Leadership Studies Commons^™

Theater And Peacebuilding In Post-Conflict Settings: Participants’ Experiences In The Morning Star Theater Program In South Sudan, Shiphrah Mutungi Akandiinda

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation explores the role of theater for peacebuilding in post-conflict settings through the analysis of experiences of participants in the Morning Star Forum Theater for Peacebuilding in South Sudan. Arts-based activities, including theater, have increasingly gained momentum as viable interventions for peacebuilding in post-conflict zones. Much of the existent research fails to capture the experiences of the theater participants themselves. Using narrative inquiry, this study interviewed 12 community members who participated in the Morning Star Forum Theater event. In particular, this study focused on how experiences of Morning Star Theater events impacted interpersonal growth and relationship-building, thus positively impacting …

Thriving Through Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry Of Community-Engaged Learning, Katharine O'Connor

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Community-engaged learning is a high impact educational practice that has been proven to aid in retention rates and overall student success (Kuh, 2008). As an educator, I have had many students tell me that their community-engaged learning experiences helped them develop leadership skills. And while there have been many quantitative studies considering the grade point averages and retention rates, there is a need for research that focuses on the lived experience of people who participate in community-engaged learning. This dissertation focused on young adult women who have emerged as leaders through their community-engaged learning experiences. Through the use of interpretive …

Women Seeking The Public School Superintendency: Navigating The Gendered And Racialized-Gendered Job Search, Rachel M. Roberts

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

I have been an educator for my entire career. First, as a teacher and over the last decade as a school administrator. During my tenure, I have continually noticed the underrepresentation of women in the highest office: the school superintendent. This has vexed me over the years, and as a scholar practitioner in leadership and change, I have devoted my research to unearthing the inequalities and disproportional realities that exist within high-profile leadership, particularly the public school superintendency. Utilizing a grounded theory approach, this dissertation sought to better understand what happens at the micro-level, especially during and after the superintendent …

Leadership For Change: Teacher Education In Afghanistan: A Decade Of Challenge In Reconstruction, Reform, And Modernization In A Post Conflict Society, Susan Wardak

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This dissertation used interpretive case study methodology focused on the story of rebuilding the national education system of Afghanistan destroyed by decades of conflict. The study documents the challenges and progress in preparing adequate and qualified teachers for the nation. The dissertation is based on critical analysis of available documents tracing events, policies, and programs. The research asks: What are the critical leadership strategies and organizational frameworks that promote or impede institutional change? What are the barriers to change in teacher education in a conservative Islamic society? The dissertation is unique in that this story of educational intervention in a …

Love And Learn: Creating Space For Authentic Caring In Family Child Care, Katherine Kelly Hart Meehan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Children benefit from engagement in early education and care (ECE) programs that support their learning and development while also providing a point of connection to critical resources for their families. For children from economically disadvantaged families, the lack of access to high-quality ECE results in a persistent achievement and opportunity gap (García & Weiss, 2015). A significant portion of ECE occurs in home-based early learning environments, also known as family child care (FCC) programs, which play a critical role in supporting children from low-income and immigrant families (Layzer et al., 2007; Porter et al., 2010). Unfortunately, this sector of ECE …

Education For Citizenship: A Study Of The Effects Of Cocurricular Student Philanthropy Education On Prosocial Behavior, Félix José Alonso

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this concurrent mixed-methods study is to explore the use of student engagement and cocurricular student philanthropy education as an approach to awareness raising and as a mechanism for creating a culture of philanthropy among college students. This dissertation is a synthesis of the review with a consensus that student engagement and cocurricular student philanthropy education create greater awareness, learning, and intentions around philanthropy and prosocial behavior, as well as increased instances of making charitable contributions and civic engagement. The study concludes that student engagement and cocurricular philanthropy education are effective mechanisms for creating a culture of giving. …

Locating Uncertainty In Hospital Leader Sensemaking And Sensegiving Of Organizational Change: A Single Case Study, Sara E. Barry

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Leaders planning strategic change face significant ambiguity and uncertainty due to the complex, fast-paced, and volatile nature of organizational life. What one leader sees as an opportunity, another may view as a threat depending on their past experiences, their existing mental models, and their perceptions of uncertainty. Sensemaking and sensegiving theories provide a framework for how leaders retrospectively make sense of new and disorienting information through recursive cycles of interpretation, action, and learning, and seek to influence the meaning-making of others towards a shared vision of the strategic change. Despite decades of research using these theories, studies have yet to …

Examining Teacher Leadership: Phenomenology Of The Perceived Challenges Of Being A Teacher Leader, Noelle H. Green

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Today’s school leaders recognize that one person, mainly the principal, cannot adequately address the needs of all members of the school community. Many principals rely on teacher leaders to lead alongside them to further school improvement, knowing that the traditional way of thinking of school leadership as being the sole role of the principal is no longer effective or efficient. While K-12 teachers typically have a strong background in child development, psychology, and pedagogy, many lack experience in leading and facilitating adults and have little background in adult learning theory.

The purpose of this research is to determine how K-12 …

Designing Effective Online Courses: Exploring The Relationships Amongst Online Teaching Self-Efficacy, Professional Development, Online Teaching Experience, And Reported Implementation Of Effective Higher Education Online Course Design Practices, Elizabeth Mcmahon

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

How best to prepare and support higher education faculty to design and teach effective online courses is a topic of great significance to higher education institutional leaders and faculty developers. This study explored how hours of professional development along with online teaching and learning experiences were related to online teaching self-efficacy and the extent to which participants reported implementation of effective online course design practices. Using a non-experimental quantitative correlational explanatory research study design, data were collected using a questionnaire. Participants included 104 online faculty from a large public higher education system located in the upper Midwest that includes both …

Core Self-Evaluation Theory In Qualitative Research: Extending A Quantitative Theory Into A Qualitative Framework To Study Community College Faculty., Patria Lawton

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The use of qualitative research in higher education has long been underutilized, specifically when examining community colleges. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the need for more qualitative research focusing on the lives and work of community college faculty and to introduce the reader to Judge et al. (1997) Core Self-Evaluation Theory (CSE). The article describes the rationale and process of utilizing CSE as a viable theoretical framework in qualitative research. The author discusses the way in which CSE was extended from a traditional quantitative measure to a qualitative framework by walking the reader through a study which …

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 …

Identifying Key Success Indicators In Student Letters For Reinstatement From Suspension, Angela Bowlus, Jamaica Delmar

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Retaining and graduating students continues to be an issue that higher education institutions are longing to solve, especially for the growing non-traditional student body whose list of competing priorities continues to grow. As academic suspension hinders persistence, this article examines a key aspect of the reinstatement from suspension process for students: the letter of appeal. The narrative provided is impacted by how the writer expresses their acknowledgment of what went wrong and what changes will be made to ensure administrators of future success, it too is impacted by the interpretation of the institutional decision maker. By reviewing a sample of …

Connecting First-Generation Students To Leadership Opportunities, Christian Walker

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that current outreach methods utilized by the Associated Students of UC San Diego are having on first-generation students’ engagement and pursuit of leadership opportunities, and ways that the department of Associated Students can adapt their approaches to better encourage participation from this student group. My research question was: How can I create outreach efforts that increase the number of first-generation students seeking student leadership roles? This research led to an enhanced understanding of how the department can connect members of this student group to open roles and opportunities for student …

Personal Development Planning And Vertical Leadership Development In A Vuca World, Kevin Coopersmith

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

To explore how personal development can be utilized as a tool for leaders to adapt to our VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world, a qualitative study was conducted on the narrative experiences of eight leaders who had successfully completed personal development plans. The emerging field of vertical leadership development, recognized as a unique developmental approach towards overcoming complexity and uncertainty, was connected to the key themes of personal development planning. Vertical leadership development and personal development planning were united across five conceptual themes: development and application of skills, self-awareness, self-efficacy, self-exploration, and continuous improvement. The experiences of the participants …

Promoting Professional Development Through Appreciative Inquiry: Aiding The Transition Of College Student Employees As Emerging Professionals, Juleane Johnson

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The purpose of this action research study aimed to identify how to better promote and support the transition as emerging professionals and elevate the professional development capacity of Sixth College Residence Life at the University of California, San Diego. The primary research question guiding these endeavors is: What role do I/our office play in the transition of student employees to emerging professionals? The secondary question is: How can I/our office collaborate to elevate professional development practices and capacity? Research participants took part through virtual interviews, virtual focus groups, and the completion of an online survey. The significance of my efforts …

Enhancing Civic Engagement Through Leadership Education, Lori E. Kniffin, Sonalini Sapra

eJournal of Public Affairs

Many civic engagement courses require students to work with community members to make progress on complex problems, which in itself can be a practice of leadership. Yet there is little evidence that leadership development is strategically incorporated in civic engagement courses. Therefore, we taught eight leadership sessions over two semesters in the Principled Problem Solving Scholars Program at Guilford College. This study examines the perceived impact of leadership curriculum on the personal practices of leadership and the civic engagement for 14 undergraduate students. We present the findings through three themes highlighting (1) the shifts in the students’ philosophies of leadership …

Women In Direct Combat Arms: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study Of U.S. Army Active-Duty Military Intelligence And Cyber Command Women Perspectives And Current Career Opportunities And Policies In The Military Combat Fields, Brenda Young

Theses & Dissertations

Effective January 1, 2016, the Department of Defense implemented a new policy pertaining to a full work role gender integration for service women in all U.S. military fields and positions. Active-duty women struggled to participate, adapt, and be completely integrated into the full institutional direct combat arms positions and careers. Research on such gender participation to date has focused specifically on physical fitness standards, unit morale and cohesion, successful entry into training pipeline for direct combat arms fields, and outcomes measured by current attrition rates. A constructivist qualitative grounded theory research study was needed to understand how current active-duty women …

How Training And Feedback In On-Campus Jobs Increase Systems Thinking Skills For Generation Z Student Employees, Kim Fisher

Leadership Education Capstones

Generation Z is less prepared than any generation before to enter the professional world after college graduation. This study focuses on how training and feedback can be used in on-campus jobs to develop the systems thinking skills that employers seek in our Generation Z college students.

Leadership Doctorates Newsletter: Volume 7, Number 3, Larry Starr, Phd

Leadership Doctorates Newsletter (Formerly Strategic Leadership Newsletter)

In this Issue:

• DMgt Final Semester of Classes
• Doctoral Candidates, Advisers and Dissertation Topics
• Dean Shelly Osagie’s Announcement
• Student Scholarship
• Faculty Scholarship and Practice
• DMgt Doctoral Candidate Opens Korean Consulting Firm
• Career Advancement

One World, One Purdue: Implementing Successful Intercultural Collaboration At Purdue University, Ivan Anthony S. Henares, Rahul Kartick

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Collaboration is vital to promote international understanding, raise cultural awareness and competency, and cultivate an environment of vibrant inclusion. A successful example of this intercultural collaboration is One World, One Purdue (OWOP), a series of events organized every November to support International Education Week (IEW). OWOP was conceptualized by the International Student Peer Coaching (ISPC) Program and the Global Engineering Programs and Partnerships (GEPP) of the College of Engineering in 2017, and expanded in 2019 with the participation of Cultural Catalysts, Purdue Fulbright Association (PFA), and the Environmental and Ecological Engineering Graduate Student Organization.

Planning for OWOP 2019 began with …

Chinese-U.S. Leadership: A Case Study Of A U.S. Manufacturing Company In China, Mengting Gong

Dissertations

The purpose of this case study is to gain a better understanding of the way in which some Chinese managers describe their leadership approaches and why they accept and use U.S. leadership approaches in a U.S. manufacturing company in China. Within the single-case (embedded) research design, in-depth interviews and existing data are two main methods of the researcher’s data collection. A purposeful sample (N = 8) of managers from the corporation served as participants. After collecting relevant qualitative data, two rounds of coding occurred. In the first round, initial coding was comprised of identifying codes from the transcripts. For the …

The Great Resignation In Teaching: Servant Leadership Impact On Teacher Retention, Job Satisfaction, And Principal Efficacy During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Shanna M. Johnston

PhD in Organizational Leadership

Teacher retention is a global crisis in need of attention specifically through a leadership focus. The crisis has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic encompassing the Great Resignation in the field of teaching and education. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationships between school principals with servant leader behaviors and the impact on teacher retention, teacher job satisfaction, and principal efficacy. The study sought to explicitly identify predictors and patterns between servant leadership dimensions primarily associated with teacher retention, job satisfaction, and principal efficacy. The study also provided insights to the specific dimensions of servant leadership that …

Complete Fall Issue

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

No abstract provided.

An Instrumental Study Of Fire Service Leaders’ Influence On Followers’ Workplace Aerobic Exercise Activity, Paul A. Ebanks

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

Sudden cardiac events resulting from the physical demands associated with fire suppression among individuals lacking adequate aerobic fitness are known concerns within the firefighting domain. The purpose of this research study was to explore fire service leaders' perceived leadership behaviors that aided in followers' performing workplace aerobic exercise activities (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Following within-case and cross-case analyses of interviewees' data, five leadership themes emerged comprising four behaviors and one influence related to followers' workplace aerobic exercise activities: role model, supportive, cooperative, visionary, and planned exercise regimen. In the present study, thematic findings indicated that fire service leaders' role-modeling exercise …

Leadership Life Skills Development In 4-H Teen Leadership Programs, Amy M. Leman, Junfeng Wang

Journal of Extension

This study introduces a framework for 4-H leadership competencies and explores the relationship between 4-H leadership programs and participant leadership life skills development. Illinois 4-H members aged 15-18 completed an online survey about their 4-H experiences and skills. Participants reported local programs exhibited the characteristics in the leadership competencies framework. Members participating in leadership competency programs reported higher leadership life skills scores than those in other 4-H non-leadership oriented programs. Females reported higher leadership life skills scores in comparison to males. However, spending more years in leadership programs was only related to a significant change in skills development for some …

Understanding The Impact Of Intrinsic, Extrinsic, And Altruistic Motivation On Principal Persistence In An Urban School District: A Case Study, Kimberly Washington

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this case study was to understand the impact of intrinsic, extrinsic, and altruistic motivation on principal persistence in Aberdeen Public Schools (APS, pseudonym). Principal persistence is generally defined as a principal staying in each school for a longer period or the lack of change of a principal within a school. The theories guiding this study are Frederick Herzberg’s theory of work and motivation, Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and Self-determination theory. The study focused on the following central research question: What are principal descriptions of their efforts to persist in their administrative positions in Aberdeen Public Schools? …

Action Research: A Culturally Specific Case Study On Organizational Capacity-Building To Battle Addiction In The Oneida Native-American Community, Anita F. Barber, Mark Gordon

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

The Healing Society (coded to mask) is a new and developing organization operated by a volunteer board created by Oneida Nation community members. Leaders were seeking strategic direction to build organizational capacity and sustainability for this new organization. They sought to make positive social change after a well-known community member died from an overdose. The purpose of this post-positivist, constructionist qualitative case study was to gather empirical data from the perspectives of internal and external stakeholders through a SWOT analysis. Their answers addressed: (a) the organizational strengths and weaknesses of The Healing Society to ensure short-term strength and long-term growth, …

First-Generation Commuter Student Experiences, Heena Lodhia

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

Abstract

Studies have shown that first-generation commuter (FGC) students navigate their college experience differently in comparison to traditional, continuing generation students. One of the biggest distinctions is how first-generation (FG) students are closely tied to their familial identity. As these students come from an environment and mindset that is more collective and interdependent, they can struggle to find a sense of belonging, community, and support from their institution. By physically living off-campus, FG commuter student’s persistence, well-being, and ability to build relationships on campus can prove to be challenging. Therefore, as a Graduate Assistant in the Commuter Student Commons, I …

Understanding Whiteness And Anti-Racist Attitudes In White Student Leaders, Gabriella P. Rangrej

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

At predominately white institutions, Black, Indigenous, and other Students of Color are often burdened with the role of the educator for their white peers. This research explores how white student leaders at the University of San Diego engage in conversations around their white racial identity. How do white student leaders understand and discuss issues of race, racism, whiteness, and white supremacy, what is the impact of their student leader training, and how might they begin striving for the incorporation of anti-racist practices and claim the responsibility for their racial education? Using the Kolb Learning Cycle, I engaged in one pre-cycle …

"It’S A Lot Of Work To Be Native": Using Storytelling To Examine The Needs Of Native American Students At The University Of San Diego, Kasandra Tong

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

The University of San Diego’s (USD) Race/Ethnicity Federal Reports show that for the last 17 years, the percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native students at USD has not risen above 1% (University of San Diego, n.d.). This data requires further disaggregation because the current data only represents students that solely checked American Indian/Alaska Native and does not include students who identify as biracial or multi-racial. The purpose of my research was to identify what efforts are needed to improve the experience of Native American students at USD. My research question was what factors are needed to improve the existing experience of …