Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Examining The Lived Experiences Of Middle School Students Who Have Demonstrated Challenges In Math And Their Expectations To Improve Their Performance, Steven Duane Fencl

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of middle school students who have challenges in math and their expectations of opportunities provided to improve their performance at a middle school in the Spring Valley School District. The theory that guided this study was Vroom’s expectancy theory, which argues that the tendency of a person to act in a certain way depends on what the person expects to happen, that it will be favorable to the person, and that the person feels the result will provide a potential gain. The central research question was, “How do …

A Phenomenological Study On Teachers' Perspectives On Experiencing Burnout In Title I Rural Appalachian Schools Grades 4–9, Kara J. Howard

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe and explore the burnout experiences of teachers in Title I rural Appalachian schools Grades 4–9 in southern Ohio. The theoretical framework guiding this study is Maslach’s burnout theory. The central research question was “What are the burnout experiences of teachers in Title I rural Appalachian schools Grades 4–9?” Convenience sampling was employed to select the 12 participants, all of whom are teachers teaching in Grades 4–9 within Sunshine County, a rural Appalachia-based school qualifying as a Title I institution in southern Ohio. The data presented in this study were collected …

Importance Of The Autism Cares Act, Jessica C. Molloy

LEND Trainee Presentations

The Autism CARES Act (Combating Autism Reauthorization Act) is a U.S. legislation aimed at addressing the needs of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families. Enacted in 2019, it emphasizes research, early detection, intervention, and support services for individuals across their lifespan. The Act provides funding for research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of autism, as well as for programs that improve access to healthcare, education, and other services for individuals with ASD. It also supports initiatives to train healthcare providers, educators, and caregivers to better understand and support individuals with autism. Additionally, the Act promotes coordination …

First-Generation Doctoral Students, Impostorism, And Belonging: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Karen Sullivan Pore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of first-generation doctoral students as they relate to their feelings of belonging, impostorism, and otherness. The study was guided by use of Tajfel social identity theory which provided insight to how an individual evaluates their identity within their environment and groups. The research design used was qualitative and the approach was transcendental phenomenological. The qualitative design allowed the first-generation doctoral students to share their experiences and behaviors during their doctoral journey. The participants were 10 self-identified as first-generation doctoral students who experienced impostor feelings during their doctoral journey. The data …

Perceptions Of Senior International Officers' Efforts Regarding The Acculturation Of International Students In Higher Education: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Ann-Margaret J. Themistocleous

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe Senior International Officers’ lived experiences regarding attitudes and beliefs about the adjustment of international students in private and public universities in the Southeast region of the United States. The theory guiding this study is Berry’s theory of acculturation as it relates to a person’s adjustment to a new culture as they either assimilate, separate, integrate, or marginalize. The central research question focuses on the experiences of Senior International Officers regarding the acculturation process of international students on their respective college campuses. The methodology included a qualitative, transcendental phenomenological approach. The participants …

Addressing Professional Training And Teacher Retention At Urban Public Schools In Southeast Texas, Elaine Rene' Pangle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nationally, teacher shortages reached all-time highs, leaving schools needing qualified teachers where vacancies were made by teachers leaving the profession, particularly during the post-COVID-19 era. Although a growing national problem, specifically, the area of Southeast Texas remains particularly affected by this mass exodus. The purpose of this applied study was to solve the teacher retention problem for urban public schools in Southeast Texas and to design educator training and intervention methods to address the issue. The theory guiding this study was human capital theory, as it addresses education and how it could foster social change and be the primary tool …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Teacher Leader Experience, Leslie Magnanti

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of teachers in leadership roles in a rural, secondary school setting. The theory guiding this study was the theory of distributed leadership created by Spillane and developed by Groff, as it explained the power of teacher leadership as a method of distributing leadership to promote teacher retention and motivation alleviating some principal stress and burnout. Data was collected using interviews of the ten participants to better understand how teachers experience leadership and how administrators can promote it, focus groups to understand the phenomenon in more depth, and …

A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Parents' Motivational Influence Behind Their Children's Screen Time Usage, Eric J. Phillips

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experience of parents in managing their children's screen time on mobile devices. The study used 10 parents between 25 and 40 years of age of children ages one to five who attend a public school district and regularly use smartphones and related mobile technological devices. The study describes the essence of children's screen time on digital devices, such as smartphones and tablets, by examining the experiences of a specific group of parents. Parents have experienced conflicts in managing their children's screen time usage for as long as screens exist. …

The Relationship Between Leadership Styles Of A Principal And African-American Student Achievement In Elementary Reading, Joel James Abe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the self-assessed leadership style of a building principal and the achievement of elementary African-American students on a state level reading assessment. The results of this study could have an impact on principal training and preparation, impacting decisions made by central office personnel, as well as improving the performance of the identified group of students in reading. The relationship between a principal’s self-assessed style of leadership and the combined pass rate of third through fifth grade African-American students in their school on the end-of-year state assessments. Principal leadership …

Teacher Motivation And Student Behavioral Defiance: A Phenomenological Study, Gwendolyn Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the influence of student behavioral defiance on elementary educators in Virginia. The research question was, “What are the lived experiences of elementary educators in Hampton Roads, Virginia, having experienced student behavioral defiance?” Bandura’s self-efficacy theory guided this study. It analyzed subjective changes affecting teachers and their motivation by applying four significant sources of self-efficacy: performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and physiological states. The primary source of data collection methods included semi-structured interviews with 10 participants, in addition to a focus group and journal prompt. Transcendental phenomenology aided in analyzing semi-structured …

Administrators’ Challenges To Provide Sustainable Instruction To Children Of Military Personnel, Pamela Yvette Tucker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Military-connected students (MCSs) face academic challenges because of frequent transitions. During military parents' permanent change in duty station (PCS), MCSs are absent for 15 days or more. PCS-related absenteeism has increased over the last decade, and academic achievement has decreased. This basic qualitative capstone project study examined the challenges of high school administrators from Southeast Asian Pacific Island district schools to provide teachers with systematic professional development that supports sustainable instruction for MCSs during PCS-related absences. The conceptual framework for the study was Hersey and Blanchard's situational leadership theory (SLT). SLT suggests that administrators adopt leadership approaches to combat PCS-related …

Teacher Educator And School Administrator Perceptions Of Teacher Preparedness To Implement Culturally Responsive Practice, Gail Olivia Hudson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The number of students from ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse backgrounds in K–12 public education settings has increased in the past two decades. However, 80% of teachers in public schools are White and middle-class, which does not mirror the student population. Even though higher education prepares teachers to be culturally sensitive to diverse cultures, more understanding is needed. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single-embedded case study was to explore teacher educators’ and elementary (K–5) building administrators’ perceptions of preservice and early-career teachers’ preparedness from a university to implement culturally responsive practices for ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in …

Faculty Learning Community: Advancing Faculty Academic Advising Pedagogy, Linda Jean Raynard

Masters Projects

Within higher educational institutions faculty may serve in a faculty advising role. The quality of faculty advising conversations can impact student’s sense of mattering and support to campus leadership, community, and beyond. Faculty, however, have competing priorities and a lack of pathological training that has prevented them from investing deeper in advising practices. Students may then miss important opportunities to initially connect with campus leaders about their curricular and co-curricular development. To better operationalize academic advising practices for faculty to use in their everyday student conversations, a faculty learning community is suggested to aid. The Faculty Learning Community: Advancing Faculty …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, April 25, 2024

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on April 25, 2024.

“There’S A Term For That?”: Moral Injury In K-5 Teachers, Grace Ahn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how changes in the nature of teacher work due to factors such as high-stakes accountability systems and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to teachers’ experiences of moral injury. Understanding moral injury is important because it is an issue for teachers who remain in the profession and for those who decide to leave. Moral injury has been examined in the context of American Public Education and scholars have contributed to the growing body of moral injury in teachers. However, a review of the literature reveals the need for more empirical data to …

Searching For Equity Within Children's Literature: A Professor And Students' Journey Of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion And Belonging, Beth Lattanzi

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Children's literature, books written specifically for children ages birth through fourth grade, is a core resource in early childhood education and is heavily used as part of the instruction of pre-service students. Many professors of early childhood educators take great pride in their personal classroom libraries, often including favorite books from their schooling and pre-service days. A professor's personal classroom library consists of children's books used within the classroom, books used as examples, and books loaned to students for assignments. Pre-service students get excited to share their favorite books in class and in their field placements. After years of teaching …

K-12 School Administrator Candidates’ Perceptions Of Their Roles In Supporting Teachers To Address Adverse Childhood Experiences, Adam I. Attwood, Benita G. Bruster, John R. Mcconnell, Iii, Laura D. Barnett, Christi M. Maldonado

School Leadership Review

This study of a K-12 administrator preparation program adds to the research literature on trauma-informed education by addressing a gap in the literature on K-12 administrator candidates’ knowledge of the meaning of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and what their roles are in supporting teachers who have students with ACEs. K-12 school administrator candidates (N = 102) completed a survey designed by these researchers on this topic. The concept of ACEs is addressed as part of trauma-informed education from the K-12 administrator candidates’ point of view using a concurrent mixed methods case study approach at one administrator preparation program. Implications …

An Evaluation Of Rural Access To Education, Caroline Ackerman, Kera B. Ackerman

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

In Kentucky, educators serve over 100,000 students who qualify for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Given Kentucky's topography, and the designation of 86 of the Commonwealth's 120 counties as rural, it's essential to understand how the socioeconomic and geographic qualities of the state impact the students being served. Previous research has indicated that nearly a quarter of children in Kentucky live in poverty, with the highest rates existing in rural Eastern Kentucky counties. This statistic, compacted with the knowledge that high-need children in poverty are more likely than their peers to have a disability …

Lessons Learned: Considerations For Enhancing Principal Preparation Programs With Inclusive Special Education Practices, Ellen G. Casale, Stacy Leggett

Kentucky Teacher Education Journal: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Kentucky Council for Exceptional Children

Western Kentucky University has a long-standing history in preparing principals. Recognizing the ever-growing importance of explicit training in supporting students with disabilities, we applied for and received a minigrant from the Kentucky Excellence in Educator Preparation to enhance our curriculum to address this need. In this article, we provide an overview of the context for this need and provide considerations for principal preparation programs considering enhancing their own curricula. Implications are provided.

Exemplary Elementary School Principals’ Use Of Emotional Intelligence As They Lead Their Organizations In Rural Areas, William Cook

Dissertations

The roles of school leaders have evolved from a more conventional focus, one encompassing independent leadership, to a relational leadership approach that is more open and personable (Hoyle et al., 2005). The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to describe the emotional intelligence strategies that exemplary elementary principals in rural areas use as they respond to leadership challenges in their school organizations based on Goleman’s (2006) four domains of emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management). A secondary purpose of the study was for exemplary elementary principals in rural demographics to explain how their use of emotional …

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda And Minutes, April 22, 2024

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on, April 22, 2024.

Accessing Appalachia - One Byte At A Time - The Need For Broadband Access In Rural Eastern Kentucky Region, James Douglas Price

Online Theses and Dissertations

The digital divide presents a significant challenge in rural Eastern Kentucky, where the absence of broadband internet access has hindered economic development, education, health care, and overall quality of life. Broadband, characterized by high-speed internet access that is always on and faster than traditional dial-up, is a convenience and a necessity in the contemporary world. This paper explores the critical need for broadband deployment in rural Eastern Kentucky, underscoring its potential to transform the region by promoting economic growth, enhancing educational opportunities, improving healthcare access through telemedicine, and fostering social inclusion. Despite the challenging terrain and the high costs associated …

Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, “If I Told You That A Flower Bloomed In A Dark Room, Would You Trust It?1”: A Case Study In English Language Arts Achievement, Anna E. Russell Ziegler

Dissertations

This dissertation explores the relationship between culturally responsive pedagogy and student achievement to showcase how teaching can build a more equitable learning community where all students thrive. Using a case study model, the author explores how one English teacher designed culturally responsive instructional practices to improve student performance. Analyzing data from student work, student interactions, and student conversations, I discovered instructional themes that improved learning for each student and can be transferred to classrooms across the country.

An Exploration Of Educator Experiences Making Data-Driven Decisions Within A Multi-Tiered System Of Support, Jennifer L. D'Angelo

Doctor of Education Program Dissertations

School districts across the country often face challenges using data to implement a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) to meet the needs of all learners through high quality educational opportunities. This qualitative investigation explored how educators in a public school district in the northeastern United States experience the collection and analysis of data to inform decision-making within a MTSS. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and employing a phenomenological analysis, this study addressed the inconsistencies in educator training along with a lack of existing literature focused on the foundational elements of data literacy. The research questions focused on understanding …

2023 Tcpea Outstanding Dissertation Of The Year Research Summary, Maegan Collins, Kaye Shelton Dissertation Chair

School Leadership Review

This phenomenological study explored perceived first-generation college student retention at a Texas four-year higher education institution post-vertical transfer. The participants in this study consisted of 12 full-time and part- time students who identified as first-generation college students and had vertically transferred from a two-year higher education institution. In addition, participants transferred between 35 and 120 academic credit hours from a two-year higher education institution and had been enrolled for at least one academic semester at their four-year higher education institution. On-campus and virtual semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed, which resulted in major themes. This study revealed academic and social …

Self-Sabotaging Behaviors Of Female Chief Executive Officers Of Behavioral Health Organizations And Power Tactics Used To Leadhership, Jennifer Salgado

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe personal power tactics that female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations employ to overcome four identified self-sabotaging behaviors from the Self-Sabotaging Framework adapted from Lerner (2012) and Ryder and Briles (2003).

Methodology: This sequential mixed methods research study deployed a phenomenological approach to identify and describe the lived experiences of six female Chief Executive Officers of behavioral health nonprofit organizations in California. Data collection included interviews consisting of eight semistructured questions and 28 survey questions. Interviews were recorded and transcribed to support data analysis …

Why We Stay - Considering The Past, Contemplating The Present, And Suggestions For The Future, Joelle Mcintosh, Erika S. Johnson

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the complex teaching landscape through historical and contemporary lenses, exploring the various societal changes and challenges that have shaped teacher motivations over the decades. The researchers use autoethnography and duoethnography methodologies to explore two educators' personal and professional lives, highlighting their resilience and adaptability amid evolving educational demands and societal pressures. These educators' narrative journeys and dialog reveal the deeply personal and contextual nature of teaching, underscoring the importance of identity, cultural background, and the ability to find joy and fulfillment despite challenges. This research sets the stage for a reflective and insightful exploration of the teaching …

A Phenomenological Study Of Lived Experiences Of Muslim Women In Leadership At Institutions Of Higher Learning, Nora Bouzihay

Theses and Dissertations

Institutions of higher education (IHE) are increasingly prioritizing diversity, necessitating the recruitment of more faculty and staff leaders from marginalized populations to better support the university and underrepresented minority student groups. However, Muslim women leaders, as a religious minority group, have been largely overlooked in higher education minority research. This qualitative phenomenological study delves into the lived experiences of Muslim women leaders in North American IHE. Despite numerous legislative policies aimed at combating gender inequity in the United States, minority women in IHE leadership positions continue to face disparities. This study works to understand lived experiences through culturally responsive leadership …

Higher Education Leaders’ Perceptions Of The Function And Purpose Of Faculty Academic Advising To Support Student Persistence And Retention, Kristin Domville

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Faculty academic advising provides students with academic support to enhance academic persistence and retention. Prior research on faculty academic advising has not included higher education leaders’ (HELs’) perceptions of the function and purpose of faculty academic advising when creating policies and procedures that are intended to support student persistence and retention. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore HELs’ perceptions of the function and purpose of faculty academic advising when developing institutional policies and procedures that are intended to support student persistence and retention. The conceptual framework for this study was the appreciative inquiry (AI) model established …

2024-04-18 Faculty Senate Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

Faculty Senate meeting minutes from April 18, 2024.