Promoting Growth And Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of First-Year Assistant Principals, Debra Murdock

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

ABSTRACT

PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

by

Debra Murdock

Kennesaw State University, 2018

Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct …

Lived Experience Of Newly Appointed Assistant Principals Who Receive Executive Leadership Coaching, Scott Townsend

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographic study was to understand how leadership coaching supported personal growth for new assistant principals. Newly appointed assistant principals from a suburban school district outside metro Atlanta, Georgia were interviewed as part of a professional development model which incorporated leadership coaching into the support mechanisms for new administrators. The professional development model, known as a leadership academy, was instituted by the school district and comprised of multiple learning opportunities of which leadership coaching was one component. This study gathered perceptions of newly appointed assistant principals regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of leadership coaching and …

Assistant Principals And The Phenomenon Of Leadership Coaching, Thomas Flugum

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

This study sought to define and explore executive leadership coaching as a form of professional learning for educational leaders. This was a qualitative phenomenological inquiry into the ways, if any, that leadership coaching impacts the skills and abilities of first-year assistant principals. Research was conducted with a cohort of newly appointed assistant principals from a suburban school district outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Participants were part of a district leadership academy which provided professional learning and support for new administrators. The participants received leadership coaching from coaches endorsed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) as one form of professional learning.

An Explorational Study Of Educational Leaders' Attitudes, Opinions, Understanding, And Application Of Student Growth Percentile (Sgp) Data, J Lyn Turnell

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership Dissertations

Student Growth Percentiles have recently become popular as a way to report student progress over time. Because of the perception that they are relatively simple to understand, they have also become a popular tool to use when evaluating teachers and school-based administrators, even though this is not the purpose of their design. Previous studies have examined the impact of student growth measures on teachers who are evaluated annually with a tool that includes a component of student growth. This study builds on the previous work of Clauser, Keller, and McDermott (2016) and Collins (2014). It examines the actions and opinions …

Narrative Inquiry Into The Barriers To And Facilitators Of Teacher Implementation And Sustainability Of Arts Integration In An Urban Public School District, Cheryl Mcclendon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

To improve the overall quality of education within under-performing schools across the United States and, in particular, to improve outcomes for diverse learners, it is imperative to find ways to increase the adoption of evidence-based practices.

This study aims to illuminate the barriers and facilitators that confront teachers in the sustained implementation of arts integration using a scientifically research-based Constructivist methodology. Arts Integration (AI) has been proven to increase students’ literacy, mathematics, and critical thinking skills. For decades, the U.S. Department of Education has funded research studies revealing the efficacy of arts integration. Data, however, indicate a lack of sustained …

Faculty Senate Agenda And Minutes, December 10, 2018

Faculty Senate Minutes and Agendas

Agenda and minutes from the Wright State University Faculty Senate Meeting held on December 10, 2018.

Embracing Intersectionality To Create A Collective Living Theory Of Practice, Sara B. Woolf, Nathalis Wamba

Publications and Research

In this paper, we describe pivotal experiences that have shaped our respective professional journeys when teaching action research. We situate these experiences in relation to how they have contributed to our collective living theory of practice. This discussion unfolded as we explored ways to improve our own practices and the practices of our students. We conclude that this and similar questions can only be authentically answered when we as practitioners and faculty in higher education settings are willing to interrogate the contexts within which we interact and the complex intersections between our own intentional practices and selves and our students’ …

Conflict Management And Team Building As Competencies For Nurse Managers To Improve Retention, Jeanette Black

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Abstract

Aim(s): To critically review and summarize evidence related to coaching and training nurse managers in conflict management and team building skills and to determine the relationship of these skills to retention.

Background: Retention of nurse managers is a significant challenge to healthcare organizations.

Evaluation: The databases searched were CINAHL, PubMed, evidence-based journals, JANE, Cochrane, SCOPUS and Joanna Briggs. The keywords searched were conflict management, team building, nurse manager retention, retention, teamwork, healthy work environment, conflict management theory, organizational culture, coaching nurse managers, and nursing. Articles with the strongest evidence were critically appraised using the Johns Hopkins Research and …

Exploring Principals' Perceptions About Efficacy In Arizona Urban Schools Designated For The School Improvement Process, Charlotte Patterson

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Studies have determined a positive relationship exists between the self-efficacy of students and academic achievement, and teacher efficacy and student achievement. For over a decade schools have been publicly targeted for school improvement in a process with implications for efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine if principals’ perceptions about efficacy impacted their practices leading school improvement. Principals’ responses to two research questions led this study:

1. How do principals describe their perceptions about the efficacy of their school community relative to the school improvement status, label, or rating for their school?

2. How do principals describe …

Evaluating The Way Forward In Online Student Engagement., Patricia Schmaltz, Julia Carpenter, Dan J. Petersen

Publications

Several factors make up the successful instructional experience in online higher education classes. With the advanced offerings in online learning, educational institutions are compelled to innovate all aspects of their online classes (U.S. Department of Education, 2016). The innovation can lead to a higher caliber learning environment. This paper advances a simple model for Instructors to follow, an Instructional Online Model (IOM), with the intent of improving student engagement, knowledge retention, leading to increased business profit. Instructors who model the discussed techniques may find increased student’s satisfaction with their courses, leading to the students pursuing further online education. Technological advancement …

Peer-Leaders’ Perceptions Of Learning After A Semester Of Peer Facilitation, Yasmine A. Soofi, Nadia Kennedy

Publications and Research

The study examines the perceptions of a group of new peer-leaders of their learning during a semester of peer-leading training and experience working with a group of students. Data was collected through individual interviews in the beginning of the semester and through administering a survey at the end of the semester. The data was organized, analyzed and presented at the poster session.

2018-12-04 Graduate Committee Meeting Minutes, Morehead State University. Faculty Senate.

Faculty Senate Records

University Graduate Committee Meeting Minutes for December 4, 2018.

Succession Planning For First-Year, P-12 Principals, Brannon Johnson

Dissertations

In order to improve retention of first-year principals, all schools should have a leadership succession plan for first-year, P-12 principals to help improve principal effectiveness and retention (Fink & Brayman, 2006). Russell and Sabina (2014) defined succession planning as the explicit design and implementation of programs to identify and develop high-quality principal candidates. Further, succession planning is about ensuring that the next set of leaders is trained and poised to take on leadership responsibilities when needed (Beaulieu, n. d.).

It is clear that the challenges of being a principal are great, and that this is especially true during the early …

Mentee And Mentor Teacher Perspectives On The Effectiveness Of School-Based Mentorship In High-Poverty, Low-Performing Schools., Amanda Leigh Santos-Colon, Carlisha Smith Kent

College of Education & Human Development Capstone Projects

This capstone intends to seek a teacher’s perspective on the effectiveness of school-based mentorship in a high-poverty, low-performing school setting. The first study investigates the perspectives of new teachers, while the second study focuses on the perspectives of the mentor teachers. When new teachers complete the undergraduate program, they become certified teachers but have never actually had the opportunity to be alone in a classroom with up to thirty students. New teachers are often prepared to teach the curriculum but unprepared for the student behavior and classroom management. Furthermore, teachers may be assigned a mentor, but the mentor may lack …

Uncovering And Responding To The Professional Development Needs Of Afterschool Program Leaders Across Rural Nebraska, Kimberly K. Larson

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

An effective state-level professional development system designed for Nebraska 21^stCentury Community Learning Centers (21^stCCLC) program leaders should consider both the unique characteristics of the program leaders themselves, as well as the rural communities where the afterschool programs are implemented. Some of these differentiating characteristics include background of the program leader and their years of experience, the size of the community, availability of staff and frequency of staff turnover, availability of potential community partners, and the quality of the relationship with the school administration and teachers where the afterschool program is implemented. Ultimately, the state-level system must …

Teacher Perceptions Of School Culture After The Change From A Semester Schedule To A Trimester Schedule: A Phenomenological Study, Joseph Showell

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Principals newly assigned to a campus often begin their work by talking with staff, reviewing data, and evaluating the organizational structure with which they were entrusted (Daresh & Alexander, 2015). Common areas for review include campus budget, student performance on state and federal testing, overall operating systems such as the school bell schedule, school culture, and campus operating systems for communication (Daresh & Alexander, 2015). From this review, principals design action plans that they believe best fit the needs of the campus. The effectiveness of the principals’ action plans generally is based on quantitative student performance data from state and …

Understanding The Transition: Principals' Perception Of Coaching And Mentoring During Their First-Year, Dionel Clinton Waters

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

The limited amount of literature surrounding first-year principal support has typically focused on either preparing principals to become instructional leaders or emphasizing their managerial responsibilities (Bodger, 2011). This qualitative study examines eight first-year principals' perceptions of the coaching and/or mentoring support they received during their transition into the principalship. Using the first three stages of organizational socialization (Wardlow, 2008) as an analytical framework, findings indicate that the first-year principal participants considered coaching and mentoring as two distinct approaches of leadership assistance as they transitioned into their new role. Implications for further research could include examining the perceived impact of coaching …

The Making Of An Engineer: Examining The Planning Process And Educational Outcomes, Richard L. Raleigh

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This quantitative study uses data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002) to examine how aspiration levels of planning (or intention) and action (or choice) affect degree attainment for college students who expressed interest in pursing an engineering degree. Utilizing Social Cognitive Career Theory as derived from Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory, I investigated whether students' self-efficacy along with personal aspects of motivation and their aspirations influence educational attainment outcomes. These attributes are indicative of future intentions, and essential in students' persistence to overcome barriers toward completing an engineering degree. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics to compare Aspiring-engineers …

Examining How Race Mediates Teacher-Student Relationships, Christa Tillman-Young

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

This study focused on the role that race plays in Teacher-Student Relationships (TSRs). The study took place at a middle school in North Texas. A racially diverse group of teachers at the school was interviewed regarding their stances on establishing relationships with their students as well as their experiences and views of race and racial injustice in education. A racially diverse group of students completed a questionnaire regarding the quality of TSRs they experienced in the classroom and the role that race played in these experiences. The data from the teacher interviews were coded and cross-referenced with the student questionnaire …

Mindset As It Relates To Implementation Of Mobile Devices For Instruction, Mark Anthony Martinez

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations - Archive

Teachers who become frustrated with the use of new mobile technology may have a predisposition toward the use for classroom instruction. The teacher’s mindset may be an indicator of whether they choose to implement new mobile instructional technology and see it through, or simply revert to familiar teaching models with which they feel more comfortable at the first signs of difficulty. The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the relationships between 145 elementary teachers’ mindsets and their openness to instructional technology. In addition, mindset and attitudes toward instructional technology were measured in terms of gender, age and years …

Career And Technical Education On Mathematics And Reading Achievement For Students In North Central Arkansas, Kimberley Sartain

College of Education Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine the effects of gender and Career and Technical Education (CTE) participation level on the mathematics and reading achievement as measured by the ACT Aspire for 10th-grade students and ACT subtest assessments for 11th-grade students in 2 5-A high schools in North Central Arkansas. While researching the effects of gender and CTE participation level, this scholar found no statistically significant difference between gender and CTE participation level on student achievement. This researcher explored the literature relating to the mathematic and reading achievement of males and females as well as whether they …

Educational Leadership Newsletter December 2018, Educational Leadership Department, University Of Southern Maine

Educational Leadership Newsletters

Inside this issue:

• Letter from the Chair
• Southern Maine Partnership Update
• Assessment for Learning and Leading Conference
• Update on the Professional Educator Master's Degree
• Thinking About Internship in 2019-2020?
• Spring 2019 Schedule

Professional Learning Through Professional Learning Communities, Mentorship, And Shared Leadership, Stephen Juracka

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

This Policy Advocacy paper focuses on expanding the District ABC Staff Development policy to include Drago-Severson’s (2009) pillars of adult learning. Research indicates the inclusion of a mentorship program, professional learning communities, and teacher leadership opportunities, will increase teacher collaboration, engagement, and professional capacities. There are significant educational, economic, political, social, legal and moral implications associated with the proposed staff development policy. Additionally, the staff development policy requires careful planning, implementation, and assessment, as will be addressed in this Policy Advocacy paper.

Self-Determined Motivation In Foreign Language Learning: Examining The Effects On Students' Achievement, Yawo Badagbo

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the relationship between foreign language motivation and self-determined motivation, as well as the issue of students’ perceptions of strategies used to improve foreign language motivation and achievement among undergraduate students in the department of foreign language. This research was conducted in two mid-western universities among undergraduate foreign language learners. The participants were undergraduate foreign language learners. A total of 391 students from 18- 43 years old started the paper-and-pencil surveys in which they shared their views and perceptions about foreign language learning motivations and strategies to improve motivations and achievement. However, only 380 completed the majority of …

New Leaders, New Thoughts: Perspectives On Leadership In The 21st Century, Diego Barros Dos Santos, Carrie Bork, Benjamin Charles, Alyssa Clemment, Richard Depaolis-Metz, Mitchell A. Doerr, Katherine Donlin, John Eger, Claire Exley, Anastasia Grabinger, Tracy Hale, Adam Hanson, Alexander Howell, Kelly Kirkpatrick, Emily Lueck, Andrew Pierskalla, Eva Pitsch, Barbara Holmes, Kendall Larson

Leadership Education Books

Winona State University's Change Leadership graduate course is comprised of seventeen individuals from different generations, with a broad range of skills, backgrounds, and professional expertise. Despite differences, all share a common goal; the desire to become more effective leaders in today’s evolving world. These 21st Century Leaders study, apply basic theory, and develop skills for management and leadership within organizations. Emerging leaders hope to impact the growth, sustainability, and integrity within those organizations. These New Leaders have studied problems and issues influencing individuals and group behavior within organizations to develop collaborative practices, strategies and to empower and advocate for others. …

A Comparison Of High School Students Who Participate In Athletics Verses Non-Athletes On Seven Dimensions Of Work Ethic, Roy Jonathan Shipley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study compared the differences in work ethic dimension scores between high school student-athletes and students who do not participate in athletics. The underlying problem was that there is not enough research in this area and that current available studies provide conflicting information. The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in seven work ethic dimension scores from the Multidimensional Work Ethic Profile (MWEP) between student-athletes and non-athletes. The study used a quantitative, causal-comparative design to examine the differences in the two pre-existing groups. The convenience sample of participants (N = 144) were selected from an available population …

Refining Effective Instructional Strategies Through Professional Learning Communities, James Kevin Hancock

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of professional learning communities by comparing practices and strategies of content and grade level teams in middle schools. Utilizing data from student assessment, comparison of teams in this middle school was conducted to determine practices and conversations that have an impact on teachers’ decisions about student learning. Understanding phenomenon that drives effective decision-making processes in teams of teachers creates an environment where shared leadership produces professional learning communities that are sustainable and systemic.

A qualitative approach was conducted in the form of a case study to capture themes relevant to …

Father Engagement, Marisa Morales

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The Monterey County Office of Education Head Start & Early Head Start Family & Community Engagement service has identified the need for father involvement in early childhood education. With a very meaningful purpose “Padres Bien Padres, Very Cool Dads”, was started. Four workshops were given to male role models to support parenting engagement with their children. In addition, professional development training was provided to head start Policy Council to raise awareness of the “Padres Bien Padres, Very Cool Dad’s” program and share different ideas and activities to improve and encourage fathers to participate in head start. The Policy Council members …

Effectiveness Of Remind.Com For Students Missing Credits At Greenfield High School, Alfredo Diaz

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this capstone is to determine the extent to which online credit recovery is effective at allowing students to regain missing credits at Greenfield High School (GHS). Recent studies show students do better in school when parents are involved. This helps students become motivated and engaged in being successful students. The counseling department at Greenfield High School lacks connection with students and parents. It is not the school's fault nor the staff trying to provide students with resources to help them gain a high school diploma. Unfortunately, Monterey County struggles with parent involvement for the fact that many …

Spartan Connections: Developing Peer Mentorships For Freshman Success, Kathryn Ramos

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Seaside High School is located on the Central Coast of California and is home to 1,119 students. Bullying has many negative effects on high school students. Some consequences of bullying are suicide, depression and anxiety, and increased likelihood of dropouts. At Seaside High School, a survey was conducted to see if there was a need for a peer mentor program. After analyzing 136 responses from the freshmen and sophomore class, 64.7% of the respondents said they would benefit from having a peer mentor show them around the school and help them out with classes.Another question that was asked …