Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Lived Experiences Of Clinical Adjunct Dental Hygiene Faculty, Susan Lori Vogell

All Theses And Dissertations

Clinical education is an integral part of a dental hygiene student’s education. Clinical adjunct dental hygiene faculty primarily teach in the clinical setting. Clinical adjunct dental hygiene faculty are often hired for their clinical expertise and may lack teaching experience. The transition from clinical practice to academia raises concern about the adequacy of support and preparation clinical adjunct faculty receive as they begin their new role as educators. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore clinical adjunct dental hygiene faculty members’ experiences of preparedness as they transitioned from clinical expert to novice educator. Six clinical adjunct dental …

The Role Of The Ethics Of Care In Transformation: An Examination Of How Nonprofit Leaders Deliver Care, Deanna Edmiston

All Theses And Dissertations

Although nonprofits have done much to aid both orphans and those who live in extreme poverty, the difficulties associated with these social problems can be challenging to overcome. Attempts to reduce such problems are frequently addressed by various government entities. However, these social problems still exist, and nonprofit organizations often fill the gaps to address the social problems that remain. Generally, leaders of nonprofit organizations acknowledge that those in their care need help, and this mission is often the organization’s highest priority. In doing so, however, nonprofits may concern themselves with transactional activities which may not produce transformation. Such transactional …

Supporting Educator Professional Growth In Times Of Change, Amanda M. Doyle

All Theses And Dissertations

This action research cross-case comparison study is set at an independent school in Maine which serves approximately 1,600 students in grades 6-12. Recently, the administrative team of the school articulated an academic strategic plan focused on increasing student achievement as measured by standardized test scores. The changes created a challenge because administrators raised expectations and accountability of staff members with respect to professional performance. The current climate in the institution presents an opportunity to provide a sense of direction and support for faculty through thoughtful leadership and professional development (PD) programming to support their progress on meeting the goals set …

Global Citizenship Education: Secondary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Global Education, Shannon M. Wasilewski

All Theses And Dissertations

As technology has improved communication and access to information around the world, it has become necessary for the purpose and goals of the American educational system to evolve. A focus on developing global citizens who can demonstrate 21st century skills will help educators who want to prepare their students to enter the world. This transcendental phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of current secondary educators who make global connections in their classrooms so that it can provide practical support to educators looking to begin making or improve existing global connections in the classroom.

This study was guided by two research …

Marketing Approaches Used In Independent Schools: Analysis Of The Perceived Effectiveness Of Marketing In Hawaii Independent Schools, Tim Spurrier

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative study examined Hawaii independent schools’ administrator’s perceptions of the effectiveness of marketing, intended message, and the media used to communicate to increase brand awareness and enrollment. Economic and competitive pressures have created the necessity for independent schools to employ marketing plans and strategies to distinguish the schools from their competitors and influence enrollment management. Hawaii independent schools are dominated by the reputation of four large schools in the Honolulu area, which has produced pressure on smaller schools to create a niche in the market. This study produced data from parents of enrolling students concerning the school’s attributes and …

Why Families Choose Catholic High Schools In Neighborhoods With Highly-Ranked Public Schools, Rachel Shanley

All Theses And Dissertations

In the San Francisco Bay Area of California, there are numerous options for secondary education, including free, well-ranked public schools and costly Catholic high schools. Although enrollment at Catholic schools is declining nationwide, there is still an interest in attending Catholic high schools due to the teaching of strong moral values, the benefit of long-term enrollment, the extraordinary classroom experiences which include a safe and welcoming environment for the students, extensive faculty and staff dedication, higher levels of parent involvement, advanced standards for student achievement, more civically engaged students, and a more infused college-going culture in the school promoting college …

The Impact Of Principals’ Communication Practices On School Success Environment: An Intrinsic Case Study, Sherron Gordon-Phan

All Theses And Dissertations

Communication is the foundation for conveying the overall expectations of staff by a principal and is required for educational leadership. Leaders must communicate precisely what is expected for staff members, students, and parents to do in the educational environment may be an essential element in the progression of the school environment as a whole. Traits that are associated with a leader and people who have those traits are commonly found in leadership roles (Marion & Gonzales, 2014). Principals who communicate the importance of school sustainability, attendance, retention, or graduation success may produce a connecting element when supporting the goal of …

Challenges With Academic Achievement For Esl Students At The Elementary Level From A Teacher’S Perspective, Julie Xu

All Theses And Dissertations

English language learners (ELLs) are currently one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. As growth of the ELL population has surpassed predictions over the years, there a great need to adequately train teachers to effectively serve these students. This pilot study sought to understand the challenges with academic achievement for ESL students at the elementary level from a teacher’s perspective. This case study research was conducted to answer four research questions: 1) What current challenges do teachers have with serving ELLs? How are they currently addressing these challenges? 2) What (if any) current instructional strategies are currently …

The Impact Of Community College Adminstration Leadership Styles On Morale And Productivity In Higher Education, Melissa Ann Croteau

All Theses And Dissertations

This dissertation examines the impact of different leadership styles of community college administrators that faculty and staff experience and how they can affect satisfaction and morale within the community college system. There is an increasing recognition that higher education institutions require effective leadership and there is a continuing need to examine what types of leadership styles are more likely to produce favorable outcomes so that faculty and staff will have increased job satisfaction and overall positive morale. A qualitative research study was done by using a focus group addressing leadership styles, morale, and job satisfaction directed to a small group …

Incorporating The Fifth Domain To The Danielson Framework To Support Charism In Catholic Education, Emily Jane Hanson Ramos

All Theses And Dissertations

Catholic school academic leaders need to work to not only increase student achievement and instructional outcomes for students but also to increase those through the lens of the Catholic school identity and the individual school’s charism (Belmonte & Cranston, 2009; Cook, 2015; Dygert, 1998). The research was driven by the central research question: How have Catholic school academic leaders utilized the Danielson Framework to improve definitions of good teaching within a Catholic school through the addition of a 5th domain to the Danielson Framework for Teaching? Catholic school academic leaders need to create a culture where these processes also support …

Moving Toward A Holistic Understanding Of Recidivism, Michael Thomas Wilber

All Theses And Dissertations

The United States incarcerates more individuals per capita than any other nation. According to Porter, Bushway, Tsao, & Smith (2016), “There are currently 2.1 million individuals detained in the correctional institutions in the United States. Young adults, individuals between the ages of 18 and 25, represent the smallest portion of the general population yet comprise the largest portion of the incarcerated population. Furthermore, African Americans comprise 13% of the general population of the United States but comprise 58% of the prison populations in the United States. Finally, the recidivism rate, the rate at which former inmates recriminalize and return to …

“We’Re Trying To Have A Childhood”: Parent Notions Of Kindergarten Readiness, Isabel F. Johnson

All Theses And Dissertations

In response to the chronic third-grade achievement-gap, public school kindergartens have abandoned Froëbel’s traditional child-centered pedagogy in favor of an early academic preparation model that promotes the idea of kindergarten readiness. But top-down implementation of readiness curriculum has not led to sustainable gains and may result in poorer student outcomes. The bioecological repercussions of early academic expectations on young children and their families are not well understood, and parent perspectives on the topic are often marginalized. This qualitative case study explored parent notions of kindergarten readiness using word coding analysis of eight kindergarten and preschool parent interviews. Findings from thematic …

The Effects Of The Dallas Independent School District Code Of Conduct On Lgbtq Young Adults Of Color, Antoinette Mcintosh

All Theses And Dissertations

This study explored the past lived experiences of LGBTQ young adults of color (ages 23-28) who were affected by the DISD Student Code of Conduct while attending high school. This study sought to discover the experiences, behaviors, and expectations that LGBTQ youth of color had in relation to the DISD Code of Conduct. This study used a qualitative phenomenological method with data collected from purposeful sampling of six LGBTQ young adults of color who attended DISD high schools and were suspended and/or expelled due to the zero tolerance nature of the student code of conduct. Inductive reasoning was used as …

The Lived Experiences Of Single Black Mothers In Higher Education Leadership, Iyhia Mcmichael

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to provide a better understanding of the experiences of single Black mothers in higher educational leadership roles. Utilizing the Strong Black Woman framework, the mothers exposed the three major themes: unyielding strength, assumption of multiple roles, and self-sacrifice and five additional sub-themes emerged flexibility, mentorship, support systems, emotional stability, and barriers. This study provides insight into the lived experiences of single Black mothers in higher educational leadership. One-on-one interviews were held with participants to examine their lived experiences to answer the primary question: What is the lived experience of single Black mothers …

Relationship Between Non-Cognitive Skills And Gpa In A Rural Maine Community College, Rebecca A. Martin

All Theses And Dissertations

The 21st century has altered the workscape, emphasizing non-cognitive skills required for success in the workforce. Community colleges that profess workforce readiness in their workreadiness programs use primarily cognitive assessment to ensure content and curricular learning. This quantitative study of rural Maine community college graduates examined non-cognitive workforce skills from this workforce readiness institution, correlating non-cognitive instrument scores to the standard cognitive score, cumulative grade point average (GPA). The Social-Emotional Health Survey-Higher Education (SEHS-HE) and the Review of Personal Experience with Locus of Control (ROPELOC) data were examined in relation to cumulative grade point average (GPA) to assess for the …

Training And Supervision Of Paraprofessionals In Special Education: A Qualitative Case Study, Catherine D. Stieg

All Theses And Dissertations

Researchers have identified educator concerns about inadequate paraprofessional training and supervision in PK-12 schools. Studies also show special educators are not adequately prepared to train and supervise the paraprofessionals. Additionally, the voices of special educators and paraprofessionals are narrowly represented in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to document the most effective methods of training and supervision, as perceived by special educators and paraprofessionals in the case study school district. This qualitative case study included two surveys which incorporated the Paraeducator Common Core Guidelines (PCCG) (CEC, 2015) and the concepts of adult learning by Drago-Severson (2015). The …

A Study Of Identity Issues That Affect Clergy Leadership On Lgbtq Inclusion, James Jeffrey Butcher

All Theses And Dissertations

This dissertation analyzes how the leadership decisions of thirty local church Protestant clergy in Virginia were influenced by personal, organizational, and cultural identity issues on matters related to homosexuality or LGBTQ inclusion. Self-understanding of identity issues affected clergy practice of biblical and theological interpretations on topics that include: purity, inclusion, same-sex marriage, ordination of LGBTQ persons, denominational loyalty, local church loyalty, transactional leadership, transformational leadership, and transformative leadership. The researcher used semi-structured phenomenological interviews with seven focus groups and seven individual follow-up interviews. The researcher explored the process by which clergy construct their identities, while noting the resulting leadership strategies …

The Importance Of Coaching: A Program Evaluation Of The Americorps College Completion Coaches Program, Latoya E. Rolle

All Theses And Dissertations

As more students enroll than earn a post-secondary credential, persistence toward completion and graduation have become issues in community colleges. This program evaluation highlights the AmeriCorps College Completion Coach program implemented across community colleges in Ohio during 2012–2017 under the leadership of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC). The program goal is to improve postsecondary credential obtainment by increasing course completion and credit hour accumulation. This outcome is achieved by providing coaching to at-risk students in community colleges across Ohio. This study sought to discover the AmeriCorps College Completion Coach program’s best practices for student support services and explored …

Investigating Intercultural Communication Competence In Narrative Texts Of English Learners, Alexander Lee-Heng Tai

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to investigate the current levels of intercultural communication competence in fourth and fifth grade English Learners through narrative text composition within the researcher's English Learner classroom environment. This mixed-methods research was conducted as a response to the need for curriculum changes in preparing EL pre-service educators within the higher education system to become more proficient in the implementation of intercultural communication pedagogy. This action research was supported by a literature review including topics of intercultural communication pedagogy, linguistic relativity hypothesis, linguaculture, and English language development. The research questions that guided this study were: (1) …

Policies And Procedures Perceived By School Leaders To Reduce Truancy In A Public Charter School, Alix Desulme

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative study examined the causes of student truancy and the policies and procedures established by one public charter school to reduce truancy. Eight participants were asked to discuss the policies and procedures of their school, CSS, and how they as school leaders contributed to the success of the school regarding low truancy rates. Student truancy has become a major concern in the United States with some states and some counties experiencing higher truancy rates than others. This study aimed to understand leaders’ perceptions of the effectiveness of truancy policies at their school. To understand what factors affected truancy at …

Effects Of Racial Microaggressions On Black Women’S Work Performance As Government Workers, Samantha-Rae Dickenson

All Theses And Dissertations

This study explored the connection between society’s perception of Black women and their experiences of racial microaggressions in a work environment, and further understand the effect these experiences have on their work performance. Despite federal regulations to eliminate workplace discrimination, there are still racially neutral workplace policies and a lack of inclusion in work environments. Work environments that do not actively account for diversity in formal policies can promote the occurrence of racial microaggressions. Black women’s unique experiences with racial microaggressions may affect their job performance. This study used Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality Theory, and Black Feminist Theory as a …

Investigation Of The Relationship Between Orientation And Persistence, Kellie A. Ziemak

All Theses And Dissertations

This study sought to understand persistence from a student’s perspective. In the past, student success courses were able to provide students with the opportunity to learn the college-readiness skills essential to student persistence. Developmental education reform in Florida has restructured course requirements, and students can now decide if they want to enroll in a student success course. This leaves colleges exploring alternatives to assist students in gaining the skills they need to be successful in college. This study used Tinto’s student integration theory as a conceptual framework to determine if students thought orientation helped them integrate both socially and academically …

Special Area Teachers’ Perceptions Of Performance Evaluation Feedback And Professional Development Provided, Christy Isaacs

All Theses And Dissertations

There is significant research showing that teachers are motivated to grow intrinsically through the feedback and professional development opportunities they receive from their principals following the evaluation cycle. The quality of this feedback greatly influences their willingness to continuously improve their practices. However, limited research exists on whether special area teachers receive meaningful feedback and professional development opportunities from their principals, who may lack specialized content knowledge, following their evaluations.

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to explore special area teachers’ perceptions of the feedback and professional development opportunities their principals provided following the evaluation cycle. Participants included …

Leadership Effectiveness In Curriculum Adoption For A Kindergarten, Bo Peng

All Theses And Dissertations

This study of leadership effectiveness focused on adoption, implementation, and evaluation of kindergarten curriculum. The researcher evaluated leadership effectiveness through the processes and outcomes of the team’s decision-making. Research questions were: How does the kindergarten leadership team make decisions about adoption of kindergarten curriculum? How does the kindergarten leadership team evaluate the quality of kindergarten curriculum? How does the kindergarten leadership team evaluate student learning in the three curriculum areas of Chinese language, English language and science? How does the curriculum they have adopted align with the CKEG national standards for kindergarten curriculum in China? The program evaluation, guided by …

How Coaching Changes Teaching Practices In Elementary Literacy Instruction, Terrilyn D. L. Cheney

All Theses And Dissertations

Professional development is a major initiative in many school districts in an effort to help teachers improve teaching and learning. Literacy coaches are becoming increasingly prevalent in many elementary school buildings. This study examined the effects literacy coaches have on teaching practices. More specifically, it examined to what degree literacy coaches affect teaching.

Utilizing an electronic survey, 18 elementary classroom teachers participated in providing feedback relative to their enjoyment, new learning, changes in practice, and subsequent changes in student learning that occurred as a result of literacy coaching. Teachers indicated new learning was occurring despite how many years they had …

Higher Education Mergers: Challenges Blending Organizational Culture And The Influence Of Leaders, Amy A. Maison

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to explore, identify, and describe the challenges two-year college administrators face when blending the organizational culture of two or more institutions as a result of an involuntary, single sector merger. This phenomenological qualitative study drew findings from interviews with 12 individuals who have experienced a merger, are currently in leadership or faculty positions, and work for the Technical College System of Georgia. Using Moustakas’s (1994) model of transcendental phenomenology and the open systems theory, the researcher sought to uncover the human experience of a higher education merger. As a result of the data analysis, …

Threads Of Support: Mentoring Of Online Doctoral Students, Debra Lynn Welkley

All Theses And Dissertations

Doctoral students in programs throughout the United States express a need for mentoring as an important element in the completion of their degree (Associate Students of the Graduate Division, 2017; Noonan et al., 2007; University of Michigan, 2006). Although there are several studies that explored types of mentor programs and student perceptions of mentoring (Johnson, 2015; Terry & Ghosh, 2015), a review of the literature indicates an examination of doctoral student mentoring from a faculty mentor’s lens had not been examined. This transcendental phenomenological study investigated the lived experiences of faculty who mentor online Ed.D. students. The findings in the …

Perceptions Of Empowered Teacher Leaders, Michael J. Rafferty

All Theses And Dissertations

Teacher Leadership movements over the last 30 years have attempted to create leadership opportunities within and across an organization. The purpose of this mixed method case study was to evaluate the impact of a district’s teacher leadership opportunities to reduce teacher isolation and increase teacher collaboration. This study illustrated how effective teacher leadership initiatives should take Piaget’s idea (1971) of discovery learning and combine it with the concept that teaching and learning are more powerful when they involve social interaction (Bandura, 1987).

A literature review revealed a gap in understanding what systems and structures made collaboration more successful for teacher …

Decision-Making And Ethics: A Study Of Massachusetts Superintendents, Maryann Perry

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the basis on which superintendents made decisions to see if they were using the four ethical frameworks of the multiple ethical paradigms to guide their decision-making. The primary purpose was to comprehend, as portrayed by Shapiro and Stefkovich (2016), which moral frameworks (i.e., justice, care, critique, and the profession) were used, assuming any were actualized by Massachusetts superintendents in decision-making. Superintendents require methods and processes that assist them to probe, “the ethical depths of each situation that calls for a judgment” (Rebore, 2013, p. 31). For this qualitative study, the modification of …

Through Their Eyes: A Phenomenological Analysis Of Perceived Leadership In Special Purpose Private Schools, Reva L. Mathieu

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions and experiences of leaders and followers within a special purpose private school during on-going crisis events to better understand demonstrated behaviors, values, and characteristics of leaders. The study site was the state of Maine, USA. The participants completed a survey and semi-structured interview. Four leaders and eight followers participated in the study from four schools and two agencies. A survey asked participants to prioritize leadership characteristics in the areas of relationships, operational style, and personal qualities; and to describe the five most challenging crisis experiences they have encountered working in their …