Educational Leadership Commons^™

Organizational Change In The Legal Education Environment: Institutional And Individual Responses To Times Of Crisis, Mary E. Wilson

All Theses And Dissertations

The Great Recession of 2008 brought great upheaval to many aspects of the American economy. At first law schools saw an increase in applications and enrollment as individuals sought an education that would lead to employment. Within a few years, however, the job market for new lawyers deteriorated. By 2010-2011, the number of applications to law schools plummeted, as did the enrollment numbers. Since tuition is the life blood of law schools, the field of legal education was faced with an unprecedented crisis. This researcher collected and reviewed publicly available data to examine the changes that occurred in law schools …

The Effects Of Using An Online Reading Program To Improve Learning For Special Education Students, Ryan Scott Saxe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Modern day instructional tools, such as technology and digital learning programs, have been created to assist teachers in differentiating instruction for struggling students and catching students up who are not proficient in reading. The Coronavirus 2020 Global Pandemic forced schools and classrooms across the world to move to remote and virtual forms of learning which potentially exacerbates the achievement gap between all students and students with identified learning disabilities. The purpose of this casual-comparative quantitative research study was to determine the extent to which a digital learning program improves learning outcomes in reading for 4th grade special education students from …

There Is A Need For A Biblically Sound Education For Developing Healthy Blended Families At Healing The Broken Hearted Ministry, Canuta Daganio Price

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Blended families experience repeated divorce and contribute to the growth of dysfunctional families because churches do not have a dedicated biblically sound education that is specifically designed for blended families. Such an education, addressing issues representative of what blended families experience, will help establish blended families that follow the biblical model as stated in Colossians 3:18-21, with a submissive wife, a loving husband, and obedient children. Blended families will continue to struggle if they cannot access additional resources that will help them in dealing promptly with blended family issues as they surface, using God’s precepts. Family therapists and counselors, including …

A Case Study Of The Perspectives Of School Administrators In Ontario On Policies And Practices Addressing Disproportionality In Student Discipline, Annastasia Onyinyechukwuka Oraegbunem

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the perspectives of school administrators in Ontario on policies and practices addressing disproportionality in student discipline and suspension rates for minority students. The problem is that minority students get school suspension at significantly higher rates than non-minority students. The theory guiding this study is the Black identity development theory. There are four research questions with a central research question is, what are school administrators' perspectives on policies and practices addressing disproportionality in student discipline and suspension rates for minority students in Ontario? This single qualitative case study design purposefully sampled 10 …

Chronic Absenteeism At One Arkansas High School, Michelle Miller

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic absenteeism is a fairly new concept in education. Many schools have only started tracking chronic absenteeism with the start of Every Student Succeeds Act. The following research studied chronic absenteeism at an Arkansas High School, which answered the two research questions in this study. The first research question studied the demographics of the chronically absent student which included grade level, race/ethnicity, Special Education and English Language Learner status, and free or reduced lunch status. The second research question studied the class period of the chronic absence which included the time of day and type of class. High School X …

I Matter: Understanding The Self-Care Practices Of School Counselors During The Covid-19 Pandemic And How Internal And External Factors Create Barriers, Alisha Rene Marie Jones

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diminished self-care practices and heightened stress of school counselors is a continuing problem in education. With role ambiguity, high student-to-counselor ratios, emotional exhaustion, and others adding pressure to the roles and responsibilities of school counselors, this study investigated the self-care practices of Missouri school counselors and the internal and external factors which influence them, specifically within the context COVID-19. Clayton Alderfer’s (1972) Existence, Relatedness, and Growth theory was used as a theoretical framework for chosen self-care practices represented in this study and was supported by Robert Kegan’s and Lisa Lahey’s (2009) Immunity to Change theory to understand the competing commitments …

Principal Perceptions Of Effective Performance Coaching: A Case Study, Kimberly A. Starr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on the effectiveness of leadership coaching and its impact on school principals’ professional growth. Through an in-depth interview process with eight principals, perceptions regarding their leadership or performance coach’s effectiveness were explored using the CLEAR Coaching Model as a conceptual framework. Participants shared experiences through participation in the School Support Program hosted by the Arkansas Leadership Academy. Five significant themes emerged from this study: 1) the coaching relationship impacts effectiveness, 2) a working alliance is needed to ensure desired outcomes, 3) understanding school culture and current reality are necessary before coaching can begin, 4) the …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Efficacy On Stem Implementation, Caroline Buechel

Curriculum and Instruction Undergraduate Honors Theses

In order to equip students with the 21^st Century skills necessary for today’s society, STEM education must be properly implemented in school curricula (Lamb, Akmal, & Petrie, 2015). To do so, it is important for teachers to possess both proficient knowledge of the subject matter and confidence towards the implementation of STEM. A person’s beliefs about their ability is known as their self-efficacy (Bandura 1997). Related to education, Bandura notes that this self-efficacy affects a teacher’s views on their ability to handle tasks, obligations, and challenges related to a challenge (1997). Additionally, numerous studies indicate that this self-efficacy in …

Building-Level Administrators And Collaborative Special Education Iep Meetings: Addressing Barriers To Active And Inclusive Participation, Trevor A. Addis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors serving as barriers to effective building-level administrator participation in special education individualized education program (IEP) meetings. For the purposes of this study, research was conducted in the multidisciplinary areas of social cognitive theory and self-efficacy, along with an examination of school-building administrators as instructional leaders, the role(s) of building-level leadership in special education and building administrator knowledge and understanding of special education policies and practices. A qualitative research approach was used to examine local building-level administrator participation in the special education IEP process. Building Level Administrators, in the district were …

Technology Leadership Qualities In Secondary School Principals In Nebraska Who Support Student-Led Social Media Teams, Jill M. Johnson

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study addresses secondary school principals in Nebraska who are dealing with the negative ramifications of their students’ social media interactions. To combat the problem, this study sought to identify the technology leadership qualities possessed by secondary school principals in Nebraska who support student-led social media teams. A purposeful sampling of six secondary school principals in Nebraska, who have all been practicing principals for at least three years, engaged in individual semi-structured interviews via Zoom in January 2021. The primary research question was: What technology leadership qualities are possessed by secondary school principals in Nebraska who support student-led social media …

Deliberate Indifference: An Exploration Of The Student Survivor Activism Group Movement, Shyla Kallhoff

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

#MeToo. It’s On Us. End Rape on Campus. #BeTheSwede. Dear UNL. These phrases have united people all over the world to use their voices and speak out about sexual violence. In higher education, these statements empower students to make their voices heard, and simultaneously invoke fear in campus administrators who do not want to be held accountable for the mishandling/lack of Title IX cases. Student survivor activism groups, the subject of this study, have formed at universities around the country and often use similar statements to advocate for changes they feel need to happen. Finding no previous research, it is …

Predicting Teacher Job Satisfaction And Propensity To Leave In The Bering Strait School District In Rural Alaska Through The Application Of Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory, Matthew Palmer

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and teacher indicated propensity to leave their positions in one very unique geographical and cultural educational context - the Bering Strait School District in rural Western Alaska. Data was collected for this quantitative study via a questionnaire survey instrument utilizing Likert scales that was distributed to teachers via email and completed online. The questionnaire items focused on determinants of teacher job satisfaction and teacher indicated propensity to leave as found in a body of research which demonstrates that job satisfaction influences employee propensity to leave, and that employee propensity to leave …

Alleviating Oral Communication Anxieties In College French Classes: The Impact Of Professor-Student Connections, Claude Cassagne

Doctorate in Education

Oral communication anxiety (OCA) is a challenge for many college students studying a foreign language. This phenomenon has yielded many studies explaining OCA exists, relating it to personality traits and concluding educators play a large role in either reducing or aggravating such anxieties. However, research is lacking in the role professor-student rapport and connections play in affecting OCA. Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study was to seek student perception on (through their worldviews), and recommendations for, professor teaching practices as it relates to anxiety and rapport-building. The participants are and were students of French in an undergraduate private liberal …

The Impact Of The Online Learner Advising Model On Retention And Grade Point Average, Julie Delich

Doctorate in Education

As more students experience online learning environments, the academic community must invest more energy into improving retention of these learners. The purpose of this research was to study the impact of an advising model designed to support online learners, the Online learner advising model (OLAM). This study examined new student retention in the first 3 terms and GPA outcomes to measure the impact of the advising approach. OLAM was designed to address the specific needs of online learners through bringing together elements of proactive advising, shame resilience theory, and appreciative advising.

The sample was selected from Concordia University, St. Paul …

A Study Of Student Experiences In The Secondary Transition Program Through Student, Parent, And Teacher Perceptions, Kelley M. Sells

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to examine and analyze the perceptions of students with mild-moderate disabilities, teachers, and parents regarding the students’ experiences related to their secondary transition plan. More specifically, the qualitative single-case study sought to identify areas of alignment and divergence of these three key members’ perspectives since experiences and perceptions are unique to an individual based on the context and individual’s perspective of the event. These findings suggested that the district showed experiences of valuable student presence and input in their IEP meetings and trusting supportive student-teacher relationships. The study also revealed that significant barriers …

The Effectiveness Of The Inquiry Based Learning Method In A Private Independent School Environment, Fred R. Eaves

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an inquiry-based learning model (IBLM) in a small, independent school educational environment. Seisan Academy (SA) implemented a new teaching philosophy that centered around an inquiry-based learning approach with a focus on developing a more student-centered culture at the school. This new program was implemented with little feedback or measurement regarding the effectiveness of the approach. This study also looked to address the lack of formal evaluation regarding the implementation of the IBLM.

Multiple sampling strategies were implemented due to the mixed-methods nature of this study. Quantitative data collection included …

Leader–Member Exchange Turnover: How Does Dual Leadership Impact Employee Turnover In Head Start?, Dana P. Clark-Brocks

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have centered around the effects of positive leader–member exchange and low employee turnover. Research has been expanded to include the effects of dual leadership on employee turnover. This qualitative phenomenological study examined how the leader–member exchange relationship and dual leadership affect employee turnover intentions in a Head Start program. A purposive sampling technique was used to gather information. The goal of this study was to examine the subjective experiences of employees’ relationships with supervisors. Standardized, open-ended interview questions were used to gather information from subordinates. Additionally, a survey was used to rate leader-member exchange experiences of subordinates. Participants …

Testimonios Of Chicano Leadership In Texas Community Colleges, Jonathan Pérez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that influence the leadership development of Chicano leaders who serve in the Texas community college system and how whiteness, white supremacy, anti-Mexican sentiment, and institutional racism impact their leadership style. While there is a revitalization to study the Chicano experience, few scholars have examined the concept of Chicano leadership within the context of Texas higher education. The strategy to use testimonios for this study provided an insight to the leadership identity development process of four Chicano leaders in Texas community colleges while exposing the racial inequities in higher education. …

Exploring Online Mental Health Services: A Qualitative Study For First-Year College Students, Leandrian J. Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

American first-year college students are faced with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, which can have a negative impact on their academic performance. Research shows that students who suffer from mental illness, such as anxiety and depression, fear their condition will be perceived negatively by their peers and professors. The literature also suggests that U.S. colleges and universities can be more proactive in offering students resources for their mental health concerns to decrease anxiety and depression. It appears that absent or limited mental health resources have failed to address rising cases of student mental illness, and more specifically, …

Integrating Interprofessional Education Into Teacher Preparation Curriculum: Reimagining Partnerships From The Inside Out, Jennifer Lauren Rogers Edd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods program evaluation sought to identify elements of collaboration within interprofessional education experiences and provide suggestions regarding the future implementation of interprofessional education experiences into the identified teacher preparation program. Program suggestions were informed by the perspectives of current teacher preparation faculty, recent teacher preparation graduates, and other professional stakeholders. Other professional stakeholders are those who have a vested interest in a program. Quantitative data, in the form of descriptive statistics, was collected through a needs assessment tool completed by teacher preparation faculty participants and the Texas Education Agency Principal Survey completed by administrators overseeing first-year teachers who were …

Program Evaluation Of Restorative Practices At One Elementary School, Nicholas X. Samuels

Dissertations

The rationale for this study was to evaluate the use of restorative practices at One Elementary School. During this evaluation process, I sought to discover the pros and cons of the Restorative Practices program being implemented at this school. Additionally, I sought out responses to my secondary/sub-questions to discover ways that the program’s effectiveness could be enhanced. Furthermore, my desire was to discern the effects that the program’s implementation had on the school's African American/At-Risk population. The data embedded within this study reflects the results of the Restorative Practices program implementation. My findings support the efficacy of Restorative Practices at …

Re-Centering Racial Justice In White-Dominated School Settings, Brian A. Davis

Master's Projects and Capstones

Any institution that does not give students the critical and theoretical frameworks to understand White supremacy in the United States is an active contributor in the proliferation of this hegemonic force. White supremacy is a system that produces violence educationally, socially, politically, environmentally, ontologically, and epistemologically. The study of Whiteness and White supremacy has been discounted in high school settings for various reasons. This project seeks to solve this critical issue within the field of secondary education through the implementation of a course that unpacks White supremacy while center Black history. This course will provide students with a historical framework …

Factors Influencing Stakeholder Support Of A Bond Referendum In A Rural Kansas School District, Joshua M. Woodward

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine factors that influence stakeholder support of bond elections targeted for capital improvements in a rural school district in Kansas. The study uses existing research to identify factors that influence school bond referendum success. To better understand the factors identified in the research literature that influence stakeholder support in the focus district, data were gathered from stakeholders within the school district of focus through a perceptual survey and focus group interviews.

The availability of research on school bond referendum success and failure is plentiful. However, specific research on factors that influence rural school …

A Phenomenological Study Of Teachers Implementing Restorative Practices, Janiese Pauline Mckenzie

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore and understand the perceptions of teachers as they endure change while implementing restorative practices at the secondary level. The central research question guiding this study asked, “How do secondary level teachers from central North Carolina describe their experiences with restorative practices in the classroom?” I interviewed and discussed the lived experiences of 11 participants, all teachers who have been trained in restorative practices by the International Institute of Restorative Practices and implemented in their classroom for one year in central North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Michael Fullan’s change …

An Examination Of Self-Determination, Motivation, And The Retention Of Pacific Islander Male Athletes At The Community College, Jerome Manos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the Pacific Islander (PI) student-athlete, the need to understand the influences of their culture and ethnicity within mostly White educational institutions has emerged as a phenomenon that has created a gap in educational achievement among the PI students in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the self-determination/motivation of our PI male student-athletes (Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan) who have participated in intercollegiate athletics and the influence that these traits have had on their development and growth, academically and socially. A qualitative approach allowed the researcher to understand the human connection by observation with an insider …

Challenges Of Middle School To High School Transition: A Phenomenological Study Of The Experiences Of Students Transitioning From Eighth Grade To Ninth Grade, Simisola K. Aromolaran

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transitioning from middle to high school comes with a lot of hiccups and challenges for adolescents as they are having to deal with this huge change during a season of life that is challenging. During adolescence, teenagers experience various mental, psychological, and physiological changes. This dynamic developmental period comes with intense changes, and having a better understanding can help teachers, school staff, parents, and peers work through these challenges with teenagers. This study explored the experiences of students when they transitioned from Grade 8 to Grade 9, examined the available support systems during this transition, and how students utilized the …

Testimonios Of Resilient Salvadoran Immigrants Who Graduated From A Public High School In The United States And Pursued Further Education, Leticia Ann Guzman Ingram

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There was little research-based understanding of how immigrant students manage to flourish and seek postsecondary educational opportunities. Understanding the experiences of Salvadoran immigrants who graduated from high school could enable educators in the United States to meet their needs more effectively. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore through the testimonios of the experiences of Salvadoran immigrants who graduated from a public high school in the United States and were currently pursuing further education or a career. The research design was narrative research, and the data were used to discern how immigrant youth learn to flourish to answer …

Utilization Of Disability Services By Students With Nonvisible Disabilities, Cristina A. Figueroa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A qualitative case study was conducted to examine ways to increase the use of disability services at 4-year universities. Individual interviews were conducted to see how students and staff members felt the use of disability services could be improved. Five students with nonvisible disabilities and four disability and student services staff members participated in the study. Interviews focused on transition, use of campus services, self-advocacy, and knowledge of disability services. A thematic analysis was conducted on the data, and a total of 20 themes were derived from the interviews. Themes focused on the following topics: self-identification is personal, faculty attitude …

Leadership Strategies That Exemplary K-12 Latina Superintendents In California Use To Create An Organizational Culture Of Inclusiveness Using Kennedy’S Five Leadership Qualities Of Cultural Differences, Martha Martín Pérez

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe the leadership strategies that Latina superintendents in California use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy’s (2008) 5 leadership qualities of cultural differences.

Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed methods study analyzed quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to identify and describe strategies found when analyzing the data. This study summarized the findings that emerged to identify and describe strategies that create an organizational culture of inclusiveness.

Findings: Examination of mixed methods data from the 15 Latina superintendents in California participating in this study indicated …

Strategies For Increasing Attendance For Identified Student Populations Via Online Engagement Methods During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Catherine Douglas

Counselor Education Capstones

This Capstone literature review discusses a school counselor’s role in increasing attendance in schools. The review discusses the common risk factors of absenteeism and the new risk factors that arose after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the strategies that school professionals should use to increase engagement in learning, increase school attendance, and check on the well-being of identified student populations. The review brings light to several strategies that may help counselors increase school attendance with online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies include: incorporation of gameplay into lessons, keeping consistency with the …