Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Principal Behaviors That Foster Collective Efficacy Among Teachers In Rural Secondary Schools In Kentucky, Tanya Jo Jury

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

The purpose of this study was to examine principal behaviors, identified by teachers and principals, which foster collective efficacy among teachers. As instructional leaders of a school, principals are expected to lead their schools. Behaviors exhibited by the principal can either help or hinder the success of the school and teachers and students in that school. This study will assist principals, aspiring principals, and instructors of principal preparation programs in knowing what behaviors are necessary to foster collective efficacy in their schools, leading to greater success for that school.

Collective efficacy is a shared belief that by working together, “we …

It’S Not The Programs; It’S The People: Building Human Levers Of Retention In Community Colleges, Kyle Barron

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

Student attrition prior to the completion of a credential is an issue that has increasingly demanded the attention of stakeholders in higher education, particularly in the community college sector, in which less than half of all students complete a credential after six years. The costs of student attrition are high and widespread, ranging from the financial costs for institutions and federal and state governments to the personal and monetary costs paid by those students whose personal and professional goals are not achieved. With the ever-increasing focus on accountability for institutions of higher education and the growing movement toward performance-based funding, …

A Leadership Perspective On Family Engagement: Qualitative Content Analysis Of Secondary Data, Stephanie Anderson

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The purpose of the study was to explore the leadership actions and activities that contributed to the implementation of a schoolwide family engagement initiative in a school. A qualitative content analysis of secondary data design was used to investigate the intentional actions and activities of a school leadership team during the implementation of a family engagement initiative within an elementary school. The Coherence Framework (Fullan & Quinn, 2016) provided a lens for which to investigate schoolwide change across drivers and sub-drivers.

The findings of this study describe intentional leadership actions and activities when communicating with families, conducting formal assessments, and …

Navigating The Career Pipeline: Experiences Of Female Community College Presidents, Andrea Allen Deal

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Despite holding a majority of lower and middle management positions in public two-year institutions, women still hold only one-third of current community college presidencies. This study explored the gendered phenomenon of navigating the career pipeline in higher education to reach the office of community college president. The purpose of the study was to examine the educational backgrounds and career paths of recently-appointed female community college presidents, as well as the barriers and sources of support they encountered while navigating the career pipeline.

A phenomenological approach was utilized for this qualitative study. Data was primarily collected using semi-structured interviews. Additional sources …

Level Of Technology Implementation And The Personality Traits Of Adventist School Principals, Gustavo Martin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Previous studies analyzed how personality traits relate to education, but not in relation to technology implementation. Limited knowledge can lead to inadequate professional development. This study provided insight on the “level of technology implementation” (LoTi) and the personality traits of private school principals. The theoretical frameworks of this research were the Big Five Personality Trait Model and Concerns-Based Adoption Model. The research study answered the question of the relationship, using Kendall's Tau-b, between the LoTi and each of the personality traits: extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness of Adventist school principals using a quantitative, non-parametric, correlational study approach. Every Adventist …

Mathematics Teacher Perceptions Of Lesson Design, Data Reflection, And Achievement In Professional Learning Communities, Vicki Mashelle Bridges

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a north Texas school district, district administrators were concerned that mathematics scores at the target middle school have fallen below the state average since 2010. Despite professional development (PD) provided by the district, administrators believed that teachers were not using professional learning community (PLC) data reflection practices to improve mathematics performance. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore middle school teachers' as well as the administrative dean's perceptions of the levels of depth regarding teacher dialogue and collaboration related to mathematics instruction, classroom delivery strategies, data analysis of student performance, and lesson design within PLCs. The …

Admission Members' Perceptions Of Predictive Validity Of The Graduate Record Examinations, Janet Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Disparate student academic outcomes and program access is a problem at Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs in the Northeast United States The current admission committee members at the case university did not know institution leaders' rationale for eliminating the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) criterion. The decision to exclude the GRE as an MPA admission requirement was enacted prior to their respective tenures. The program leadership expressed interest in exploring research-based admission criteria to enhance student access and predictive outcomes. Supported by critical pedagogy and humanist theories, the purpose of this case study was to investigate admission committee members' viewpoints …

Teachers' Perceptions Of Academic Performance And Student Engagement Among Ninth-Grade Students, Enock Alcine

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lack of academic proficiency in ninth grade is a serious concern because of its associations with subsequent grade retention and dropout risk. The purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore teachers' perceptions of the prospective causes of poor academic performance of ninth-grade students, with particular attention to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional barriers to student engagement. Self-determination theory provided the interpretative framework for this study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 ninth-grade teachers, observation of teachers' classrooms, and review of archival documents. Results of 6-phase thematic analysis indicated 8 themes: (a) no or little student engagement, …

Person Factors Affecting Student Persistence In College Reading And Writing Remediation, Loretta J. Morris Barr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The United States has the highest college attrition rate among industrialized nations. Community college students face a much higher risk, particularly those who lack requisite reading/writing skills. Using the theory of planned behavior and self-determination theory, this study explored the relationship between persistence in college for students in traditional or corequisite remediation. Person factors under study were frustration discomfort, academic motivation, and self-reported symptoms of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). After 7 semesters, 72 adult student volunteers from the 2 remediation programs were recruited from 2 community colleges. They completed an online survey, which included a demographics questionnaire, the Frustration …

Special Education Teachers' Perceptions Of Professional Development Around Assessment, Mary Sue Durr

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The significance of professional development (PD) is acknowledged in research studies as essential to implementing rigorous state standards. Although the literature recognizes that PD is a crucial component in improving teachers' knowledge and skills, some teachers at a midsized urban public elementary school in the southern United States did not see the benefit of attending PD. The purpose of this study was to explore elementary special education teachers' perceptions of PD around assessment. Guided by a framework based on Chen and McCray's whole teacher approach to teacher PD, this basic qualitative study was designed to understand how these elementary special …

Culturally Related Curriculum And How It Influences Preservice Teachers, Ana-Alicia Gonzales

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Variation in the way that teacher preparation programs implement culturally related curriculum leads to different preservice teacher perceptions on preparedness to teach in culturally diverse classrooms. Research has indicated that preservice teachers can feel prepared after taking a culturally related course, but there is a gap in understanding how culturally related curriculum influences preparedness. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative, explanatory study was to explore how preservice teachers' perceived intercultural competence and self-efficacy, which contribute to preparedness, are influenced by forms of culturally related curriculum in a U.S. university teacher preparation program. Deardorff's model of intercultural competence, Bennett's developmental model …

Teachers Support For English Language Learners To Build Inquiry Skills In Online Biology Simulations, Hermione Joseph-Orelus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population of English language learners (ELLs) is on the rise in the United States, but they are lagging behind English speaking students in several subject areas--including biology. Scholarly literature lacks information on how biology teachers use scaffolding strategies to support ELL students with inquiry skills during online simulations. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore how biology teachers support ELLs in learning biology, using biology simulations to promote inquiry learning. The conceptual framework for this study included the constructivist perspective regarding the zone of proximal development, Electronic Quality of Inquiry Protocol, and technology use in science …

Strerss On Educators At A Discipline Alternative Education Program, Anthony G. Murray

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Interaction with their students during classroom instruction is often a source of stress among many teachers. The academic setting of Disciplinary Alternative Educational Programs (DAEP) poses a risk factor for teachers to experience stress, given that student disruptive behavior has been associated with higher stress levels among teachers. The problem underlying this study was that most studies on DAEP have focused on the experiences of students, with limited information available about the experiences of teachers in this type of academic setting. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the role of job-related stress and coping on the …

Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Factors Influencing Veteran Teachers' Professional Practice, Mary Frances Mollway

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers and administrators have different perceptions regarding the importance and validity of various factors that influence veteran teachers' professional practice. Herzberg's 2-factor motivation-hygiene theory was used as the conceptual framework for this basic qualitative study. The purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of veteran teachers' and administrators' perceptions about motivating and hygiene factors and their influences on veteran teachers' professional practice in a southern California suburban school district. One-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 veteran high school teachers and 4 high school administrators. The interview responses were audio recorded and transcribed, then coded using open and …

Teachers' Perceptions About A High School Mastery-Based Learning Program, Robert Charles Searfoss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A public suburban high school in South Carolina used a mastery-based learning program called Power of M that was created with the specific goal of decreasing the number of students who repeated the 9th grade. A large volume of 9th grade students who were enrolled in the English 1 mastery-based learning course failed, which prompted this study. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate teachers' perceptions and experiences about mastery-based learning, about student performance within this program, and about teachers' professional needs to improve program delivery. Bloom's mastery-based learning theory formed the conceptual framework that guided the study. …

Early Childhood Education Trainers' Knowledge And Use Of Andragogical Principles, Kimberly Thornton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers often lack the experience and skills to provide children with supports necessary to foster academic and social skill development. Professional development can improve ECE teachers' skills, but ECE trainers often lack understanding of adult learning principles, known as andragogy. Knowles' conceptual framework of andragogy was used to explore the knowledge and use of andragogical principles of 8 ECE trainers selected via criterion-based purposive sampling. The research questions focused on ECE trainers' knowledge and use of andragogical principles. Three cases, each consisting of 2 or 3 live professional development trainings for early childhood educators, were used …

Instructional Rounds And Problem-Solving: An Evaluative Case Study, Cheryl Ann Scalzo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the target district, instructional rounds (IR), were implemented to reform district-wide educational practices to increase student problem-solving skills over time. This evaluative case study investigated the perceived efficacy of IRs as a model to address student problem-solving. Specifically, the study examined the influences, if any, that the IR process has had on problem-solving, academics, and pedagogy since implementation. The study was framed by Bandura's social learning theory as it states that behavior is learned from one's environment through the process of observation. Qualitative data were collected from 86 stakeholders through a district-wide questionnaire, semi-structured interviews with 8 administrators, and …

Teacher Self-Efficacy And Classroom Managment, Michelle Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When the classroom environment is safe, reductions in aggression and an increase in compliance with rules can be expected. Teacher self-efficacy is therefore likely to play a significant role in teachers’ participation in the change process of implementing strategies that assist with classroom management styles. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and classroom management styles (reward strategies, preventive strategies, initial corrective strategies, and later corrective strategies). Teachers’ characteristics such as age, gender, education level, years of teaching experience, grade level taught, and class size were also explored to provide insight on teacher training …

The Effects Of The Dallas Independent School District Code Of Conduct On Lgbtq Young Adults Of Color, Antoinette Mcintosh

All Theses And Dissertations

This study explored the past lived experiences of LGBTQ young adults of color (ages 23-28) who were affected by the DISD Student Code of Conduct while attending high school. This study sought to discover the experiences, behaviors, and expectations that LGBTQ youth of color had in relation to the DISD Code of Conduct. This study used a qualitative phenomenological method with data collected from purposeful sampling of six LGBTQ young adults of color who attended DISD high schools and were suspended and/or expelled due to the zero tolerance nature of the student code of conduct. Inductive reasoning was used as …

Georgia Journal Of College Student Affairs, Georgia College Personnel Association (Gcpa)

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Complete issue for volume 35, number 1 (Fall 2019).

From Collaborative To Collegial Communities: Transitioning From Student Affairs Practitioner To Faculty, Michelle Lea Boettcher, Dena Kniess, Mimi Benjamin

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

While student affairs (SA) practitioner expertise can inform a faculty member’s knowledge in the classroom, the transition into a tenure-track faculty role from student affairs administrative roles is complex. One of the differences new faculty members with SA administrator backgrounds experience is a change in the work community and shift from collaborative to collegial cultures. While studies have examined the transition of student affairs professionals from graduate programs to full time student affairs practitioner roles and graduate students into the professoriate, there is limited scholarship on the transitional experiences of student affairs practitioners moving into faculty positions. This qualitative study …

Understanding The Experiences Of Provisionally Admitted Black Male College Students In The State Of Georgia, Nikki Jackson, Herbert Fiester, Jamie L. Workman

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

This article is the result of research conducted with provisionally admitted Black make students enrolled at four different public institutions in Georgia. The researcher sought to answer the following research question: What are the common perceptions of provisionally admitted Black male students that influence their academic success at state colleges and state universities with the University System of Georgia?

The researcher utilized a phenomenological approach and multiple methods of data collection. This resulted in rich data that has been categorized into themes. The article concludes with implications for student affairs administrators and faculty, as well as for future research on …

Records Of The Office Of The President: Julian C. Mcpheeters Arc 210-002 - Finding Aid, Ats Special Collections And Archives

Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

An Anti-Deficit Approach To The Study Of Persistence: Factors Influencing Persistence Among Black Males Attending Community College, Donna K. Williams

All Capstone Projects

The vast majority of literature on postsecondary Black males emphasizes the lack of academic success for this segment. Research reports that Black males have lower levels of academic achievement, ranking at or near the bottom of most success indicators, which include enrollment, persistence, engagement, and attainment. However, in examining the discourse on postsecondary Black males, a great deal of research is deficit-based.

Providing a counter-narrative to the plethora of deficit-based literature on postsecondary Black males, this study is guided by an anti-deficit approach that seeks to highlight factors that influence persistence among Black men attending community college. This mixed method …

Effective Communication In Academia: It Goes Both Ways!, Domenick Pinto

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

This workshop explores both the positive and negative aspects of communication with faculty, staff and administration. It emphasizes the effectiveness of GOOD communication skills as well as the dangers of MISCOMMUNICATION. Case studies, audience participation, and excerpts from literature on the topic will be presented.

"The Inevitability Of Playing Politics As Chair: Advantages And Pitfalls" 2019, Domenick Pinto

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Politics is a term often frowned upon as it pertains to the role of an academic leader. However as chair for almost 30 years it has become an essential yet sometimes unwanted aspect of the daily rigors of the position. This workshop explores the advantages and pitfalls of “playing politics” as a department chair and allows interactivity among participants in “what if” scenarios.

A Model For Cultivating Global Engagement Beyond Academic Tourism, Victor D. Carmona, Tizziana Carmona

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

The message to environmental scholars in Pope Francis’ Encyclical “Laudato Si” is clear: contributions from Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) must serve to inform both local and international conversations as well as connect learning communities in developed and developing nations. In the hope of fostering international opportunities that challenge U.S. students to link their academic degrees with social justice elements that calibrate them to the historical reality the overwhelming majority of the world experiences, we outline a teacher-scholar model that serves as a tool for the advancement of social and environmental justice issues in developing countries.

Building Young People’S Capacity For Critical And Transcendent Engagement: Examining The Institution, The Community, And The Individual As Protagonists Of A School Setting, Livia Dittmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

As a powerful socializing force in Western society, schools have significant influence on young people’s development into adulthood. As powerful agents of societal maintenance and change, adolescents have significant influence on communities and institutions such as schools. In this embedded case study, I use structuration theory, German Critical Psychology, and systems thinking to examine the dynamic relationship between institutional structures and student agency in a school setting. I specifically examine the influence of this relationship on young people’s capacity for critical and transcendent engagement, constructs described further in this work. In the setting of Nancy Campbell Academy (NCA), an international …

The Relationship Between School Growth In Achievement And Professional Learning Communities Among Elementary Teachers, Jennifer Jackson Pennell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationships between school growth, teacher collaboration, collective teacher efficacy, teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities (PLC,) and Free and Reduced Lunch rates (FRL) within a school district where the implementation of a PLC model was optional. Results demonstrated that FRL is by far the strongest predictor of English Language Arts or mathematics growth. Collective teacher efficacy and teacher collaboration were positively correlated. PLCs and teacher collaboration were also positively correlated. Results inform educators and policy makers about how collaboration between teachers and equity issues both impact school growth and student learning.

Rankism In Higher Education: A Critical Inquiry Of Staff Experiences, Erin M. Christensen-Mandel

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

Missing from the discussions of inequitable treatment of employees in higher education are the experiences of staff members. In work interactions, staff are frequently treated differently (often as inferiors), depending on their level of education and their role in the hierarchy on the non-academic side of an institution (Anonymous, 2006; Young, Anderson & Stewart, 2015). This difference in treatment has been termed, “rankism” in the broad sense or “hierarchical microaggressions” for smaller incidents and is especially troublesome as higher education is presumed to create upward mobility and lead towards a more equitable society (Young et al., 2015).

The research questions …