Educational Leadership Commons^™

Lying, Cheating, & Stealing: Strategies For Mitigating Technology-Driven Academic Dishonesty In Collegiate Schools Of Business, Travis Hollman, Noel F. Palmer, Daniel Chaffin, Kyle Luthans

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

We summarize contemporary issues related to academic dishonesty and draw from relevant organizational ethics program research to present a dual framework that business educators can use to mitigate technology-driven cheating among their students. Based on a review of the relevant literature, we develop a rationale which identifies three key observations: 1) technology-driven academic dishonesty is pervasive among college business students, 2) there are proactive steps that can be taken to address this problem, and 3) faculty, staff, and administrators in collegiate schools of business can and should do more to mitigate cheating among their students. We first provide an overview …

What Makes For A Career In Higher Education?, Charles Bicak

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

Reflections on a career in higher education, offered by UNK Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic & Student Affairs Charlie Bicak.

What You Speak Shall Come: Examining Spirituality On Retention Of African American Males Attending A Predominantly White Institution Using A Sequential Explanatory Mixed-Methods Design, Carlous Brian Yates

Dissertations

African American males have faced significant challenges at institutions of higher education over the years (Harper, 2013; Griffith et al., 2019). This study aimed to examine the impact of spirituality on the retention of African American males attending a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) through a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design study.

The participants in the study were African American males (N = 47) with age range 18 to 48 years old all attending a mid-sized university located in the mid-western region of the United States during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters. The university is considered a Predominantly White Institution …

Black Education In The Wake Of Covid-19 And Systemic Racism: Toward A Theory Of Change And Action, Phillip Smith, Sonya Douglass Horsford, Leana Cabral, Cami Touloukian, Siettah Parks, Chy Mcghee, Fawziah Qadir, Dominique Lester, Jade Jacobs

GSE Faculty Publications

This report presents findings from a research study the Black Education Research Collective (BERC) conducted to better understand how the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism have impacted Black education from the perspectives of Black parents, teachers, students, education and community leaders. Two questions guided the study: (1) What is the impact of COVID-19 on the education of Black children and youth in the United States? (2) How should educators and community leaders respond to calls for change and action? Data was collected between January-May 2021 using a national online survey and virtual focus group interviews with Black high school students, …

The Influence Of Professional Development On Teacher Self-Efficacy In Gifted Education, Keely P'Pool

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to study the impact of effective professional development training provided to both preservice and inservice teachers about gifted education and gifted students. This research also seeks to discover whether a notable difference exists between preservice and inservice teachers in regard to the increase in their knowledge and self-efficacy upon completion of the professional development training. A quantitative approach using a survey and a required training was used for all participants. Study participants included preservice teachers attending a southern Kentucky public university who were taking education classes as well as inservice teachers from 11 school …

Examining The Effects Of A Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Community On Teacher Efficacy Toward Inquiry-Based Science Instruction, Samuel Joel Northern

Dissertations

Improving STEM education is pivotal to our country’s economic future and security. Unfortunately, most young students have limited access to standards-based science education. Science instruction is notoriously difficult to implement in the early grades. This dissertation explored the root causes for the lack of effective science instruction in elementary schools, including accountability testing, instructional time, historically weak standards, family factors, teacher efficacy, and professional development.

This study aimed to understand how elementary school teachers’ attitudes promote or hinder the implementation of science instruction. This study’s primary driver to improve science education in the early grades was a curriculum-based professional learning …

Mental Health Support: Through The Early Development Networks Team's Perspective, Heather Post

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore the implementation of Nebraska Rule 52 Primary Service Provider model from the perspectives of the Primary Service Providers as well as the Services Coordinator. This study explored how the Primary Service Provider model is effectively meeting the needs of the child and family in the areas of mental health and social emotional support.

This research added to the knowledge and information of our key stakeholders to determine a more intensive training for our Early Development Network team and how to best support these professionals as they are working with the …

Identity And Image: The Process Of Cultivating Perceptions Of Secondary Schools, Kathryn Mcwilliams

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

Group associations are a fundamental aspect of the human condition, facilitating the most basic as well as more complex needs for survival. Tajfel’s research outlines the impact that such associations have on how humans create identities for themselves. Providing pride or shame, organizations have a profound opportunity to shape its members’ senses of self-efficacy. Organizations, therefore, need to be mindful of their group identity and image to positively influence the self-esteem of those members. Nowhere is this as important as secondary schools where students are not only at a formative age, but also are often assigned to their school based …

Determining Stakeholder Perspectives Within A Local Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Network, Garret Higginbotham

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The need for a STEM literate workforce has presented a complex issue on both the national and local level. The Omaha STEM Ecosystem was established in 2016 as a connecting agency to leverage the social capital of member stakeholders in addressing STEM workforce gaps by strengthening the availability of STEM pipeline learning opportunities in the Omaha Metro Area. This study presents a qualitative analysis of organizational documents and semi-structured interviews. Stakeholder groups were divided into Producer (Business, Government, and Non-Profit) and Consumer stakeholders (Education, Families, and Science Centers and Museums). Interviews for this publication present the Consumer stakeholder group, while …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Success Within A Stem Ecosystem, Heather L. Daubert

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The Omaha STEM Ecosystem (OSE) is a multi-stakeholder collaborative network (MSCN) with active members from six key stakeholder groups (Business, Education, Family, Government, Non-Profit, and Science Centers and Museums). OSE serves as a connecting agency which leverages the social capital of these member stakeholders to address the STEM workforce gap by strengthening the availability of STEM pipeline learning opportunities. The purpose of this qualitative study was to synthesize the shared and nuanced definition of success for all key stakeholder groups in OSE with the STEM lexicon. This dissertation presents the findings of semi-structured interviews with a theory of success built …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Graduate Admission Criteria And Academic/Clinical Student Outcomes For Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students, Jill Kumke

Educational Leadership Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity

The charge for speech-language pathology graduate admission committees is to identify candidates who will be successful academically and clinically in graduate school, all the while ensuring career readiness. This retrospective study focused on graduate admission criteria and students ‘academic and clinical outcomes, for eighty students that completed the program between 2016-2020. Statistical analysis was used to determine if relationships existed between traditional admission criteria and students’ academic and clinical outcomes. In addition, further analysis was completed to determine if these findings varied by student characteristics including, gender, race/ethnicity, tradition/nontraditional students, undergraduate degree, and undergraduate institution. This study found the objective …

Organizational Climate In Schools Across The Archdiocese Of Detroit, Ben Pogodzinski, Anne Morris

Journal of Catholic Education

To help inform continuous improvement efforts across Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit (AOD), the Catholic Identity Program Effectiveness Surveys were administered to parents, students, and faculty/staff across schools in the AOD during Winter 2018. This work sought to identify variation in responses across respondents and schools. Additionally, we sought to identify an association between the survey responses and enrollment trends across schools. Our findings show some significant differences in responses across the domains of the survey as well as across respondent group. The initial analysis found no statistically significant association between measures of organizational climate and enrollment trends, …

Latino Family Engagement In A Network Of Catholic Bilingual Schools, Gabrielle Oliveira, Eunhye Cho, Olivia Barbieri

Journal of Catholic Education

In this article, we examine how a Network of Catholic Bilingual Schools (NCBS) serves Latino populations by examining the leadership’s narratives of the school services and outreach. By employing a survey with 16 principals in the NCBS, we argue that the rate of engagement is similar between Latino and non-Latino parents, although the nature of the activities varied. Despite the long-held belief that Latino parents are less likely to participate in schooling than non-Latino parents, we found that Latino parents committed their participation in schools across cultural, linguistic, or religious activities. We highlight how principals acknowledge and describe Latino families’ …

Creating Conditions For Collaboration: A Case Study On Design-Based Professional Learning, Leslie A. Lehner

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Design thinking is a process for solving complex problems through creative actions. There are three primary ways design thinking is being used in education today: (a) as a teaching tool, (b) as a strategy for teachers to redesign their students’ learning experiences, and (c) as a tool for school leaders to design school change (Gallagher & Thordarson, 2018). Design thinking includes a strong emphasis on team-based learning regarding the problem and possible solutions (Lindberg et al., 2010). This case study describes one school’s approach to navigating complex challenges, inspiring school change, and developing conditions for meaningful collaboration using a design …

A Narrative Study Of The Experiences That Disrupt Or Terminate Entry In The Community College Presidential Pipeline For African American Women, Dana G. Stilley

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Organizational structures, beliefs, and values in higher education are influenced by the deep-seated characteristics of patriarchy, dominance and racial and gender bias, upon which higher education was founded. These factors continue to impact the ascension of African American women to college presidencies. Current challenges facing community colleges include a gap in executive leadership and the underrepresentation of African American women in the presidential pipeline.

The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to better understand the experiences that disrupt or terminate the journey to a presidency for African American women in senior level positions at community colleges. The goal was to …

A Grounded Theory Qualitative Study Of Assistant Principals As Instructional Leaders In The High School Setting, Mary F. Hardesty

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Assistant principals as content-focused instructional leaders are an essential component of educational reform. Continued state and federal accountability for improved student learning requires promoting assistant principals beyond managerial duties toward increased supervision as instructional leaders. Unfortunately, administrators at the high school level frequently lack content knowledge in the areas they supervise. A critical analysis of the position was needed knowing assistant principals are influential in the teaching and learning process. The first research question determined how and in what ways assistant principals who supervised instruction at the high school level made sense of their position dependent upon whether they were …

Implementing Excellence In Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Library Workforce: Tips To Overcome Challenges, Kanu A. Nagra, Bernadette M. López-Fitzsimmons

Publications and Research

Diversifying the library workforce is challenging, with the graduation data of library and information science degrees not representing equity in demographics for diverse populations. Is this the reason for the lack of diversity among library staff or are recruitment practices not based on measurable performance standards? Both questions call upon the library and information science (LIS) profession to address diverse staffing issues to remedy these challenges.

The Centrality Of Cultural Considerations In Facilitating Training For Adults, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Teaching and learning are social and cultural activities. Across cultures people have different ways of communicating, interacting, and learning. Consequently, learning may not occur without understanding the role national cultures play on organizing and facilitating training events. This study is part of a larger study that took place over a period of six years, from 2013 to 2019, in West Africa. Using Hofstede et al., (2010) Six Cultural Dimensions model as a conceptual framework, this paper sought to examine the extent to which factors of national culture influences the facilitation of professional learning among school principals in two West African …

Cultural Proficiency: The Necessary Link To Family Engagement, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Although family engagement is crucial to student and community outcomes, schools often alienate families who are not part of the dominant culture. As a result, school leaders need to become culturally proficient to systematically engage all families equitably regardless of their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and other cultural identifiers. This teaching case study raises issues related to cultural proficiency and family engagement. To help current and future educational leaders foster family engagement, I provide a cultural proficiency for family and community engagement framework. I also pose questions designed to trigger conversations and find practical solutions related to equitable family engagement.

The Post-Observation Conference: An Exploration Of Feedback Strategies, Dennis M. Fare

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The post-observation conference is valuable, dedicated time for a teacher to focus their discussion on their own instruction and instructional delivery. This experience serves as an opportunity for the teacher to review the details of a lesson with their observer, while also reflecting on teaching practices. Not only does the post-observation provide the teacher with accolades regarding their teaching performance, but it is also an exchange where the teacher can reflect and is provided with critical feedback to improve instructional execution moving forward. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore those strategies and conditions that prompt teachers to …

Academic Librarian Experiences And Perceived Value Of Oer Professional Development: A Case Study, Elaine Thornton

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Academic librarianship is a constantly changing profession. Open education librarianship has developed as an area of specialization. Effective continuing professional development (CPD) for learning about open educational resources (OER) is needed to meet academic librarians' knowledge and training needs engaged in this area. This narrative case study examines the experiences and perceptions of academic librarians who completed a structured open education leadership program. Interviews were conducted with a selection of program fellows to capture the personal perspectives of the program participants. These interview narratives were transcribed and, alongside program curriculum and participant projects, utilized to answer the study's research questions …

Discipline Disproportionality Of Black Students With Disabilities: Principals' Perspectives, Wanda L. Van Dyke

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the problem of practice found in discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities in an urban school district with a majority Black student and teacher population. Through personal interviews with building level administrators, data was gained to determine common themes that impact discipline disproportionality of Black students with disabilities. A qualitative inquiry approach, in the form of a case study was used to determine principals’ perspectives about factors that may impact discipline disproportionality. Student disciplinary records were examined to verify disproportionality and investigate patterns and categories related to students with and without …

Collaborative Inquiry To Support Critically Reading Children’S Literature, Laurie Rabinowitz, Amy Tondreau

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

This article provides an overview of a qualitative study investigating how K-5 classroom teachers describe their beliefs, concerns, and planning process for enacting read alouds featuring characters with disabilities. The study explored educators' close reading of picture books to elicit the unpacking of beliefs about individuals with disabilities conveyed by children’s literature. Through dialogue about social issues in picture books with colleagues, teachers sharpened their own critical literacy skills to bring into the classroom. Based on our findings, we offer a collaborative inquiry cycle that teacher groups can replicate to critically read children’s literature for different social justice issues.

Evidence-Based Leadership Preparation Program Practices: From The Perceptions Of Georgia Rural School Leaders, Kristen N. Dickens, Juliann Sergi Mcbrayer, Summer Pannell, Katherine Fallon

Georgia Educational Researcher

Phenomenological analysis was used to explore Georgia rural school principals’ lived experiences of effective school leadership preparedness. Four overarching themes were found: productive/favorable leadership preparation program culture, bridge theory and practice in educational leadership preparation program, multicultural competencies for practice, and recommendations for effective principal preparation. The findings revealed that school leaders need increased experiential learning opportunities, increased assignments applicable to daily leader tasks, and increased cultural awareness and diversity training in their preparation programs. Principal preparation programs should work with school districts to provide purposeful, collaborative, and sustainable professional learning to prepare competent school leaders. Further research includes recruiting …

Micropolitical Influences On Teacher Leader Selection & Enactment, Jennifer Lynn Arthur Thomason

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The teacher leader phenomenon is plagued with uncertainty but has potential to be a catalyst for building school capacity and increasing school improvement. Questions remain about defining teacher leadership, roles of teacher leaders, and how they carry out a quasi-leadership role in a traditionally hierarchical system. Research on micropolitics in education, specifically how micropolitical influences within an organization affect teacher leader selection and enactment, is lacking. This phenomenologically informed study explored micropolitical influences on teacher leader selection and enactment through the shared experiences of teacher leaders and administrators. Purposeful, criterion sampling was used to select administrator and teacher leader participants. …

Culturally Responsive School Leaders: Actions, Barriers And The Impact Of Critical Self-Reflection, Dawn Louise Kramer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The importance of culturally responsive pedagogy has gained prominence in the last few decades. Educational leaders have a significant impact on student outcomes and, as such, it is important that leaders are culturally responsive to meet student needs. The purpose of this study was to use qualitative case study methodology to gain a better understanding of culturally responsive school leaders including their daily actions, the barriers they face and the role of critical self-reflection in their practice. The research design and methodology of this study take into consideration the study’s focus on culturally responsive school leadership through the theoretical triad …

Selected Texas University Stakeholders' Perceptions Of Threat Assessment Teams And Their Impact On Campus Safety, Elizabeth Silva

Theses and Dissertations

In response to the rising violence on university campuses many institutions of higher education (IHE) have formed Threat Assessment Teams (TAT) on their campuses (Randazzo, & Cameron, 2012). The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of the impact that Threat Assessment Teams have had on the campus safety at two large state universities in Texas.

To examine this perception, Threat Assessment Team members as well as selected stakeholders were interviewed, as a method of collecting data. The research design for this study was a Qualitative Collective Case Study (Creswell, 2015). This research investigated the perceptions university stakeholders …

Texas Accountability System: The Relationship Between English Learners And The Ability To Meet Post-Secondary Readiness Standards, Zaida Saldivar

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Every Student Success Act (ESSA) provides explicit College Career and Military Readiness (CCMR) standards requiring state and local district's responsiveness to ensuring all students meet given expectations. ESSA does not exempt at-risk students from meeting expectations; however, at-risk students such as English Learners (ELs) are under-represented in this area. Research shows that ELs are capable of performing and meeting given expectations as their non-EL peers with the appropriate linguistic accommodations. Unfortunately, the pressures for not meeting federal and state accountability standards has led educators to address the needs of ELs appropriately and others to ignore this fragile population. Researchers present …

Factors That Influence Elementary Administrators' Decision-Making Experiences Regarding Implementation Of School-Wide Behavior Improvement Programs: A Phenomenological Study, Meredith Miller Welch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the factors that influence elementary administrators' decisions whether to implement school-wide behavior improvement programs. Westaby's (2005) behavioral reasoning theory guided this study to answer the central research question: What factors influence elementary administrators' decisions whether to implement school-wide behavior improvement programs? Sub questions for the study include (1) what school-based, context-specific reasons influence elementary administrators' decisions whether to implement school-wide behavior improvement programs? and (2) what global motives influence elementary administrators' decisions whether to implement school-wide behavior improvement programs? Criterion sampling was used to select elementary school administrators from a …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of Perceived Self-Efficacy As It Relates To Persistence For First-Generation Black College Men In Texas, Cleveland Earl Brown

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe perceived self-efficacy as it relates to the persistence of first-generation Black college men at two public and one private Christian institution of higher education in the state of Texas. The theory that guided this study was Bandura’s self-efficacy as it provided the theoretical framework. Tinto’s student integration model was used in this research to analyze Tinto’s concept of academic and social integration relevant to first-generation Black college men’s persistence. Four research questions were used in this study to describe the participants’ perceived self-efficacy, persistence, and family influences as well as …