Dissertationen zum Thema „Leadership Sustainability“

There has been a strong movement since the reauthorization of PL 94-142 in 2004 and 2006 toward inclusionary practice for students with disabilities to receive instructional and social opportunities in the general education classroom Proponents of inclusionary practices believe that in order to provide an authentic least restrictive environment (LRE) for the growing population of identified students with disabilities, the learning environment needs to be a culture of inclusionary practice. Inclusion advocates assert that inclusion is a civil rights issue. Those rights include equal access to educational opportunities. This change in education involves various moving parts; thereby increasing the challenges for school district leaders.

School districts continue to grapple with special education service delivery models that best fit the special education students’ needs within a legal and educational context. A continuum of special education services is provided by school districts to meet the needs of special education students. Inclusion is a delivery model that is federally mandated and requires principal leadership, vision, and collaboration. The importance of educational leaders to transform educational settings for students with disabilities is crucial in preparing them to acquire the skills necessary to be college and career ready (Billingsley, McLesky & Crockett, 2014).

This qualitative study focused on district administrators representing 13 districts that have experience and knowledge in inclusive settings for students with disabilities. This study examined the process of inclusionary practices by exploring district administrator perceptions on the challenges district administrators face in the adoption, implementation, and sustainability incorporating inclusionary practices in district schools.

This study was based on a conceptual framework that synthesizes two theories: Fullan’s educational change theory and Schein’s organizational leadership theory. Together, these two theories provide a contextual lens to examine the experiences of district administrators who have developed and sustained inclusionary practices.

Data from this qualitative study included district administrator interviews. Participants in the study were 13 district administrators, who had knowledge and experiences with the district’s special education program. The participants interviewed had more than 3 years of administrative experience and were involved the development and success of inclusionary practices.

Analysis of this data yielded significant findings and recommendations in relation to the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of inclusive environments. Findings for this study confirm that in order for inclusion to be implemented teacher and principal participation is key. Administrators expressed professional development and time for collaboration as essential for sustainability. This study also contains recommendations for successful implementation of inclusion through the methods of collaboration, professional development, and communication.

The need for sustaining successful inclusive environments is a critical finding that will continue to apply to school districts as they continue to grapple with special education service delivery models that best fit the special education students’ needs within a legal and educational context.

Leadership in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has remained an under-researched area in the management literature, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. SME owner-managers in Nigeria lacked in-depth understanding of their leadership style to objectively evaluate its implication on long-term performance and growth of their enterprise. The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore the experiences of SME owner-managers in Nigeria to gain an in-depth understanding of their leadership style and its implication for long-term performance and growth of their enterprise. The conceptual framework for this study was anchored in two key concepts; leadership styles and leadership in SMEs, with the full range leadership model as the theoretical foundation. The research question sought to explore the role of SMEs owners and managers leadership styles in the long-term success of their enterprise. Interview data were collected from 6 SME owner-managers who employ less than 200 employees within the manufacturing, education, and trading sectors. The cross-case synthesis technique was used for data analysis which allowed for within-case analysis and cross-case comparisons. Findings from this study showed that Nigerian SME owner-managers do not follow any specific leadership style. They exhibited few characteristics of transformational and transactional leadership behaviors, leaning more to transactional leadership. This study has significance for positive social change by providing insights on how leadership styles can improve the performance and sustainability of Nigerian SMEs, thus increasing their capacity to create employment.

Change is one of the few constants in education. How a school views and responds to change may be related to factors deeply embedded in its school culture. This ethnography describes the dissertation project implemented at Desert Vision Public Charter School in Gilbert, Arizona. Using an ethnographic approach, the author studied the aspects of school culture and leadership, which she believes helped contribute to sustainable change at Desert Vision K-8. The author reviews the ever-present need and demand for change in education, describing the need to shift from transmissive to transformative education, the importance of professional development, and the challenge of educating students to be effective 21^st century citizens. Literature on school culture and the role of leadership is explored in the context of sustainable change. Rationale is provided for implementing ethnographic methodology, and methods for collecting data such as participant observation, focus group discussion, artifact collection, and survey analysis are specified in order to uncover significant cultural characteristics, which may have contributed to sustainable educational change. A model for school culture, highlighting significant cultural characteristics, is proposed in the context of the data collected. This model is also explored as a potentially useful tool for schools outside of this study. The implications of the study uncover a new perspective on leadership and the locus of control of school culture. Intentional hiring practices and the use of non-academic school data are highlighted as strengths in creating a culture for change, and a list of dispositions is shared to aid school leaders in identifying potential candidates who would fit well in a culture for change. The impact on the field of education is outlined, focusing on the potential solutions to current issues such as teacher shortages, teacher education enrollment decline, school culture reform, time/need for soft skills and social/emotional learning, and institutional best practices for transformational schools. The ethnography wraps with recommendations for future research in an effort to further validate the conclusions of this study.

This study explores the use of sustainability education, in terms of the work of Prince Charles’ Harmony: A New Way of Looking at Our World, and the principle of oneness, at the Ashley Church of England Primary School in Walton-on-Thames, England, and its replicability within an early childhood education classroom setting in the United States. The study’s methodology, a qualitative analysis, was conducted in two stages, consisting of individual interviews and focus groups, which provided identification of a conceptual framework present in the Ashley Church of England Primary School and the creation of a plan for implementation and replicability within an early childhood education setting in the Midwestern United States. Stage One occurred during interviews and focus groups conducted at the Ashley Church of England Primary School outside of London, England. The purpose of this stage was to identify the process in which sustainability education and the principle of oneness were implemented in a cross-curricular, school-wide manner. It was during this stage that problem-based learning was identified as the conceptual framework necessary for implementing sustainability education at the Ashley Church of England Primary School. Stage Two analyzed data collected and produced a month-long curriculum for the implementation of instruction aimed at promoting the principle of oneness in an early childhood education classroom setting. Throughout this stage, the researcher identified mindsets regarding curriculum implementation. This study ultimately identified the conceptual framework of problem-based learning at the Ashley Church of England Primary School as a method of teaching sustainability education. However, the analysis revealed only partial replicability of the implementation of the principle of oneness in an early childhood education classroom setting. This study explored the roles of socioeconomic status, affluence, teacher preparation, problem-based learning, and mindsets required for the successful implementation of sustainability education in a classroom setting. The study also suggests the need for future research regarding the use of all Harmony principles, as well as a longitudinal study on the effects of sustainability education at the Ashley Church of England Primary School.

The California Community Colleges funding model has rich historical, political, and cultural ties embedded in the model foundation. The general funding of the California Community Colleges is enrollment-based and shaped by a long history of legislation based on the K-12 education model. The funding is not tied to performance or outcomes and is driven by how many students are enrolled. Although there has been increased categorical funding in the California Community Colleges over the past 3 years to improve student success and equity, the overall persistence or completion rates of students remains low. Research has demonstrated that many other states are implementing an outcome-based or performance-based funding model to reduce the gaps and improve student success and fiscal sustainability. The purpose of the study was to explore the gaps in the current California Community Colleges funding model and the effect of these gaps on student success and fiscal sustainability for the California Community Colleges. The study additionally investigates effective models in order to design and develop a funding model that will support the mission and outcomes of the California Community Colleges system while planning for fiscal strength.

This research examined the personal, professional, and developmental impact of introducing a constructive developmental perspective to faculty and students in a post-secondary program in sustainability education and leadership development. It also explored the relationship between adult development and sustainability education, teaching, and mentorship. There is increasing emphasis on integrating human interiors (values, beliefs, worldviews) in sustainability work. However, little research has examined the relationship between adult development and sustainability education. The purpose of this research was to explore deepening the transformative nature of learning and leadership development in graduate education through the use of a developmental framework and assessment, and to contribute to advancing the application of adult developmental research to adult learning and sustainability education. The site of study was Prescott College, and the sample of 11 included four Ph.D. faculty and seven students. This mixed-methods study included semi-structured interviews, a five-month action inquiry process, and a pre and post developmental assessment. The findings demonstrate that sustainability is significantly different for individuals assessed at different developmental stages; learning about adult development is transformative developmentally, personally, and professionally; a developmental awareness may deepen the transformative impact of graduate sustainability education and leadership development; and teaching about adult development is more effective when it is developmentally responsive. Integrating a developmental awareness into graduate and sustainability education is recommended to support learning and growth at all stages of development, support the development of the educators themselves, and support skill development for working well with diverse groups.

The purpose of this study was to develop and test a Conceptual Framework for an evaluation model for compliance and regulatory programs in specialty academic medicine. The Framework was built on three research questions to determine the following items within a specialty academic medical institution: (i) the Program Elements for effective and sustainable compliance and regulatory programs, (ii) the required knowledge and skills for stakeholder groups, and (iii) the motivation and organizational influences which improve stakeholder efficacy and program sustainability. There was a total of 21 Program Elements derived from both professional and theoretical literature. Those elements were then matched against the gap analysis model for assessing organizational performance based on knowledge and skills, motivational, and organizational influences as developed by Clark and Estes (2008). Finally, 15 recommendations were developed, along with each of the required elements for evaluation and implementation using the New World Model developed by James D. Kirkpatrick and Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick (2016). Items such as leading indicators, critical behaviors, required drivers, and several other components provide content and context for immediate and long-term summative assessment, to address the program sustainability, aim of the study.

Collectivism and individualism are widely recognized as the most important aspects of culture and communication impacting the highly human relational fields of psychology, social work, and education. In the field of education, collectivism is attracting recognition as a determinate consideration impacting educational outcomes, classroom management, and the purpose of teaching and learning, particularly relevant in light of increasing economic inequity, institutional racism, and the decline of social cohesion. Collectivism affirms interdependence, other-interestedness, mutuality, equity, and care for holism and sustainability, which includes ecological sustainability and embraces communitarian values (Hofstede, 1980; Triandis, 1989; Lodge, 2009; Greenfield, 1994; Trumbull, Rothstein-fisch, & Greenfield, 2000).

The purpose of this study was to contribute to the development and promulgation of pedagogy promoting collectivist worldview. It examines the impact of Democracy Education pedagogy, a self-transformation through a social participation approach to teaching and learning developed by Roy Wilson, at the Institute for Community Leadership (ICL). Education aims at strengthening democracy as a means for rectification of disparities in academic achievement and meaningful civic/social engagement, evidenced by prevalent race and class divides in the U.S. educational system. The research draws on 16 years of programming provided by the ICL, in 62 predominately low-income, racially diverse, urban, rural, and tribal school districts of Washington, Oregon, California, and Florida. Former student and teacher participant survey data were collected and analyzed for transformative and emancipatory relevance. A mixed method, quantitative and qualitative research approach provided a complementary, iterative-analytic assessment, optimizing elaboration, illustration, and clarification. A survey measuring collectivism and individualism (Singelis, Triandis, Bhawuk, & Gelfand, 1995) was included in the student survey.

The research findings support the hypothesis that collectivist worldview can be taught and learned. Evidence of increased collectivism was found in correlation to increased length of time student participants were in the Democracy Education program. Above-average collectivist scores were registered by 86.4% of the student respondents. This indicated a high associational value favoring teachability and learnability of collectivism. The study illuminates conduct, character, and consciousness affiliated with collectivist worldview and documents the impact of their acquisition. Analysis of impact was organized around four themes: significance for the individual learner; educational method and practice; educational philosophy and worldview, and the relationship between collectivism and individualism. Collectivism is weighed as an essential consideration for the sustainability and advancement of democracy.