Educational Leadership Commons^™

Examination Of Intramural Sport Officials’ Training, Development And Performance: A Mixed Methods Study, Daniel Comas

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Sports officials play a significant role in organized sports, yet academic research surrounding their training, development, and performance is minimal. Across the nation, athletes are attempting to safely resume play after the COVID-19 pandemic, and many sports officials have decided that they will not return to their respective fields or courts. More robust training and development within intramural sports programs on college campuses could be the solution to recruiting and retaining sports officials.

This mixed methods study examined intramural sports officials’ training, development, and performance within a collegiate intramural sports department. This study utilized a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods …

The Search For Something Better: Narrative Inquiry Into Why Women In Non-Faculty Roles Left Higher Education During Covid-19 Pandemic, Amanda Corsi

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic for women working in non-faculty roles in higher education still need to be understood. While there is extensive research on voluntary turnover, the influence of the pandemic on how and why women choose to leave the field is still lacking. Most research on higher education professionals fails to include the perspective of women in non-faculty positions. This study conducted a qualitative narrative inquiry to understand the experiences of women in non-faculty roles who worked in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic and how that influenced their reasons for turnover decision-making. The results found …

A Lifelong Network: Perceptions And Experiences Of First-Generation Alums After Graduation, Allison Toney

Theses and Dissertations

As first-generation students transition to college graduates, the question lies in whether institutions of higher education are continuing to provide opportunities for them as alums. As a result of first-generation college students being the first in their family to attend college, students may enter college not knowing what to expect. But institutions have evolved to provide services, resources and opportunities that support their success while enrolled. Upon graduation, the process of transitioning out of college can be a challenging time for students as they seek post-graduation success. Some institutions offer support and resources tailored specifically to first-generation graduates or graduates …

Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus: A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions, Amy D. Smith

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging …

An Exploratory Study Of Ergonomics In College Students, Wesley Ryan Tinker

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between poor ergonomic conditions and student physiological discrepancies. This examination provided great insight into students’ daily experiences and concerns for their futures. The methodology used for this study was quantitative as two source data sets were collected and analyzed. The tool REBA was used to measure the specific body angles while students sat working. A survey yielded great results, giving the students an opportunity to subjectively choose options.

This exploratory study allowed the researcher to use quantitative data to answer this study’s research questions. The research questions asked from this study were …

Doctoral Students’ Experiences Of The Pandemic And Their Perceptions Of Grit, Josie Bryant

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The pandemic has significantly changed societal structures and individuals’ lives. The early tragedies and stress of the pandemic affected health, relationships, families, education, work, travel, and immigration. Students who entered doctoral programs in 2020 chose a unique time to pursue an already arduous goal amidst unprecedented challenges. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explored doctoral students’ experiences during the pandemic and sought to understand their perspectives of grit. The study aimed to offer first-hand insight into the pandemic’s effects on doctoral students, and add critical contributions to understanding the necessary actions, support systems, and policies for a life in a …

Still, We Rise: Experiences Of Black Women In Leadership Positions At Predominately White Institutions, Dionne Lipscomb

Masters Theses

Despite the educational progress that Black women in the United States have made, they continue to be underrepresented in positions of senior leadership in all sectors including higher education (American Council on Education, 2017, 2023, de Brey et al., 2019). Because of their double minoritized status they also face bigger challenges in their positions than their White female, White male, and Black male counterparts. This narrative qualitative study utilized theory of othering and intersectionality to highlight the experiences of five Black women as they ascend to leadership positions at four-year predominately White institutions. The research questions guiding this study are: …

The Phenomenon Of Academic Advisor Training At Minnesota State Colleges And Universities: A Quantitative Descriptive Research Study, Sara Leigh

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Academic advisors can have a positive impact on the progress of an increasingly diverse student population in higher education, but there is no required professional certification or educational background for academic advisors. The lack of required certification puts the onus for academic advisor training and professional development on the campuses where advisors work. By surveying the professional academic advisors in the Minnesota State higher education system to assess available training and professional development, this quantitative study sought to identify and describe the phenomenon of advisor training within the Minnesota State higher education system. Survey data shows a majority of advisors …

The Agile College: How Institutions Successfully Navigate Demographic Changes, Andrew J. Cornelius

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Andrew J. Cornelius reviews The Agile College: How Institutions Successfully Navigate Demographic Changes by Nathan D. Grawe, published by John Hopkins University Press, 2021.

Growth: 22 (2023)

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The full issue of the twenty-second edition of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development.

The Lived Religious Experience Of Black Students At A Southeastern Cccu Institution, Harold Goss

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

The overall purpose of this qualitative study was to better understand the religious experiences of Black students at a Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) institution. The researcher interviewed 22 participants at a private Christian university and analyzed the data using in vivo coding, constant comparison, and thematic analysis. Findings suggest formal religious activities that are required and presumed by the institution to be nurturing can have the opposite effect for some Black students at the institution. The researcher identified three major themes regarding how Black students perceive and experience religious activity. The themes provide helpful insight regarding participants’ …

Embodied: Transgender Identities, The Church, And What The Bible Has To Say, Kaleigh Richardson

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Kaleigh Richardson reviews Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston Sprinkle, published by David C. Cook, 2021.

Under God: Political Views And Experiences Among Young Adults Attending An Evangelical College, Olga Dietlin, Amy Sparks, Hannah Bayne

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

While polarization has increased the saliency of political values, political meaning-making has been scarcely addressed in higher education literature and training. Additionally, even though the political orientation of evangelicals has been back in the spotlight since the 2016 presidential campaign, little research has been done to explore the interplay of faith commitments and political values among students at an evangelical college. This study examined religiosity, ideology, political attitudes, the salience of political identity, and experience with political differences among students at an evangelical Christian liberal arts institution (n = 223). Descriptive data confirmed the salience of religious belief and practice …

Relationship As Pedagogy: Empowering Faculty To Support Student Mental Health, Katie Breitigan

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

This study sought to explore the impact of college student mental health on faculty pedagogy. Using a grounded theory qualitative research methodology, the researcher interviewed 13 faculty participants about their experience of college student mental health in the classroom. A review of the literature on theological anthropology, trauma, and Christian higher education provided a framework for the findings of this study to be discussed. Findings revealed four main themes influencing faculty pedagogy which included: the value of relationships for promoting student well-being; lowered engagement by students experiencing mental health challenges; the increased need for mental health-related accommodations; and the impact …

Cultivating The Self-Awareness Of Global Students: The Role Of Communities Of Practice, Stephanie Calley

Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development

Research on the impact of leadership education programs on undergraduate students has demonstrated that cultivating self-awareness is foundational to developing other leadership capabilities. Yet, scant research has been undertaken to understand the impact of leadership education on global students. For the sake of this research, global students include any undergraduate student who had spent a significant portion of their development years outside the country of higher education. As such, global students include international students as well as other globally mobile students such as children of international military personnel, businesspeople, and religious workers. This qualitative research sought to understand how global …

Historically Black Colleges And Universities Are Vital And Valuable To The United States, James V. Koch, Omari H. Swinton

Economics Faculty Publications

Though Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are little recognized, both in the United States and internationally, rigorous empirical analysis reveals that given their circumstances, they typically perform at a high level. This is the first comprehensive empirical analysis that has examined the performance of HBCUs.

Insider Tips For Applying To Graduate Programs, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

As I approach my 20th year as a school psychology faculty member (12 as a program coordinator), I have reviewed thousands of applications and interviewed hundreds of prospective students. It is truly a joy to meet people at interviews who will go on to excel as school psychologists. I also have met my fair share of applicants who were clearly unprepared. This piece provides some insider information on how prospective students can strengthen their applications and interviews.

Perspectives On Care Coordination For Youth With Tbi: Moving Forward To Provide Better Care, Jennifer P. Lundine, Erika Hagen, Susan C. Davies

Counselor Education and Human Services Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Care coordination aligns services and optimizes outcomes for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI), yet numerous obstacles can impede effective care coordination following a TBI.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to identify barriers and facilitators to care coordination from the perspective of individuals who care for young people impacted by TBI.

METHODS: Twenty-one care providers participated in semi-structured interviews to gather their perspectives on systems of care coordination for youth with TBI and potential areas for improvement. Using reflexive thematic analysis, researchers identified key themes across interviews.

RESULTS: Three themes were identified: 1) gaps in knowledge; 2) …

Internationalizing The Teacher Education Curriculum Toward Global Competency: Academic Leaders’ Perceptions, Ellie F. G. Holliday

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

To prepare students for an increasingly interconnected world, P-12 teachers must be trained to infuse intercultural and global perspectives into their teaching practice. However, teacher education programs (TEPs) have been criticized for their lack of global perspectives in the curriculum and have been found to be the least internationalized programs at United States (U.S.) universities. Though university senior international officers (SIOs) play a large role in developing a strategic approach toward curriculum internationalization, there is a paucity of research on their perspectives on this process.

In this explanatory sequential mixed methods study, TEP leaders and SIOs at universities in the …

Undergraduate Students’ Perception Of Leadership Development Programs And Leadership Self-Efficacy, Benjamin Phillips, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Brandon Hunt, Antonio P. Gutierrez De Blume, Katherine Fallon

Journal of Higher Education & Student Affairs

Colleges and universities across the United States face continual pressure to meet enrollment and retention goals, as budgets in this performance-based environment continue to become more important. On-campus student involvement, such as in undergraduate leadership development programs, has been shown to have a positive influence on both student retention and success. A survey was utilized to examine leadership self-efficacy and engagement of undergraduate students that participated in campus-based leadership development programs and explore some motivators (contributing factors) and barriers (detracting factors) to involvement in those programs. One emergent theme within contributing factors to participation was alignment with personal goals (74.7%), …

Leadership Strategies For Building High-Performing Faculty Teams In Technology-Focused Higher Education Departments, Liz Hollerman

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the leadership strategies academic leaders of technology departments in higher education may use to build high-performing faculty teams. The objective of the study was to discover the most effective ways for fostering faculty ingenuity in curriculum reform for a technology-focused program. In addition, the literature review presents The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership by Kouzes and Posner (2019) as the theoretical basis for this study. Literature uncovered thirteen effective leadership elements for building high-performing teams (Friedman, 2021; Katzenbach & Smith, 2005). The research subquestions for this qualitative study were organized around Kouzes and Posner's model of leadership. …

The Transmission Of Saga At West Virginia University, James Froemel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Changes in the higher education landscape continue to bring new regulations which enforce standardization and similarities in organizational behavior. Because of these pressures, institutional identities and differentiations are more dependent on the unique way students experience an institution rather than the structure of the organization. Through focus groups and interviews, this phenomenological study seeks to understand the ways in which the traditional undergraduate experience impacts the transmission of organizational saga at West Virginia University. To do so, it examines stories told by students through thematic analysis to connect student experiences with symbols of the university. Focusing on these connections and …

The Relationship Between Academic Advising And Students' Completion Of Corequisite Gateway Courses, Michael P. Moran

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This bivariate correlational quantitative study sought to determine how variables predicted students’ course outcomes in first-year English and mathematics courses within a corequisite learning support model. Course outcomes were defined dichotomously on a successful completion or unsuccessful completion basis. The participants of this study included those who initially attempted first-year English (n = 2,055) and mathematics (n = 2,843) course(s) in a corequisite learning support model for the first time between Fall 2018 and Spring 2022 and were assigned as advisees to the professional academic advisors in the centralized advising model. The examined predictors were students’ frequency of sessions, length …

Magnetic Hallway Huddles: Attract And Retain High-Quality Professionals, David Wolff, Carissa Gober, Donna Zerr

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

This presentation was conducted for a national conference about mentoring. The authors discussed Tinto’s Model of Institutional Departure and Schlossberg’s Model for Analyzing Human Adaptation to Transition as theoretical frameworks to explain the transition and retention of university professors. The focus on the study was the three authors who transitioned to the same university during the 2022-2023 academic year. Authors discussed their experiences of the transition and found themes related to the mentoring process that that acclimated them to the institution and influenced their retention.

E Pluribus Unum: Increasing A Shared Understanding Of Mission At Marine Corps University, Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, Dominick White

Doctor of Education Capstones

E PLURIBUS UNUM: INCREASING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF MISSION AT MARINE CORPS UNIVERSITY

By Edward Greiner, Kirstin Pantazis, Christopher Reid, and Dominick White

A capstone project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023.

Capstone Chair: Beth E. Bukoski, Ph.D., Department of Educational Leadership

Mergers between higher education institutions present unique challenges to creating and maintaining a shared understanding of mission. Additionally, professional military education institutions with civilian faculty and staff must blend military and civilian cultures in the workplace. …

Assessing Graduate Student Needs And Structures Of Support At Virginia Commonwealth University, Trisha Saunders, Kiama Anthony Bishop, Herbert Hill Iii, Tameka Fitzgerald Burroughs

Doctor of Education Capstones

The purpose of this multi-case study was to explore how the institutional landscape is designed to support graduate student success at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), a large, public, urban, R1 research university. The study included review of existing literature on the various factors that contribute to or limit graduate student success at institutions across the country. A major aim of this study was to collect qualitative data from participants with a key stake in this issue, including enrolled graduate students, and faculty/staff supporting graduate (master’s and doctoral) programs at VCU. Participants included 39 graduate students and 23 institutional stakeholders. All …

Running The Gauntlet: Barriers For Black Women Academics In Higher Education Research Productivity, Crishana Dionne Benton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Internationally, research productivity bears significance for an institution’s reputation and overall research ranking. Many previous efforts surrounding faculty issues have focused on individual faculty research productivity. This study reimagined the definition of productivity as an academic’s impact on scholarly research, evidenced by their h-index.

At the same time, the need for diversity of faculty populations is becoming more urgent, even in a time when the number of tenure-earning faculty positions is diminishing and those which remain are occupied mainly by white men. To add to the disparities, it is reported that only 4% of full-time faculty are Black women. Black …

Transformational Leadership Strategies In U.S. Public Universities, Jason C. Hardman

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the transformational leadership strategies used by university leaders to transform their respective institutions of higher education in the post-pandemic era. The study builds on Bass's (1985a) transformational leadership model, and the guiding research question is, "What transformational leadership strategies do university leaders use to transform university environments?" The study utilizes a narrative inquiry approach to collect and analyze data from publicly available and accessible sources. The data analysis highlights four themes of transformational leadership practices, including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The findings reveal that transformational leaders exhibit high moral standards, personal …

Examining Alignment Of Leadership Education And Observed Practices: A Study Of Leadership Studies Department Chairs, Sara Zare

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how leadership studies academic department chairs’ leadership is influenced by their discipline and their professional identities as leadership educators. This study is an exploration of the alignment between leadership theories and practice. Two conceptual frameworks informed this study: (a) the leadership educator professional identity development (LEPID) model (Seemiller & Priest, 2015) and (b) the four frames model (Bolman & Deal, 2017). Using the LEPID model, this study investigated the intersection of leadership education professional identity dimensions and the leadership role of the leadership studies academic department chairs. Bolman and Deal’s (2017) four frames model was used …

Understanding The Implications Of Work Based Learning For Students Pk-12 School Systems Institutions Of Higher Education And Hosting Organizations, David Naff, Amy Corning, Meleah Ellison, Albion Sumrell, Zehra Sahin Ilkorkor, Jennifer Murphy, Ciana Cross

MERC Publications

This literature review by the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC) and Institute for Collaborative Research and Evaluation (ICRE), in partnership with the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP) and State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) explores work-based learning and its implications for PK-12 institutions, institutions of higher education, and hosting organizations (e.g. employers). The report also provides background information about the foundations of work-based learning and concludes with a series of recommendations for practice, policy, and future research related to work-based learning. There is also an accompanying podcast episode where report authors discuss the key takeaways with …