. To address these concerns effectively and meaningfully, it is important for colleges to understand who their Arab Muslim students are and the challenges they face as college students amid islamophobia. This dissertation explored how …

The Perceptions Of Instructional Coaches Regarding Relational Trust With Teachers: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study, Kathleen A. Provost

All Theses And Dissertations

Instructional coaching continues to be a professional development model that many districts utilize to foster professional growth among their teaching staff. Although instructional coaches are usually content area and pedagogical specialists hired as experts, there is a high level of teacher resistance to instructional coaching due to lack of trust reported between coaches and teachers in the kindergarten through 12th grade setting. Although previous research has signified the need for instructional coaches to build trust with their teaching colleagues, few studies captured the lived experiences of instructional coaches in how they build relational trust. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological …

Hostile Takeover: The Effects Of Work Stress, Monica D. Barletta

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Guided by family/work border theory, this phenomenological study explored the effects of stress while attempting to balance work and home through the lens of six high school female principals from the Central and Northern parts of California. This qualitative study used a phenomenological approach to examine the effects stress had on the physical and mental health of participants. Phenomenological interviews provided a rich description of the lived experiences of female high school principals. A thorough analysis of data exposed six distinct themes: (a) work became the priority, (b) coping mechanisms, (c) implications of being a woman, (d) lonely at the …

Student Loan Debt And First-Generation Community College Students, Sandra A. Fuentes

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The rising costs of college attendance and changes in financial aid packages leave students with little option other than to incur a debt of some amount. Unfortunately, colleges often fail to provide adequate financial literacy and student loan information so prospective students planning to attend college can make informed decisions. Student loans may seem attractive in the short term because, unlike other loans, repayment does not begin immediately. However, the accrual of student loan debt leads to long-term financial consequences, including the opportunity to build economic wealth after graduation. Utilizing a basic qualitative research design, I explored first-generation community college …

Disappearing Acts: The Declining Numbers Of African American Teachers In Public School Settings, Catherine F. Lewis-Brownfield

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

African American teachers are slowly leaving the classroom, causing an imbalance in the student/teacher ratio (NCES, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African American teachers make up 3% in California and 7% nationally. This study sought to understand the reasons for the decline in the number of African American teachers in public school settings. Due to the decline in their numbers, African American students have suffered high dropout rates, low standardized test scores, and low college attendance (Gershenson, Hart, Hyman, Lindsey, & Papageorge, 2017). This qualitative study examined the obstacles current African American teachers face and the …

The Process And Impact Of A Catholic School Amalgamation: A Mixed Method, Single Case Study, Stephen Gough

Theses

This research provides an investigative analysis of the impact of a large-scale change process involving the amalgamation of two long-standing Catholic schools in a capital city of Australia. The study explores how a change process impacted staff, student and parent stakeholders within the initial year of a school amalgamation by examining Catholic school life and culture, student learning and wellbeing, the physical learning environment, and leadership and administration. The objective is to better understand the process and the impact of the change that took place during the amalgamation, in order to further inform the planning and leading of future Catholic …

Leading Through Partnership: An Examination Of Longitudinal Trends In A School-University Partnership, Kala Burrell-Craft, Patrick Doyle, Mary Gregory, Jori S. Beck, Peter D. Wiens

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

The purpose of this manuscript is to detail pre- and post- changes that occurred after a principal, Dr. D, was moved from one middle school to another. Dr. D brought an established partnership with him to his new school including a teacher residency program, UTeach replication program, and an on-site course. The results of ANOVAs are presented regarding the school climate according to student and teacher perspectives. Significant results were found on a number of variables including student belonging, bullying, and teacher autonomy. This manuscript addresses the National Association for Professional Development Schools Essential #5: Research and Results.

Internal Funding Newsletter, Academic Year 2021-2022, Uno Office Of Research And Creative Activity

Internal Funding Newsletters

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is committed to exceptional education, groundbreaking research, and the life-long success of our students and alumni. The 2021- 2022 Academic Year brought many exciting opportunities for us to invest in a multitude of funding programs that promote research and creative activity. This year’s programs provided over $600,000 for student and faculty projects that reflect the broad range of scholarly interests of the UNO community, including evaluating marmoset stress responses to music, examining factors that influence undergraduate women to leave (or remain in) computer science majors, the human experience of dementia, aging, and caregiving, and …

Student Disciplinary Proceedings In Universities: The Importance Of Due Process And Evidentiary Standards When Investigating And Adjudicating Serious Offences, Siyuan Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In Singapore, recent news about university students involved in sexual offences have generated considerable discourse on the features of its criminal justice system, with a pronounced focus on the appropriate sanctions that should have been meted out by either the university or the courts/police. What might have been overlooked, however, is the question of maintaining due process and evidentiary standards, particularly in relation to the role of universities when they conduct their internal disciplinary proceedings for students alleged to have committed serious criminal offences. But what is happening in Singapore is not anomalous; universities across the world are increasingly confronted …

Cell Phones And Schools: A Merc Research Brief, Jesse Senechal

MERC Publications

This MERC research brief explores the following questions:

What are examples of district-level cell phone policies? What are the arguments and evidence for and against restrictive cell phone policies? What are the legal issues connected to student cell phone use?

Book Review: Early Colleges As A Model For Schooling: Creating New Pathways For Access To Higher Education, Christopher W. Tremblay

Journal of College Access

No abstract provided.

Who Takes Dual Enrollment Classes? A Research Brief, David Naff

MERC Publications

This research brief from the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) explores three questions: 1) What are Dual Enrollment classes? 2) Who takes Dual Enrollment classes? and 3) What strategies promote greater access to Dual Enrollment? An accompanying podcast episode is linked in the research brief.

Creating A Sense Of Belonging For Latinx Students In Community College: You Matter, You Fit In, And You Belong, Francisco Javier Bataz

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the perceptions of Latinx sense of belonging in a Midwest community college and how their academic and social experiences are impacted. Sense of belonging is meaningful to community college students because Latinx students are historically underserved in postsecondary education. The goal is to better understand the perceptions of Latinx students in a community college setting and to find out what factors impact sense of belonging. This study is significant because Latinx student retention outcomes in higher education are very low. The Latinx population is the fastest growing group in the United States. Therefore, providing support and an …

The Relationship Between The Diversity Of Illinois Community College Staff And Graduates: An Exploratory Quantitative Study, Rachel Boldman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The present study sought to answer the research question, to what extent is the staff racial demographic profile, as a numeric representation of staff diversity, related to the diversity of graduating cohorts from public community colleges in Illinois? The exploratory quantitative study used five years of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey data for both the staff and graduate populations. The years connected to staff represented the years the graduating cohorts entered college, and the years connected to graduates represent 150% of the normal time to their degree following the year of entry (cohort year). The sample was comprised …

State Divestment In Higher Education And Students Of Color Attending Four-Year Public Institutions In Illinois, Sirena M. Covington

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This correlational quantitative study examined a five-year (2014-2019) trend to analyze whether there is a relationship between the level of state funding and the enrollment and graduation rates of students of color attending public institutions in Illinois. For the purposes of this study, the students of color include the following groups: African American, Latinx and Native American students. Previous studies have shown that divestment in state funds have cause shortages in staffing, experienced faculty, and support services for students attending public institutions. However, there is very little research on the direct relationship between state funding and the collegiate success of …