Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons^™

Differentiating And Accommodating Ocd And Anxiety In Mathematical Contexts, Madeline F. Gavares

Interdivisional Studies Summer Fellows

Students in mathematics classrooms may experience emotional and cognitive challenges that affect how they engage with coursework and assessments. While math anxiety has been widely documented, less attention has been given to how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly checking behaviors, may influence students’ experiences in math settings. This study explores how students who report math anxiety and those who report OCD symptoms describe their engagement with math tasks and test-taking. Drawing on survey and interview data from students and teachers, this study examines how these experiences are articulated and perceived in academic math contexts, rather than evaluating ability or outcomes. By …

Centering Well-Being And Wholeness: Exploring Racial Battle Fatigue Among Black 3-K To Twelfth-Grade Teachers, Olubunmi Fashusi

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study, with some descriptive statistics, examined Black 3-K through 12th- grade teachers’ experiences with racial battle fatigue (RBF), the psychological and behavioral stress responses they perceived most accurately convey how RBF manifests for them, and the strategies they used to disrupt RBF’s impact. Participants experienced compounded RBF due to advocating for students (i.e., speaking out, supporting, or intervening). Participants’ most perceived psychological stress response to RBF was racism awareness, and most perceived behavioral stress response was spirituality or religion. Participants disrupted the impact of RBF through intrinsic care (i.e., purpose or why, managing emotions, and self-care) and …

Beyond Shutdown: Why Punitive Policies Fail Students With Oppositional Defiant Behaviors And What Alternative Schools Should Do Instead, Mark Barrett

Critical and Creative Thinking Capstones Collection

Punitive shutdown policies at therapeutic alternative schools often do not reduce class avoidance among students with oppositional defiant behaviors. This synthesis examines why these policies do not work and proposes evidence-based alternatives. I draw on research in exclusionary discipline, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions, Self-Determination Theory, and function-based intervention, as well as my daily experience as a behavioral teacher. I argue that punitive approaches fail because they misunderstand what drives oppositional behavior. Deterrence assumes students avoid class to escape work and will return if the consequences are harsh enough. In reality, students with oppositional defiant disorder are mainly motivated by resisting …

The Effectiveness Of Mastery Learning On Student Achievement Across Stem Disciplines: A Meta-Analysis, Francis Siangco Estabillo

Doctoral Dissertations

Mastery learning has been one of the most extensively researched instructional strategies in education, studied continuously since the 1960s. Prior meta-analyses have consistently found positive effects of mastery learning on student learning outcomes, however, none have examined its effectiveness on student achievement explicitly within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

This comprehensive meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of the mastery-learning instructional strategy on student achievement across STEM disciplines in K-12 and higher-education contexts. A systematic literature search yielded 85 studies with combined sample sizes of 10,244 participants that met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity was assessed using Q,I^{2 …}

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 …

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 …

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 …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence For Transformative Education: Challenges And Recommendations, Papia Bawa

Journal of Research Initiatives

The sheer force with which GPT models are inundating business, education and economic fields speaks to its ability to not only transform the ways in which we interact and act but also disrupt these ways. This systematic literature review applies the PSALSAR method to synthesize findings from 72 articles on AI applications in education, emphasizing its transformative potential across various domains. AI is transforming personalized learning by customizing content and feedback to individual needs, addressing challenges like data privacy and ethical concerns. It enhances administrative efficiency through automation and data-driven decision-making, improving institutional performance while managing biases and maintaining human …

Enhancing International School Implementation Capacity: Supporting Contextualized Learning At An International Baccalaureate School In China, Christopher J. Hayden Iv

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

International schools allocate substantial resources to implement progressive curricular innovations; however, the advantages offered by these developments are contingent on their effective execution within classroom settings. This mixed methods action research (MMAR) study examined the implementation of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Context (GC) Strategy in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) at an international school in China and asked how the school might strengthen its capacity to enact this and similar innovations. Following a sequential MMAR design, a reconnaissance phase combined a whole-staff survey (n=87) with qualitative interviews to diagnose the individual, organizational, and contextual factors shaping implementation. Analyses identified …

Educator Perceptions Of Mindfulness Education In Rural Elementary Schools In Tennessee, Mary C. Shepherd-Mcgown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine educator perceptions of mindfulness instruction and the alignment of school policies in rural elementary schools in Tennessee. Despite growing interest in mindfulness in education, few studies have investigated how these practices are experienced and implemented within under-resourced, rural contexts.

Guided by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory (SLT) and framed conceptually by the Whole-School Mindfulness (WSM) model, the study explored how social, organizational, and policy factors influence the adoption of mindfulness practices. SLT provided a theoretical lens for understanding how educator behaviors are shaped through observation, modeling, and reinforcement, while the WSM framework …

The Influence Of Academic Outcomes On Academic Achievement: A Quantitative Study In Grades 3-12, Kelli R. Helle

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this predictive study was to examine the relationship between social and emotional learning (SEL) subskills and academic performance among students in grades 3–12. Using the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, the study sought to identify which specific subskills were most strongly associated with student grade point average (GPA). A quantitative predictive correlational design was employed with a sample of 737 students representing diverse grade levels and backgrounds. Data were collected through the Satchel Pulse SEL assessment platform, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive value of SEL subskills while …

The Fear Factor: Exploring The Experiences Of Fear Of Secondary School Teachers, Kelly J. Raines

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Fear can be a powerful catalyst for cognitive potential, or a potent agent of havoc. This descriptive (transcendental) phenomenological study aimed to understand the phenomenon of fear experienced by teachers in public and private secondary schools in Central Florida. Semi-structured interviews collected data from the purposive sample, and the data were thoroughly analyzed using Colaizzi's (1978) model. The emergent essence of the lived experience of teachers identified the phenomenon of fear as the inducement of a debilitating sense of powerlessness that diminishes self-confidence and self-efficacy, resulting in emotional, cognitive, and/or physical impairments that directly affect the metacognitive potential of teachers. …

Faculty And Administrator Perceptions Of The Implementation Of The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program In Relation To Roger’S Theory Of Diffusion Of Innovation, Kyle Roddey

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study examined the perceptions of both teachers and school administrators of the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in High Schools in the northeastern United States. Using a qualitative design, data was collected through an anonymous survey of teachers who presently teach International Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses. Additional data was collected through conducting semi-structured interviews of acting principals of schools that offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Results of this data collection was reviewed through the lens of Roger’s Theory of Diffusion of Innovation. Qualitative results indicated that both teachers and administrators alike viewed teacher leadership and teacher …

A Pipeline To Prison Or A Pathway To Promise? The Inequities Fueling The School To Prison Pipeline, Ranishia Lachelle Bailey

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This systematic review proposal would investigate the school-to-prison pipeline and examine the role of pedagogical interventions in mitigating youth involvement in the justice system. By analyzing existing literature, this proposal would study and explore how school system biases, educational frameworks, and systemic factors contribute to the perpetuation of this pipeline, with a specific focus on how educational policies and disciplinary practices impact at-risk youth. The review aims to identify effective interventions that can disrupt this cycle, including restorative justice practices, trauma-informed education, positive behavioral interventions, and culturally responsive teaching. A comprehensive search strategy should be employed across various academic databases, …

Teacher Retention And The Future Of Learning: Alarming Concerns About Preparing The Next Generation Of Citizens, Dejuanna M. Parker, Barbara D. Holmes

Journal of Research Initiatives

Research is robust in detailing the various reasons teachers leave the profession. There is scant literature on why teachers stay and what should be done to improve teacher retention. Teacher retention is a primary concern nationally and internationally. The inability to retain teachers has resulted in a teacher shortage and significantly affects student learning. Sorenson and Ladd (2020) This study yielded three emergent themes related to integral factors of teacher retention: changing attitudes on administrative support, workplace collegiality, and persistence of passion and purpose. Recommendations offered include encouraging administrators to leverage the passion and commitment of the educators to create …

School Personnel Perceptions Of School-Based Mental Health Prevention And Interventions, Kelsey Lytle

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite millions of children across the United States experiencing at least one mental health disorder about half do not receive any sort of treatment or counseling. Within schools, many children receive formal intervention services once they are identified. However, there are many other children who would benefit greatly from learning social emotional skills who have not been identified. Prevention could be a great resource to prevent children from falling through the cracks. The purpose of this study was to assess personnel perceptions on the school’s role in student mental health, mental health interventions and prevention, evidence-based practices, and barrier to …

The Demand For Educational Functions Of Study Tour Products: From Students’ Perspectives, Yaqi Yu, Azizan Marzuki

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

Few academic studies have comprehensively examined the actual demands of students regarding the educational function of study tours. This paper develops a demand index system based on three dimensions: cognitive, affective, and behavioral demands. A questionnaire survey was administered to 397 students. Initially, student demands were categorized using the Kano model. Subsequently, the “dependence” and “expectancy” characteristics were analyzed through the dissatisfaction index (DI) and satisfaction index (SI). The impact of fulfilling each demand on dissatisfaction and satisfaction levels was then determined. The results indicated that among the three dimensions, there were 7 must-be demands, 6 one-dimensional demands, 8 attractive …

Pick Up A Frog, Or Pet A Dog; Animals Are Our First Teachers, Allison Ratner

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation’s goal was an attempt to answer the question: What are the emotional, cognitive, and/or spiritual effects of children’s relationships/interactions with animals that potentially impact their development? By utilizing autoethnography, I analyzed instances from my own life where interacting with animals changed me permanently; my thinking, my knowing, my feeling, my judgement, my empathy, my attitude, and my ethics. With a standpoint rooted in the research of experts from the fields of psychology and education, I combined my personal knowledge gained over a lifetime, to grant merit to the profundity of children’s relationships with animals. With the analyzed data, …

Developing Waldorf Teachers: An Analysis Of The Practical Effects Of Teacher Training And Professional Development On Teachers' Sense Of Self-Efficacy And Personal Transformation, Emily Macdonald Merchant

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This mixed-methods study explores the concept of Pedagogical Instinct (PI) in Waldorf education by examining its relationship to the teacher’s sense of self-efficacy and professional development. Connected to Rudolf Steiner’s educational philosophy, PI refers to the intuitive and adaptive capacity of teachers to respond to students’ individual needs, integrating technical skills, relational awareness, and ego development. Quantitative data from 168 survey respondents were analyzed to assess relationships between self-efficacy, PI, teacher training, and demographic variables. Qualitative data from 65 respondents to 9 open-ended questions provided insights into the lived experiences of Waldorf teachers in relation to PI. Findings revealed a …

An Examination Of The Effect Of The Implementation Of A Trauma-Informed School Initiative On The Attitudes Of The Staff In A School, Michael Riddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological case study was to investigate the change in the attitudes of teachers pre and post implementation of a trauma-informed school initiative in a school in the Eastern Grand Region of Tennessee. As adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have become more recognizable in school age children by teachers and school staff members due to an increase in knowledge about ACEs, there has been an increase in the number of trauma-informed initiatives undertaken by schools across the United States. Due to the challenges associated with the implementation of trauma-informed initiatives in schools, it is important for administrators …

A Qualitative Study Of Iranian Efl Teachers’ Perceptions Of A Digital Diversified Education, Seyed Mohammad Reza Marvasti Zadeh, Azizollah Dabaghi Varnosfadrani Advarnosfadrani, Mohammad Amiryousefi

The Qualitative Report

Because Iran is a country of learners of diverse languages, socio-economic classes, genders, and ages, digital diversified education seems appropriate to address needs in English language education. However, there is a notable gap in research on teachers’ perceptions about this type of education. To fill this gap, this study aimed to investigate the perspectives of Iranian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) regarding a diverse digital education. Data were collected via an open-ended survey with 30 EFL teachers, both male and female, who were selected through convenience sampling. Analysis revealed several key themes, including the utilization of diverse …

The Erosion Of Identity: A Study Of The Influence Of Racial Microaggressions On K-12 African American School Leaders, Rayfield J. Lavan Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the experiences of African American educational leaders in navigating racial microaggressions in the workplace, specifically within K-12 educational settings. Using Taxonomy of Racial Microaggressions and emotion regulation theory as frameworks, this research examines how these leaders manage, respond to, and cope with various forms of racial bias while maintaining their professional identities. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with African American leaders, and thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns of microaggressions and corresponding emotion regulation strategies. Key findings reveal that participants frequently encounter microaggressions such as assumption of inferiority, criminality, and second-class citizenship, with …

Perceptions Of Trauma-Informed Educational Practices In Washtenaw County, Michigan, Kimberly C. Jasper

All NMU Master's Theses

Schools at the middle level embrace students through a transformative time of life. This time of transition and transformation can be challenging for any student. However, for students who have experienced childhood trauma, this season of life can prove even more difficult. Schools have an obligation to individually support students as they grow; this includes moments of dysregulation and problematic behaviors. Through implementation of trauma-informed practices, schools can begin to positively impact students through shaping behavior that promotes growth and learning rather than applying punitive consequences that lead to an ongoing cycle of trauma and removal.

This qualitative study sought …

Black School Leader Truth: How Black School Leader Epistemology Influences Liberatory Mindset Development In Their Staff, Orpheus Williams

Dissertations

Black students in the United States have consistently been denied access to empowering, culturally affirming, and responsive learning experiences in the traditional public system. The epistemological and pedagogical beliefs embedded in a liberatory mindset can subvert this pattern of disempowerment (Shujaa, 1998). Black school leaders (BSLs) who understand the systemic and institutional pressures Black children may face and have to overcome, having undergone similarly racialized experiences in school, are uniquely placed to create liberatory spaces for Black students by recruiting and developing these liberatory mindsets in their staff. This instrumental case study used qualitative research methods of front-porch pedagogy (McTighe …

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy And Cyberbullying: A Qualitative Investigation Of Teacher Perspectives, Shanda Salvant Theriot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explored the self-efficacy of middle school teachers as they address cyberbullying in the classroom. A phenomenological research design using a purposive sampling method was used. To understand the teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives on cyberbullying, open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventh-grade teachers from two parochial schools and three charter schools. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, which was used to gather additional information regarding the teachers’ background and experience. Seven themes emerged from coding the data collected from the teacher interviews and focus group session: 1) collaboration and communication, 2) professional development and training, 3) support and …

Understanding Masculinity: Exploring The Personal And Professional Lives Of Male Middle School Directors Of Private, All-Boys’ Middle Schools, Jason Larocque

Educational Studies Dissertations

There is a gap in research about the gender identity and gender experience of men leading all boys' middle-schools. In addition, there has been little work done exploring the link between the inner lives of male school leaders, their level of burnout or satisfaction, and the impacts on their school leadership. The purpose of this study was to explore how male middle school directors of all-boys’ middle schools make sense of, engage with, and are impacted by their masculinity. The study employed narrative research with a social constructivist and post structural feminist lens. Four participants completed digital participatory journals, written …

Defusing Escalating Situations, Louis Lamont Fletcher Phd, David Allen Watson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

The Executive Director of Facilities and Operations and the Director of Safety and Security for a Colorado School district with 28,000 students will share tools, techniques, and experiences with conflict resolution. The presenters will outline the recognizable precursors to conflict, the importance of the individual's initial reaction, and provide tools to facilitate de-escalation. This interactive presentation provides relevant tools to de-escalate conflicts between peers, supervisors and subordinates, teachers and students, teachers and parents, school security officers and students, superintendents and board members, and school districts and community members.

Intrinsic Motivators For Participation And Persistence In Intercollegiate Athletics, Kevin Saal

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Since its inception, intercollegiate athletics’ conflicting existence vacillates between a history of rich, co-curricular and developmental experiences for young people, and a multi-billion-dollar industry transformed by limitless commercialization, expense and exploitation. The “professionalization” of intercollegiate athletics and blurring of motivational factors influencing participation and persistence threatens its holistic academic and developmental purpose (Duderstadt, 2000, p. 78). This dissertation provides a review of motivational theories, in addition to summarizing numerous contextually relevant intrinsic and extrinsic regulators impacting human behavior. Through a quantitative research methodology this study proposes research broadly investigating intrinsic motivation, seeking to develop a better understanding and establish …

The Personal Is Political: School Board Members’ Motivation For School Governance, Andrew Lobdell

Dissertations of Practice

Understanding the motivation behind school board members' governance is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness of public schools. This research aims to analyze the motivations of five newly elected board members and compare them with past research on governance and motivation. The leadership qualities of school superintendents also impact governance and can influence board members' motivations for running and serving their communities. Similarly, board members' motivations can affect how superintendents lead their districts and prioritize different topics. The research is divided into three papers. Paper 1 reviews existing literature and is organized into three distinct sections that explore school board governance, …

The Impact Of Teacher Preparedness And Professional Development On Fourth-Grade Students' Science Achievement, Craig L. Mayo, Faye Bradley

Journal of Research Initiatives

Science scores among US fourth-grade students have declined compared to their international counterparts in recent years. Recent results show that teachers are the most impactful influence on student success and accountability. Teacher preparedness and professional development are two key areas that serve as indicators of providing relevant and essential information for students' success. A correlational quantitative study was conducted to assess the relationship between teacher preparedness and professional development on fourth-grade students’ science achievement. The TIMSS 2019 data were secured from the Boston College, TIMSS, and PIRLS International websites. The data was evaluated using the SPSS 27 Hierarchical Linear Regression. …