Educational Leadership Commons^™

Mining Helpdesk Databases For Professional Development Topic Discovery, Joel T. Lowsky

All Theses And Dissertations

This single-site, instrumental case study created and tested a methodological road map by which academic institutions can use text data mining techniques to derive technology skillset weaknesses and professional development topics from the site’s technical support helpdesk database. The methods employed were described in detail and applied to the helpdesk database of an independent, co-educational boarding high school in the northeastern United States. Standard text data mining procedures, including the formation of a wordlist (frequently occurring terms), and the creation and application of clustering (automated data grouping) and classification (automated data labeling) models generated meaningful and revealing themes from the …

Empowering Transformation Through Structure: Assessing Effectiveness On The Organizational Placement Of Institutional Researchers, Nicholas R. Gill

All Theses And Dissertations

Higher education has a rich history steeped in the assumed trust of academia; however, shrinking resources have increased the demand for more objective assessment. Institutional Researchers (IR) have emerged as agents of change, adding college-wide assessment to their responsibilities alongside pragmatic reporting (Ross & Swing, 2016; Terenzini, 2012). As data-driven culture is still a relatively new institutional framework, IR may hold the key to engendering trust around this new status quo (Kirby & Floyd, 2016). This study explored the role of organizational structure in promoting the strategic success of Institutional Researchers. The researcher examined eight field professionals through the conceptual …

Factors In Public School Settings That Result In Teacher Agency, Jessica Hadid

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

A quality system for educating a nation’s youth depends upon a teaching force that continually learns, and applies its learning outcomes to active problem solving and development. Many current school and district models minimize teacher ability to engage in meaningful change, ultimately undermining the teachers’ sense of personal and professional agency. Literature suggests that internal forms of motivation are likely to result in the development of agency via self-determination of actions and behaviors. This mixed methods study examined five public schools in a small K-12 district through the lens of self-determination theory. An initial set of quantitative data were collected …

The Role Of Administrative Support In The Retention Of Special Education Teachers, Atinart Koonkongsatian

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Administrative support of special education teachers can be a determining factor towards their success in teacher retention, motivation, and overall well-being. Special education teachers manage paperwork, meetings, and other administrative duties in addition to their teaching responsibilities. The extensive workload often leads these teachers to feel stressed, inadequate, and most importantly, this reduces their desire to continue working in their field. Administrative support of special education teachers can play an important role in promoting retention, increasing motivation, and supporting the overall well-being of a special education teacher. Their caseload of students is extensive, and often these teachers do not receive …

Will You Be My Mentor? Self-Selecting A Mentor During Student Teaching., Linda Ludwig

All NMU Master's Theses

The purpose of this research study was to investigate student teachers who self-selected mentors during student teachings and the ways they perceived support and professional advice compared to student teachers who did not self-select mentors. The study looked at the nature of the mentoring relationship with student teachers and their self-selected mentor. This mixed-methods research collected data using a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions. Questionnaires were given to students during their 16-week student teaching placement. The common themes to emerge were that a self-selected mentor’s greatest influences included: offering advice, teaching strategies, encouragement and being a role model. The …

Principal Leader Of The Band: A Conversation Between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke And Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean, College Of Education At California State University, San Bernardino, Lorraine Hedtke, Jay Fiene

Journal of Critical Issues in Educational Practice

This is an interview that took place between Dr. Lorraine Hedtke and Dr. Jay Fiene, Dean of The College of Education at CSUSB, to explore the trajectory of his professional career. What was unearthed were intersecting themes between being a math teacher, a band leader, a professor in higher education and a college dean. All speak to similar values of caring and justice that drive Dr. Fiene to make a difference in communities where he has been involved.

“The Golden Rule”: A Portable Escape Room Designed To Promote Empathy And Playfulness In Challenging Social Contexts, Isabella Gomati

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

The development of a Portable Escape Room (PER) board game aims to promote empathy as one of the key skills that, for a society in constant change, is necessary to face and solve complex social challenges. The development of a PER is a way of addressing the need for both innovative and accessible tools that can be used in different sectors of the economy. The PER not only encourages creative collaboration, but it also introduces the possibility of playfulness as a bridge for learning and problem-solving in a variety of scenarios. The product itself encompasses an excellent example of a …

Analysis Of Gender And Gender-Related Implicit Leadership Themes In Hr Practitioner Literature : A Comparison Of The United States And Brazilian Hr Practitioner Publications., Flavia De Sousa E Castro Rossetti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among the many factors studied in relation to the women and leadership equality gap are gender stereotypes, implicit leadership theories, and the congruity of gender role expectations (Eagly, & Karau, 2002). Multiple studies in the scholarly literature support the finding that men, rather than women, are more likely to be seen as leaders (Bierma, 2016; Eagly, & Schmidt, 2001), and this finding appears to be robust across some cultures (Schein, 2001). While the scholarly research on women and leadership has been burgeoning, few research studies have investigated how human resource (HR) practitioner literature addresses themes related to women and leadership …

Effects Of A Collegiate Employee Wellness Program On Participant Perceived Wellness And The Transtheoretical Model Of Change: Voices Of Participants, Amy Jeanette Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

With rising costs of healthcare, due to high counts of obesity and chronic diseases, employers are exploring ways to have healthier and more productive employees by implementing wellness programs. Previous studies conducted on wellness programs and physical activity interventions took place at worksites, in the general public or at four-year universities (Butler, Clark, Brulis, Castillo, & Racette, 2015; Haines, et al., 2007; Rongen, et al., 2014a). These intervention programs focused primarily on the physical dimension of wellness to the exclusion of the other dimensions. The purpose of this mixed methods wellness program study was to investigate the effects of an …

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Relationships And Classroom Engagement On Student Growth Percentiles Of 7th And 8th Grade Students In One Rural School In Southwest Georgia, Dave Dennie

Theses and Dissertations

A number of states throughout the United States, including Georgia, are implementing a relatively new metric, student growth percentiles, as part of teacher and leader evaluations. Student growth plays a tremendous role in evaluations, accounting for up to 50% of a teacher or leader evaluations, yet there is little to no peer reviewed research on classroom factors that influence student growth percentiles. This quantitative study examined the extent that teacher-student relationships influenced basic psychological needs, engagement, and student growth using the Self-systems Process Model as a framework using structural equation modeling. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that context …

To What Extent Do General Education Elementary Teachers Perceive They Are Prepared To Teach Students With Disabilities?, Susan Fuller Elder

Theses and Dissertations

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2010 brought many changes to classes but it did not bring changes to the way teachers were trained. Many teacher preparation programs only required one exceptional child course for general education teachers. This dissertation analyzed the data gathered from 12 elementary, general education teachers on their perception of their preparedness to teach students with disabilities in their general education classrooms. The participants’ perceptions of preparedness were evaluated in regards to their pre-service training and their post-service, in-service, and professional development. The interviewees responses to this study demonstrated the need for …

Novice Teachers: Using Professional Development To Discover Whether They Continue To Use The Behavior Management Strategies Taught In The Undergraduate Program, Katherine O. Barnetson

Theses and Dissertations

The need for supporting novice teachers is not a theoretical concept, it is a real concept. Teacher education programs are preparing and graduating new teachers at a fast rate, however; these new teachers are also leaving the profession at staggering rates (Clark, 2012). According to Ingersoll (2012), between 40% and 50% of all new teachers in the United States leave the profession in the first five years. This research was designed to study teacher professional development with novice special education teachers as they move from a teacher preparation program to a full-time teaching position. The participants for this study included …

Empowering The Self, The Researcher, And The Leader: A Testimonio Of A Latina In Higher Education, Daria Lisa Cardoza

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation, my testimonio, is a critical self-reflection about my experiences as a Latina in higher education. I write my story with an awareness, a critical consciousness, of who I am as an individual in the shared spaces of my life—as a daughter, a sister, a mother, a student, a researcher, a teacher, a learner, a partner, a lover, a leader, and a work in progress—and an acute desire to be an agent of change. Through my educational journey, I have been able to honor my epistemological, mestiza consciousness, challenge how I view the world, my ontological framework, and understand …

A Critical Reflection Of The Self: An Autoethnography Of A Mexican American Educational Leader, Adriana Flores-Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

This autoethnographic study seeks to explain how my "lived experiences" both personal and academic have had a profound effect on the course of my life. Autoethnography has allowed me to utilize "reflexivity, multiple voices, and introspection" to "invoke" readers to enter into my "emergent experience" of doing and writing research. As a first generation, Latina, migrant, high school dropout, I was destined to fail according to research. Through the use of testimonies, I have inscribed the struggles and understanding, creating new knowledge, and affirming my epistemology by writing about what I know best, "familia, barrio, life experiences." Through testimonio pedagogy, …

Existing Con El Lobo, Traversing La Frontera Con Mis Nepantla Coyotes, Y Buscando La Vida Del Zorro: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of A Chicano In Academia, Ernesto Fidel Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is the experience of my life, an evolution of pláticas I have had con mis coyotes, my Nepantlero guides. I am one Chicano navigating through the mechanisms of a coercive and hegemonic system which limits our advancement in the academy. My ontology, epistemology, and axiology stem from my cultural and family foundations which I explore through the application of Testimonio. The dissertation consists of several chapter, first a description of the theoretical underpinnings which bolster my approach. I then guide you in a journey along a path of my discovery. My approach to how this study will be …

Of Lizards And Language, Bernadette Gongora

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

No abstract provided.

Elementary Teachers' And Principals' Concerns In The Implementation Of Inclusion In A South Texas School District, Lauren Y. Arce

Theses and Dissertations

This study addressed the in depth concerns that elementary regular education teachers, elementary special education teachers, and campus administrators in one South Texas school district have for the use or non-use of inclusionary practices as a means of educating students with special needs. These concerns that teachers and campus administrators have can influence the practice of inclusion. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to: (a) identify the levels of concern of elementary regular and special education teachers in one South Texas school district concerning the implementation of inclusion; (b) identify the levels of concern of campus administrators in …

Teacher Perceptions Of Professional Learning Communities On The Instructional Climate At Flintville Elementary School In Lincoln County, Tn, David Golden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore teacher perceptions of Professional Learning Communities on the instructional climate at Flintville Elementary School in Lincoln County, Tennessee. Participants in the study included five teachers, the evaluation supervisor, and one parent from Flintville Elementary School. Through the analysis of interviews and a review of documents collected from Professional Learning Communities (PLC) meetings in grades Pre-K through 8, the investigator was able to extract meaning and code the data into categories that led to an understanding of the perceptions being researched.

Professional Learning Communities at Flintville Elementary School have changed the instructional climate concerning …

Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, And Ethical Climate Of Higher Education Administrators In Maryland Colleges And Universities, Brenda Disorbo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A quantitative research project was conducted at all public and private colleges and universities in the state of Maryland to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climate among higher education administrators. An online survey was completed by 278 higher education administrators working in public and private colleges in Maryland during the 2016 fall semester. Survey results were analyzed in conjunction with participant characteristics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and ethical climates. Data were analyzed using MANOVA, Chi-Square, and descriptive statistics.

Findings indicate that the perceptions of ethical climate differed significantly by job satisfaction, gender and administrative position. …

Developing Effective Classroom Environments In A High School Looping Program: A Narrative Research Study, Caleb C. Tipton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study captures the narrative of the lived experiences of four teachers as they developed effective classroom environments in a high school looping program in an Eastern Tennessee school district. The study examined the stories and reflections of the participants in order to discover teacher perception, behaviors, and attitudes that help to establish teacher-student relational involvement which produces positive academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional student outcomes. The stories collected during the narrative study provide real-life, contextual data with which other practitioners might reflect upon their own teaching experiences and practices. The study also adds to the discussion on the potential impact …

The Perceptions Of High School Counselors' Roles In Developing A College-Going Culture, Lisa Condra Davies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The role of high school counselors includes providing equitable access to college and career opportunities for students (College Board, 2011). Attending college is viewed as a national priority that includes pre-college activities to promote postsecondary access (Savitz-Romer, 2012). High school counselors may have ambiguous roles that complicates their efforts (Engberg & Gilbert, 2014). Role confusion may arise when the high school counselors are asked to provide mental health services rather than professionally focus on college acceptance and completion for students.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of public high school counselors regarding their roles in …

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Sails (Seamless Alignment Of Integrated Learning Support) Program Collaboration In A Community College Setting, Kelley E. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2007, the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) program was implemented on a small scale at both Chattanooga State Community College (ChSCC) and Cleveland State Community College (CSCC) with the primary focus of implementing college remediation methods with area high school students during their senior year (ChSCC, n.d.). In cooperation with Governor Bill Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative within the State of Tennessee, the SAILS program expanded in 2013 to include 13 community colleges across Tennessee and has been touted as a possible solution to reducing the number of incoming college freshman who are required to participate in …

Dissertation Experiences Of Faculty Members: Individual, Relational And Structural Factors Of Success, Tanika R. Mitchell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological research study explored the dissertation experiences of individuals working as faculty members across disciplines at regionally accredited four year universities. Research questions utilized the constructs of social development theory to explore dissertation experiences from an individual, relational and structural perspective. Prior scholars have used social development theory as a framework to explore the individualities of the student, the relationship with faculty advisors and mentors, and the resources provided by the department and institution when evaluating the dissertation process (Liechty, Liao, & Schull, 2009).

A purposeful, criterion sampling strategy and maximum variation sampling were employed to select a wide …

Communication Apprehension Among Community College Students: A Phenomenology, John R. Bragg Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative investigation was conducted to explore the phenomenon of communication apprehension among a purposeful sample of five community college students with high levels of communication apprehension. The phenomenon of Communication Apprehension (CA) is “an individual’s level of fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons” (Beatty, McCroskey, & Heisel, 1998, p. 197; McCroskey, 1970, p. 269). All individuals experience some level of CA, and between 30% and 40% of individuals are estimated to experience high levels of CA. For the community college student with high levels of CA, the introductory communication course …

The Influence Of Principal Longevity And Continuity On Student Achievement, Gemar Mills

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

In the state of New Jersey, academic success at the high school level is defined by student achievement on the New Jersey High School Proficiency Assessment (NJ HSPA), which students take in the 11^th grade. New Jersey high school principals are accountable for ensuring that students who attend their schools are proficient in mathematics and language arts before they start their 12^th grade year. The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) emphasizes principal accountability, and New Jersey has likewise increased scrutiny on principals’ contributions to student performance on the NJ HSPA. Accordingly, this study examines whether these principals’ …

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 …

The Attitudes And Social Identity Of Faculty After Participating In Interprofessional Education, Andrea Kessler

All Theses And Dissertations

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a global initiative to prepare pre-licensure health professional students for health care team collaboration (WHO, 2010). However, many barriers limit IPE development in academia, including academic structure and faculty participation. The purpose of this study is to better understand how participation in IPE programs affects faculty social identity and their attitudes toward IPE curriculum inclusion. The use of social identity theory and transformational learning theory conceptually guide the research process. This multiple-case study collected data from the interviews of eight faculty representing various entry-level health professions from three universities. Each participant had experience in at least …

The Nurse’S Story: A Qualitative Study Of How Nurses Experience Caring For Patients Who Die Unexpectedly, Shantel Sullivan

All Theses And Dissertations

The primary purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of compassion fatigue among nurse professionals in order to examine natural grieving reactions and how they potentially change nurses’ lives. The focus of this study included nurse professionals working in rural community hospitals in Upstate New York. The nurse professionals in the study were exclusively those who identify and practice as registered nurses (RN). The nurses were asked to share their experiences of repetitive exposure to critical incidents (unexpected outcomes, mass casualties, and/or death of infant/child/young adult). Purposive sampling was utilized as a means to select participants. The …