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Full-Text Articles in Educational Leadership

New Teacher Induction In The Age Of Social Media: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers In Their Second And Third Year In The Classroom, Loretta Ann Carter Mar 2020

New Teacher Induction In The Age Of Social Media: A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers In Their Second And Third Year In The Classroom, Loretta Ann Carter

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of teachers who have used social media to facilitate their first year of teaching during new teacher induction. Social media is described as blogging, discussion boards, Facebook, Google Hangouts, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, or YouTube videos. The theories guiding this study were Knowles’ adult learning theory and Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory as they relate to how adults learn and are motivated by following the examples of role models. Transcendental phenomenology was selected as the research method to consider the experiences of teachers returning for …


A Phenomenological Study On The Representation Of Female Senior Enlisted Leaders In The U.S. Army's Basic Combat Training Units, Allison Smith Mar 2020

A Phenomenological Study On The Representation Of Female Senior Enlisted Leaders In The U.S. Army's Basic Combat Training Units, Allison Smith

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore retired female senior enlisted leaders’ lived experiences while assigned as first sergeant (1SG) and command sergeant major (CSM) in initial entry training (IET) to ascertain if their experiences shed light on the underrepresentation of female leaders in the basic combat training (BCT) environment. Data collection emphasized factors that led to success in the IET environment, as well as challenges and barriers they may have faced. The theoretical framework that underpinned this study included the social role theory that the expectations for men and women are based on sex differences that …


A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel Mar 2020

A Predictive And Causal-Comparative Analysis Of Teacher Burnout And Emotional Empathy Among K-12 Public School Teachers, Lori Jean Rosensteel

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Recent research has shown that teacher burnout is a contributing factor to many teachers leaving the field of education early on in their careers. Many teachers of all levels and subjects leave before ever reaching their full potential due to decreased job-satisfaction and the overwhelming symptoms of burnout crippling other areas of their life. Emotional exhaustion is a major component of burnout. Thus, emotional empathy may be related to teacher burnout. In this quantitative, correlational and causal-comparative study, the researcher examined the relationship between emotional empathy and teacher burnout among K-12 teachers. Further, the researcher investigated whether the relationship between …


The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr Feb 2020

The Relationship Between Teachers' Psychological Capital And Caring School Leadership And Enabling School Structure, Richard S. Jensen Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Teacher attrition is a continuing issue facing schools in the United States. A lack of administrative support and working conditions are often cited as causes of job dissatisfaction and lack of career commitment, which in turn lead to burnout and intent to leave. Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been extensively studied and found to have a positive correlation to the outcomes of job satisfaction and commitment and a negative correlation to stress and burnout. Some leadership models have been found to be an antecedent to PsyCap. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of teachers’ PsyCap with the …


A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Institutional Debt In The Mid-America Region Of Acsi, John Robert Beck Feb 2020

A Phenomenological Study Of The Role Of Institutional Debt In The Mid-America Region Of Acsi, John Robert Beck

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to inductively explore and understand how school leadership’s views on institutional debt impacted its use at Christian kindergarten-twelfth grade (K-12) schools in the Mid-America Region of the Association of Christian Schools International (MAR-ACSI). Institutional debt was generally defined as large and reoccurring expenses such as mortgages for school buildings. The qualitative research theory guiding this study was transcendental phenomenological reduction articulated by Clark Moustakas (1994) in his Phenomenological Research Methods. The Moustakas model provided an effective way to explore the gap in the literature found about how institutional debt impacted the planning and …


Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly Jan 2020

Principal Instructional Leadership Effect On High School Students’ Literacy Achievement, Kimberly Joyce Pinkney Kelly

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to further understand the problem of poor literacy achievement among high school students and to design interventions for school leaders to impact and improve high school students’ literacy. Fifteen Florida secondary principals’ self-perceived instructional leadership behaviors were scored using the three dimensions of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). The independent variables were the principal’s instructional behaviors, and the dependent variable was sophomore students’ Florida Standards Assessment English Language Arts school level scores for the 2016–2017 school year. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted using four open-ended questions to gather further information …


An Urban District's Middle School Response To The Impact Of Relational Aggression: A Case Study, Billy Thompson Dec 2019

An Urban District's Middle School Response To The Impact Of Relational Aggression: A Case Study, Billy Thompson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The proposed study is a qualitative design that utilizes a collective case approach. The purpose of this study is to examine administrator response to the academic and social impact that relational aggression has on girls between sixth through eighth grade at Thorn Rose Public Schools. The participants in this study are administrators from the district with diverse racial, gender identity, and ethnic backgrounds. The theories that guide this study are Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) founded in the work of Jean Miller, M.D., and Erikson's Stages of Psychological Development. The (RCT) theory assumes that humans have a natural drive toward acceptance and …


Causal-Comparative Study: Differences In Academic Achievement By Levels Of Social-Emotional Skills In Grade Five Students, David Frederick Salvatelli Dec 2019

Causal-Comparative Study: Differences In Academic Achievement By Levels Of Social-Emotional Skills In Grade Five Students, David Frederick Salvatelli

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Students’ social-emotional skills contribute to academic achievement and life success. This causal-comparative study examined differences in mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) achievement test scores among grade five students by their levels of proficiency (low, moderate, or high) in particular social and emotional skills, namely, academic self-efficacy, persistence, self-control, mastery orientation, and social competence. Participants were 115 grade five students from Title I schools in a metropolitan school district in south Florida. Each social and emotional skill was assessed using the Child Trends Social and Emotional Skills Survey battery. Multivariate Analysis of Variance, Analysis of Variance, and post hoc tests …


Academic Self-Concept Of Dual Credit Secondary Career Technical Education Students, Scott D. Griggs Dec 2019

Academic Self-Concept Of Dual Credit Secondary Career Technical Education Students, Scott D. Griggs

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dual credit continues to expand in approach, including a single course, multiple courses, up to associate degree offerings embedded in high schools, career technical education (CTE) programs, and located in a range of secondary and postsecondary locations. As of the 2010–2011 school year, 82% of all public secondary schools had students enrolled in dual credit courses (U. S. Department of Education, 2013). In the 2016–2017 school year, 73% of CTE courses of study included both high school and postsecondary credit (U.S. Department of Education, 2018). Existing dual credit research focuses heavily on academic impact, college credit, and continuation, along with …


The Relationship Between Middle School Principals Use Of The Dimensions Of Distributed Leadership And Teachers, George Lathan Marek Marshall Dec 2019

The Relationship Between Middle School Principals Use Of The Dimensions Of Distributed Leadership And Teachers, George Lathan Marek Marshall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Distributed leadership provides school leaders with an opportunity to engage teachers in the leadership process. Sharing leadership in the middle school setting engages teachers in the decision-making process while allowing them to utilize their leadership skills. Creating a culture of shared leadership through distributed leadership, provides school leaders and teachers an opportunity to achieve school related goals together as a team. The purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between middle school principals use of the dimensions of distributed leadership and teacher engagement in the shared decision-making process. The research questions guiding this study are: 1) …


Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, And Teacher Personalities, Kathryn Nabors Metherell Dec 2019

Teacher Retention, Teacher Attrition, And Teacher Personalities, Kathryn Nabors Metherell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The teaching profession is currently suffering from the number of teachers who leave the classroom before retirement. Many corporations use personality testing to determine if an individual is suitable for a position and if they are likely to remain in that position for the duration of their career. A causal-comparative research design was used to determine if there was a difference in teachers who left the classroom before retirement, teachers who officially retired under normal circumstances, biological sex, and personality type. The Big Five Inventory-2 was used to determine the personality types of the participants. The participants were categorized into …


Perceptual Differences In School Climate Between Administrators And Teachers Within Christian Schools, Cheryl Turner Cavanaugh Dec 2019

Perceptual Differences In School Climate Between Administrators And Teachers Within Christian Schools, Cheryl Turner Cavanaugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

School climate has been researched for the past 100 years. However, there is a lack of school climate research focused on perceptual differences between school leaders and teachers. It is important to evaluate stakeholder differences, as principals are tasked with forming the climate of the school and teachers are responsible for relaying that climate to students. Furthermore, there is a lack of school climate studies conducted in private Christian schools. Christian school leaders need school climate data to help sustain and improve Christian education. The purpose of this causal comparative study is to evaluate perceptual differences between administrators and teachers …


Virtual Classes: A Comparative Study On The Overall Effect Of Virtual Science Classes On High School Students' Course Grade, Melinda Lee Maier Dec 2019

Virtual Classes: A Comparative Study On The Overall Effect Of Virtual Science Classes On High School Students' Course Grade, Melinda Lee Maier

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to the rapid growth of technology and implementation of virtual learning into the lives of students, there is a push for the evaluation of virtual educational programs. The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to compare the impact of traditional, face-to-face instruction and virtual instruction on students’ course grades. The sample included 272 high school students in Florida; 125 students were enrolled in a virtual honors-level course and 147 students were enrolled in a traditional, face-to-face honors-level course. The students were enrolled in honors biology, chemistry, or physics. The theories guiding this study were social learning theory, self-determination …


The Effects Of Hands-On Equations On Math Achievement Of Ninth Grade Students, Chauncey Andrice Scott Dec 2019

The Effects Of Hands-On Equations On Math Achievement Of Ninth Grade Students, Chauncey Andrice Scott

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Each year, ninth-grade students across the United States of America fail to meet the national standards in mathematics. Students struggle to grasp the concepts needed to produce correct answers to math problems. Ninth grade students with disabilities, especially in the southeastern region of the United States, consistently fail the math portion of the Georgia Milestones Test. As a response to this problem in Georgia, Hands-On Equations by Henry Borenson represents a possible solution for many students failing to meet the standard in ninth grade mathematics. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the difference between the mathematics …


A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Spanish Elementary Dual Immersion Principals, Osvaldo Garcia Nov 2019

A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Spanish Elementary Dual Immersion Principals, Osvaldo Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological hermeneutic study was to describe the lived experiences of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals who have led or are leading in Spanish elementary dual immersion schools. At this stage in the research, Spanish elementary dual immersion schools were generally defined as educational institutions designed to provide instruction in English and Spanish. The following central research question guided the study: What is the leadership experiences of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals? The researcher delved into the challenges, benefits, and transformational leadership traits of Spanish elementary dual immersion school principals. The theory which guided …


The Relationship Between Academic And Social Satisfaction Among Post-9/11 Veterans In Higher Education, William Alton Hammac Nov 2019

The Relationship Between Academic And Social Satisfaction Among Post-9/11 Veterans In Higher Education, William Alton Hammac

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined reintegration of Post-9/11 military veterans into higher education as measured by their satisfaction with a private southeastern university. This research was accomplished through the study of the potential relationship between the academic satisfaction and social satisfaction of Post-9/11 military veterans attending a private southeastern university and how they felt about their overall educational experience. The research questions were derived from the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory which was administered by the university, surveying the quality of student life, and serving as a national benchmark comparison for educational institutions nationwide. This research was a non-experimental, ex post …


Comparing Perceived College Persistence Between Students Taking Online Or Residential Dual Enrollment In High School, Dustin Joseph Miller Nov 2019

Comparing Perceived College Persistence Between Students Taking Online Or Residential Dual Enrollment In High School, Dustin Joseph Miller

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Dual enrollment and online education are two factors of education that have become prevalent over the past decade. This rapid growth has resulted in higher attendance rates, but also higher dropout rates. It is the students’ persistence to graduation that demands the attention of all stakeholders. There is an abundance of research showing the value of dual enrollment leading to student success at the collegiate level, but the purpose of this study is to differentiate between online and residential dual enrollment. This study used a causal comparative design to compare the two group means of first-year residential college students taking …


A Phenomenological Investigation Of Elementary School Counselors' Training Applicability With Students' Social-Emotional Wellbeing, Vanessa Camiel Costello Nov 2019

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Elementary School Counselors' Training Applicability With Students' Social-Emotional Wellbeing, Vanessa Camiel Costello

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to investigate the self-perceived preparedness of elementary school counselors’ to foster and promote students’ social-emotional wellbeing. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA, 2016) stipulates in its National Model that school counselors are to assist students in their social-emotional wellbeing through their school counselors’ competencies. This study sought to fill the gap in the literature regarding elementary school counselors’ experiences in utilizing their training to foster and promote students’social-emotional wellbeing. The central question guiding this study is, “how do elementary school counselors describe their training applicability to foster and promote students’ social-emotional wellbeing?” …


An Examination Of The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement And Education Financing Among Undergraduate Students, Nicola Ifill-Fraser Oct 2019

An Examination Of The Relationship Between Academic Entitlement And Education Financing Among Undergraduate Students, Nicola Ifill-Fraser

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Academic entitlement among students is a growing problem and concern for universities. Students with a sense of entitlement towards their education believe that positive academic outcomes are owed to them and should be awarded, not based on mastery of educational content, but on non-academic aspects of education, such as attending class, participating in class, or paying tuition fees. Additionally, academically entitled students have unrealistic expectations about the role of instructors and demanding attitudes and behaviors toward faculty. The factors precipitating these actions and behaviors appear to be multi-facted and remain unclear. To add to the growing body of literature on …


Factors Contributing To The Success Of Students In An Alternative Learning Center With An Online Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study, Heather Amanda Clay Oct 2019

Factors Contributing To The Success Of Students In An Alternative Learning Center With An Online Curriculum: A Multiple Case Study, Heather Amanda Clay

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to discover the factors which contribute to the success of students in alternative learning centers with online curriculums in Central Virginia. The main theory guiding this study was Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory as it proposes that learning occurs in social environments through an interaction with people, the environment, and behavior. Self-regulation theory was also used as it posits that learners are active participants in the learning process. The central question guiding this study was: What factors contribute to the success of students in an alternative learning center with an online …


How To Improve Test Scores On The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test In Evidence-Based Reading And Writing, Lavinia Sonia Mikaela Callahan Sep 2019

How To Improve Test Scores On The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test In Evidence-Based Reading And Writing, Lavinia Sonia Mikaela Callahan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied research study is to determine how to improve test scores on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing for high school students in a school in Hawaii and to formulate a solution to address the problem. The problem is that test scores revealed that only 63% of students were proficient for the 2017-2018 school year. The central research question for this study is “How can test scores be improved on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing at a school in Hawaii?” The theoretical framework for this study …


In-Season And Out-Of-Season Academic Performance Of Secondary School Student-Athletes, Toney L. Farr Jr Aug 2019

In-Season And Out-Of-Season Academic Performance Of Secondary School Student-Athletes, Toney L. Farr Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The in-season and out-of-season effects of sports participation on academic performance vary depending on the level of play from middle school through collegiate athletics. The purpose of this study was to determine if a significant difference exists between in-season academic performance and out-of-season academic performance of student-athletes in a low-income high school. The number of students participating in high school athletics has continued to rise for 33 consecutive years as increases in the commercialization of high school athletics affect the athletic identities and academic achievement of student-athletes. Little research has been done to examine the effects of in- and out-of-season …


Predictors Of Zero Tolerance Policy Violations Among High School And Middle School Students, Anthony J. Roberson Aug 2019

Predictors Of Zero Tolerance Policy Violations Among High School And Middle School Students, Anthony J. Roberson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study embarked on identifying social and economic variables to predict violations of zero tolerance policies. The objective of this study was to identify a set of variables that may predict circumstance that lead a student to violate zero tolerance policies. This study explored whether a set of five risk factors: (i) grade level, (ii) retention, (iii) suspension, (iv) race, and (v) gender can predict the criterion variable, zero tolerance policies violation. The research design supports the examination of the null hypothesis of no predictive relationship between the predictor variables grade level, suspension, race, and gender and the criterion variable …


The Effectiveness Of Inquiry And Computer Based Learning In Remediation Of Science Students, Kelli Caras Aug 2019

The Effectiveness Of Inquiry And Computer Based Learning In Remediation Of Science Students, Kelli Caras

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The state of Virginia requires science Standards of Learning tests to be conducted as a graduation requirement as well as a measure of teacher performance. In an attempt to increase graduation rates, the state has adopted an expedited retake policy allowing certain students to retest if their scores were close to passing but fell short. No requirement, however, was given as to the means of remediation that the students must attend in order to retest. This quantitative study examined the effectiveness of three instructional strategies in improving student performance during the retest. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group design was used …


Elementary School Building Leaders’ Experiences With Leading Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) Initiatives In Upstate South Carolina: A Phenomenological Study, Jason Michael Ramey Aug 2019

Elementary School Building Leaders’ Experiences With Leading Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports (Pbis) Initiatives In Upstate South Carolina: A Phenomenological Study, Jason Michael Ramey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of elementary school building leaders with leading Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) initiatives in upstate South Carolina. The theories guiding this study were the growth mindset theory (Dweck, 2006) and the transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1996) as they tie into the experiences of building leaders through their journey. The central research question in this study was: What are the building leaders’ experiences leading PBIS initiatives in an upstate South Carolina elementary school? This study sought to discover the experiences of building leaders who were implementing PBIS. The …


Undergraduate Admissions Decisions Of Selective Institutions: The Impact Of Social Media Information, Ashley Renea Allison Jul 2019

Undergraduate Admissions Decisions Of Selective Institutions: The Impact Of Social Media Information, Ashley Renea Allison

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal comparative study examines the impact of decisions made by college admissions personnel at colleges and universities ranked as Highly Competitive, Highly Competitive Plus, Most Competitive, Very Competitive, and Very Competitive Plus by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges (2018). Admissions representatives were asked to evaluate social media content of hypothetical applicants to their institution then complete a trait inference task based on the Deese-Roediger-McDermott false recognition paradigm. A total of 413 institutions were invited to participate in the online activity to establish the effect of online impression formation by admissions personnel and its impact on admissions decisions. The survey …


The Relationship Between English Learners’ English Language Proficiency And High Stakes Assessments In Virginia, Jannette Duhart Jul 2019

The Relationship Between English Learners’ English Language Proficiency And High Stakes Assessments In Virginia, Jannette Duhart

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Due to increases in immigration patterns, U.S. schools face many challenges when educating this fast-growing minority immigrant population who confront many social, cultural, economic, and linguistic obstacles. Lack of English proficiency, in many instances, impedes this newly arrived group from fully integrating and participating within societal contexts. Children of immigrants have the dichotomous task of learning academic content and demonstrating subject knowledge on high stakes assessments while learning English as a new language. English Learners, Hispanics in particular, are twice as likely to drop out of school. Dropout rates create accountability issues for schools in the U.S. that have experienced …


How School Leaders Shape School Culture: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer L. Schreiber Jul 2019

How School Leaders Shape School Culture: A Qualitative Case Study, Jennifer L. Schreiber

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to identify how school leaders shape school culture and specifically what behaviors contribute to a positive school culture. The central question framing this study was: How do school leaders influence a positive school culture? I conducted a multiple case study at two central Pennsylvania public middle schools, referred to by the pseudonyms of Montem Middle School and Silvan Middle School. These schools were identified by the 2018 Niche report as having a positive school culture, which was affirmed through the district’s own survey data. Through purposeful sampling, I identified school leaders to …


A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of High School Students Engaged In An Established 1:1 Technology Program, Kevin Michael Mathes Jul 2019

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of High School Students Engaged In An Established 1:1 Technology Program, Kevin Michael Mathes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative transcendental phenomenological study was to seek understanding as to the impact of an established 1:1 technology program on the educational experiences of high school students. The theories guiding this study were constructivism, based on the works of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, and connectivism, based on the work of George Siemens. Three high schools in a mid-Atlantic state with established 1:1 technology programs were identified as sites for this study. Participants included five high school students from each school site. The sequential data collection process began with one-on-one interviews with the participants, then a focus …


The Impact Of College Readiness Programs On Black Students' Completion Of College Programs: A Case Study, Tony R. Ryals Jun 2019

The Impact Of College Readiness Programs On Black Students' Completion Of College Programs: A Case Study, Tony R. Ryals

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this intrinsic multiple case study is to investigate the impact of college readiness programs on the persistence of Black college graduates. The theory guiding this study is Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational Design. This theory was used to determine the motivation of former college readiness program participants and their persistence to college completion. Keller’s ARCS model of motivational design will act as the framework of this research to answer the research questions: How does participation in a college readiness program impact participant persistence through college and how do participants describe their motivation as it relates to persisting …