Educational Leadership Commons^™

Faculty Perceptions Of Academic Freedom At A Private Religious University, James A. Swezey, T. Christopher Ross

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Academic freedom is viewed by many in higher education as an indispensable foundational principle offering protection to university faculty. University faculty working within schools of education rely on the protection of academic freedom to pursue and develop new knowledge, frameworks, and pedagogies with which they can train and equip the next generation of classroom teachers and school administrators. Private religious universities have been a part of the American education landscape since the founding of Harvard University, yet the perception exists that faculty at religious universities are de facto inhibited by the religious commitment of many of these institutions. This study …

A Descriptive Study Of Funded Homeless Education Programs: Barriers And Supports In New York State, Kerri A. Canzone

Theses and Dissertations

With the issue of homelessness ever-present in our educational system, it is important to examine current barriers and supports in the education of students experiencing homelessness. It is also critical to examine the academic achievement of this special population of at-risk students. Descriptive information was sought about types of barriers to education access and success, as well as supports and academic achievement in New York State-funded Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and to ascertain what educational leaders are doing to meet the educational needs of their homeless student population. Regional differences among barriers and supports were examined, as well as English …

The Relationship Of Teachers' Perceptions Of Collective Efficacy And Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities, Danielle Shaw Robertson

Education Dissertations and Projects

The dissertation was designed to describe the relationship of collective teacher efficacy to the phases of professional learning communities (PLC) in a rural school district in the southern piedmont region of North Carolina. Limited research exists in the area of collective teacher efficacy and its relationship to professional learning communities, especially related to the phases of development conceptualized by Huffman and Hipp (2003) in their Professional Learning Community Organizer (PLCO).

The researcher gathered baseline data regarding the teachers' perceptions of their schools functioning as professional learning communities from the North Carolina Teacher's Working Conditions Survey given in the spring of …

A Case Study Of Attitudes And Perceptions Of Leadership Characteristics As Perceived By Middle School Teachers And The Principals, Theodore Benjamin Bowen

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation determined the congruence with the order of importance concerning what middle school teachers and middle school principals value regarding the behavioral characteristics of effective middle school principals and if a relationship exists between those characteristics and the 2006/2008 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Surveys.

The indications and suggestions of this research were based on the data collected from many different middle schools representing different geographical areas within a large school system located within the piedmont-triad central region of North Carolina. Information was obtained from different multi-question surveys from middle school teachers and principals, open-ended questions, and focus group …

The Impact Of Single-Gender Scheduling On Students In A Title I School, Janet L. Moss

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to examine the impact that single-gender scheduling would have on students who attend a struggling Title I middle school. The importance of the middle level cannot be denied. Strong research points to this time in a student's life as the pivotal crux on which success and failure are balanced. Middle level educators are charged with the responsibility of tipping the scales in the favor of student success by arming them with the skills they will need to survive and succeed.

A middle school in the northeastern part of Mecklenburg County had the majority of its students …

Examining The African American Male Undergraduate Students' Perceptions Of Barriers And Factors For Success, Christopher James Hogan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine the barriers African American males face in higher education and the factors that promote academic success. This study focused on African American males who attended a large Midwestern public university.Their perceptions were collected through multiple interviews. The interviews were transcribed and coded for themes. In examining the perceptions of African American males it was found that the barriers they face (academic preparedness, transition into the instructional environment and identity development) and the factors that promote academic success (peer group influence, student involvement and mentoring relationships) at the research institution are similar …

Progress To Reconciliation: A Journey With Lewis, Bono, And Spider-Man, David M. Johnstone

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

Reconciliation is a word full of profound inferences. It has implications steeped in the biblical landscape, yet it is also challenging to define. Using Miroslav Volf‘s guidance, twentieth century fiction, and film and pop music icons, this article seeks to glimpse a deeper biblical vision of grace and reconciliation. Volf observes that “[t]o triumph fully, evil needs two victories, not one.” Reconciliation sabotages and steals that victory from evil. Forgiveness and reconciliation do not negate justice; they provide the opportunity to go beyond justice and retribution. Simply put, reconciliation allows a terrible situation to be redeemed.

Characterizing The Touchstones Of Educational Leadership: An Analysis Of Distinguished Applied Doctorate Programs, Julie Carson, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D.

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

Organizations are ever-present feature of a modern society. We look toward organization for food, education, employment, entertainment, healthcare, transportation and protection of basic rights. Nearly every aspect of modern life is influenced in one way or another by organization. Organizations are social entities that enable people to work together to achieve objectives. Job satisfaction refers to certain experiences and qualities that are related to the ways a person thinks and feels. The feeling of worthwhileness, which an individual has in particular in an occupational position, can be called job satisfaction.

Comparative Analysis Of Reasons For Academic Cheating Using (Ict) Devices Among Science Students In Colleges Of Education In Nigeria: Implication For Science Educations And School Counselling, A.O. Amusan, S.A. Eyiowuawi

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Education in the opinion of (Akindutire, 2010) is regarded by many as the key that unlocks the development of personal and national potentials of individuals including their rights and powers. However, (Abdulkareem, 2010) sees it as the best legacy a nation can provide for its citizenry, as it ensures a relative permanent change in the thinking perspective of the individual to commitment and development of the immediate environment. It is the light, without which the whole world would be in darkness, as it also serves as the basis of scientific and technological breakthrough and modernity, which have made all nations …

Evaluation Of School Principals: Arizona Superintendents’ Perspective, Scarlet Chopin, Richard Wiggall

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

This article presents the results of the Arizona Statewide Superintendents’ Survey regarding the evaluation of school principals. Arizona Revised Statute 15-353 delineates the responsibilities of principals, which include providing leadership for the school, implementing the goals and the strategic plan of the school, serving as the administrator of the school, and distributing a parental satisfaction survey to the parent of every child enrolled at the school. There are state performance standards, the Arizona Standards for School Administrators (ADE, 2010). Arizona law clearly defines the principal’s responsibilities and each governing board is required to establish systems for the evaluation of the …

Teacher Understanding And Perception Of A Response To Intervention Program In A Rural, Western North Carolina School District, Dwight Dean King

Education Dissertations and Projects

Response to Intervention, aka Response to Instruction (RtI), is a multi-tiered instructional process designed to provide research-based interventions to struggling learners. It has recently gained increased popularity with the perceived failure of the discrepancy formula model of placing children in special education services and with the recent reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Because RtI is just gaining ground in the field of education, limited research regarding teachers' perceptions of the process is available. This research project utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining survey and interview data, to assess teacher understanding and perception of RtI in a rural North …

A Study Of Middle School Principal Behaviors And Their Impact On Teacher Retention, Todd Martin

Education Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation was designed to investigate the causes behind teacher turnover and the connection between principal behavior, teacher working conditions, and rates of teacher turnover. In particular, this study examined behaviors that teachers in three North Carolina middle schools felt their principals displayed that helped encourage them to continue teaching in their current schools. Teachers in three middle schools, one from each geographical region of the state, completed an online survey. Also, the researcher visited each middle school and interviewed the three principals and their supervisors to collect additional data concerning positive teacher working conditions and reduced rates of turnover. …

Racial Disproportionality In Special Education: Causes, Outcomes And Avenues For Change, John Gillies

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In school systems across the United States, disproportionality in special education along racial and ethnic lines is not merely a problem of overrepresentation or underrepresentation, but misrepresentation. African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans are given incorrect diagnoses, disproportionate educational designations, and inappropriate placements. The key factors behind disproportionality include racial bias among educators and other service providers, socio-economic status, substandard early childhood environments, and family composition. Inappropriate special education placements can lead to increased rates of school dropout, poor academic achievement, lower-paying jobs, and juvenile crime. Therefore disproportionality is not a problem confined to the education system, it is of …

Realizing Sustained School Improvement, Jeanice Kerr Swift

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Developing effective methods for improving America's schools is dependent upon coordinated work of practitioners and researchers. School improvement proves a complicated, confusing and most often troubled process; one characterized by the unprecedented challenges of dramatic societal shift, increasing levels of student need, and ongoing involvement from political and governmental influences. The drive to discover better ways to consistently improve schools is fueled by urgency for dramatic results.

This research examines both the macro and the micro levels of the school improvement process and illuminates the need for an intentional new way of thinking and leading. At the macro level, the …

Fostering A Consciousness Of Academic Success With Latino English Language Learners In High School: The Role Self-Efficacy And Social Capital Play, Miguel Angel Huerta LóPez

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to suggest ways in which educators can foster a consciousness of academic success with Latino English language learners in high school using self-efficacy and social capital as assets. The concentration of this study is to look at the English language learner population at Vista Valley High School. A total of twelve students participated in this study. Each student will be interviewed twice with at least six additional students being interviewed a third time.

The Effects Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions And Supports On Student Achievement And Other Outcomes, Gail Pamela Angus

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) on student academic performance and other outcomes. The participants in the study are eight middle schools from an urban Southern California school district that were mandated to implement SWPBIS in 2005.

Family Labor Participation And Child Care Decisions: The Role Of Grannies, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

One of the most significant long term trends in the labor market in most OECD countries has been the increase in the proportion of working mothers. However, not all countries show the same pattern. Countries in Southern Europe (Italy, Greece and Spain) show an average participation rate of about 45% whereas the participation rates in Northern countries (Denmark, Sweden) are around 75%. The characteristics of child care systems also differ significantly across OECD countries. This along with the characteristics of the labor market may have led families to get the necessary social services in an alternative way, i.e. through grandmothers. …

Counseling In An Andragogical Approach, John Henschke

Adult Education Faculty Works

The introduction provides the unique preparation of the author in both field for merging counseling and andragogy - the art and science of helping adults learn. Providing general counseling information, he then gives a sketch and time gaps of publication in adult education and counseling. Next, he presents a chronology of publications merging the two fields. In future trends a comprehensive model for counseling in adult education is constructed, including: an andragogical approach, dimension of maturation, closing connecting counseling and learning, with life tasks, challenges, and dealing with our human values and priorities within human system of adult life. Examples …

International Research Foundation For Andragogy And The Implications For The Practice Of Education With Adults, John Henschke

Adult Education Faculty Works

This study searched the literature providing an international research foundation for andragogy. Six themes have emerged: the evolution of the term; historical antecedents shaping the concepts; comparison of American and European understanding; popularizing and sustaining the American and world-wide concept; practical applications; and theory, research and definition. Implications are provided for the practice of andragogy within the field of adults, continuing, community, extension, and human resource development education.

An Exploration Of The Satisfaction And Experiences Of Part-Time U.S. Medical School Faculty, April Corrice, Sarah A. Bunton

Educational Leadership and Policy Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite the fact that many medical schools have increased their reliance on part-time faculty over the past several decades, scant information about the experiences and job satisfaction of parttime faculty exists in the literature. This Analysis in Brief is an exploratory study to provide insight—from the part-time faculty perspective—into the unique issues facing this faculty group and suggestions they offer for improving the workplace. Understanding the part-time faculty members’ experience is important, as they serve a significant and permanent role in the medical school workforce. When used appositely, these part-time medical school faculty appointments can benefit both individuals and institutions. …

Considerations Regarding The Future Of Andragogy, John A. Henschke Edd

Adult Education Faculty Works

Andragogy has a long and rich history that has shaped understanding of adult learning and continues to be a strong force in guiding the way adults learn. While adult educators in the U.S. are familiar with andragogy through the work of Dr. Malcolm Knowles, the theory of andragogy reaches a worldwide audience of practitioners striving to improve learning through its respectful and engaging method focused on the learner.

A Capsule Of The International History And Philosophy Of Andragogy To 2010, John Henschke

Adult Education Faculty Works

This capsule on the International History and Philosophy of Andragogy is mainly limited (with a few exceptions) to a chronological history and the accompanying philosophy of andragogy, in line with when the English language documents were published and personal descriptions of events were written down. Some of these documents, however, presents aspect of the events and ideas which recount the years and contexts prior to the time in which they appeared in published form. To date, more than 330 documents have been discovered, but space limitation in this chapter allowed the inclusion of only a fraction of that number. Each …

The Motivating Factors Of Secondary School Assistant Principals In Southeast Michigan And Their Impact On Job Mobility, David M. Schmittou

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Recent research identified two broad categories of motivation, extrinsic and intrinsic. These two forms of personal motivation play a large role in determining individuals‟ level of job satisfaction. By affording a level of perceived empowerment, the environment of the workplace is a contributing factor toward encouraging or discouraging individual satisfaction.

This study demonstrates the relationships that exist between personal motivation needs, workplace empowerment, and the attempted job mobility or stability of assistant principals, a select group of public school administrators.

Prior studies have argued that when an individual possesses both high levels of personal intrinsic motivation needs and high levels …

A Relationship Among Public School Leadership, Ethics, And Student Achievement, Don Jones, Christopher Hughes

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

ABSTRACT

Historically, it has always been important for school leaders to possess and adhere to high ethical standards. Ethical standards, when demonstrated by school leaders, inspire trust within students, parents and the community in general. This in turn builds support for the school and establishes an environment that is conducive to success.

However, with the advent of NCLB and high stakes testing, the pressure on schools to demonstrate improved student achievement has accelerated. Hence, the need for ethical leadership practices within public schools has never been greater. Yet, while much has been done to examine the relationship of various instructional …

An Appreciative Approach To Goal-Setting For Academic Employees, Hannah George

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

When asked what he looks for when hiring employees, Dr. Paul Orehovec, Vice President of Enrollment Management at University of Miami responds, “Somebody who wants my job” (personal communication, September 25, 2010). He further explains that the heavy demands of higher education administrative positions require people who are self-motivated and driven. These professionals need mentoring relationships to help them establish appropriate career and professional goals. Mentors often have valuable knowledge to share with their mentees on these topics, but do not always know how to effectively share their expertise. Mentoring relationships occur in a number of settings in academia, but …

Empirical Analysis Of School Plant Planning As A Determinant Of Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance, K.O. Muraina, Kayode Ijaduola, Joshua Oni

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

The school could be viewed as an organized environment where educational curricular are interpreted. It is a formal structured organization which serves as a transitional stage in life between family and the society (Olabode, 2002; Musa, 2004; Tabir, 2004). Conversely, the school plant according to Nwokafor and others (2001), is the totality of all things that make up a school system. It involves the physical and material facilities in form of buildings, school site and the environment that embody the school.

Parents’ Education Level In Students’ Mathematics Achievement; Do School Factors Matter?, Asitha Kodippili

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Educational achievement in middle grades serves as a strong indicator for student’s success in secondary and post secondary education. However, achievement in middle school education could be attributed to a complex and dynamic interaction among plethora of variables. For example, Harnischfeger and Wiley (1976) developed a model of school learning with six components in three categories: background which includes curriculum, institutional factors, and teachers and students characteristics, teaching learning process which includes homework, in-class and out-of-class activities, acquisition which is student achievement.

The Psychology Of Business Development, Michael Marshall

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Bhagat & McQuaid (1982) advanced that “undoubtedly, the most significant cross-cultural study of work-related values is the one carried out by Hofstede”. There has been interests on the influence of culture be it national or corporate on organisations and with growing national diversity in today’s businesses, culture remains an important dimension. Hofstede’s landmark study of IBM (Hofstede 1980 has highlighted some essential facts about culture that impact on organisational performance. Preceding Hofstede’s study was the work of Bartels (1967) who was one of the first to relate the importance of culture, illustrating the concept in decision-making and business ethics.

Emerging Characteristics Of Education Deans’ Collaborative Leadership, Dee Hopkin, Virginia Johnson, Sandra Damico, Shelley Wepner

Academic Leadership: The Online Journal (2003-2012)

Ever increasing opportunities-and demands-for partnerships between P-12 and higher education have created the impetus for deans of education to become collaborative leaders. Deans serve a critical institutional role in charting the direction of a school or college (Rosser, Johnsrud, & Heck, 2003), and there is ample research on the general roles and responsibilities and leadership behaviors of education deans that focus on the biographical, structural, and contextual factors affecting their work (e.g., Bowen, 1995; Bright & Richards, 2001; Bruess, McClean, & Sun, 2003; Clifford & Guthrie, 1988; Gardner, 1992; Gmelch, 2002; Gmelch, Wolverton, Hopkins, Merz, & Anderson, 1999; Howey & …

Explicit Content-Area Vocabulary Instruction For English Learners: Impacts With Reading Comprehension, Catherine Ruthe Terrell

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to examine impacts of explicit content-area vocabulary instruction on reading comprehension. Effective instructional strategies include multiple texts at students' instructional levels, highly qualified teachers, daily explicit vocabulary instruction combined with student's application of instruction and evolution of instruction as student's reading achievement increases.