Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Influences to Leadership'

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the personal insights, preferences, and experiences of individuals who graduated from a community leadership development program. Fifteen Bay Area Leadership Program graduates from the Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario, Canada program between 2002-2007 participated in this study. Several inter-related themes emerged from the respondents’ stories and narratives regarding the program elements that influenced the learning experience. Respondents’ acknowledged and recognized that the program had positively impacted their development as a community leader and the community. Through findings from extensive interviews of the graduates, the study: (1) extends current knowledge concerning the development of community leaders; (2) offers community program board members and management an understanding of key program elements that contribute to the learner’s experience; (3) extends evaluation approaches to the personal learning experience and developing theories of leadership to practice; and (4) provides an understanding of long-term program benefits in assisting future funding, supporting long-term sustainability of the community leadership development movement and ultimately strengthening communities.

The purpose of this study was examine a construct, relationship perceptions of the protégé by comparing t score means of the mentoring relationship and other proximal relationships-mother, father, peers, and teachers. The study targeted (a) Black adolescent males, (b) ages 12 to 17 years old, (c) enrolled in grades seven through 11 in school, and (d) involved a community-based mentoring program in suburban Washington, DC, which includes parts of Maryland. A nonintervention cross-sectional quantitative study design was used to examine the construct of perceived relationships of the protégé by comparing t score means from data collected using the Clinical Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships (a context-dependent, Likert-type, scale composed of five relationship scales of 35 items each). Three research questions guiding the study were: How does the protégé rate the mentoring relationship compared with either parental relationship? How does the protégé rate the mentoring relationship compared with the peers’ relationship? and How does the protégé rate the mentoring relationship compared with the teachers’ relationship? The sample consisted of 13 Black adolescent males (n = 13). The mentoring relationship received significantly higher ratings than the proximal relationships with the exception of the father relationship. Adolescents 12 to 15 years old rated the mentoring relationship higher than the proximal relationships but shifted higher ratings to the parental relationship during ages 16 to17 years old. It was recommended that mentors be instructed regarding (a) role relationships, (b) proper boundaries, (c) collaborating with protégé in planning the mentoring experience, and (d) the importance of mutual respect.

The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore how professional development in blended learning influences teachers’ self-efficacy in a Title I school district in the southwestern U.S. The importance of this study was to understand how teachers’ self-efficacy may or may not be enhanced through professional development experience with blended learning approaches. Teachers’ perceptions of their experience integrating technology after receiving professional development was significant since blended learning is transforming education. The theoretical foundation used for this study was Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Purposive expert sampling was used to identify the 32 participants for this study. The data was collected through a questionnaire, interviews, and a focus group, put through a member checking process, then coded and thematically analyzed to answer the research questions. All questions posed in the questionnaire, interviews, and focus group were interlaced in a way that they answered more than one research question, and the data was analyzed from each and then all together. The findings of this study indicated that teacher efficacy increased as a result of professional development experience and the main factors that contributed to this are: teachers’ sense of self-efficacy related to modeling and collaborative learning, mastery of blended learning skills and strategies through clear communication and positive feedback, and mastery in blended learning to teach self-regulatory strategies to enhance personalized learning. This study extended Bandura’s social cognitive theory by seeking to understand teachers’ perspectives of how professional development in blended learning influences their self-efficacy.

This is a qualitative phenomenological study that examines teacher perceptions of the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA). The purpose of this research was to analyze how educators’ perceptions of PERA influenced their workplace satisfaction and willingness to grow and improve. The study explores PERA in the context of neoliberal reform ideology and also through the lens of self-determination theory. Fourteen teachers from Central and Southern Illinois were interviewed and PERA, like other neoliberal education reforms, was shown to have a demotivating influence on the profession.

The purpose of this study is to assist state, district, and high school educational leadership in understanding the influences of the Idaho high school students’ postsecondary decision-making. The literature review established five categories that influence students’ postsecondary decision-making: postsecondary and career awareness, postsecondary and career admissions process, academic readiness for postsecondary education and careers, postsecondary monetary cost, and social capital influence for postsecondary education. The theoretical framework for the study was the work of Perna’s proposed conceptual model of students’ college choice. Descriptive quantitative research methods were used to survey 566 high school seniors from south western Idaho during their fall 2014 semester. Participants selected social capital influence for postsecondary education as the greatest influence on their college decision-making. Correlations were run to find if any relationship existed between students’ postsecondary plans and income, counseling services, and parental educational level. All three categories demonstrated statistical significance, however, none achieved practical significance. Participant responses pertaining to counseling services indicated that many students were not satisfied or were unsure about the services their school counselor provided.

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of accomplished teaching practitioners by tracing the development of the teaching expertise of participants using a narrative inquiry frame. This allowed time and space for participants to engage in making meaning of the memories of lived teaching experiences. This perspective took into account the influence of the cultures and contexts in which the teacher was situated prior to, during, and after engaging in the National Board process. The implications of the study indicated engaging in continuous reflection enabled teachers to mitigate problems by framing and reframing practices. Educators at all levels may do well to pause, reflect, and reconsider the how the structures of public school might be altered so that teachers have the spaces they need to learn to teach in ways that ensure all students, particularly those with a support system that is significantly different from the backgrounds of their teachers, are provided with an equitable education. School leaders might choose to consider how the disparate cultural history of teachers and students influences the teaching practices in their school and community context, which may diminish the likelihood of equity, access, and fairness for learning by all students. Emphasis on creating pathways for culturally diverse future educators will continue to be of concern as our knowledge of the growing diversity of our students depends on constructing understandings of their actual, not perceived, educational needs.

Our school systems are in place to create positive citizens who can contribute to the greater good and to also create a foundation for a life of learning. Schools were originally formed to help our country become stronger in its infancy by generating a population that had common knowledge, baseline skills, especially in literacy, and the ability to be citizens who could move the country forward and keep leaders honest. The same holds true today. However, research is showing that one out of five high-school students is dropping out of school and not graduating within the traditional four-years of high-school. Why students drop out of high-school, and how that may be prevented, is a topic much discussed and researched. The future of non-graduates is grim and the negative impact to society is costly.

What are common characteristics of students who drop out from high-school? How might educators better the odds for at-risk students? What can we point to that leads other students to find success? The ninth-grade year is a vital one for the success of students in high-school. The skills students build in the ninth-grade will, in large part, determine how they succeed in the latter parts of high-school and beyond. Research shows that the brain continues to grow well beyond the high-school years and there is no limit to the learning of new skills and knowledge. Non-cognitive characteristics also play a key role in the level of success one achieves. While intelligence can serve as a predictor of success at some level, it is not as strong of a determiner as some non-cognitive characteristics that have been identified.

In this study, the characteristic of grit was looked at to determine if there was a correlation between grit and academic success in ninth-grade students. A quantitative approach was applied to gathering data from ninth-grade students from a rural school district in Washington State. The theoretical frameworks used as a lens throughout this process were Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory and Dweck’s Mindset Theory. The foundational belief of Social Cognitive Theory is that people learn from other people. According to this theory, our beliefs and actions are determined by what we experience with, and witness in, other people. Our choices are shaped by our understanding of how our behaviors lead to a better life through what we have seen in those around us. Dweck’s Mindset Theory works to explain what propels people to be successful. The Mindset Theory also focuses on determination, goal setting, and a desire to better oneself while challenging the high-praise society that students live in today. Dweck differentiates between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset in a person. This theory states that in the fixed mindset, things are set and very little can change in a person. In this way of thinking, things are what they are with little hope of change. The opposite way of thinking is having a growth mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that we are constantly growing and bettering ourselves throughout our lives. It is the belief that we can and should learn more and continue to build our skills. Dweck states that our brain is a muscle that can be developed and improved upon over time. These frameworks were chosen because grit is a characteristic that is deeply influenced by our experiences with other people and also influenced by the mindset in which people choose to live. With a growth mindset, we can improve the characteristic of grit over time. While grit may be partially inherent, it is a characteristic that can be taught, learned, and improved upon. Duckworth believes that grit is important in understanding and supporting student success. This study specifically looks at grit and whether the presence of grit may lead to greater academic success in ninth-grade students.

This study examined the social class of African American students in an upper middle class high school and their engagement in school influenced by a parent advisory group consisting of upper and middle class African American men. Student engagement has become a hot topic for school policy makers, administration, teachers, and parents at all educational levels. The question of how best to engage students for academic success is the priority. Although research suggests middle and upper class students do well in school as compared to lower class and working class students, the upper and middle class African American students in this particular school were failing until a group of parents intervened. The school experienced increased student engagement resulting in higher GPA, increased graduation rates, increased numbers of college enrollments and graduation rates, and a reduction in the achievement gap. Using the narrative inquiry method, a qualitative approach, the researcher listened to the participants' authentic voices and conveyed their story. Using a semi-structured conversational interview protocol, the participants shared their "lived" stories about the impact that a parent advisory group had on student engagement at the high school of interest. Findings suggest that when adults exhibit care, build meaningful relationships, and communicate that students are valued, student engagement increases and students are successful in school. The participants explained how the identity, behavior, and status of a group of parents gave options to a group of students in order to increase their academic success and hope for the future.

This qualitative case study explored how principal leadership influenced teacher motivation to seek out professional development opportunities on new technology. Two groups of participants included: 36 middle school teachers, and three principals in an urban area in Arizona. Information was collected for this study in two ways, teacher focus groups and principal interviews. Four research questions were developed: 1) What principal leadership factors motivated teachers to seek out professional development opportunities on the use of new technologies, 2) How did principal leadership influence collaboration among teachers resulting in a "learning" culture to share professional development "best" practices, 3) How did proactive teacher use of new technology result in these teachers modifying their instructional approaches in the classroom, and 4) How did principal leadership style determine what the nature of the process is that will be followed to determine how teacher requirements for professional development on new technology are fully met? This qualitative approach was derived from the theoretical foundation based on the work of Guskey, with more emphasis on principals and their ability to influence and motivate their teachers. The results and implications of this study supported (a) principals as the instructional leaders of their schools, (b) a need for better quality professional development workshops, and (c) motivation of teachers to seek out and share the content of professional development workshops with other teachers However, these results are not generalizable due to the sample size and use of only one school district in urban Arizona.

Keywords: Principal leadership, professional development, collaboration, technology, and teacher motivation.

Online education is growing in response to demands of increased access, quality, and affordability. However, implementation and expansion are often challenged by faculty resistance, due in large part to perceived lack of quality and administrative support. This case study sought to determine how the presence or absence of quality elements, as defined by the Online Learning Consortium Quality Scorecard, in institutional structure, policy, and practice influences (motivates or inhibits) faculty decisions to teach online at Frostburg State University, a comprehensive, public university in western Maryland.

This mixed methods, sequential explanatory research collected data from three sources: an online survey of 387 faculty, a review of institutional documents, semistructured interviews with nine key university stakeholders and 13 faculty. To analyze these data, the study used descriptive statistics, logistic regression, application of the Online Learning Consortium Quality Scorecard rubric, and triangulation of data from all sources.

Findings suggest that faculty’s initial motivation to teach online was intrinsic, enhanced by extrinsic institutional factors–those within the control of the university. However, institutional factors played a more significant role in faculty decisions to continue/expand online teaching. Additionally, the findings suggest that faculty were most likely to teach online when their intrinsic motivation was aligned with the institution’s mission of online education and a shared strategic value of online education that balances the shared interests of the institution, students, and faculty.

The key finding in this study was that quality was a significant concern regarding online education. However, administrative support for online education was central to shaping faculty’s definition of quality in online education. These findings suggest that quality in online education is defined by faculty as the presence or absence of administrative support which creates institutional structure, policy and practice to support faculty to deliver quality instruction.

Research on college choice decisions of high school students has increased over the past forty years but has generally centered on demographic characteristics such as race, gender, or socio-economic status of students. There has been little research on the influences on the college choice decisions of high academically achieving students from rural areas. Nationally, 27% of rural high school students attend four-year colleges, compared to 37% of students who come from urban or suburban areas. In addition, 73% of students choose to attend college within their home state. However, preliminary data from one rural school system in North Carolina showed that over a two-year period, 96.45% of students who attend high school in that county school system remained in the state of North Carolina for college. This data implies that rural high school students remain in state for college at a higher rate than students from urban and suburban areas and do not seek admission to highly prestigious colleges around the United States to which they may be attractive candidates for admission.

Seven to nine students and the faculty member or members who works most closely with students during their college search were interviewed from one rural high school each in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia to determine their perceptions of the influences on their college choice processes. Focus group sessions were held with the student participants at each of the high schools to insure the accuracy and understanding of data and to expand on themes identified during the coding of data.

This study found that rural students face a variety of barriers in their college search processes. These barriers, both real and perceived, worked to lead rural students to choose in state colleges that were in proximity to their homes. Rural students and the high school faculty who work with them often work with incomplete or inaccurate information of the opportunities available to students outside of their own states of residence.