Educational Leadership Commons^™

To What Extent Does A Relationship Exist Between Nonsupport And Support Students When They Are Grouped Homogeneously And Heterogeneously In The Student's Mathematics Course At Lee County High School, Karen Lynn Hancock

Theses and Dissertations

Societal concerns and revolving federal initiatives linked State assessment scores to accountability measures which determined school success. In Southwest Georgia, one rural high school manipulated student schedules and provided an additional support course for individuals demonstrating documented mathematical deficiencies. The researcher examined the impact of three different grouping practices on the student’s 2014-15 Georgia Milestone Analytic Geometry End-of-Course assessment. This State assessment served as the dependent variable and the student grouping practice served as the independent variable for this quasi-experimental design study. Student schedules were examined and the three groups investigated during this study included 1) a group of students …

Perceptions Of Value Of Faculty Toward Doctoral Programs In Outdoor Adventure Education, Koby Garick

Theses and Dissertations

The researcher’s purpose for this dissertation was to determine how and why doctoral programs in outdoor adventure education (OAE) related fields (which included, leisure studies, park, recreation, tourism, and therapeutic recreation) operated, how the programs were financed, what the value of the programs were, and what makes the programs unique. The researcher conducted a detailed review of the literature. Then the researcher surveyed and interviewed doctoral program chairs in OAE related programs.

Fourteen schools were identified by the researcher as having OAE related doctoral programs. The researcher solicited survey responses from the doctoral program chairs of the schools’ and received …

Effects Of Developing Edtpa As A Teaching Portfolio On Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy In A Teacher Preparation Program, Pam Wetherington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of developing edTPA as a teaching portfolio on pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy, specifically their perceptions of confidence related to the edTPA’s constructs of planning, instruction, and assessment within a tied-to-licensure state. The researcher employed a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to study the effects and experiences for developing edTPA as a teaching portfolio. Three repeated measures ANCOVAs were conducted to determine the change in pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy after developing the edTPA teaching portfolio while controlling for the cooperating teachers’ support of pre-service teachers’ planning, instruction, and assessment decisions and practices. The …

Teacher Retention In Rural Schools Nested In Large Districts: An Ethnographic Qualitative Study, Sandra Gomez Cerda

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the retention of teachers that work in large school districts with rural schools. The study examined: 1) the general characteristics of large school districts that have small rural campuses that retain and recruit teachers; 2) what draws teachers to teach in rural schools in large school districts; and 3) what factors contribute to decisions to stay at rural schools in large school districts. The author offers recommendations to retain teachers in rural schools nested in large school districts.

Managing Reform Efforts In Times Of Uncertainty: Effects Of Principal Support And Leadership On Teachers’ Implementation Commitment To Common Core Reform Initiatives, Lee Smith

Theses and Dissertations

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require a major shift in instructional practices among teachers. Such changes cause much uncertainty as teachers’ roles and identities begin to change. Major school reform creates difficulty for school leaders who must develop teacher support and dedication to ‘top-down’ reform initiatives in their classrooms. Literature suggested that proper support from building and district leaders is needed to reduce the uncertainty caused by such changes. Guided by organizational change theory, the purpose of this study was to examine whether perceived organizational support (POS), perceived environmental uncertainty (PEU), perceived principal support (PPS), and principal and teacher …

Contextual Determinants Of Mathematics Achievement: A Closer Look At The Influence Of Principals' Instructional Leadership, Teachers' Preferred Instructional Approaches, And Academic Optimism, Tremayne White

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether certain contextual factors pertaining to principals and teachers influenced U.S. eighth grade students’ math achievement. More specifically, the study comparatively examined the direct and mediating predictive influence of teacher instructional approaches (i.e., teacher-directed, constructivism), academic optimism (i.e., academic emphasis, collective efficacy, faculty trust in parents/students), teacher self-efficacy, and principal instructional leadership (i.e., define school mission, manage instructional program, promote positive learning climate) between the first (lowest achieving) and fourth (highest achieving) quartiles by controlling for SES and students’ attitudes toward math. The study employed a causal comparative design utilizing data from …

Teacher Perspectives On The Impact Of High-Stakes Testing On Students With Disabilities : A Grounded Theory Study, Tammy Marie Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 1997 (IDEA), No Child Left Behind Act 2001 (NCLB), and Every Child Succeeds Act 2015 (ESSA) has changed how public schools adapt to standards and accountability systems for all students, including students with mild-to-significant cognitive disabilities. Federal legislation has changed the focus of teaching and learning since the implementation of NCLB. This movement has altered the way students with disabilities are compared to their same-age peers.

High-stakes testing has generated numerous challenges for educators, administrators, parents, and students across the nation. Increased pressure has been placed on schools to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), …

The Social Validity Of Online Parent Involvement In A School-Based Social And Emotional Learning Program: Whytry For Parents, Gina P. Hales

Theses and Dissertations

Involving parents in school-based learning can be difficult for both schools and parents, and more innovative approaches to involving parents are needed. Internet-based programs have the potential to address barriers to parent participation, but more research is needed to determine the effectiveness and social validity of such programs. This study explored the social validity of WhyTry for Parents, an internet-based program for parents of students enrolled in WhyTry, a school-based social and emotional learning program for students in grades K through 12. Eleven elementary, middle, and high schools across the United States participated in the study by inviting parents of …

The Perceptual Learning Style Preferences Of Hispanic Students In Higher Education, Catherine Johnston Lui

Theses and Dissertations

This paper addresses the question of whether higher education Hispanic students of different nationalities have different perceptual learning style preferences. Independent samples t-tests findings suggest the country of origin of a Hispanic student's parents has a statistically significant relationship (n=165, p<0.0073) with student's learning style preferences. ANOVA results also identified a statistically significant relationship between SES and group learning style (p<0.004,) and between visual learning style and two factors: age (p<0.011) and family education (p<0.033).

Grouping Structures Of Gifted And High Achieving Middle School Students: Teacher Perceptions And Data Analysis Of The Impact Of Grouping, April Leigh Smith

Theses and Dissertations

In this mixed methods study on teacher perceptions and data related to the impact of grouping structures on middle school gifted and high achieving students, the researcher addresses the gap in literature relating to recent gifted grouping research in rural areas. The study took place in two middle schools of a rural school district in Georgia. A sequential explanatory design was applied to survey responses and focus group data regarding teacher perception of grouping; a comparative ex post facto design was applied to state-issued end of year assessment results and analyzed for trends regarding grouping for gifted and high achieving …

Middle And High-School Teacher Perceptions Of The Mathematics Georgia Standards Of Excellence, Marnie Dutcher

Theses and Dissertations

Public education in the United States had frequent curriculum changes throughout history. The curriculum initiatives of the past had a focus on improving education in schools based on one of four topics: (a) common standards, (b) preparing students for post-secondary education, (c) improving the quality of education, and (d) increasing the rigor of the content (Wallender, 2014). In February 2015, the Georgia State Board of Education approved revisions to the Common Core Mathematics Curriculum, which was the third set of mathematics curriculum standards implemented in Georgia since 2012. The standards were named The Georgia Standards of Excellence Mathematics Curriculum (GSE). …

Challenges And Achievements: Student Educational Experiences In The Internationalization Baccalaureate Pilot Programs At The Ccu Business School, China, Huili Tang

Theses and Dissertations

This ontologically qualitative research study was conducted at Central China University (CCU, pseudonym). The purpose of this research was to (a) explore student narratives regarding their educational experiences in the CCU Business School's at-home internationalization programs; (b) provide an in-depth narrative analysis of student learning challenges and achievements; and (c) add valuable research-based knowledge of student-described experiences at CCU for use by program administrators. The findings focused on student-identified links between the challenges they encounter and their achievements. Additionally, student performance level and sex were closely associated with the challenges and achievements that students reported. In understanding the results, the …

A Mixed Methods Study Of Collaborating Teacher Leadership In Professional Development Schools (Pdss), Nedd James Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Professional Development Schools (PDSs) provide teachers with multiple new opportunities for leadership. As teachers are encouraged to assume new roles outside of the classroom and beyond the school, it is important to examine the concept of teacher leadership in practice--specifically, how it is perceived by those most closely associated with it. This study identifies a shared understanding of teacher leadership from collaborating teachers, using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design in PDSs within a large, diverse southern New Jersey school district-university partnership. The two-phase study examines perceptions about teacher leaders through data collected from the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Angelle …

A Comparative, Phenomenological Study Of The Impact Of Teacher Participation In Virtual Communities Of Practice On The Level Of Professional Capital Within Their Respective Organizations, John Patrick Klocek

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative, phenomenological, qualitative study is to evaluate the perceptions of expert teacher practitioners and their administrators on the impact that their participation in VCOPs has had on what Hargreaves and Fullan (2012) coined the Professional Capital of their organizations. How has the teachers’ development of a PLN or their participation in a VCOP fostered their growth as individuals or their Human Capital? How, in turn, has the expert teachers’ increased knowledge base furthered instructional practices, promoted the development of next practices, and enhanced their organization’s Social Capital? Finally, how has this new knowledge impacted the decisions …

To What Extent Does Instructor Interaction Impact Adult Learner Satisfaction In An Online Environment, Sarah G. Brinson

Theses and Dissertations

Distance and online learning has rapidly becoming the wave of the future in the present educational environment (Herbold, 2012). Advancements in technology have created more opportunities for instructors and educators in higher education to expand the educational process. This expansion has pushed education out of the traditional classroom and into cyberspace where audiences locally, nationally and even internationally can be reached (Herbold, 2012). In this changing environment, instructors and their interaction, continue to be the key element in the teaching and learning process of the adult learner. For the purpose of this study, the researcher proposed to examine the influence …

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring The Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys, Teleshia Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Teachers’ Perspectives: Exploring the Reading Gender Gap Among Elementary School Boys. Teleshia Mincey-Jones, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: academic achievement, achievement gap, elementary education, reading readiness, gender differences.

Reading mastery is essential for academic success. As an emphasis is placed on more rigor in education, some boys are being left behind in the area of reading. School districts are adopting new rigorous standards and transitioning to produce students who are career and college ready upon graduation. Girls are responding positively and thriving academically; yet, boys continue to underperform girls at the district, …

Identity Politics, State Standards, And On The Ground Realities: A Critical Policy Analysis Of Teaching/Learning Gender/Sexuality In A Virginia Elementary School, Stefanie Hudson

Theses and Dissertations

Even though America has seen an increase in the level of acceptance for people who identify as LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming, certain aspects within society continue to hinder their rights, especially within public education. Specifically, there are insufficiencies regarding content of and attitudes toward including LGBTQ issues in teaching and leadership training programs. Add to that, the deficits in most Family Life Education (FLE) programs in elementary schools as they lack adequate coverage of developmentally appropriate teaching and learning about gender and sexuality. Taken together, it remains questionable whether the needs of LGBTQ and/or gender non-conforming children can truly be …

Virginia's Instructional Technology Resource Teacher Program: Ten Years Later, What We Know, -Where Do We Need To Go?, Cherise A. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

VIRGINIA’S INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY RESOURCE TEACHER PROGRAM: TEN YEARS LATER, WHAT WE KNOW, WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?

By Cherise Ann Hodge, PhD

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of

Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017

Director: Dr. Whitney Newcomb,

Professor, Educational Leadership

In 2004, Virginia’s Department of Education (VDOE) identified the need for technology integration in instruction to meet the needs of the 21^st century student. For this to happen effectively, Virginia legislators authorized and funded an instructional position, the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT), for each …

Finnish Teacher Collaboration: The Behaviors, Learning, And Formality Of Teacher Collaboration, Bruce H. Eschler

Theses and Dissertations

Finnish teachers continue to receive significant attention among educators, educational leaders, and policy makers in the United States and around the globe. In addition, teacher collaboration continues to receive support as a meaningful part of teacher work and practice. Teacher collaboration is frequently described in various ways within different contexts. This study aims to: (a) better understand the nature of Finnish teacher collaboration by examining three teacher collaboration behaviors (sharing information and knowledge, planning, and problem-solving); (b) explore the extent to which Finnish teacher collaboration is formal (or school-required) collaboration and informal (or voluntary) collaboration; and (c) investigate …

Relational Embeddedness In Mentoring Relationships Between Prospective K-12 Education Leaders And Their Mentor Principals, Maridee Beeston

Theses and Dissertations

Prospective education leaders face challenges in a demanding environment often lacking critical resources necessary to make a difference in schools. The potential to acquire these resources may be found in the mentoring relationships formed during internships in educational leadership preparation programs. A lack of understanding exists regarding variations in the nature of these mentoring relationships—specifically in terms of relational embeddedness—the type and degree to which partners form ties embedded within a social relationship. Variations in relational embeddedness may impact mentoring quality and the potential to acquire the resources needed to succeed in demanding school environments. Theoretical frameworks in mentoring and …

Academic Relationships Between At-Risk High School Students And Teachers Within An Alternative School Setting: "It Is More Than Just Academics, It's Attitude", Daniel R. Galdeano

Theses and Dissertations

The first public schools in the United States were originally created to give all school-aged children the opportunity to gain access to a well-rounded education (Cable, Plucker & Spradlin, 2009). Options in public schools, preparation for high-stakes standardized tests, and graduation requirements are among the many educational reform policies that have been implemented in hopes of enabling students to reach their academic potential (Lange & Sletten, 2002). As a substitute to dropping out, alternative schools are among the leaders in the charge to try to curb the dropout problem that schools are facing. Alternative schools have existed since the civil …

A Journey To Understand Dual Language And The Bilingual World: An Autoethnography Of A Bilingual Program Director In An Urban District, Olivia Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This research represents a personalized account of the complexities, interpretations, and reflections on the life-long epistemological development of a bilingual program director currently implementing a dual language program in an urban school district. Using myself as a subject and a researcher in cultural, personal, and professional contexts provided the impetus for this self-study. Through the lens of a mother, daughter, sister, teacher, principal, and bilingual program director, I have chronicled and traced the epistemological conception of the assets that guide my advocacy in the academic realm of bilingual education. As an autoethnography, this study invites the reader to experience the …

An Investigation Of Perceived Principal Stress And Its Impact On Principals In Southwest Georgia, Dorothy Young Ingram

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine to what extent southwest Georgia principals perceive they are stressed, identify principal stressors and how the stressors impact the principals’ work. Principals are leaders of school building who are experiencing increased stress. Therefore; it is important to understand what causes principal stress as well as how the stressors impact principal work. Principals are expected to maintain building safety, student safety, student achievement, retention of quality teachers, as well as act as instructional leaders. The mixed method study of public elementary school principals was conducted in four southwest Georgia school districts. The researcher …

Principal Trust: Factors That Influence Faculty Trust In The Principal, A. Tyler Howe

Theses and Dissertations

Principals are held accountable for student achievement even though they only have an indirect influence on that achievement. Accountability raises the question about what should be the priority for the principal's attention. The literature supports the existence of a positive correlation between faculty trust in the principal and increased student achievement. Our study considered the appropriateness of representing trust as a two-factor model broken down into components related to how teachers view the skill and the will of the principal. Additionally, our study examined which demographic factors of the school and of the principal affect faculty trust in the principal.This …

Readiness To Lead: Novice School Principals' Perceptions Of The Internship Experience On Their Preparedness To Assume School Leadership Roles, John Christopher Bacon

Theses and Dissertations

The effectiveness of the school leader has been identified as one of the key factors contributing to the overall success of attaining high levels of student achievement and growth. This dissertation examines the specific aspects of the principal preparation process that contribute to overall improvement in knowledge and skill level in each of the ELCC standards. Data was obtained on the perceptions of novice school leaders in the state of Arkansas regarding their own experiences in formal preparation activities to determine perceived value in improving knowledge and skill level in the components of school leadership encompassed by the ELCC standards. …

Comparison Between Computer Assisted Instruction As A Laboratory Strategy, And Traditional Lab Instruction As Applied To Teaching Physical Science To Suburban High School Students, Marty F. Hayward

Theses and Dissertations

One of the major components of reforming today’s education is the use of technology. Effective use of technology must be supported by significant investments in hardware, software, infrastructure, professional development, and support services, over the last decade, we as a nation have invested more than $66 billion in school technology (Lei, J.2010).

Educators are expanding classrooms with virtual environments and simulations, and students are seeking choices outside the brick and mortar school building, even opting to take the entire class online. This trend aligns with this research due to the laboratory experiences being moved to an online format. This research …

Analyzing Relationships Among Principal Instructional Leadership, Teacher Empowerment, Teacher Creative Practices And Student Creative Problem Solving Skills In Public And Private Schools, Keri D. Mina

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to comparatively examine relationships among principal instructional leadership, teacher empowerment, teacher creative practices and student creative problem solving in public and private schools. Specifically, the study examined whether principal instructional leadership, teacher empowerment and teacher creative practices predict students’ problem solving performance in these two different types of schooling (e.g., public schools and private schools). The data source of the study was U.S. data sets of PISA 2012. To make meaningful comparisons, student groups in performing in the top and bottom quartiles problem solving were used in the analyses. The results of the study …

The Effects Of Laughter Yoga On Second Grade Math Achievement, Deborah Lezanic Nagy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of laughter yoga on the mathematic achievement of second grade students as measured by the math Mock Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT). According to Hoffman (2008), laughter can provide positive benefits to children and adults impacted by autism, epilepsy, and even diabetes. Hoffman (2008) conducted research on humor in early childhood education settings and found little research on laughter and the benefits to young children in the academic setting. Most humor research deals with how humor progresses through the developmental stages of children (Hoffman, 2008). In the last ten years, …

A Methodological Analysis Of Research Into The Effect Of Professional Learning Community On Student Academic Achievement, Brandon K. Thacker

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed all published research articles examining the relationship between professional community efforts (plc) (used here as a broader category than, but inclusive of, Professional Learning Communities or PLCs) and student academic achievement (SAA) that reported primary research findings published before January 1, 2015. This study specifically identified primary, quantitative studies of SAA that in context are plc, but which may or may not be labeled as such, that were published before January 1, 2015. Analyses examined how many studies of plc and SAA were of a descriptive, correlational, causal comparative, quasi-experimental,or experimental design type, evaluated …

Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background To Direct A More Effective Use Of Standardized Testing Within The School Community, Joseph Jensen

Theses and Dissertations

Since the days of Horace Mann, standardized testing has been used as a control mechanism by policy makers to determine who makes decisions about what will happen in public schools. A dynamic struggle for educational control and governance has continued since that time between the local, state, and federal levels. This struggle for control puts school principals in a unique organizational position where they are expected to use standardized tests within the school community with teachers, students, and parents to improve education but at the same time manage external accountability mandates from district, state and federal levels of governance. To …