Educational Leadership Commons^™

Formal Mentoring Programs: An Exploration Of Barriers To Implementation In Nursing Schools, Megan Christine Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Although there are over three million registered nurses in the United States, the national nursing shortage has reached epic proportions, with a vacancy rate of 9.9%. One of the contributing factors to the nursing shortage is the lack of qualified nursing faculty. While formal mentoring programs have been identified as best practice in supporting the expert nurse clinician in their transition into the novice nurse faculty role, these programs are not consistently implemented in schools of nursing. In this phenomenological study, the perceptions of nursing leaders regarding barriers to the implementation of formal mentoring programs were analyzed. Using a …

How Exemplary Special Education Administrators Lead From The Heart Using Mark Crowley’S Four Principles (Building A Highly Engaged Team, Connecting On A Personal Level, Maximizing Employee Potential, And Valuing And Honoring Achievements) To Accomplish Extraordinary Results In Their Schools, Aimee Barnard

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary district-level special education administrators lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences and specific ways in which district-level special education administrators implemented and used Crowley’s (2011) four principles of heart-led strategies to understand the specific experiences and actions of the district-level special education administrators in relation to Crowley’s leading from the heart framework. …

Writing Through Whiteness: Utilizing Personal Narratives To Strengthen The Racial Competency Of White Teachers, Paul F. Walsh

Education Doctorate Dissertations

While the student population in the United States is becoming increasingly diverse, the teaching force is still White-dominant by a large margin. In the 2017-2018 school year, 79% of public-school teachers in the United States were White and non-Hispanic (National Center for Education Statistics). This White-dominant population of teachers is tasked with educating increasing numbers of students of color from diverse backgrounds. With this charge should come the necessity for White teachers to critically consider the complex ways that whiteness characterizes the American education system and their ways of teaching. White teachers cannot navigate issues of race in their schools …

Perceptions Of Induction: A Phenomenological Case Study, Kimberly L. Stephens

All Theses And Dissertations

The first months of teaching can significantly diminish a probationary teacher’s perception of their ability when the nuances of the job and students become overwhelming. On average, a school will lose three out of every 20 teachers annually. The problem this study researches is how faculty and staff provide support for probationary teachers. Too often, induction models remain underdeveloped, understudied, and rarely are formative assessments associated with faculty interactions. In this study, the dynamic interplay between the individual, the environment, and behavior establish a deeper understanding of the teacher network as a social system with expected returns. The tenets of …

Teacher Use And Perceptions Of Writing Practices In West Virginia: Policy And Leadership Implications, Margaret Luma

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

National standardized test scores indicate West Virginia students perform below the national average in writing achievement, yet little research has been conducted to investigate how writing is being taught. Gaining understanding of the instructional strategies West Virginia teachers use to teach writing may provide insight for educational leaders about how to better support and prepare teachers for the complex task of teaching writing. Identifying challenges and barriers to implementing evidence-based practices may provide areas of focus for school and policy improvements as they relate to writing expectations. This study investigated the practices and perceptions of fourth-grade teachers in West Virginia …

Purpose And Autonomous Functioning In College Students, Michelle Steffenhagen

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

This study sought to understand the relationship between a sense of purpose and autonomous functioning in college students. Further, the results were compared with the independent variables of gender, volunteerism, and faith community participation. Participants (n = 356) were undergraduate college students at a small private liberal arts Christian institution located in the Midwest of the United States of America. Measures included the Claremont Purpose Scale and the Index of Autonomous Functioning. Pearson correlations were used to analyze the data, and purpose and autonomous functioning were positively correlated. Women reported higher levels of a sense of purpose and autonomous functioning. …

Reading By Ear: Music Teachers' Roles In And Attitudes About Identifying Students With Dyslexia In Kentucky's Public School System, Alison Ward Brown

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Identifying students with literacy disabilities, such as dyslexia, efficiently in public schools is crucial for early intervention. Literacy and musical skills share common neurological pathways, so music educators possess a skill set that could be advantageous in screening students. This study utilized a descriptive research design to identify music educators’ roles in the identification of students with dyslexia/reading disabilities in Kentucky’s public schools, and their attitudes about those roles. Data was collected through a survey completed by Kentucky public school music teachers. Results indicated that 92% of respondents had not participated in the screening process for children with literacy disorders/dyslexia …

How Do Parents Of Typically Developing Children Perceive And Interact With Children With Exceptionalities?, Zurisaday N. Decker

Theses and Dissertations--Early Childhood, Special Education, and Counselor Education

The purpose of this study was to examine how parents with children displaying typical development, perceive and interact with children who have exceptionalities or disabilities and explore parents’ openness to having discussions about exceptional children in inclusive classrooms. Given that parents function as foundational sources of knowledge to children in their early childhood years, understanding parents’ perceptions of and interactions with children with disabilities may help to understand how these parents’ children will, in-turn, perceive and interact with classroom peers with disabilities. This line of inquiry is supported by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which views microsystems such as the family, …

Exploring The Relationship Between Reported Instructional Leadership Behaviors And High-Quality Professional Development Factors, Shelby Lea Daeschner

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

With the reauthorization of the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a focus has been placed on the principal as an instructional leader to improve school culture and student achievement. Professional Development (PD) can improve teacher capacity and student outcomes through long-term, job-embedded, coherent, collaborative, and focused activities. This correlational study explored the relationship between principals’ reported behaviors and rankings of the importance of high-quality PD factors. Through a self-reported survey, elementary school principals across the United States were asked to report the frequency of instructional leader behaviors as measured via the Principal Instructional Management Scale (PIMRS) and rank the …

Moving From Harm Mitigation To Affirmative Discrimination Mitigation: The Untapped Potential Of Artificial Intelligence To Fight School Segregation And Other Forms Of Racial Discrimination, Andrew Gall

Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology

No abstract provided.

The Implementation Of Restorative Justice Practices: An Exploration Into Administrators' Experiences, Sacha Starr Helling-Christy

Education Dissertations

In this paper, transformative learning theory and restorative justice practices, as well as the empirical research done to link theory to practice, are explored. As Mezirow (2018) stated, transformative learning is “the process by which we transform problematic frames of reference (mindsets, habits of mind, meaning perspectives)—sets of assumption and expectation—to make them more inclusive, . . . open, reflective and emotionally able to change” (p. 116). In other words, people’s life experiences help shape their opinions and worldviews, and most people are resistant to change these ideas the more solidly they are planted in one’s minds as being correct. …

Perceptions Of Academic Self-Concept: Testimonios Of Junior High School Latinas, Ernestina Aguilar

LMU Theses and Dissertations

Eurocentric and marginalizing schooling practices hinder Latino student persistence in US Schools. Furthermore, an intentional focus placed on Latinas uncovers compounding layers of oppression permeating the educational system. Through an analysis of testimonios, this qualitative critical narrative study better understands the schooling experiences and academic self-concept of seven Latina junior high students. Guided by Latino Critical Race (LatCrit) and Intersectionality Theories, it contributes to understandings of how Latina youth experience the transition from elementary to junior high school and how they perceived themselves as scholars. Testimonios were captured through a three-part series of semi-structured videoconference interviews. Data analysis utilized tenets …

Exploring White Racial Identity Development Within Christian Colleges, Glen Kinoshita

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

Racial identity development is a growth process in which many college students engage as they regularly interact with peers and instructors from diverse backgrounds. As compositional diversity, as well as diversity of thought, lags at Christian colleges, the purpose of this qualitative, narrative study was to understand how White students who have undergone significant progress in their racial identity development, describe their process while attending predominantly White, evangelical, Christian colleges. Three participants from three Christian colleges/universities were interviewed, a total of nine, White student participants. One college was located in the Pacific Northwest and two colleges were located in Southern …

Growth: 21 (2022) Full Issue

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

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

Advising And Supporting College Students Experiencing Imposter Syndrome: A Christian Perspective, Jeannine Kranzow

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

For Christian student affairs educators, it is essential that the methods of advising and supporting students be in line with biblical directives for a whole and holy life. This paper will examine approaches for advising and supporting students experiencing imposter syndrome. Current research on impostor syndrome is presented as well as a discussion of ways that Christian insight can provide additional guidance and awareness for supporting struggling students. By connecting both biblical wisdom and the current scholarship, a Christian perspective of impostor syndrome, anchored in a discussion on spiritual warfare, is offered. Using this perspective, recommendations for practice are identified.

Living Life Together: A Qualatative Study Of Taylor University's Lifestyle Covenant, Jana Roste

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

Taylor University, a small, Christian, liberal arts institution in the Midwest, utilizes a lifestyle covenant which outlines expectations for campus life to promote character development and fulfill the university’s mission. In pursuit of exploring community members’ perceptions of the Life Together Covenant (LTC), the larger qualitative study, consisting of individual interviews with ten senior students, ten staff members, and ten faculty members, found that participants generally perceived the LTC as a guide or set of expectations to live cohesively at Taylor. This article focuses on the student findings and analyses. Students generally perceive and experience the LTC in a legalistic …

Nature Rx: Improving College-Student Mental Health, Christina Brandsma

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

Christina Brandsma reviews Nature Rx: Improving College-Student Mental Health by Donald A. Rakow and Gregory T. Eells, published by Cornell University Press, 2019.

Finding Jesus In The Storm: The Spiritual Lives Of Christians With Mental Health Challenges, Jeffrey Tabone

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

Jeffrey Tabone reviews Finding Jesus in the Storm: The Spiritual Lives of Christians with Mental Health Challenges by John Swinton, published by Eerdmans, 2020.

Algorithms Of Opporession: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, Jazmin Dantzler

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

Jazmin "JD" Dantzler reviews Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism by Stafiya Umoja Noble, published by NYU Press, 2018.

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Teacher Grit, Technology Self-Efficacy, And Technology Integration, Joshua Jeremiah Shiloh Marsh

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

The use of educational technology applications has grown tremendously in the last decade. Instructors are now equipped with hardware and software applications previously unavailable, such as mobile and interactive technologies. These tools can have tremendous impact on students’ learning and teacher practices. Teachers can improve their assessment capabilities through technology integration, provide better learning opportunities for students with learning disabilities, and promote deeper learning practices. Due to these benefits, budgets at the federal, state, and local levels of the United States now have specific allocations regarding technology-related purchases. Nevertheless, barriers remain regarding the effective integration of technologies in public schools. …

Ambitious And Anxious: How Chinese College Students Succeed And Struggle In American Higher Education, Sara Vander Bie

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

Sara Vander Bie reviews Ambitious and Anxious: How Chinese College Students Succeed and Struggle in American Higher Education by Yingyi Ma, published by Columbia University Press, 2020.

Supporting Teacher Retention Through A Trauma-Informed Lens, Nicole C. Reddig

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between trauma-informed practices and teacher burnout and turnover. For the past decade, schools across the United States have seen high levels of burnout and turnover amongst their educators. At the same time, young children are experiencing high levels of exposure to traumatic events in childhood, affecting their behavior, social and emotional health, and ability to learn. While teachers play an important role in the support system for these students, they are also at risk for experiencing secondary trauma and burnout. To mitigate the effects of trauma, trauma-informed practices have been introduced in schools to respond …

The African American And The California Basic Skills Requirement For Teaching, Willie C. Thomas Ii

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This study examines why the passing rates of African Americans on the CBEST are the lowest in California at 60%. Madkins (2011) identified licensure testing as a significant reason why African Americans cannot enter the teaching progression. According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2016), California has an ongoing credentialed teacher shortage. An even more significant need is for teachers of color. According to the California Department of Education (2021), 60% of the state’s educator workforce is White, while the state student body, multicultural and multilingual, is only slightly more than 22% White. While licensure testing for teachers is required in all …

Disappearing Acts: The Declining Numbers Of African American Teachers In Public School Settings, Catherine F. Lewis-Brownfield

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

African American teachers are slowly leaving the classroom, causing an imbalance in the student/teacher ratio (NCES, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics, African American teachers make up 3% in California and 7% nationally. This study sought to understand the reasons for the decline in the number of African American teachers in public school settings. Due to the decline in their numbers, African American students have suffered high dropout rates, low standardized test scores, and low college attendance (Gershenson, Hart, Hyman, Lindsey, & Papageorge, 2017). This qualitative study examined the obstacles current African American teachers face and the …

Teacher Retention Policy Coherence: An Analysis Of Policies And Practices Across Federal, State, And Division Levels, Andrene Castro, Adria Hoffman, Jonathan D. Becker, David Naff, Peter S. Willis, Andy Kane

MERC Publications

As part of a larger MERC study, this report provides an overview of federal, state, and regional policies and practices relevant to teacher retention. Using key informant interviews and document analysis, the report addresses the following research questions: What teacher retention policies exist at the federal, state, and local levels? How are these policies structured at the state level and local levels? How do teacher retention policies vary across MERC divisions? Following the findings, the report presents recommendations for policy and practice.

“I Had To Adapt To Continue Being A Student To The Best Of My Ability”: Identifying Occupational Therapy Students’ Processes Of Adapting To Academic Disruption, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Linda M. Olson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the wake of COVID-19, practitioners, educators, and students had to shift to virtual interactions while experiencing significant unknowns and valid fears. This project describes the lived experiences of 37 occupational therapy students who lived through this international pandemic examining their reflections of how occupational therapy theories and models of practice could inform approaches to adapt to the changing context of their lives. Narratives of students collected as part of routine educational assessments in an introduction to occupational therapy theory course were examined using methods of content analysis to understand the perspectives of students’ needs, supports, and mechanisms of adaption …

Teachers’ Perceptions And Experiences During An Annual Performance And Development Cycle, Kerry Elliott, John Hattie, Lorraine Graham

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In this study, the perceptions and experiences of eighteen teachers across three primary schools in Victoria, Australia, were examined as they participated in an annual performance and development cycle, guided by the Australian Teacher Performance and Development Framework. The study sought to investigate teachers’ experiences and perceptions of the cycle to understand the aspects perceived as valuable to these teachers. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were held with teachers at the beginning and end of each school’s annual performance and development cycle, and responses were thematically analysed. Findings suggest that school leaders perform a critical role in the …

Australian Professional Standards For Teachers: Perspectives Of Western Australian Primary School Teachers, Thomas Bertram Quinlivan, Grace Oakley, Jennifer K. Shand

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

This qualitative study investigated the perspectives of Western Australian teachers at the Proficient career stage on the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), or ‘the Standards’. Fifteen teachers from five independent schools participated in semi-structured interviews and five themes were identified, under the broad categories of Strengths and Challenges of the Standards. Strengths identified were that the Standards support professional practice and career development and are user-friendly. Challenges identified were that the Standards can present challenges to professional practice and are problematic in the way that they are presented. Importantly, participants felt that the Standards ignored important social and relational …

Making Connections To Address Mathematics Anxiety: A Case Study Of The Instructional Triangle And Remedial College Instructors, Njeri M. Pringle, Jamie L. Workman, Meagan C. Arrastia-Chisholm

Georgia Educational Researcher

Mathematics anxiety is a reality for many students as a number of community college and four-year university students feel disconnected from math and struggle to pass mathematics courses. Using a case study and grounded theory approach, six remedial mathematics instructors were interviewed and observed to examine their instructional strategies and practices. During the interviews, participants expounded upon the changes in strategies and practices implemented when aiding students struggling with anxiety. The Instructional Triangle was applied across participants to compare and contrast their experiences. The analysis focused on environmental factors that could increase or exacerbate mathematics anxiety. In particular, a theme …

Leadership Characteristics And Teacher Self-Efficacy From The Perspective Of Teachers, Carolyn Hayward

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential mixed methods study was to investigate how elementary teachers in Clay County, Florida rate their level of self-efficacy, while examining the specific leadership characteristics influencing self-efficacy from the perspective of teachers. Additionally, this study sought to identify characteristics and actions of principals that teachers consider to be important to their self-efficacy in teaching from home on a virtual platform during the global pandemic. Using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Survey (TSES) and the Principal Rating and Ranking Scale (PRRS), teachers assessed their own self-efficacy and the characteristics of principals that they believe influence their self-efficacy. On …