Educational Leadership Commons^™

Implementation Of Initiatives To Reform The Quality Of Education In Rural Ghanaian Junior High Schools, Agatha Inkoom

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Despite Ghana's record investment in education, in 2008, only 40% of students passed the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) at the end of junior high school and gained admission into senior high school. Urban schools continue to outperform rural schools and the gap between Ghana‟s best and worst performing schools continues to widen. This study investigated the effectiveness of education policy implementation and how this has impacted on education reform in one rural district of Ghana‟s Upper West Region. The research investigated the status of education in Junior High Schools, the impact of Reform 2007 and the factors that influenced …

The Implications Of Arminius’ Understanding Of The Intellect On Knowledge Exchange Strategies In The Mission Of The Sda Church, Terry Dwain Robertson

Faculty Publications

Arminius differed from the Calvinism he debated in the causal role of information in bringing a person to salvation. This accounts for the distinction between an Adventist Philosophy of Education, following Arminius, in which the outcome of education is to lead the student to a saving relationship with God, a bottom-up eternal salvation perspective. A Calvinist Philosophy of Education, on the other hand, suggests that the outcome of education is to change society, a top-down, temporal perspective. Therefore, it is necessary for the Adventist Church to assume a more intentional role in providing quality information sources to emerging institutions training …

The Leadership Of Catholic Sisters Who Have Served As College Presidents : The Impact Of Gender And Religion On Leadership Efficacy, Karen M. Scolforo

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For over a century, Catholic Sisters have assumed leadership roles in higher education. They have impacted the lives of future leaders and empowered women to explore options to domesticity. Despite their profound contribution to higher education leadership, their history is missing from textbooks and library shelves. The purpose of this qualitative and phenomenological research study was to examine the lived experiences of Catholic Sisters who have served as college president; to gain an understanding of their perceptions and perspectives as they relate to leadership and leadership efficacy; to identify the role, if any, that gender and religion have played in …

Reel Deans : The Portrayal Of Higher-Education Administrators In American Films, Jeffrey Todd Hess

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Leadership theory routinely focuses on the relationships of leaders within the context of the work environment; however, culture and, specifically, films are a pervasive influence on both individuals and work environments. The literature review revealed that the relationships between higher-education faculty and administrators are strained. A conceptual framework known as the dark side phenomenon identified three dynamics affecting the work between faculty and administration: working relationships, supervisory roles, and the cultural impact. This lead to the research question: How are higher-education administrators portrayed as characters in popular American films? Data collection began with the selection of American films to study …

The Impact Of Teacher Licensure Programs On Minority Student Achievement, Rose S. Duke

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This research examined the impact of teacher licensure routes, particularly those identified as either traditional or alternative on student achievement by comparing Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) end of year scores in math and reading for minority students in grades six through eight during the period from 2005 through 2009. To compare the achievement of students taught by either traditionally or alternatively prepared teachers, the Standards of Learning (SOL) scores were calculated for students and then aggregated for types of teacher preparation. The mean values were compared for statistically significant differences as a function of subject, teacher ethnicity, teacher gender, …

First-Generation Student Success After Academic Warning: An Exploratory Analysis Of Academic Integration, Personal Adjustment, Family And Social Adjustment And Psychological Factors, Gabrielle Shoshana Zeisman

Dissertations and Theses

As many as a quarter of undergraduate college students are placed on academic probation at least once during their college career. In addition, first-generation college students are even more at-risk for stopping out or dropping out due to being less academically prepared than their non-first-generation peers. In order to examine factors that influence first generation student academic risk and success, this exploratory study examined the intersection of academic standing and four primary conceptual contributors: academic integration, personal adjustment, family and social adjustment, and psychological factors. Survey data were collected from first generation undergraduate students at an urban research university who …

The Role Of The School Principal In Technology Integration : A Literature Review, Lance Lennon

Graduate Research Papers

The effective integration of technology into a school's curriculum is strongly influenced by the role played by a school principal. This literature review aims to examine a principal as a school leader, a principal as a technology leader, and specifically what a principal needs to be an effective leader of technology integration. This paper reviews peer-reviewed journal articles, research studies, and doctoral theses focused on the role of a principal in technology integration. Research indicates principals and other school leaders are crucial to the success of school initiatives, and that administrators need more training opportunities to have the positive impact …

Instructional Coaching : A Look At Teaching Practices And Impact On Student Achievement, Sharon Sue Ingebrand

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The traditional one-shot teacher trainings aimed at telling teachers what they need to do to get better are not only frustrating to teachers, but are ineffective for improving classroom practices or student learning. Experts have advocated for effective professional learning to be job-embedded and intensively focused on the goal of meeting the learning needs of teachers and students. As the body of evidence around intense, ongoing, job-embedded professional learning grows, more school districts are placing instructional coaches in schools in hope of improving teachers' practices and student learning.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to: ( 1) determine …

Leadership Distinctions : The Impact Of Leadership On Teachers Of Second Chance Reading, Rebecca Sue Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Second Chance Reading (SCR), an instructional framework that targets and supports struggling adolescent readers and determined to be a sound and viably researched framework, can assist teachers in building and supporting proficient and lifelong learners when implemented as intended. This study examined educators from five unique communities who recently implemented the program. Four key questions guided the research and became the focus during semi-structured purposive interviews. (1) What was the relationship between Second Chance Reading teachers and principal leadership? (2) What leadership qualities were necessary to support Second Chance Reading teachers? (3) What barriers were preventing teachers from accomplishing their …

Engaging Community Food Systems Through Learning Garden Programs: Oregon Food Bank's Seed To Supper Program, Denissia Elizabeth Withers

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to discover whether learning garden programs increase access to locally grown foods and successfully empower and include food insecure populations. This study examined the Oregon Food Bank's Seed to Supper program which situates garden-based learning in food insecure communities. Through a mixed-methods community-based research process, this study found that community building, learner empowerment and sustainability leadership in place-based learning garden programs increased access to locally grown foods for food insecure populations. When food insecure populations participated in these learning garden programs they often engaged in practices described in the literature as the "web of …