Educational Leadership Commons^™

Community: Collaboration For Leadership And Professional Learning In Rural Northern New England, Leigh Reagan Alley

All Theses And Dissertations

Through instrumental case study, this research sought to better understand a potentially effective model for rural principals’ professional development, illustrated by one bounded case--here a self-convened professional learning community. Research questions included inquiry into the needs or interests that compel these area principals to participate in the PLC; the benefits and challenges of their participation in the professional learning community; how the participating principals would characterize their professional growth associated with participation in the PLC; and the recommendations participants would offer to other rural principals interested in convening a professional learning community. Though the case may or may not be …

Gi Jane Versus Sergeant Jane Doe: How Women’S Images In War Movies Contribute To Conflicting Expectations Of Women In Combat, Sawyer Marie L. Alberi

All Theses And Dissertations

Research on women’s portrayal in media generally suggests that women continue to be sexualized and objectified as war trophies in the classic Hollywood warrior culture film. The age old question of whether life imitates art or vice versa is important to consider when examining the question of how this popular culture medium contributes to the conflicting expectations of today’s women in combat roles. What is the reality of women’s roles in the US Military compared to the roles portrayed by warrior film media? History tells us that women have been on the battlefield in one way or another since there …

Teacher Leaders’ Perceptions Of Their Influence On The Distributed Leadership Process At A Middle School, Katherine Susan Garand

All Theses And Dissertations

This interpretive, qualitative study explores the perspectives of teacher leaders within the middle school setting as to how they perceive their role influences the distributed leadership process. Five significant themes, with subthemes emerged from the data as a result of the analysis process. These themes were identified as Leadership style, Empowerment, Social Influence, Commitment and Job Role Confusion. This data allowed the researcher to develop several conclusions, including the need to clarify the specific responsibilities associated with the team leader role and the importance of developing more appropriate professional development opportunities for team leaders, specifically in the areas of …

Mooc Phenomenon: Building An Effective And Sustainable Program, Michelle M. Chan

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines critical processes of building an effective MOOC in the community college environment in support of workforce development education for those who are interested in exploring different careers or to improve upon existing skill sets and development/remedial education for incoming students. Five participants from community colleges were selected to participate in this study. They were identified as a purposive sample of community colleges that offer MOOCs and use different learning management systems that support MOOCs. Themes that emerged from interviews were: unanticipated global enrollment in MOOCs designed for local and regional audiences, challenges of designing and …

Embracing A Culture Of Evidence: A Phenomenological Study Of Faculty Experience Within A Transitioning Assessment Culture, Jennifer A. Galipeau

All Theses And Dissertations

This phenomenological study sought to give voice to the lived experiences of faculty within a transitioning assessment culture at an institution of higher education accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Schools (NEASC). Current literature concerning outcomes assessment (OA) in higher education is highly focused on the need for campuses to foster a robust and pervasive culture around assessment, often termed a culture of evidence. The study site provided a unique opportunity to examine this phenomenon as it was at the mid-point of a multi-year initiative focused on transforming institutional assessment culture. During the study, full-time faculty at …

Using A Coach Approach In Regulatory Practice: One Technique On The Enforcement Spectrum, Shelley Mcclure

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative action research explored the use of a coach approach in the field of human care licensing. The Community Care Facilities Licensing program (CCFL) in Island Health strategically employed a 6-year coach training program between 2009 and 2015. This study specifically looked at how licensing officers in Island Health, who adopted a coach approach, influenced licensees to be partners in compliance. Seventeen individuals participated, including six child care licensing officers, one licensing supervisor, five members of the CCFL management team, and seven licensees. Interviews, a focus group, and an electronic survey were utilized to obtain data on the phenomenon. …

Examination Of An Independent School’S Site-Based Summer Program, Susan W. Keogh

All Theses And Dissertations

This study examined the summer program offered by a pre-kindergarten through grade twelve independent school. Three levels of theory, individual, group, and organizational, were utilized to analyze the experiences of students and instructors. The variety of opportunities and instructional design elements, the intentional alignment to the traditional school year, collegial discussions connecting summer learning and the school year, and evidence of the school’s mission were examined.

Findings revealed a wide-range of educational experiences and the benefits of continuous learning that are evident the following school year. Class designs incorporated instructional elements supported by individual learning theories. Academic standards and expectations …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Purpose And Value Of General Education: A Comparison Between The Liberal Arts And Health Professions, Shireen Rahman

All Theses And Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of the purpose and value of the general education curriculum in those undergraduate faculty members who teach in the liberal arts and the health professions at the University of New England. Perceptions were evaluated within each college and then compared between each College. A mixed-methods approach was utilized with concurrent implementation of qualitative and quantitative strands. Data were gathered from the Faculty Survey on General Education which was completed by fifty-six (29.3%) of the undergraduate faculty members. In addition, twelve faculty members were randomly selected to participate in open-ended interviews. Descriptive statistics and independent t-tests …

Faculty Members’ Perceptions Regarding The Role Of Assessment In Developmental Writing Courses, Doreen Danielson

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teaching faculty members’ perceptions regarding how they design and implement writing assessments to evaluate Student Learning Outcomes in developmental English/writing courses. The study identified teaching faculty members’ pedagogical beliefs about the purposes of writing assessment and instructors’ attention to Student Learning Outcomes when designing assessment plans in developmental English/writing courses at a California community college. Using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological approach, the study drew data from interviews with full-time faculty members at a Central Valley community college in California. Focusing on the participants’ experiences and perceptions about the purposes of assessment in developmental …

Confidence And Connectedness: A Mixed Methods Study On Patients Managing Co-Occuring Physical And Behavioral Health Conditions, Peter Young Fifield

All Theses And Dissertations

Treating chronic illness is becoming increasingly team based, yet most team building concepts relate to the team as a dichotomous unit: the medical team and the patient. Patients are expected to be “engaged” and “activated” members of the team, yet there is a gap in knowledge regarding how patients most effectively integrate into the team. Exacerbating the complexity of patient as team member is the multifaceted, ever-changing mood state of patients with co-occurring medical and mental health conditions. The medical field is well aware of the correlations between mental health and chronic illnesses. The purpose of this study is to …

Gender Integration Into The Military: A Meta-Analysis Of Norway, Canada, Israel, And The United States, Jeff Wooten

All Theses And Dissertations

Over the past 15 years, the Global War on Terrorism has necessitated an examination of the military’s practices and the way that they meet the complexities of new and different types of war and tactics. Vital to this examination are policies related to the inclusion and deployment of women in combat. Burba stated war is not a setting for social testing, but the American Military must embrace the social subtleties of gender differences in an effort to meet the Armed Services requirement for an ever-changing asymmetrical battlefield. This study compares and contrasts the American current policy divergent to three other …

What Professional Development Practices Support The Successful Integration Of Technology Within A Standards-Based Educational (Sbe) System, Richard A. Green

All Theses And Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between K-12 teachers’ current technology skill level, their self-efficacy as teachers, and their attitude toward changes required to integrate 21st-century technologies into their classrooms. Twenty-five members of the teaching staff from a rural School Department in Maine participated. This study describes the following: (a) What is the relationship between teachers’ current skills/ability using technology and their attitude towards integrating 21st-century technologies in the classroom? (b) What is the relationship between teachers’ current self-efficacy towards using technology, and their capacity towards integrating 21st-century technologies in the classroom? and (c) What …

Exploring Adult Punjabi-Speaking Immigrants’ Path To English Language Acquisition: A Case Study, Pankaj Sharma

All Theses And Dissertations

Punjabi-speaking immigrants to the United States find many successes and face many challenges as they strive to become full citizens of their new communities. There are success stories and obstacles faced by immigrants as they embark upon a journey from another country. This study examined what major obstacles Punjabi speaking immigrants face when they immigrated from India, including poverty, lack of employment, and stress specifically related to moving from the Punjabi to English language that ultimately affect the acculturation process for the entire family. The study also looked at support received by Punjabi immigrants from others in the community and …

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Available Public Education Programming And The Influence Of Professional Perceptions, Heather Wilmot

All Theses And Dissertations

A mixed-methods research study was conducted in a small, rural western Maine school department. The intent of this research was to reveal what kind of programming is available to students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and how the availability of programming is influenced by the perceptions of educators and leaders in a public school department. In addition, the research addressed how the background and professional development of the employees impacted the availability of programming for students with ASD. Forced survey questions included quality indicators for programming for students with ASD and pre-selected follow-up focus groups questions were used.

Data analysis …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Student Achievement And Engagement In The Transition To High School, Laura Aguada-Hallberg

All Theses And Dissertations

This study sought to examine the extent that social-emotional learning of teachers and students impacts students’ transition from middle school to high school. Existing research indicates that by implementing specific transition programs for freshmen, the dropout rate is greatly reduced, academic achievement increases, and the ability to transition to life after high school improves. Crucial to any transition program is staffing these programs with teachers who understand their own social-emotional learning and make relationships with students a priority. The study answered four research questions: 1) what elements and characteristics of freshmen transition programs (specifically, summer bridge and freshman orientation) do …

Examining Pharmacy Students’ Perceptions Of Clinical Faculty Mentoring Characteristics Influencing Students’ Decision To Pursue A Pharmacy Residency, Kin S. Ly

All Theses And Dissertations

The field of pharmacy is changing from a drug-distribution-centered model to a patient-centered integrated model whereby pharmacists are actively involved in patient care as part of an interdisciplinary team. To address the estimated pharmacy leadership crisis in the future and to prepare pharmacists to work in the changing healthcare landscape, national pharmacy organizations such as the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) have stated that postgraduate pharmacy residency should be mandatory by 2020. Past pharmacy research literature has shown that while many factors influence students to pursue a pharmacy residency, there is …

A Study Of The Perceptions Of Pastoral Crisis Intervention As A Crisis Debriefing Strategy Among Resident Directors At Select Catholic Colleges And Universities, Laura Jean Phaneuf Bertonazzi

All Theses And Dissertations

This dissertation examined the postcrisis intervention preferences of a purposeful sample of 23 Resident Directors from 17 Catholic colleges and universities in New England. Using survey and interview data, this study explored whether Resident Directors at the sample institution had preferences regarding services they needed following exposure to a student death and whether these support preferences were aligned with the Catholic identities of their institutions. The research questions that guided this study were: (a) How do Resident Directors at Catholic colleges and universities describe their roles as first responders during a campus crisis?, (b) How do Resident Directors at Catholic …

The Role Of Student Voice And Choice In Learner-Centered Competency Reform, Danielle Donnini

All Theses And Dissertations

Progressive reforms, pervasive throughout American education, are once again beginning to reshape the established traditional system to provide our students with an educational experience and learning opportunities that will better prepare them with twenty-first century skills. These reforms, rooted in constructivism and social learning, are characterized by an updated progressive vision of competency education that places students in the center of their education. Giving students authentic voice and choice has potential to engage these most important stakeholders in educational reform. This qualitative case study set in eleven upper elementary classrooms in one school, explores the opportunities for voice and choice …

Awareness And Utilization Of The Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System By Physician Assistants, Julia Cathleen Rose

All Theses And Dissertations

Chronic pain has become a public health epidemic. As pain complaints increase, so does the potential for drug abuse/misuse. Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are active in 49 of the 50 states to assist providers in recognizing drug abuse/misuse. There is no clear standardization of who utilizes the PDMP and how. Little is still known about the ways PDMP results are incorporated into clinical decision making, what barriers exist, and how providers may or may not alter their prescribing plans based on the results. Laws surrounding prescribing practices and use of the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) are constantly …

Leveraging An Instructional Leadership Team To Support Educator Evaluation In A Rural Elementary School, Kimberly Roberts-Morandi

All Theses And Dissertations

A principal may struggle to provide the depth and breadth of expertise required to adequately address the educational leadership demands, particularly in a rural system where oftentimes the principal and staff carry out responsibilities outside their contracted roles. How would a shared-leadership approach promote the staff’s acceptance of the high-stakes, state-mandated educator evaluation system and would the rural context be a significant factor? This dissertation study investigated key actions and supports related to the functions of an Instructional Leadership Team’s (ILTs) implementation of the Massachusetts Framework for Educator Evaluation, referred to in the study as the Educator Evaluation System (EES). …

Students’ Perceptions About High School Preparation For Mathematics In Post-Secondary Programs: A Case Study Of One High School, Wendy Pratt

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined how fifteen former high school students from a small, rural high school in central Vermont perceived their preparedness for college level mathematics and identified recommendations for improvement. Student interviews and math assessment data for each participant were analyzed to respond to the research question. The interview protocol consisted of one-on-one semi-structured phone interviews that were recorded for transcription. Thirteen open-ended questions were developed to answer the research question and sub-questions grounded in the research literature and specific concerns identified by the math teachers defined in the case study. The conceptual framework for this research study …

Core Conversations For The Greater Good: An Exploration Of Intrapersonal Communication As A Self-Leadership Strategy In Social Entrepreneurs, William L. Cowen Iv

All Theses And Dissertations

Social entrepreneurs actively create and apply business and communication strategies to support societal causes. They face many leadership and logistics challenges including the need to balance simultaneously mission advocacy and enterprise administration. This qualitative, phenomenological study examines how social entrepreneurs experience intrapersonal communication, conversations within oneself, as a self-leadership strategy that impacts mission and constituents. Within the vast intrapersonal communication field, this study specifically explored the concepts of self-talk, inner voice and inner dialogue, as well as imagined interactions, where conversations are rehearsed or replayed for perceived strategic advantage. The literature examined showed intrapersonal communication, self-leadership and social entrepreneurship all …

Leaders All: Teacher-Led Participatory Action Research At The Middle School Level, Corinna Crafton

All Theses And Dissertations

Classroom teachers who wish to have voice in decisions that influence their daily practice often confront barriers, causing some to leave the classroom altogether to become school administrators. There is little participatory action research conducted by classroom-based educators on teachers’ perceptions of transcending the organizational, political, and cultural barriers to their own leadership. The dearth of such studies exemplifies an acute example of the marginalization experienced by many classroom teachers.

By examining the perceptions of teachers working in a distributed leadership practice, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how teachers become agents of transformation without leaving their positions …

President Ketchum Announces Plans For Leadership Change, University Of New England

Gene Yonuschot, Ph.D. Collection

A copy of "News Notes" including an address given to an all campus assembly by President Jack Ketchum regarding leadership changes at the University of New England. The address regards his plans to transition out of the President position and onto the Board of Trustees.