Educational Leadership Commons^™

Minecrafting Bar Mitzvah: Two Rabbis Negotiating And Cultivating Learner-Driven Inclusion Through New Media., Owen Gottlieb

Articles

In 2013, a boy with special needs used the video game Minecraft to deliver the sermon at his bar mitzvah at a Reform synagogue, an apparently unique ritual phenomenon to this day. Using a narrative inquiry approach, this article examines two rabbis’ negotiations with new media, leading up to, during, and upon reflection after the event. The article explores acceptance, innovation, and validation of new media in religious practice, drawing on Campbell’s (2010) framework for negotiation of new media in religious communities. Clergy biography, philosophy, and institutional context all impact the negotiations with new media. By providing context of a …

You’Re Happy And You Know It: Social-Cognitive And Environmental Factors’ Impact On Iraqi Student Satisfaction, Rachel Laribee Gresk

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding and identifying factors that contribute to student satisfaction is becoming more important in Iraq as competition for student enrollment among universities increases. It also can be extremely useful for educational institutions since it will help them pinpoint their strengths, assess areas for improvement, and ensure they maintain and attract students to their campus. Thus, to understand how to achieve positive student satisfaction, this study sought to identify the social-cognitive factors and institutional environmental influences that relate to student satisfaction in a private institution in Iraq, using social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as a framework.

The study found that the …

A Document Analysis And Examination Of Attitudes Toward Transgender Membership Eligibility In Single-Sex, Greek-Letter, Social Fraternities And Sororities, William Wallace Weaver

Student Theses and Dissertations

Because the civil rights of the LGBT community have risen to the forefront in American culture since the turn of the twenty-first century, this study sought to analyze membership eligibility policies and attitudes of single-sex, Greek-letter, social fraternal organizations in regards to transgender individuals. Title IX of the United States Education Amendment of 1972 provides protection from discrimination by institutes of higher learning that receive federal financial assistance. However, section 1681 of Title IX provides an exemption for social fraternities and sororities with primary active membership of students enrolled at a shelter institution. This exemption allows social fraternal organizations to …

Supervision As The Signature Pedagogy For Counseling Leadership, Melissa Luke, Harvey C. Peters

Teaching and Supervision in Counseling

The authors apply the signature pedagogies framework for pedagogical foundations in counselor education put forth by Baltrinic and Wachter Morris (In press) to counseling leadership. Accordingly, we first define counseling leadership and describe the limited literature focused on pedagogical practices related to counseling leadership. Next, we discuss supervision and use the notion of broad and specific features as discussed within Baltrinic and Wachter Morris (In press) to systematically examine whether there is a signature pedagogy for counseling leadership, and purport how supervision of counseling leadership largely fulfills the criteria. Finally, we discuss how supervision of counseling leadership can be utilized …

Black Parental Involvement In A Suburban School District, Walter L. Fields

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Since the historic decision of the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Black parents in the United States have been in a continual search for public school districts in which their children would receive an education that would allow them to be productive citizens and economically self-sufficient. From the period of the Great Migration to present day, the movement of Blacks in America has been driven by a quest for opportunity. Black parents have made tremendous sacrifices in the hope of securing a good education for their children, including movement away from families, longtime …

The Underrepresentation Of Women Of Color In Senior Management Athletic Administration At Ncaa Division I Institutions, Shaquita M. Renelique

Student Theses and Dissertations

Mamie. Jezebel. Sapphire. Nurturer. Sexual. Emotional. The archetypes of women of color are powerful in their imagery and ability to limit the full identity of these women. The structural effects of these prototypes are visible in the lack of access that women of color have to college athletic administration and the treatment they face when they hold administrative positions. This study examined how the organizational culture of intercollegiate athletics promotes a hegemonic ideology based on gender and race, which leaves women of color marginalized. The purpose of this study was to explore the structural and ideological barriers shaping the pathways …

The Officiating Shortage: Examining The Administrator’S Role In Addressing Basketball Contest Climates In The State Of Missouri, Christopher Brian White

Student Theses and Dissertations

As early as 1999, state athletic organizations began to report concerns about possible officiating shortages for high school sports. According to the literature, this concern has grown over the past 20 years. Much of the empirical data was missing on this phenomenon until NASO (National Association of Sports Officials) published comprehensive survey results in 2017 from 17,486 officials across the nation. It confirmed that officials were a graying population that considered the decline of contest climates at sporting events as a major contributor to officials deciding to quit. Due to this insight, this study aimed to examine the role most …

First-Gen Mental Health: The Experiences Of First-Generation Graduate Students At The University Of San Diego, Edith Mendez

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Higher education professionals can better support struggling students by having more of an awareness of their experiences and how their mental health is related to the identities they hold. As a first-generation Latina college student, I am reminded of my own experiences and struggles, which impacted my sense of belonging and academic success. My action research responds to the question: "What are the mental health concerns that first-generation students studying at the University of San Diego (USD) encounter?" After making changes to my research because of unforeseen circumstances, I designed a study focusing on graduate students with cycles consisting of …

Immersive Leadership: Creating An Experiential Curriculum To Build Our Students' Leadership, Kimberly Guzman

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

As a higher education professional, I seek to use creative programming to encourage the exploration of alternative learning opportunities and to enhance student success. My action research project explores the process of creating and implementing an immersive leadership experience for students from start to finish. Through a curriculum based on experiential learning and critical reflection, students explored, learned, and developed a social justice lens and leadership skills. Students also reflected on their engagement with leadership in various spaces such as on the University of San Diego’s campus, their home environments, and the Duncan community in Jamaica, where this immersive leadership …

The Perverse Dynamics Of University Career: A Narrative Analysis Based On The Personal And Professional Implications, Gustavo González-Calvo, Alejandra Hernando-Garijo, David Hortigüela Alcalá, Ángel Pérez-Pueyo

The Qualitative Report

We seek to describe some of the features and symptoms that define novice university teachers in their attempts to pursue a professional career at university. Presently, university culture revolves around the evaluation of professionals based on the quantity of work published in high-impact journals (“weight evaluations”).This situation not only has its effects at a personal level, but also on the quality of the education that teachers might wish to impart. Nine university teachers -five women and four men- with experience of between three and five years in different knowledge areas were interviewed to ascertain these symptoms. The results reflected the …

Student Success Coaching: Intentional Training For Professional And Program Development, Andrea Aduna

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my research was to improve the effectiveness of the Student Success Coaching Program’s retention and outreach of students on academic probation and midterm deficiencies. The research question is: How can I professionally develop the student success coaches, or peer coaches, to better engage with their nontraditional students? Research suggests that coaching programs must first define the unique support they provide students to be fully proactive. How can diversity and inclusion training add to the effectiveness of the program and the coach’s impact on students throughout the academic semester? The significance of my research was the value of …

Exploring The Narratives Of Underrepresented Southeast Asian Students In Higher Education, Donna Soukantouy

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In my study, I examined how underrepresented Southeast Asian (SEA) students, specifically Cambodians, Hmong, and Laotian students, navigate college by exploring their personal narratives. The research question I used to inform my study was how could I represent and better support underrepresented SEA students in the surrounding San Diego, California colleges and universities? I found that the focus groups I facilitated contributed to meaningful engagement. Oftentimes SEA students are never in the same room with other students like themselves. Through interviews, interactive activities, and dialogue, I found that we need to provide spaces, platforms, and workshops for SEA students to …

Using Video Modeling To Teach Staff How To Implement Preference Assessments, Megan Weaver

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Identification of reinforcers through preference assessments for individuals with disabilities is an important task because it increases the probability of skill development, including academic tasks, self-help skills, social skills, and behavior modification. Teachers of students with disabilities often experience problems with training paraprofessionals to implement preference assessments using written instructions alone. In this study, researchers will investigate whether video modeling will be more effective than written instruction to staff to implement preference assessments. Participants will include three to five paraprofessionals in a classroom setting with no previous behavior analysis training on preference assessments and three to five students in a …

Addressing Exclusion In Organizations: Social Desire Paths And Undocumented Students Attending College, Laura Nichols

Sociology

With data from a national study of a network of 28 private, non-profit colleges in the United States, I show how the individual actions of high school and college staff became collective “social desire paths” to introduce new organizational practices to enroll students who were undocumented. In interviews with staff, four factors emerged as important in enrolling students: (1) the way social desire paths started as ad hoc processes and then were entrenched through the collective and similar responses of staff; (2) identification of financial, administrative, structural, and cultural barriers to inclusion that formed the basis for the development of …

Mediating Effect Of Teachers’ Job Satisfaction On Principals’ Distributed Leadership And Teachers’ Organizational Commitment At International Schools In Kuala Lumpur, Muthiah Vicneswary

Student Works (2020-2029)

The concept of distributed leadership has gained more interest in the educational sector and promoted positive development of school leadership in international schools. Thus, this study investigated the role of principals’ distributed leadership in international schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in enhancing teachers’ organizational commitment through the mediation of teachers’ job satisfaction. Based on a descriptive and quantitative research design, this study has employed survey method with the distribution of questionnaire from three adapted measurement scales: The Distributed Leadership Inventory, the Teacher Job Satisfaction Scale and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. Rasch measurement was used to ensure that the scales had …

Pengaruh Orientasi Kepemimpinan Pengetua, Iklim Dini Dan Atribut Psikologi Terhadap Prestasi Guru: Analisis Multilevel, Talib Nor Zanariah @ Roba’Atul Adawiah

Student Works (2020-2029)

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti pengaruh pemboleh ubah peringkat organisasi (Orientasi Kepemimpinan pengetua dan Iklim Dini) serta pemboleh ubah peringkat individu (atribut psikologi guru – Kepercayaan kepada pengetua, Motivasi, dan Komitmen) terhadap Prestasi guru. Selain itu, kajian ini juga bertujuan untuk melihat peranan pemboleh ubah mediator (Kepercayaan kepada pengetua, Motivasi dan Komitmen) serta peranan pemboleh ubah moderator (Iklim Dini dan Religiositi) dalam hubungan tersebut. Kajian ini dijalankan melalui pendekatan kuantitatif dengan menggunakan kaedah kajian keratan rentas. Melalui teknik pensampelan rawak berkebarangkalian berstrata berkadaran, 266 orang guru dan 1326 orang murid dipilih sebagai responden kajian. Borang soal selidik diedarkan di …

Quasi-School Leaders: The Lived Experiences Of High School Counseling Directors And Their Role In Schools, Andrea Cherice Simon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study is to explore the lived experiences of high school counseling director’s and how their principal and district school counseling supervisor shape their experiences as leaders. The role of high school counseling director’s is increasingly complex, unique, and oftentimes misunderstood. They are often viewed as leaders and change agents in student’s overall success due to their unique skill levels in advocacy and collaboration (Kaffenberger, Murphy, & Bemak, 2006; McMahon, Mason, Daluga-Guenther, & Ruiz, 2014; Young, Millard, & Kneale, 2013). However, principal’s and district school counseling supervisors are key players in defining the role and responsibilities of …

Trust Issues: A Case Study Of The Relationship Between Trust And Reform Implementation, Courtney R. Wilson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Reform creation and implementation tends to focus on the mechanics needed to ensure intended outcomes are achieved. School relationships are affected by the tension caused by reform implementation. Research suggests trust among teachers and between teachers and their administrator affects the way teachers make sense of, implement, and use new reform efforts. Given the demands reforms place on schools, trust has the potential to impact and encourage the implementation of reform and the maintenance of relationships. A qualitative case study method was used to decipher the impact trust plays in the implementation of reform. The concept of trust is used …

New Jersey Overdose Prevention Act: Police Officers’ Experiences At A Drug Overdose Scene, Michael Ziarnowski

All Theses And Dissertations

The number of drug overdose deaths in the United States from opioids has led to national attention about the problem commonly described as the “opioid epidemic.” Federal and state policymakers have shifted from a hardline punitive approach to a rehabilitative approach in an attempt to save lives. Good Samaritan Laws (GSLs) and advances in medicine have been implemented differently in different states. For example, the enactment of the New Jersey Overdose Prevention Act (NJOPA) and the use of naloxone by first responders are ways that state officials try to save lives. However, there is limited research on the first responders’ …

Special Issue Editors' Introduction: Voices From The Field: Centering Southeast Asian Americans Through Policy, Practice, And Activism, Loan Thi Dao, Peter T. Keo

Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement

Introduction: Voices from the Field: Centering Southeast Asian Americans through Policy, Practice, and Activism

Fostering Peer Mentorship Amongst Student Conduct Leaders, Gianna Metz

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of my study was to explore the peer mentor relationships amongst the Student Conduct Leadership Team at the University of San Diego. My research question is: How can I work with the Student Conduct Leadership Team to further develop peer mentor relationships amongst each other in order to create a more effective hearing process? Based on my experience working with these student leaders, I have observed challenges in group cohesion and connection to the team’s purpose. I sought to develop strategies to better advise them in order to strengthen their self-advocacy and sense of belonging to the team. …

Onboarding Transfer Students At The University Of San Diego, Andrea Garcia

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

In this study, I explored the experiences and needs of transfer students at the University of San Diego (USD) through assessment analysis, the implementation and observations of Spring orientation, and student leader surveys. My positionality as a graduate assistant for New Student Onboarding allowed me to implement Spring orientation programming, analyze postorientation assessment data, and survey transfer student leaders about their experiences. This study provided me a better understanding of how we as a department and an institution as a whole can improve how we onboard our transfer students and further support them throughout their undergraduate career. While cultivating a …

Paving The Way: Enhancing The Transfer Admission Practices At The University Of San Diego, Andrew Alsoraimi-Espiritu

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine how the University of San Diego’s (USD) Office of Undergraduate Admission can better serve prospective students from local community colleges by striving towards a Transfer Receptive Culture (Jain, Herrera, Bernal, & Solórzano, 2011). Using my positionality as an admissions counselor at USD, I explored the following question with current and prospective transfer students, as well as local community college partners: how can I enhance the practices of my department to better support transfer students during the pretransfer phase at USD? My findings indicate that the transfer path to USD is hectic and …

A Phenomenology Study Of Possible External And Internal Factors Relating T Women’S Under-Representation In Leadership In Large Chinese Media Organizations In Beijing City, Xiaoxue Xiang

Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of possible factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in Chinese media through their lived experience. The 10 participants in this study were from large media organizations in Beijing. The results of this study indicate Balancing work and family and Chinese traditional culture can be considered as the external possible factors of the barriers women leaders encountered in Beijing large media organizations; the negative influence of traditional culture on Chinese women, which refers to women’s low self-evaluation and negative self-awareness, can be taken as the …

Virtual Recruitment Resource Guide, Elizabeth Niehaus

Leadership Education Capstones

To identify best practices for the purpose of developing a virtual recruitment resources guide.

Elective Course Choice As A Factor In K12 Graduation Rates, Matthew Wagner

Leadership Education Capstones

This paper explores the relationship that elective course offerings and requirements have on student success through graduation rates. The purpose of this study is to better understand the effect that elective courses have on a student’s academic success. This research focused on the Big 9 conference of southeastern Minnesota Public High Schools, which consisted of nine different school districts. These districts paralleled the makeup and diversity of districts around the state. All data reviewed was public information and included resources such as the Minnesota Department of Education’s Report Card database, and course catalogs from each district in the study. Graduation …

Lean Leadership In Research, Dania Helgeson

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study is to improve the start-up process for Clinical Trials in the Cancer Center.

Advancing Higher Education: Strategic Leadership For Chief Advancement Officers, Matthew Ohs

Leadership Education Capstones

This research study focuses on the role of strategic leadership within effective advancement organizations. Given the fundraising responsibility of university advancement leaders, there is a need to research the leadership strategies which lead to successful fundraising. The purpose of this study is to determine effective leadership strategies for Chief Advancement Officers (CAOs) at four-year, public universities. Strategic Leadership Theory suggests connections between the university’s executive leadership and institutional success (Boal & Hooijberg, 2001; Finkelstein & Hambrick, 1996). The research study design is qualitative to explore the experiences of individuals regarding the connections between leadership strategies and fundraising performance in university …

The Modernization Of Sales Training For Generation Z Students, Samuel Kanthak

Leadership Education Capstones

The purpose of this study is to identify best practices for training Generation Z sales professional. The results will be used to update an outdated training program. This is the supporting powerpoint presentation for this capstone project.

Increasing Female Enrollment In High School Computer Science Education, Zenovia Brown Frazier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“Women have played a vital role in the field of computer science and information technology (IT), developing some of the most essential components of modern IT” (Purdue University Global, 2018). Despite their prominence and achievements in these career fields, computer science has experienced a noticeable decline in the representation of females in industry and in programs of study. This is not a phenomenon reserved for the college classroom and/or the world of work, but is a situation present across schools in the P-12 arena, to include ZBF High School. As such, the purpose of this work was to examine the …