Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Role Of Middle And High School Principals During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study, Dustin Ford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine middle and high school principal roles prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic to gain a better understanding about how leadership responsibilities adapted or changed. Data collection strategies included one-on-one interviews with nine middle and high school principals in East Tennessee. To qualify for the study participants had to have experience in the principalship prior to the pandemic. The analysis of data was based on the theoretical frameworks of adaptive leadership (Heifetz et al., 2009) and change theory (Fullan, 2020). The results revealed five key themes that were consistent during the …

Ict Resource Accessibility And Competencies In Usage After The Covid-19 Partial Closure Of Pre-Tertiary Schools In Ghana: Administrators’ Perspective, Justice Dokyi Oduro, Clarke Ebow Yalley

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

School administrators’ technological competencies serve as an essential element in school excellence. As a lead for curriculum implementation, school administrators anchor technological integration in the school settings and operations, curriculum and pedagogy and create an enabling environment for ICT development competencies between and among teachers and students. As a result, this study aimed to investigate the ICT resource accessibility and pre-tertiary administrators’ competencies in usage after the covid-19 partial closure of schools in Ghana. The study used a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach and a descriptive survey design. The target population was 70 Public Senior High School (PSHS) administrators in the …

The Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic And The Digital Divide On Public Education In New Mexico, Robert Christner

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

The digital divide and digital equity have long been a concern for educators, and public schools. In 2020 when the COVID-19 global pandemic swept across the country, public schools closed for in person classes and moved to a new paradigm of online only classes, issues of digital equity and the digital divide became a critical focus for families and young learners seeking to continue their academic progress. New Mexico with its low population density, rural nature and lack of infrastructure was particularly vulnerable to issues of digital equity when public schools moved to online only classes. This study investigates the …

English Language Learner Teacher Support Changes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Inna Slisher

Ed.D. Dissertations

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, ELL teachers focused their culturally responsive instruction and supports through creating meaning, promoting academic and social success, and empowering students and families. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all countries and more than 50 million people around the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate how ELL teachers’ support for students in a southeastern school district, IISD, changed during the COVID-19 pandemic and ELL teachers’ perceptions of how this change may have impacted ELLs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This qualitative, basic interpretive design using a questionnaire provided me with opportunities to examine how …

School Teachers And Principals’ Experiences During Covid-19 In Pakistan, Azra Naseem, Mirat Al Fatima Ahsan, Sohail Ahmad, Tasneem Anwar, Razia Fakir Mohammad

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational activities were disrupted globally. In Pakistan, schools were also closed, and though some schools had started teaching online, the staff (including principals and teachers) and students' readiness for education during the pandemic remained unexplored. An internet-based survey was conducted to explore the experiences of the teachers and principals during the lockdown. The survey included both open-ended and closed-ended questions. Responses were collected from respondents in different parts of Pakistan, with the majority coming from Sindh and coming from both the private and public sector. While the respondents from private schools reported that …

Changes In Teachers’ Mobility And Attrition In Arkansas During The First Two Years Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Andrew Camp, Gema Zamarro, Josh B. Mcgee

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying period for teachers. Teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions, teaching in unprecedented ways. As a result, teachers' levels of stress and burnout have been high throughout the pandemic, raising concerns about a potential increase in teacher turnover and future teacher shortages. We use administrative data for the state of Arkansas to document the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers’ mobility and attrition during the years 2018-19 to 2021-2022. We find stable turnover rates during the first year of the pandemic (2020-2021) but an increase in teacher mobility and attrition in the …

In The Eye Of The Storm: West Virginia's Uniquely Clear Opportunity To Revise Its Education Funding Formula During Covid-19, Lauren Trumble

West Virginia Law Review

Public school advocates in West Virginia have long voiced sharp criticism over the state's funding of education-and justifiably so. Although more than one in four West Virginia children live in poverty, the state's school funding formula does not account for the increased costs associated with educating low-socioeconomic status ("SES") students. As a result, low-SES students are not receiving a constitutionally adequate and equitable education, by the state's own standards.

Now, in the wake of COVID-19, with mounting costs and challenges, allegations of "inadequacy" and "inequity" abound. Ifpast is prologue, districts that serve high concentrations of low-SES students will be the …

Gauging The Utility Of A Learning Target Theory Of Action To Address Perceived Obstacles To Teaching And Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian J. Pohland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study was guided by the following research questions: What instructional challenges did teachers face related to designing and delivering lessons remotely during COVID-19? How did those challenges impact teacher perceptions of self-efficacy for providing meaningful lessons for their students? What is the utility of a learning target theory of action for addressing teachers instructional practice challenges and perceptions of self-efficacy?

Six participants were selected from a convenience sample and asked to complete a survey with ten open-ended prompts. Their responses were analyzed by individual participant and also across participants through close reading strategies. The analyses revealed six common …

Social Isolation Interventions For Older, Underrepresented And Vulnerable Americans: A Descriptive Study Of Public Library Outreach Services During The Covid Pandemic, Sally Mathews Inglett

Leadership Education Capstones

The United States entered a state of lockdown in March 2020 in order slow the spread of the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. With this lockdown came mandatory social isolation, which was especially impactful for older, underrepresented and vulnerable Americans. Public libraries acted as community information centers and took on many unexpected roles to benefit the common good. This study identified these interventions through research and survey, and their relationship to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943). This study also brought to light collaborative relationships between agencies, the redeployment of library staff and resources to meet these needs, the impact of the …

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 …

Improving Nurse Leaders’ Knowledge And Confidence In Transformational Leadership Skills In The Online Environment, Tanya Haight

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Leadership is critical to the success of most organizations, and the achievement of an organization's goals is largely dependent on the leaders' ability to engage, motivate, and influence their teams—often referred to as Transformational Leadership. This is especially true for healthcare organizations wherein the morbidity and mortality of patients may be affected by the quality of leadership. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meetings transitioned to the online format without nurse leaders' formal training. Leaders cited this lack of orientation as impeding their ability to sustain an online-virtual transformational leadership presence with their teams. They reported varying degrees …

Alignment Of Leadership To Constructs Of Governance In Independent Schools, Damian Kavanagh

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenographic study articulates the different perceptions of independent school heads of school and executive board leaders in their understanding of key constructs of independent school governance, especially as the understanding may change during a crisis. The five constructs of independent school governance are the separation of governance and management activities, maintaining the confidentiality and trust of the board room, the relationship between the board and the head of school, maintaining a strategic mindset, and general board operations. The review of the literature examines the dynamics of leadership through historical crises of an economic nature, endogenous crises, world health …

Digital Skills Profile And Academic Staff Service Delivery During Covid-19 Pandemic Lock Down In Universities In Cross River State, Garieth Omorobi Omorobi, Winifred Emu Harry Ph.D, Francisca Alah Kenn-Aklah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study assessed the academic staff digital skill profile and service delivery during COVID-19 pandemic lock down in universities in Cross River State. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 2427 academic staff of the university of Calabar and University of Cross River State. The sample for the study was 755 academic staff who were drawn through the simple random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was the researchers’ made Academic Staff Digital Skill Profile and Service Delivery Questionnaire (ASDSPSDQ). The instrument was validated by three experts from Educational Management and …

Learning To Navigate The Unknown: The Importance Of Critical Reflection And Collaboration For Community College Faculty During A Pandemic, Karen Ann Ladley

Education Doctorate Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic caused sudden and dramatic shifts in educational systems worldwide, including colleges and universities. Students, faculty, and service staff found themselves navigating uncertain times and addressing challenges they had not faced previously. The use of critical reflection and collaboration became crucial for faculty as they struggled to engage students in different ways. Understanding students’ needs and addressing them effectively became priorities with reflection and collaboration both cost-effective and convenient methods. Following this time of uncertainty, faculty can continue using reflection and collaborative learning communities to address new challenges and obstacles, especially at community colleges where money, time, and …

A Phenomenological Study: Covid-19 And Administrators At A Christian Higher Education Institution, Robert D. Pocai

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of administrators at a Christian higher education institution during the COVID-19 crisis. The theoretical framework used for this study was revolutionary change theory (RCT). Qualitative data was gathered from structured interviews with executive administrators who led during the COVID-19 pandemic at an evangelical Christian liberal arts university that offered multiple degrees at the associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. Study findings described four main themes that emerged from the data: unpredictability, holistic community disruption, decisive adaptation, and team collaboration. These main themes described the lived phenomenon that …

A Program Evaluation Of The Impact Of Covid-19 On Teacher Mobility, Attrition, And Retention, Carla Foord

Dissertations

Teacher mobility, turnover, and attrition have been continuous issues in public education and have only grown with the introduction of COVID-19 into our society. The purpose of this study was to determine how COVID-19 had impacted these issues and to find solutions for retaining teachers in the profession. The context of this study was to determine factors that educators, teachers, administrators, and parents from across the United States believed impacted teacher attrition and to get input from them on what changes were needed to keep teachers in the profession. My study shows via quantitative and qualitative data that teacher attrition …

Elementary Public School Teachers’ Coping Mechanisms Used During The Covid-19 Pandemic In North Texas: A Phenomenological Study, Timothy Michael Eastman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe elementary public school teachers’ experiences coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping theory, the study answered the central research question: How do elementary public school teachers describe their experiences coping with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? The sub-questions addressed: What psychological, physical, and emotional mechanisms are elementary public school teachers using to cope with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic? Purposeful sampling and maximum variation sampling were used to select 14 elementary public school teachers’ who experienced teaching during the COVID-19 …

A Qualitative Study Of Middle School Science Teachers’ Perceptions Of The Transition To Online Instruction During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian S. Ward

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this study was to explore the unique lived experiences of four middle school science teachers from North Carolina and South Carolina during and following the transition from in-person to online instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four predominant themes were identified from individual, semi-structured interviews of the teachers: technology change; organizational change; changes in curricula, delivery, and student interaction; and career and personal changes. The teachers in this study described the challenges and opportunities experienced during the rapid transition in March 2020 to virtual teaching and learning. The teachers’ lived experiences seamlessly aligned with the stages of …

Understanding How Covid-19 Has Changed Teachers’ Chances Of Remaining In The Classroom, Gema Zamarro, Andrew Camp, Dillon Fuchsman, Josh B. Mcgee

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

The 2020-2021 academic year was a trying year for teachers. We use a nationally representative sample of teachers from the RAND American Teacher Panel to document that teachers’ stated consideration of leaving the profession increased during the pandemic. We also study factors associated with teachers’ consideration of leaving the profession and high levels of job burnout during the pandemic. Approaching retirement age (being 55 or older), having to change instruction modes, health concerns, and high levels of job burnout all appear to be important predictors of the probability of considering leaving or retiring from teaching. Hybrid teaching increased consideration of …

The State Of Teacher Evaluations In California K-12 Public Schools During Covid-19, Irene Preciado

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Three key aspects were revealed through the literature review of teacher evaluations. First, teacher evaluations have been controversial nationwide and revised from the outset. Second, the COVID-19 pandemic added a layer of complexity. Third, research on the state of teacher evaluations was minimal, particularly for California K-12 public schools. This mixed methods non-experimental case study employed a grounded theory research approach to gain an understanding of teacher evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To conduct the study, human resource administrators in public school districts serving K-12 students across all 58 counties in California were invited to participate in an online survey. …

“I Had To Adapt To Continue Being A Student To The Best Of My Ability”: Identifying Occupational Therapy Students’ Processes Of Adapting To Academic Disruption, Laura H. Vanpuymbrouck, Linda M. Olson

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

In the wake of COVID-19, practitioners, educators, and students had to shift to virtual interactions while experiencing significant unknowns and valid fears. This project describes the lived experiences of 37 occupational therapy students who lived through this international pandemic examining their reflections of how occupational therapy theories and models of practice could inform approaches to adapt to the changing context of their lives. Narratives of students collected as part of routine educational assessments in an introduction to occupational therapy theory course were examined using methods of content analysis to understand the perspectives of students’ needs, supports, and mechanisms of adaption …

Self-Evaluation Of Educational Leadership Practices During Covid-19, Mike Coquyt

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school districts, and specifically, superintendents, are under increased pressure to lead. Irregularity and ambiguity are now the mantras of those tasked with leading in our schools. Many current research studies aim to evaluate the possible effects of COVID-19 on the system of education (Azorín, 2020; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2020), and advice on how to lead during a crisis (Harris & Jones, 2020; Leithwood et al., 2020, Netolicky, 2020). There are no standards or benchmarks to follow that could potentially aid school leaders as they navigate, lead, and make important decisions that affect how quality instruction …

Preparation For College And University Leadership Before The Age Of 40, Ahmed Al-Asfour, Julia Keleher, Sydney Freeman Jr.

Journal of Research on the College President

The purpose of this study was to investigate the skills and competencies needed for candidates to be hired as a college or university president before the age of 40. Using a phenomenological approach, participants who first obtained the position as a college or university president before 40 were interviewed. Using Clark’s model of professional competencies as a conceptual framework, four themes were identified from the results. The themes include little to no mentoring at all, learn by either sinking or swimming; being in the right place, at the right time, with the right credentials; having the right education and experience …

Repositioning Fundraising And Resource Development For A Post-Pandemic Era: A Presidential Challenge And Suggested Directions, Charles P. Ruch

Journal of Research on the College President

As the COVID 19 pandemic subsides, thought unevenly in time and location, its immediate and long-range impact is becoming clearer. Presidents are realizing that institutional life will never completely return to former times. Each institution of higher education will need to reposition for the new era. Guiding their institution in meeting this challenge is the new role for the president. Understanding the landscape and its potential impact to the institution, is a needed first step in leading in the post pandemic era. This study examines current thinking regarding the impact of the pandemic on institutions of higher education. Attention is …

Remembering The 1918 Influenza Pandemic: Missouri Education Policy And Lessons For Covid-19, Phi Nguyen

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

Amid the disruptions of COVID-19 are opportunities to reimagine schooling and education. Taking a historical perspective, this article analyzes education policy following an earlier pandemic, the influenza pandemic of 1918-19, to explore if and how educational change might be possible. Drawing on primary source analysis of Missouri education policy, I argue that influenza-related policy talk was practically non-existent, and the talk that was present mainly focused on how the flu disrupted, but not changed, school operations. Without policy talk advocating for change, policy action the years following the influenza pandemic continued along the lines of Progressive reforms that were already …

Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy & Support Among Secondary Early-Career Teachers And Their Principals During The Covid-19 Pandemic, James A. Martinez, Kelly Gomez Johnson, Frances E. Anderson, Frederick L. Uy

Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education

In response to challenges faced by middle and high school educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study was conducted in the Spring of 2021 involving 33 early-career mathematics teachers and eight supervising school principals in the State of California. These participants completed detailed surveys which provided demographic information, as well as perceptions of support, efficacy and job satisfaction. Findings show a variety of associations among teacher perceptions of support and their efficacy and job satisfaction in the face of challenging circumstances. As it related to principal support and recognition, principal participants expressed confidence in their ability to support teachers as …

Education Licensure Candidates During The Time Of Covid-19: University Supervisors’ Reflections About The Forgotten Few, Andrea M. Wilson, Cheryl Burleigh

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Education at K–12 through university levels has faced extraordinary upheaval in the time of COVID-19. As universities and K–12 school systems struggled independently to adapt to rapidly changing demands, teacher and administrator licensure candidates were confronted with unprecedented challenges in both worlds simultaneously. The licensure candidates were the forgotten few, stuck between higher education and K–12 education, while struggling to keep up with the demands of their personal lives and professional futures. With limited guidance from their universities and school systems, licensure candidates turned to their university field placement supervisors for direction. In response, supervisors became adaptive leaders and flexible …

Trauma-Informed Supports For Rebuilding School Communities, Nancy S. Stockall, William H. Blackwell

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

This manuscript describes four principles of trauma-informed supports that can guide school leaders in rebuilding school communities that have been fractured by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the work of Hobfoll et al. (2007), these principles are: a) promoting a sense of safety, b) addressing safety within behavior support practices, c) building relationships, and d) promoting self-efficacy and instilling hope. As schools slowly reopen, there is a risk that the re-opening will signify that the crisis has ended and schools can return to their previous policies and systems of support. However, the lingering and long-term effects of the isolation and …

A Phenomenological Study To Understand The Transformation Of The Education System In A Rural Missouri High School In The Wake Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Amanda R. Burdick

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the transformation of the education system in a rural-distant Missouri high school in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven content-area educators participated in the study. Data was collected through interviews and archival documents. The data analysis revealed three themes: transition to virtual learning, the new classroom experience, and emotional impact. Within those themes, participants described specific institutional and curricular changes that were made, and the emotional impact that the COVID-19 teaching experience had on them. Results of the study indicated that teachers felt very alone navigating through all of the …

Hbcu Administrators And The Covid-19: Dealing With The Pandemic Under The Pressure Of Funding And Self-Care, Jerry Crawford

Journal of Research Initiatives

Historically Black Colleges and University presidents and chancellors have been facing challenges similar to administrators at other institutions of higher learning. These demands center on accreditation, federal and state funding, and enrollment. COVID-19 has heightened each of these essential functions that administrators have as priorities.

There has been a lot of research on the roles and responsibilities of HBCU administrators and how there has been a seemingly revolving door at these institutions, and how many have found them to be more autocratic than inclusive in governance. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has added to the pressure and expectations administrators must …