Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Exploratory Study Of Jefferson County Public Schools' Freshman Academies Of Louisville Model On Student Promotion, Attendance, And Sense Of Belonging., Andrew Lewis Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The middle school years are a pivotal time in a student’s life in which they deal with a range of issues, one of which is high school transition (Osler & Walden, 2012). McCallumore and Sparapani (2010) describe ninth grade as the critical year for completing high school. To facilitate the transition from middle to high school, freshman academies, a smaller learning community, seek to increase student promotion from ninth to tenth-grade, attendance, and sense of belonging through a myriad of interventions (Jefferson County Public Schools, 2018). There is a need to compare the student outcomes who attend traditional schools that …

The Effects Of Previous Traumatic Experiences On Learning Outcomes: Perceptions Of Black Men Who Are Attending Community College, Willie Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic underachievement among Black students, particularly Black male students, is a troubling trend that has long attracted scholarly attention. The prevailing consensus is that the shortcomings of some Black male students in academic achievement may be attributable to traumatic experiences arising from environments of violent, inner-city poverty that disproportionately affect Black men. Traumatic experiences have been shown to negatively affect Black men’s self-perception, emotions, self-image, and social and cognitive skills, with consequences in the form of measured shortfalls in retention and graduation rates. My qualitative, phenomenological study sought to explore how previous traumatic experiences of Black men affected their academic …

Addressing Imposter Syndrome In First-Year College Students, Camille Mendoza

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Some first-year students may have feelings of Imposter Syndrome, where they feel self-doubt and fear that they are not qualified and worthy enough. Students experiencing Imposter Syndrome may not recognize their capabilities and may suffer from low self-esteem, anxiety, or depression. Given the potential impact of Imposter Syndrome on first-year students, colleges should provide training to those leaders on campus who work directly with first-year students so that Imposter Syndrome feelings can be minimized, and students can feel supported and included. To address Imposter Syndrome on college campuses, I developed a one-day training on Imposter Syndrome, symptoms of Imposter Syndrome, …

Impact Of Positive Classroom Environment On Elementary School Students’ Learning, Marisa Contrada

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

When students are asked if they like school or not, their answer is typically negative for the reason that they don’t feel comfortable in the classroom. Classroom environment is where their mindset could be changed. Classroom environment has not been a prominent topic of discussion. This senior capstone research report was designed to shed light on the importance of classroom environment. Through the use of literature review, classroom observations, teacher interviews, and anonymous student survey, positive classroom environment has a tremendous impact on students learning. This senior capstone examines the importance of classroom environment as well as strategies in creating …

Parent Volunteers And Covid-19: Balancing Necessity, Enthusiasm, And Caution, Jarrod Myers

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus issue addressed in this Capstone Project is how the pandemic disrupted parent volunteering in schools. Parent volunteering is an essential issue for schools because parent involvement is essential for student success. An evidence-based argument is offered that schools struggled to staff the void left by parent volunteers. The three primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were parents, school leadership, and teachers. Parents make up the volunteer pool; teachers know what kind of assistance classrooms need, and school leadership creates policies. Three themes emerged from analyzing the data and explored ways to reintroduce parents to a school campus. Parent volunteers make …

The Impact Of One Can Impact The Majority: Benefits Of Social And Emotional Learning, Melissa Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For my 2022 senior Capstone Project, I chose to focus on looking at the benefits of implementing and teaching Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills to today’s students, their families and educators. Social and Emotional Learning involves teaching students: self awareness, self management, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills. With these skill sets, communities that are composed of students, families and educators, can create beneficial impacts amongst each other as a butterfly effect. One teacher was interviewed on how they incorporate social and emotional learning into their classroom and what they think could be done to improve it. …

Economic Capital And Hispanic Economically Disadvantaged Student Persistence At A Hispanic-Serving Institution, Griselda C. Castilla

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between college persistence and family income, parental education level, and type of financial aid for first-time, full-time Hispanic economically disadvantaged students selected from a South Texas Hispanic-serving institution. The dependent variable, college persistence, was measured by completed college credit hours per academic year. Predictor variables included family income, collected from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and parental education level, collected from the FAFSA for Parent 1 and Parent 2, as provided, indicating level of schooling received. Type of financial aid was the category of aid received, such …

Parental Engagement Of Families Living In Colonias: Engaging In Their Children’S Education, Eugenia Hernandez-Moreno

Theses and Dissertations

Parental engagement has been identified as a factor that influences the academic achievement of elementary children. Colonias are low income neighborhoods who lack the infrastructure and whose residents struggle with the accessibility of every day necessities to survive. Parents living in colonias are faced with unique challenges that influence the extent of their parental engagement in their children’s education. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent of parental engagement of families living in colonias in elementary children’s education in a school district in South Texas. Interviews, observations, and documents will be analyzed to determine the different factors …

Examination Of 21st Century Organization Development: An Ethnography Of A Distance Learning Support Department At A Hispanic Serving Institution Of Higher Education, Bobbie Myatt

Theses and Dissertations

This study used an ethnographic lens to examine the historic organizational development of a distance education support department within a Hispanic-serving institution of higher education. The Borderlands University (BU; pseudonym) Online Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (OTLT) is representative of the structure and culture of a successful distance education support department for the 21st century. Through qualitative ethnography, this research study examined the development of cultural and structural components necessary for the success of this organization. This includes the internal community of support departments housed within institutions of higher education. Technologically raised generations emerging from traditional schools, “digital natives,” are …

Career And Technical Education Teacher Self-Efficacy Of Staff Development As Part Of A Beginning Teacher Induction Program: A Qualitative Research Of Cte Teacher Externs Of A South Texas School District…From The Classroom To The Job Site, And Back Again, Raul Alvarez Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has proven itself through substantial research, to provide a positive impact on the U.S. economy and the job market in its college and career preparedness of high school students. However, the ability of school districts in retaining competent CTE teachers is not as reassuring. The progressive years for any beginning CTE teacher are during their initial tenure in the profession. Teacher self-knowledge is also developed during these years inclusive of the occupational reflection of either removing oneself from or continuing as a teacher. Therefore, it can be stated that it is during this period when …

Exploring How Latinx Gender And Sexually Diverse Youth In The Rio Grande Valley Experience And Confront Homophobia: A Qualitative Study Of Alumni Community Leaders/Advocates, Heraclio Flores Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Framed by queer theory, this qualitative study seeks to better understand the unique experiences of homophobia that occur amongst Latinx gender and sexually diverse youth (GDSY) in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). Latinx GSDY in the Rio Grande Valley are less likely to be in schools that adopt affirming policies and are therefore more likely to experience homophobia. It is also likely that their social, emotional, physical, and academic wellbeing are impacted negatively. The study collected written journal responses from nine Latinx gender and sexually diverse alumni of RGV schools (including the researcher) that presently serve as community leaders …

A Study Of Self Efficacy, Grit, Persistence, And Professional Development Of Select Texas Public School Principals Participating In The Principal Pipeline Program, M. Veronica Garza-Kortan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine if a relationship existed between the self-efficacy and grit of selected principals; the differences in self-efficacy and grit among the principals who did and did not participate in a principal development program; and the differences in self-efficacy, grit, and persistence in the job role of the selected principals with varying years of experience. The study focused on Texas public school districts in the Principal Pipeline program and included 101 principal responses. Data collection occurred via an electronic survey. In this quantitative study …

School Leadership That Impacts Student Achievement In Blue Ribbon Schools In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Sonya Y. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to determine the leadership actions, behaviors, and practices of effective school leaders in Blue Ribbon Schools in South Texas who resulted in the schools receiving the distinction by the U. S. Department of Education of being a Blue Ribbon School. Data were collected through a series of interviews with principals and teachers from the selected sample of Blue Ribbon Schools in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive coding to determine themes.

Gen Z Students’ Experiences With College Choice, Heather Levesque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore what influences Gen Z student college choice. Research on college choice has provided insight into whether or not a student will attend college; however, limited research exists on what impacts Gen Z students’ college choice and how marketing and communication influence what college a student will choose. College recruitment has always been challenging, given the high competition between colleges and universities. With the decrease in enrollment over the last decade and the unexpected impact of COVID-19, that challenge continues to grow. Enrollment and marketing administrators have difficulty expanding and diversifying their …

Using Art Education To Cultivate Self-Efficacy And Divergent Thinking, Julian Flores Rubalcaba

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences of an art teacher implementing art education with creative learning principles to cultivate students’ creative self-efficacy and divergent thinking at one middle school in the Inland Empire located in Southern California. The research continues to focus on how self-efficacy and divergent thinking cultivate through the process of art creation through project-based learning (Puente-Díaz & Cavazos-Arroyo, 2017). An art education is not a requirement for students to receive throughout their PK-12 general education in low socioeconomic schools due to an emphasis on the general education curriculum to focus on high-stakes standardized …

Beyond The Hijab: Lived Experiences Of Female Hijabi Muslim International Students At A Southern California University, Suzy Abdelrahman Sharweed

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This study explored the lived experiences of female Hijabi Muslim international students at a local Southern California university. A qualitative phenomenological design was implemented to explore from the students' perspective and in their voices; a reporting of what they encountered as they navigated the campus communities they must also learn to negotiate. Considering both the historical and current push for internationalization in higher education settings, coupled with the national climate of fear concerning Muslims within the United States, a Postcolonial framework was used to examine students' daily interactions, engagement, sense of belonging and inclusion, and campus "intellectual practices" with …

The Lived Experiences Of Introverts And Their Extracurricular Involvement In A Four-Year University Environment, Maigan Wipfli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative, phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of introverts who were involved in two or more passive or active extracurricular involvement opportunities during their undergraduate experience at a four-year college or university. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom video conferencing with self-identified introverts who attended public, four-year universities in the South, West, and Midwest regions of the United States. Participants represented both medium and large institutions. The analysis of the data indicated common themes from the participants including personality traits and common misconceptions of introversion, cultural focus of extraversion, personal and professional development, opportunities granted, and individual preferences …

Beginning Teachers' Perceptions Of Administrator Involvement In The Beginning Teacher Induction Process: A Phenomenological Study, Rachel Shepherd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine how the involvement of the principal and assistant principal in the beginning teacher (BT) induction process influences both self-efficacy and retention from the perspective of beginning teachers in a rural district in northwestern North Carolina. While research exists that highlights the importance of an induction process for beginning teachers in their first year of teaching and the need for fostering self-efficacy among beginning teachers, little analysis has been conducted specifically on the role of the principal or assistant principal in building beginning teachers’ self-efficacy during that process. The underlying framework of this …

Examining Diversity And The Role And Influence Of Post-Secondary Faculty At A Predominantly White Institution In Tennessee: A Critical Race Case Analysis, Lanell Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative, critical race analysis study is to explore how White faculty conceptualize and apply critical race theory (CRT) and culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) to curricula within a college of education and how the perceptions of their students’ identities influence specific pedagogical decisions. The researcher sought to extend the research on CRT in education by analyzing specific, detailed cases and incorporating purposeful sampling by selecting participants who match specific study criteria, i.e. graduate-level White faculty located in Tennessee who teach in programs of education.

This study was limited to six faculty in a college of education (in …

The Contribution Of Early Postsecondary Opportunities To Retention And Graduation Rates At One Community College In Tennessee, Joe Wingate

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative, comparative study was to determine whether there were significant differences in fall-to-fall retention and graduation rates, between first-time, full-time students who engaged in at least one early post-secondary opportunity (EPSO) while in high school and those who did not. Archival data for this study were collected from the participating community college between 2015 and 2018. The sample for this study included 2,911 students enrolled in academic programs at the community college and included retention rates and graduation rates for students who participated in EPSOs (N = 622) and those who did not participate in …

Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Instructor Perceptions Of Instructional Delivery In A Virtual Environment, John Derek Faulconer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors at the secondary level as they adapted to teaching in a virtual environment during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Although the literature indicated that the delivery method for the content and curriculum aligned to Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps was best suited for face-to-face instruction, no evidence existed to indicate cadet overall success based on the implementation by virtual delivery, using one or multiple online platforms. The objective of each JROTC Program is to ensure that cadets successfully complete the program with advanced …

Examining How Black Administrator Employment Decisions Are Impacted By The Behaviors Of Supervisors, Annie Wilson Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand how Black, public school administrator employment decisions are impacted by the behaviors of supervisors in Virginia. Commonalities among the lived experiences of Black, public school administrators were examined in order to identify specific behaviors which impact employment decisions.

Transcendental phenomenological qualitative research design was utilized. Participants were identified through gatekeeper introductions and then narrowed through snow-ball sampling. Data was collected through open-ended face-to-face interviews with 12 Black, public school administrators in Virginia via a secure online platform. The data was analyzed in order to identify emergent themes which represent the lived …

Academic Performance Among First-Year College Freshmen Following Participation In A Summer Bridge Program, Gregory Anderson Cross

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the academic outcomes of first-year academically underprepared TN Promise-eligible college freshmen who participated in a college bridge program. A comparative research design was applied to existing data, including first-semester GPA, first-semester credit completion rate, first college-level mathematics course GPA, first college-level English course GPA, and fall-to-fall persistence rates. A random sample of 412 first-time freshman college students from five cohorts was analyzed using descriptive statistics for eight research questions. These findings indicated that there were no significant differences among college bridge participants and non-bridge participants. Non-bridge program participants …

Improving The Beginning Teacher Induction Program Experience For African American Teachers Within The Green Pastures School District: An Applied Study, Uvonda Marie Willis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this applied study was to improve the BTI program for African American teachers in the Green Pastures School District by gathering information on the BTI program and formulating solutions. A multimethod design was used consisting of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The first approach was semi-structured interviews with district and school site administrators. The second approach was conducting a focus group with African American beginning teachers. The third approach involved the development of a survey completed by district and school site administrators and African American beginning teachers. Based on the findings, this applied study identified several recommendations …

All Excellence Is God's Excellence: Examining The Fractal Nature Of Biblical Wisdom For Decision-Making In Complex Environments, Thomas Frank Mcallister

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study analyzed decision-making techniques in complex environments to discover and examine fractal patterns within biblical wisdom. Employing a constructivist grounded theory approach, interviews of organizational leaders from various occupational verticals such as business leaders, pastors, missionaries, politicians, coaches, teachers, military, and law enforcement were conducted to discern their decision-making principles and methods. The significance of this research is its immense application potential. From the broader context of one’s worldview, the search for meaning, purpose, and success in one’s life journey is fundamental to the human psyche. Within motivated leaders, there is consistently a desire to do well—ultimately, to be …

Participation In Collision, Contact, And Noncontact Sports And Academic Outcomes At A United States Service Academy, Benjamin Thomas Showman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study seeks to determine whether significant differences exist in the academic outcomes, specifically grade point averages (GPA), between college students who participate in collision, contact, or noncontact sports. Additionally, this study seeks to understand whether sport contact levels are predictive of a student’s GPA when sport competition levels and demographic variables are also taken into account. Current research suggests links between sports participation, aggression, brain injuries, and academic outcomes. Along these lines, a significant amount of research has investigated relationships between student aggression and academic outcomes, between aggression and sport contact levels, and between sports participation and academic …

The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction And Religiosity In Evangelical Christian Schools, Jairon Gabriel Jarrin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this non-experimental predictive-correlational study was to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and religiosity among teachers working in evangelical Christian schools. This study was grounded in two theories: Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation and spiritual leadership theory. Herzberg's theory of motivation helps explain how teachers become satisfied or dissatisfied by distinguishing between motivational and hygiene factors. Spiritual leadership theory helps understand the importance of spirituality in the workplace and its relation to Christian religiosity in the workplace. This study is important because it added to the discussion about evangelical Christian schools that is very limited in the …

The Future Of Higher Education For Land-Grant Institutions: Considerations Beyond Short-Term Strategic Planning, Andrew Edmunds

All Dissertations

This research addresses future challenges for land-grant universities and calls on administrators to look beyond short-term strategic planning. Chapter One frames the research problem and presents a brief history of U.S. higher education defined by disruption and evolution. Statistical models provide a basis to identify future challenges for land-grant universities. I then propose to address those challenges by investigating University Industry Partnerships (UIP), increasing research productivity, and fostering sense of belonging for part-time graduate students. I use a systematic literature review of UIP structuring practices to reveal how UIPs are structured by time, personnel, and flexible horizontal organizational structures. I …

How Transformative Leaders Break Down Barriers To Increase Access To Arts Integration For Black And Hispanic Students: A Multiple Case Study, Julia Mcclanahan

All Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how transformative leaders break down barriers to increase access to arts integration for Black and Hispanic students. To fulfill this purpose, I conducted a multiple case study of two school sites in two different school districts. I collected the data for the cases through interviews with the principal of each school, interviews with two teachers from each site, field notes from site visits, and documents and artifacts from each site. This study is significant because the data provides transformative leaders with an action plan in order to make arts-integrated programs more equitable …

Challenging Student Behaviors And Teacher Well-Being, Dannah Steele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Classroom management is a necessary component of a teacher’s classroom in order for students to learn in a safe environment. When a teacher is unable to manage his or her classroom because of dangerous and disruptive behaviors, it can be physically dangerous and impede the learning of others. Teachers frequently exposed to challenging behaviors experience high levels of stress that transcends into their personal lives. The purpose of this study was to determine how administrators can better support teachers who experience high levels of stress incurred from working with students who exhibit challenging behaviors in the classroom. Data collected through …