Educational Leadership Commons^™

Unveiling The Layers: Exploring The Nuances Of Student Organization Experiences For Enhanced Student Leadership Development, Richard Alan Doty

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Previous studies on the topic of student organizations and clubs often focused on the broad involvement of students, overlooking the complex facets of their experiences within these clubs and organizations. This dissertation investigates the development of leadership capacity in community college students through their engagement in student clubs and organizations. Utilizing the Ready-Willing-Able (RWA) Keating, Rosch and Burgoon (2014) model as a guiding framework, this study explores the ways in which student leadership skills are shaped by various factors, including the size and diversity of the organization and individual behaviors. The research aims to fill a gap in existing literature, …

Heart-Thinking Leadership: A Transformative Approach To Binary Hierarchies In Waldorf Schools, Chiaki Uchiyama

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study explores heart-thinking leadership as a transformative approach to dismantling elitism, hierarchy, and binary structures in education, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Grounded in insights from Damásio, Spinoza, Emerson, Hegelian dialectics, and wisdom traditions such as Manichaeism, African spirituality, and Indigenous feminism, it examines how third space thinking fosters inclusivity and dynamic leadership. By integrating intuition, intellect, and relational awareness, heart-thinking leadership moves beyond rigid dualisms—mind and body, self and other, power and subjugation—to cultivate a holistic way of knowing. This perspective critiques conventional DEI models that reinforce binaries of oppressor and oppressed, advocating instead for an …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experience Of Gay White Men In Mid-Level Student Affairs Leadership Roles, S. Craig Mourton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the lived experience of mid-level student affairs leaders who identify as cisgender, gay, White, and male in order to further understand the multidimensionality of embodying both privileged as well as marginalized identities. Four participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide and the resulting transcripts were analyzed utilizing the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) perspective. Experiential themes that emerged from the analysis of the individual cases as well as across the cases include unintended pathways into the field of student affairs, experiences of challenging heterosexual male supervisors and the preference for women supervisors, …

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

Stress And Resilience In Higher Education Administrators: Exploring The Role Of Mindfulness, Michael Baumgardner

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation explores stressors experienced by higher education administrators (HEAs) and examines the role of mindfulness practices in mitigating stress and fostering resilience and job satisfaction. HEAs manage essential institutional functions yet face intensifying pressures from volatile funding streams, shifting demographics, changing public perceptions, political and cultural challenges, technological disruptions, and pandemic-related change. Despite HEAs central role in sustaining higher education, limited research examines how these professionals experience stress, and even less has considered mindfulness as a potential resource for coping and resilience.

Guided by a qualitative methodological approach, this study draws on semi-structured, thick description interviews with 18 HEAs …

Teacher Retention Bright Spots: A Four Case Analysis, John Costello

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The teacher retention crisis has been extensively studied over the 21st century. Robust survey data from the National Center of Educational Statistics (NCES) has produced volumes on the quantitative characteristics of the teachers, students, and schools associated with low teacher retention (Ingersoll, 2001; Boyd et al., 2011; Ronfeldt, Loeb & Wyckoff, 2013). However, few studies have examined what is going right at high poverty schools which nonetheless maintain exceptionally high teacher retention. This dissertation utilizes a positive deviance lens to examine four schools; two typical schools that had normal teacher retention rates for New York State, and two outlier schools …

Leaving It All Behind: A Storied Experience, Brandi Sheree Wynne Winfrey

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals are experiencing an unprecedented time as conservative politicians and legislators work to dismantle DEI in higher education. In 2022, Florida became one of the first states to introduce and enact anti-DEI legislation. Few studies have examined or investigated the lived experiences of DEI professionals currently living in the midst of this experience. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to capture and restory the lived experiences of DEI professionals employed at public Florida universities during the introduction and enactment of anti-DEI legislation. Five co-composers contributed their stories of experience as data to this narrative …

Understanding Shifts In Student Satisfaction Between Peak And Post Pandemic, Brian Verkamp

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates student satisfaction in online learning environments at the University of North Florida (UNF), with a focus on how satisfaction levels have fluctuated between the peak-pandemic and post-pandemic periods. Utilizing a combination of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques, the research examines the relative importance and satisfaction ratings of various educational factors, including demographic influences such as gender, race, and academic program. By creating a composite measure of overall student satisfaction, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors that most significantly impact student experiences in online courses. Findings highlight the critical role of both satisfaction and importance …

Teachers' Use Of Food Rewards In The Classroom Environment, Mckenna Fiore

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food rewards are defined in terms of the value of a food to the individual at the time of ingestion. In classrooms, teachers may use food rewards to encourage academic achievement and appropriate classroom behavior (Hoffman et al., 2009). The use of unhealthy food rewards increases children’s desires for sweets and nonnutritive foods, which can pose risks for health and obesity-related outcomes, compared to healthier alternatives. Different characteristics, such as teaching style, classroom structure, teaching efficacy and teaching eating behavior, can be related to teacher’s use of different types of rewards. The goal of this study was to investigate the …

Barriers Principals Face Integrating Blended Learning In Secondary Schools, Lacey Tremaine Ajibola

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the barriers secondary principals encounter integrating instructional technology as a part of a blended learning model. Existing research investigating the barriers principals face is limited and fractured and is mostly examined from the perspective of teachers. Therefore, this study provided data on the perspective and experiences of principals as technology leaders and their perceived barriers to implementing blended learning models. The researcher aligned the research questions to the International Society for Technology in Education Standard for Educational Leaders as a conceptual framework. Interviews with 11 secondary principals from the same …

International Students’ Perceptions And Experiences Of Institutional Diversity Initiatives And Self-Authorship Attainment: A Mixed Methods Study, Sandra Ayivor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Higher education institutions in the United States have responded to years of discrimination through several diversity initiatives. Although research has indicated the merits of such initiatives on student development, the outcomes are not uniform across all student populations. Moreover, student development discourses have often excluded the experiences of international students. Employing a convergent mixed methods approach, this study investigated the perceptions and experiences of international students at a flagship land-grant higher education institution in the Appalachian region of the United States regarding institutional diversity initiatives and their self-authorship based on some demographic characteristics (i.e., gender, age, marital status, religion, continent, …

Racial Battle Fatigue In Higher Education: Understanding The Intersectional Dimensions Of Faculty And Staff Experiences, Candice N. Flowers-Taylor

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation investigates Racial Battle Fatigue within institutions of higher education, focusing on its impact on faculty and staff of color. It examines how race, gender, socio-economic status, and institutional structures intersect to shape individual experiences of this phenomenon. To explore these dynamics, the study employs a qualitative methodology that includes semi-structured interviews, open-ended survey responses, and thematic analysis. It is grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Racial Battle Fatigue, Critical Race Theory, and Intersectionality. This research offers insight into the emotional, psychological, and physical toll experienced by faculty and staff of color in predominantly white institutions. It challenges prevailing …

Experiences Of Exemplary Supervisors Promoting Workplace Dignity Across Social Identity Differences, Emily Joy Aiken

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Imagine a workplace where supervisors centered the dignity of each unique individual and sought to honor each person in their wholeness. This type of work environment moves beyond a toxic culture to a space that fosters flourishing, growth, and inclusion. Given that supervisors play an integral role in the experiences of staff members, this study explored the experiences of supervisors in promoting workplace dignity across cultural differences within higher education. With a focus on relational practices and a positive framing, this research sought to develop a nuanced understanding of dignified leadership across social identity differences. Leveraging a constructivist grounded theory …