Educational Leadership Commons^™

The Relationship Between Academic Advising And Student Motivation On The Persistence Of Freshman Exploratory Studies Students, Marlene N. Fares

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Academic advising is associated with increased student retention and academic success. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate a relationship with the student-advisor relationship and locus of control as an essential variable to understand Exploratory Studies students’ success. This study investigated the influence of the advising relationship with Exploratory Studies students and their locus of control as it impacts their overall retention and persistence. Based on Kutztown University (KU) institutional data sources, over 9 percent of freshmen Exploratory Studies students fail at least one course in their first semester at KU. In addition to satisfaction with advising and …

The Communicative Pragmatics Of Data-Use For Equity: A Theoretical And Methodological Framework, Mary B. Ziskin

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Calls for higher education institutions to implement improvements guided by “data-driven” processes are prevalent and widespread. Despite the pervasiveness of this turn toward data, research on how data-use works on the ground in postsecondary institutions—that is, how individuals within institutions make sense of education data and use it to inform practice—is still developing.

Drawing on Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action (TCA), critical-race theory, and methodological guidance on critical-qualitative research methods, this paper synthesizes methodological and substantive insights from P–12 data-use research, with an eye to applying these insights to critical questions on postsecondary educational equity. The result of the review …

Endorsement Of Career And Technical Education: Phenomena Influencing Core-Subject Teacher Perceptions, Sherri Lynn Tucker, Andrew John Hughes

Educational Leadership & Technology Faculty Publications

The article provides an analytical overview of core-subject teachers’ endorsement of career and technical education (CTE). The article discusses phenomena that have likely influenced core-subject teachers’ perceptions of CTE and, in turn, their endorsement of CTE to students. California is taking steps towards successfully preparing students for college and career readiness, but more needs to be done (Bae & Darling-Hammond, 2014). Additionally, some educators still believe that “CTE programs maintain diminished value in helping to raise school achievement scores or encourage student success” (Shanklin, 2014, p. 3). Since the 20th century, CTE educators have been fighting negative perceptions of CTE, …

Support Programming For Children On The Autism Spectrum: An Evaluation Of Current Programming And Components Offered By A Postsecondary Autism Program, Lisa Michelle Elkins

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine how stakeholders value the current components of a Postsecondary Autism Program (PSAP). The evaluation assessed the efficacy of the program’s six components and the improvements needed to ensure the desired outcomes were being achieved. A mixed-methods approach using both surveys and focus groups was used to obtain data. The surveys were administered to students who were currently enrolled in the PSAP program and parents of students who were currently enrolled. A focus group format using six questions was administered to the five full-time staff of the PSAP program. The results of the …

Life Factors Affecting U.S. Army Junior-Enlisted Soldiers In Reaching Their Educational Goals, Irina Rader

Dissertations

This study focused on drawing a picture of the dynamics and educational experiences of U.S. Army junior-enlisted soldiers in the rank of specialist in the RA. Those soldiers are eligible to participate in the U.S. Army’s VolEd Program available worldwide. According to Gleiman and Zacharakis (2016):

The military relies on continuing professional education as a key component to the success of its organization. With decreasing budgets and increasing importance for a force that operates efficiently and thinks critically, the cognitive tension among training, education, and learning come center stage. (p. 81)

The researcher formed the research questions (RQs) sought to …

Embracing Digital Learning In The Covid-19 Era, Ashok Kumar Pandey

Teacher India

The COVID-19 outbreak has led to school closures across the globe. Dr Ashok Kumar Pandey writes about ways in which school leaders can respond to this emergency.

Book Excerpt: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers – The Heroes Of Real India, S Giridhar

Teacher India

In his book ‘Ordinary people, extraordinary teachers’, S Giridhar describes how teachers in government schools are determined to work beyond the call of duty based on a strong belief that ‘every child can learn’.

The Impact Of Middle School Scheduling Practices On Adolescent Math Achievement In Louisiana Public Schools, Deborah Lynn Gegg

Doctoral Dissertations

Research on middle-level schools and student achievement revealed a drop in academic performance when students transitioned from elementary school to a traditional middle school. In the United States, the middle school years have historically seen a decline in student achievement following a transition from elementary school.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the performance of United States eighth-grade students in mathematics continued to lag behind globally based on the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (U.S. Department of Education, 2017). Specifically, United States eighth graders were ranked 12th in mathematics, which was three notches down from …

Nebraska Transcript (University Of Nebraska College Of Law), Volume 53, Number 1, Spring 2020

Nebraska Transcript

2 Dean's Message

4 Faculty Notes

10 Civil Procedure, State Con Law scholar, Jonathan Marshfield, joins Nebraska Law

11 Remembering Steve Kalish

14 Remembering Marty Gardner: Long time faculty member, Gardner loved teaching, prioritized students. Professor Marty Gardner passed away late November 2019. His longtime friend and colleague, Professor Robert Denicola, remembers his kindness and love of teaching.

17 University hosts FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

18 Nebraska Law Hosts 12th Annual Nebraska Space Law Conference

20 Women’s Leadership Initiative features former ACLU president Nadine Strossen

29 Football agent Mulugheta maintains, ‘For success, be all in, but find balance' David Mulugheta, …

Program Evaluation Of A District’S Elementary School Wellness Curriculum To Improve Undergraduate Training, Katie Boyer

Dissertations

This doctoral research project examined elementary teachers’ preparation to teach health content (Emotional, Relationships, Growth and Development, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Hygiene, Safety, Substance Use/Misuse, Diseases, Environmental/Consumer/Community Health) within the framework for a state’s certification and qualifications. The study used a mixed-methods approach in a Midwest school district to discover components of undergraduate certifications, current teaching methods, and potential modifications to the curriculum. While all surveyed elementary teachers were licensed to teach the health content, many were not formally qualified to teach the material due to content gaps in their teacher preparation programs. The study concluded that undergraduate institutions preparing teachers …

Trauma And Social Frameworks: The Effect Of Uasd-Government Conflict Between 1966 And 1978 Over Perspectives About Higher Education, Jesús Leonardo D'Alessandro

Dissertations

Currently, the expenditures for higher education by the Dominican government are at record highs (OECD, 2012; MESCYT, 2018). Yet, nationwide, student attrition rates in universities average a challenging 50% (OECD, 2012). This percetange climbs to 80% in Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD). UASD is the oldest public university and the largest higher education institution in the Dominican Republic, hosting 44% of all undergraduate students enrolled in the country (OECD, 2012; UASD, 2018). The institution’s attrition levels suggest that while the Dominican government’s investment in higher education is high, the return on that investment is low.

Although domestic plans and …

Investigating Transformational Leadership Practices In Private Schools From Teachers’ Perspectives, Asmaa Amin Chmer

Foundations of Education Theses

This study investigates teachers' perceptions of transformational leadership as practiced by private school principals in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The study examines the leadership practices of idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration, analyzed by selected demographic variables, i.e., (gender, level of qualification, and years of experience). The study was guided by three research questions. The first examined the extent to which school principals practice transformational leadership, as seen from the teachers’ perspectives. The second considered statistical differences in the practice of transformational leadership due to gender, qualifications, and experience, while the third looked at teachers’ suggestions …

Class Standing And Student Perceptions Of Safety In Christian Higher Education: A Causal-Comparative Study, Bradley Carlton Bowen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Campus safety has become a significant topic in higher education. A dynamic environment including regulatory changes and notable criminal incidents has resulted in rapid changes in campus policy in the United States. Limited research has been conducted regarding stakeholder perceptions of campus safety, though research is lacking regarding campus safety in Christian higher education. Research is especially lacking among Christian institutions in the southeastern United States and in comparing student perceptions based on class standing. This causal-comparative study examined the results of a survey presented to undergraduate students at a Christian university to answer the question as to whether there …

The Dual Enrollment Challenges Of First-Generation Appalachian College Students: A Holistic Single-Case Study, Cecil Todd Bennett

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this holistic single-case study was to describe the dual enrollment experiences of first-generation Appalachian college students in Southwest Virginia. The theory guiding this study was Tinto’s theory of college student retention as it related to first-generation Appalachian college students who have taken dual enrollment courses. To further understand the challenges faced by these students the following research question was posed: What are student, teacher, and administrator descriptions of the challenges faced by first-generation college students taking dual enrollment courses in Southwest Virginia? Subquestions served to investigate the role of dual enrollment courses on the college involvement, college …

The Self-Efficacy Of Rural Middle School Teachers Working With Families In Relation To Student Achievement, Sarah Skudin Evans

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Parental involvement in the education process is known to increase student achievement. Many barriers to parental involvement exist including the self-efficacy of teachers’ working with families. The purpose of this correlational study is to determine if a relationship exists between the self-efficacy of rural middle school math and English teachers working with families and student achievement in their classroom. Working with Families Self-Efficacy Scales (WFSES) will be used to determine the self-efficacy of teachers working with families. Participants will be middle school teachers from five different middle schools in one rural school district on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The …

Predicting Academic Achievement Based On Sense Of Community Among Online Public High School Students, Randy Boydie Maraj

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Limited research has investigated the relationship between sense of community and academic achievement, as determined by students’ self-reported Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) scores. The purpose of this correlational study was to determine the extent by which sense of community can predict academic achievement among online public high school students. The predictor variables were social community and learning community. The criterion variable was academic achievement using student’s PSAT/NMSQT scores. The school form of the Classroom and School Community Inventory was given to 98 online high school students to complete. They represented a major suburban public …

A Collective Case Study Understanding The Barriers To College Access Facing Low-Income African American Male High School Graduates, Emmanuel Schuller Cherilien

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this collective case study was to understand the barriers to college access facing low-income African American males in the northeastern region of the United States. This study employed a qualitative methodology approach involving 10 low-income African American high school graduates from two states. The theoretical framework that guided this study was critical race theory. The central research question was: What are the barriers to college enrollment for low-income African American male high school graduates? The data collection methods consisted of semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and a focus group. The data analysis process involved open coding, axial coding, …

Exploring The Professional Learning Experiences Of Adjunct Faculty In An Educational Leadership Preparation Program, Karen M. Swann

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of adjunct faculty to understand their roles and means for professional collaboration. The study examined how adjuncts engage and collaborate, professionally and informally, and what vehicles influence their growth. Finally, the study addressed how educational leadership preparation programs might be enhanced for relevant, continuous learning in order to improve instructional practices and the experiences of aspiring school leaders.

Using a phenomenological methodology, 27 adjuncts were interviewed from a university-based educational leadership preparation program in the southeast region of the United States. These in-depth interviews were transcribed and analyzed, using …

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs, Joshua Lee Howell

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Transformational Leadership Qualities Among Students Within Doctoral Higher Education Leadership Programs is a mixed-method study utilizing program evaluation of course descriptions and transformational leadership fostering activities, interviews with program chairs surrounding transformational leadership fostering activities, and completion of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5x™) survey results from doctoral higher education students and their programs within the Commonwealth of Virginia. Researchers in the field of Higher Education and Leadership indicated that Transformational Leadership was more apt for college and university presidency, that doctoral degrees were more preferable for college and university presidency, and as doctoral higher education programs provide students with curriculum …

The Role Of The School Administrator In Implementing Communities Of Practice To Build Organizational Capacity, Kara L. Plank

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The field of education is constantly changing and requires a significant shift in teacher practice. Despite the demands for ongoing professional learning and collaboration, teachers remain resistant to the transition from an autonomous position. Professional learning communities, a particular type of communities of practice, are a common practice for schools to implement with a goal of improving student performance. Despite attempts, this concept proves to be very difficult to implement. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of existing professional learning communities within the school setting. In addition, this study sought to understand the role of school …

How Principals Learn To Be Technology Leaders: A Critical Incident Qualitative Study, Leon R. Edwards Ii

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to investigate how principals learn to be technology leaders by examining the different ways principals learn and exploring the skills principals perceive are needed. The study also examines what principals do differently to develop a successful technology integration (or not). Using the critical incident method, 18 principals were interviewed from across the state. The in-depth interviews were transcribed for all participants interviewed and then analyzed using coding and theming with the aid of memos. From this, three predominant categories emerged: learning, skills, and challenges.

The findings from the study reveal that principals learn primarily …

Virginia Standards Of Accreditation: A Case Study Of Sensemaking And Policy Implementation In A School District, Shana Nicole Remian

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between how school leaders at both the district and school level make sense of a policy change and how that understanding affects implementation. Specifically, this study explores how different factors affect individual sensemaking and the effect that has on policy implementation. Using an embedded case study methodology, data were collected through sixteen, semi-structured interviews. Additionally, field observations and document analysis were conducted to triangulate the data. Data were coded and analyzed to determine three major categories--policy ambiguity, internal and external factors, and communication. These three categories were integrated to form …

Better Stewards, Better Givers: What Financial Behaviors Relate To Giving By Christians In Churches, Parachurch Ministries, And Their Alma Mater?, Andre Sergeyev

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The subject of Christian stewardship including financial behavior continues to receive heightened attention due to low giving rates in the ecclesial community and within faith-based academia. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine associations between the most frequently exercised financial management behaviors and giving by Christian devotees. The study identified and explained degrees of relationships among selected financial behaviors of giving, by percentage and amount, by participants to churches, parachurch ministries, and alma maters. A new theory of giving behaviors was introduced to analyze relationships between the giving and financial behaviors of participants who identified as Christian and …

Characteristics That Motivate A Volunteer Workforce: A Case Study Of One Of America’S Largest Volunteer Organizations, Jono Anzalone

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A vast amount of research exists on organizational development and leadership theory targeted for organizations with a paid workforce as well as literature that discusses volunteer motivation and management. However, existing literature fails to address leadership theory, practices in organizational development, and performance improvement for a volunteer-led workforce, one in which both volunteer and paid staff compose the workforce. A bridge of the gap in literature is needed to help inform training and development practices of the American Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations. In addition, high volunteer turnover and low satisfaction has a costly impact on organizations critical …

Being Global Means More Than Traveling Around The Globe … So, What Does It Mean?, Corinne Brion

Educational Leadership Faculty Publications

Being global means more than traveling around the globe. Being global means having a culturally proficient mindset. Having a culturally proficient mindset involves celebrating and advocating for diversity and being willing to face our own conscious and unconscious biases while also accepting the fact that some of us are born privileged. I know I was born in and with privileges. I accept that I have biases because of cultural and familial values and beliefs.

This reflection is a product of teaching a course for future school leaders on diversity in schools, my own educational and leadership journey, and my passion …

Philippine Jesuit Schools Of Education: Heroic Institutions Of Learning And Leadership In Mission, Joaquin Jose Mari Casimiro Sumpaico

Doctoral Dissertations

Philippine Jesuit schools of education are important training sanctuaries for future teachers. These schools help build a nation by nurturing educators in their student years so that these said teacher-students may be equipped as they pursue their vocation of journeying with the Philippine youth towards meaningful and heroic learning. There is limited research on these Philippine Jesuit schools of education and how these have created an impact in Philippine nation-building. The qualitative research draws attention to the four pillars of Heroic Leadership in these schools of education. It will look for practices of Self-awareness, Ingenuity, Love, and Heroism in the …

Developing Student Leadership: The Use Of Programs And Methods To Build Adolescent Leadership Capacity, Jonathan D. Waldron

Masters Theses

High school students have a wealth of opportunities to practice leadership skills. Focusing on the importance of leadership training to help teens develop and strengthen their ability to influence, in this project I evaluate the current research about best practices in adolescent leadership training. Although best practices suggest that students grow as leaders with intentional training and guidance from mentors and coaches, few students who hold leadership positions in school or community organizations receive any training at all. This paper describes the necessity for, and creation of a program designed to inspire, motivate and strengthen leadership skills in high school …

Avoiding Cultural Calamities: Exploring The Influence Of Culture In Intercultural Plcs At An International School, Eric K. Johnson

All Theses And Dissertations

This qualitative instrumental case study explored the influence of national culture within the context of professional learning communities (PLCs) at an international school. This study utilized Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory as the theoretical framework and drew from DuFour and Eaker’s characteristics of effective PLCs. This instrumental case study focused on one international school located in the European Union. The purpose was to engage international teachers who take part in weekly PLC meetings through a demographic questionnaire, one-on-one interviews and direct observation, in order to develop a better understanding of the influence of culture within those meetings. The study addressed two …

Clinical Preparedness Amongst Recent Dental Hygiene Graduates: A Phenomenological Study, Daniela M. Taranto

All Theses And Dissertations

The focus of this phenomenological study is to evaluate the lived experiences of recent dental hygiene graduates’ as they relate to their curriculum preparation as clinicians. Individual interviews of ten newly graduated hygienists were conducted, consisting of seventeen open-ended questions related to their experience with feeling prepared to enter the workforce specific to their clinical skills, professionalism skills, and critical thinking skills. This study documented the experiences these participants had as they transitioned from master student, to novice clinician specific to their newly acquired skills. A positive perception of preparedness was found directly to their instrumentation, professionalism, and critical thinking …

Physical Therapists’ Perceptions Of Leadership Orientations: An Exploratory Case Study, Theresa O'Neil

All Theses And Dissertations

The study addresses the problem of the limited understanding of physical therapists' perspectives on leadership orientations. The purpose of this mixed-methods case study was to expand on the understanding of physical therapists’ perceptions of leadership orientations. The methods used were the Bolman and Deal Leadership Orientations Inquiry (Self) survey and phone interviews describing a leadership experience. The research questions were: To what degree do physical therapists exhibit multi-frame leadership as defined by Bolman and Deal? To what degree do physical therapists use each of the four frames as defined by Bolman and Deal, Structural, Human Resources, Political and Symbolic? What …