Educational Leadership Commons^™

Why Not The School-To-Scholar Pipeline? Changing The Narrative Through School Leadership, Marne Renee Foster

Dissertations

The overrepresentation of Black students in exclusionary practices in public K–12 education, such as detention, suspension, expulsion, and misplacement into special education, contributes to the school-to-prison pipeline (STPP). This phenomenon leads to truancy, academic failure, and involvement in the juvenile justice system. In contrast, the school-to-scholar pipeline (STSP) has an inverse relationship with the STPP and views students as scholars in training, ultimately linking them to careers or college. Research has indicated that school administrators’ mindsets, along with teacher bias, play a significant role in perpetuating exclusionary practices and racial disparities (Gullo & Beechum, 2020; Skiba, Chung et al., 2014). …

Prioritizing Belonging For Pk-12 Families On Financial Assistance In Private Schools, Deana Clapp

Doctorate in Education

This dissertation examined the experiences of 10 families of students in PK-12 private schools leveraging financial assistance (FA) to afford tuition and seven school FA staff who worked with families. Current literature is prominent in higher education but scant in the PK-12 milieu. Moreover, qualitative studies examining student experience in higher education have only recently begun unfolding. Drawing from a qualitative phenomenological study with an interpretivist, critical approach, this study discloses school belonging and marginalization sentiments vis a vis the power of school practices and policies to shape student and family experience. This study shares the vulnerability of private PK-12 …

Retention Of Employees In Student Affairs Positions In Private Higher Education, Lanita Robinson

Leadership Education Capstones

This is a comprehensive exam project for the Leadership Education Department at Winona State University. The purpose of the study was to discover and implement successful strategies that private higher education managers can use to retain support services staff in departments across the university.

Building Bridges: An Improvement Science Approach To Fostering Cross-Group Connections And Friendships Among Elementary School Students, Cody Russelburg

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The persistent issue of limited cross-group connections and friendships among diverse elementary school students is addressed, specifically in a district with five elementary schools that converge into a single middle and high school. The tendency for students to maintain selfsegregated social circles from their zoned elementary schools into middle and high school highlights the need for an intervention designed to foster cross-group connections. Utilizing the Improvement Science framework, this research incorporates two intervention cycles to refine and enhance outcomes related to cross-group connections. Fifth-grade students from two distinct elementary schools had intentional and direct intergroup contact utilizing an adapted version …

Female Leaders In Occupational Safety And Health: Perceived Barriers And Potential Interventions, Jacqueline Basham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Limited research exists about the challenges women face working as leaders within the occupational safety and health (OSH) industry. This study aimed to help fill this gap by utilizing key informant interviews to qualitatively analyze what the perceptions of female safety leaders were within OSH related to barriers and interventions to sustain or increase the number of female safety leaders. Both convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods were utilized to recruit female safety leaders to participate in key informant interviews. In order to be eligible for inclusion in the study, participants needed to identify as female, be safety leaders currently …

The Aspirations Of The Youth Of South Sudan Towards Tertiary Technical Education, Peace, Development And Civic Engagements, Sunil Orathel

Doctoral Dissertations

South Sudan, the youngest nation in the world, gained independence on July 9, 2011, following many long years of civil war and untold human suffering. After a decade of independence and millions spent from international assistance, neither stability nor development have been secured in the country. Although primary education is improving, tertiary education, particularly tertiary technical education, is considered a neglected sector. This descriptive mixed-method study documents and analyzes 1,461 surveys and 60 interviews, capturing the aspirations of the secondary school youth and stakeholders across the nation of South Sudan towards tertiary technical education, peace, development and civic engagements. Historical …

Muslim International Students’ Perception Of Islamophobia In Their Immigration Journey To The U.S.: A Case Study, Sheri Beyer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study serves as an impetus for universities to address improving pre-arrival services and procedures for Muslim international students and a resource for practitioners and lawmakers to examine current policies specifically through the lens of Critical Race and Critical Muslim Theory. Policymakers can examine the effects of Islamophobia on international students and how it affects higher education, communities, and the economies.

The Infinite Design Of Creative Self-Leadership, Adrian T. Ashdown

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The purpose of my Master’s of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership Project is to develop a Scope and Sequence for a Creative Self-Leadership course, providing participants with a structured framework for intentional personal growth and leadership development. The Infinite Design of Creative Self-Leadership serves as an individualized framework for influencing our human experience deliberately. Throughout this project, the core idea remains consistent: to teach creativity as a transferable skill with applications beyond traditional educational settings. The culmination of this endeavor will result in a comprehensive Scope & Sequence for The Infinite Design Creative Self-Leadership Course, offering participants a solid …

Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Stress And Burnout After Covid-19 On Educators: Supporting Teachers In Resiliency And Facilitating Adversarial Growth Post-Pandemic., Rebecca Hicks-Hawkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

COVID-19 has not only caused anxiety and fears among teachers for their own health and that of their families; they are also facing increased responsibility. Planning periods had been replaced with coverage periods, where teachers must teach other classes when their colleagues are out—often due to illness—because the supply of substitute teachers cannot meet the demand (Barton & Dickason, 2022). Teaching is a demanding profession, and there will always be stress associated with a job where so many external factors come into play (Hansen, 2013). However, in the face of adversity some teachers were thriving. They are showing up and …

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 …

An Examination Of Early Childhood Leadership In Public Elementary Schools: A Mixed Methods Study, Wesam Alshahrani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As state-funded Pre-K programs in elementary schools continue to grow, elementary principals are increasingly responsible for supporting, supervising, and leading these programs. Therefore, examining elementary principals' early childhood leadership competencies and the factors influencing them may help understand and improve their experiences as early childhood education (ECE) leaders. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examined the ECE leadership of Tennessee public elementary school principals in two phases.

In the quantitative phase, statewide surveys were used to collect data from 67 principals. The survey comprised 51 items assessing nine ECE leadership competencies, synthesized from statements of leading ECE and elementary education …

Still I Rise: A Critical Utopian Action Research Study On Black Femme-Identifying And Gender Expansive Emerging Adults In Technology Leadership., Alisia Mcclain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Critical Utopian Action Research (CUAR) study delves into the intersection of authentic leadership, Black Feminist Thought (BFT), and technology leadership development, focusing on the perspectives of emerging adult Black femme-identifying or gender-expansive individuals. Addressing two primary research questions, the study investigates their idealized visions for technology leadership programs and discerns key factors differentiating authentic leadership from models incorporating BFT. Through qualitative analysis of Future-Creating Workshop outputs and participant narratives, the study unveils multifaceted themes. Participants articulate a vision of technology leadership development rooted in authenticity, intersectionality, and inclusivity. Their ideal programs prioritize celebrating complex identities, engaging through technology, and …

Dismantling Digital Inequalities: Urban High School Students' Perspectives Of Smartphones Use In Education, Artis Carneal Street

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the use of and the attitude towards smartphone technology for in school and remote learning by urban high school students to reduce digital inequalities. High school students use smartphone technology in today’s society as an integral part of their lives. Yet the majority of the large school districts in the United States ban the use of students’ mobile phones in schools. Furthermore, while policy makers, school district personnel, and school administrators each year negotiate the school’s technology budget, technology use agreements, network maintenance, and which Internet application tools to adopt, almost all …

Black Women Educational Leaders In Pk-12 Public Education: A Multiple Case Study On The Double Consciousness Of Black Women Educational Leadership In Southwestern United States, Malena Baizan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation examined the stories of Black Women Educational Leaders (BWEL) in PK-12t public education and their double consciousness as expressed through their leadership. The focus of this study was BWEL’s counternarratives as leaders within a system built upon systemic racism and oppression. Their experiences as Black Women Educational Leaders in PK-12 in a school district in which most school administrators are white, but most of the student body is Black and Brown were highlighted and centered to shed light on how the double consciousness of Black women informs their leadership. Utilizing Critical Race Feminism as the theoretical framework with …

Voices From The Field: Black Women Who Have Successfully Transcended The Leadership Pipeline Into Superintendency, Brione A. Minor-Mitchell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Black women have a distinct journey within the realm of education, one that can only be fully comprehended and articulated by Black women themselves. However, even with their insights, not all readers will grasp the intense scrutiny Black women face when they strive for leadership roles, particularly in superintendency. This study aims to delve into the experiences of Black women who have risen to superintendency, examining the challenges they've encountered. It seeks to address four key questions through the lenses of Critical Race Feminism and Black Feminist Thought: What barriers do Black aspiring women leaders confront as they ascend to …

Factors Shaping Charter School Leaders’ Student Recruitment Practices In Southern Nevada, John E. Aydogdu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Charter schools have witnessed significant growth in the United States, accompanied by increased diversity among student populations. However, Southern Nevada charter schools diverge from national trends, enrolling a less racially and socioeconomically diverse student population. This study examined factors that shape charter school leaders’ student recruitment practices in Southern Nevada. In addition to addressing the lack of literature coverage on Southern Nevada charter schools’ demographics, this study also introduced new research regarding the predicament of charter school demographics in Southern Nevada. Using a case study approach, data from 16 charter school leaders and staff members across four identified charter schools …

Implementing And Marketing Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Practices And Resources: Creating The E‐Buzz!, Essraa Nawar, Kristin Laughtin-Dunker

Digital Initiatives Symposium

Leatherby Libraries Librarians are committed to supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion for students, faculty, researchers, and staff. We demonstrate this commitment holistically through the provision of all resources and services in support of teaching, learning, and research. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, and engagement through educational outreach in order to raise awareness of diversity related issues.

In 2020, Library administration selected a Diversity and Outreach librarian that was charged with creating a comprehensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Outreach plan. As a result, a number of practices and initiatives …

Importance Of The Autism Cares Act, Jessica C. Molloy

LEND Trainee Presentations

The Autism CARES Act (Combating Autism Reauthorization Act) is a U.S. legislation aimed at addressing the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Enacted in 2019, it emphasizes research, early detection, intervention, and support services for individuals across their lifespan. The Act provides funding for research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of autism, as well as for programs that improve access to healthcare, education, and other services for individuals with ASD. It also supports initiatives to train healthcare providers, educators, and caregivers to better understand and support individuals with autism. Additionally, the Act promotes coordination …

Self-Sabotaging Behaviors Of Female Chief Executive Officers Of Behavioral Health Organizations And Power Tactics Used To Leadhership, Jennifer Salgado

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe personal power tactics that female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations employ to overcome four identified self-sabotaging behaviors from the Self-Sabotaging Framework adapted from Lerner (2012) and Ryder and Briles (2003).

Methodology: This sequential mixed methods research study deployed a phenomenological approach to identify and describe the lived experiences of six female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations in California. Data collection included interviews consisting of eight semistructured questions and 28 survey questions. Interviews were recorded and transcribed to support data analysis …

"There Is Power In Being Out": A Three Article Approach Celebrating The Experiences Of Queer University Leaders, Andrew R. E. Lorenzana

Dissertations

Institutions of higher education were historically built to serve a wealthy, White, straight male student population and the leaders of these institutions still largely reflect these demographics. This project specifically aims to celebrate and amplify the life and career of university administrators who identify within the LGBTQ community. Mainly through the use of a portraiture methodology, this three-article study attempts to examine the ways in which LGBTQ identity and career influence one another.

Worldmaking and narrative will be used as a theoretical frame to help analyze the ways in which the telling of a queer individual’s story makes the world …

Mentorship Experiences Of College Level Educators: A Phenomenological Study, Rebecca M. Arsenault

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the impact that mentorship had on the retention of ten participating educators working at various post-secondary educational institutions. The theory guiding this study was Dansereau’s leader-member theory guided as it pertained to the interactions between a dyadic relationship such as the one represented by one-on-one mentorship. The central research question for this study asked about the mentorship experiences of educators in higher education who have been in the field of education for five years or more. This study used transcendental phenomenological to study the essence of the experiences of 10 educators …

The Role Of Emotions In Qualitative Analysis: Researchers’ Perspectives, Hilary Lustick, Xiaoye Yang, Abeer Hakouz

The Qualitative Report

Qualitative research is an inherently social and relational endeavor that relies on and engages our emotions. Yet, researchers receive little guidance on how to engage emotions without being swayed by personal biases. Lustick (2021) developed a framework called “emotion coding” for systematically engaging thoughts and emotions in qualitative data analysis by asking what a chunk of data can teach us about ourselves, our participants, and our study. In this study, we interviewed 15 researchers who had tried using the emotion coding technique, about their impressions of this technique and the role of emotion in qualitative research overall. Framed by Goffman …

A Collaborative Campus Community Policing Model: A Case Study In Fostering Collective Efficacy Among Students, Faculty And Staff, Hassan Ramzah

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative, single case study explored whether and how a campus police agency’s community policing model fostered collective efficacy among students, faculty, staff members and campus police. Using Bandura’s (2000) collective efficacy theory, this study was guided by the following questions: (1) How does a campus police department use a community policing model to build partnerships with students, faculty, and staff? (2) How do police officers, students, faculty, and staff perceive these partnership-building efforts, particularly as it relates to fostering collective efficacy within the campus community? (3) Through what processes have campus police partnerships with students, faculty, and staff contributed …

Harnessing The Power Of Cliftonstrengths®: How Multinational Corporations Can Use Deep-Level Diversity To Enhance Organizational Inclusion, Trapper Kay Pace

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explicitly investigated how multinational corporations can enhance workplace inclusion through the novel use of the CliftonStrengths® assessment as a dimension of deep-level diversity. The study gleaned insights from employees’ perspectives, employing a constructivist grounded theory approach to explicate their experiences in rich qualitative narratives. Through open-ended surveys and intensive interviews, participants were selected using purposeful sampling to ensure meaningful data collection from the study organizations’ three global regions. The researcher conducted the analysis systematically through the constant comparison of data utilizing the NVivo14 software to assist in constructing codes, themes, and a theoretical schema. Results highlighted the significance …

Resiliency, Mindset, And Academic Performance: A College Athlete's Perspective, Trisha C. Giacomazzi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem addressed in this qualitative case study was the low graduation rates self-reported by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics institutions when compared to the general student population at a small Christian university in the Southern United States. In this study, I sought to acquire a deeper understanding of the degree to which an athlete’s mindset and psychological resilience influenced their perseverance and academic achievement on their path toward graduation. Utilizing semistructured interviews as the primary data collection method, I used purposive, convenience, and snowball selection methods to enlist a total of 10 participants from a pool of 52 …

A Qualitative Descriptive Study Exploring The Perceptions Of New Teacher Induction Supports, Tonya P. Dixon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The problem of novice teachers leaving the profession in the first few years of their career represented a global issue and an increased attrition rate. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the perceptions of novice U.S. teachers and effective systemic supports provided to new teachers through the lens of social capital. For this study, the intangible components of social capital emerged through the development and fostering of mentoring relationships in an induction program. The methodology used was a qualitative descriptive study using a survey, interviews, and thematic analysis of the survey and interview data collected. The …

#Dusomething! A Qualitative Exploratory Study To Identify Challenges And Opportunities For Improvement In Du's Response To Sexual Harassment And Assault, Alejandro Cerón, Amanda Cali, Briana Cox, Camille Cruz, Camryn Evans, Cyndal Groskopf, Ashley Joplin, Clayton Kempf, Kēhaulani Lagunero, Jayvyn Jakai Lewis, Aili Limstrom, Gray Messersmith, Cal Quayle, Yadira Quintero, Michael Sze, Aaron Toussaint, Sami Zepponi

Anthropology: Undergraduate Student Scholarship

The purpose of this course-based research project was to identify where DU has made progress in its response to sexual harassment, identifying challenges and opportunities for improvement, with the hope that the results will support the DU community’s efforts to prevent, address, and eradicate sexual harassment.

The Organizational Socialization Of K–12 Classified Employees, Steven Dunlap

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify to what extent newly employed classified staff in K–12 school districts in Southern California experienced organizational tactics (content, context, and social) to support their socialization process during the 1st year of employment (G. R. Jones, 1986). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the degree to which newly employed classified staff saw these tactics as effective in supporting their socialization to their new role (role clarity, social acceptance, and task mastery).

Methodology: This study used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to engage …

Compassionate Noticing And Stopping The Action: Bringing Intentionally Emergent Teaching Into Leadership Education, Tara Widner, Linnette Werner

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Emergent-based practices of leadership development (such as intentional emergence (IE), case-in-point, or group relations) rely a great deal on stopping the action in order to publicly notice group behaviors and patterns and connect what is happening authentically to conscious actions and ideas (such as course content, readings, theories, etc.). However, when a facilitator or participant practices stopping the action and calling out these behaviors, there is a danger that they will go beyond productive tension into a level that causes casualties. This article explores the foundational need for compassion and purpose when using the common tools of heat and noticing …

Hurting The Helpers: Mental Health And The United States’ Education System, Simone Fh Banks

National Cross-Cultural Counseling & Education Conference for Research, Action & Change (2016-2024)

Teachers in US public schools are in the midst of a workforce crisis. Mounting responsibilities, struggling to make a liveable wage, and the impact teaching has on a person’s mental health are reasons why teachesr are leaving the profession in huge numbers. This presentation will highlight the impact the current system has on teachers’ mental health.