Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Leadership Affective education'

The inspiration for this research came from a question asked of teachers, why do we need to learn this? Although John Dewey promoted the use of real world experiences over one hundred years ago, many mathematics classrooms are still void of relevant connections for students. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of nationally certified mathematics teachers on relevance in order to describe their instructional practice, analyze their motivations and barriers in providing relevant connections, and explain the gap between research-based knowledge and current instructional practices.

Twelve teachers participated in this research study. Six themes emerged from the data: approaches to relevance, accomplished practitioners, professional development, school culture, student apathy, and instructional planning. After conducting standard qualitative analysis, Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem emerged as an explanation for the external forces affecting students. However, a second similar ecosystem was uncovered that affected the classroom teachers. This expansion of Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem from one to two ecosystems explains the cultural forces impacting the interactions between teachers and students in the classroom. The barriers to effective research-based instructional practice reside in two sets of forces, Dual Ecosystems Affecting Learners and Teachers (DEALT). The implications for leaders desiring academic excellence include looking outside of the classroom to impact school improvement.

Prior studies have demonstrated that most college dropouts happen at the transition to the third semester of college. Using a state dataset that includes student data for the 2013-2014 time span in the state of Oklahoma, the researcher examined the validity of students’ background characteristics, high school performance, and financial aid status in predicting first-year college performance and persistence beyond the second semester of college.

Data from 116,991 degree-seeking first-year students enrolled at research universities in Oklahoma from fall 2013 to fall 2014 were entered in the SPSS software for data analyses, which include both multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression.

The researcher finds that students’ enrollment status and federal Perkins loans do not yield strong predictions of how students will perform academically or whether they will return to the second year of college. For tuition waivers, the associations with college performance and persistence are stronger, but still not significant. In contrast, spring GPA, Oklahoma’s Promise, high school grade point average, American College Testing scores, and gender are useful for predicting persistence to the third semester, and have a strong association with their college performance.

These findings might reflect current efforts by the Federal Government, State agencies, institutions and schools to promote student success, help them pay college tuition, and increase students’ pre-college performance.

The current mixed method study explored the job satisfaction perceptions and retention plans of 241 secondary science teachers from seven North Texas school districts. For the current study, an email questionnaire was sent to seven districts across 83 secondary campuses, which included 51 middle schools and 32 high schools. The current study intended to find reasons why secondary science teachers continue to teach or decide to leave the profession. The participants’ perceptions and intentions to continue teaching were gathered through an online survey which gathered data across seven job satisfaction domains. Demographic and retention responses provided additional data on each participant. Through a quantitative analysis of Likert type survey responses and qualitative analysis of open-ended retention responses, the current study explored secondary science teachers’ perceptions and intentions to stay teaching. The quantitative analysis of survey data found significant differences in almost all of the job satisfaction domains for all teachers. There were also significant differences across some demographic groups as well. Through a qualitative analysis, motivation to teach was the leading predictor for retention. On the other hand, school culture and compensation were the top reasons for teachers planning to leave the classroom.

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.

This quasi-experimental quantitative research study examined factors affecting students' decisions to drop out from developmental mathematics courses at a community college in California. Three major variables were utilized in this study: the independent variables of academic challenge, degree of dissatisfaction, and personal reasons; the covariates of age, ethnicity, gender, GPA, and marital status; and a dependent variable in the form of the dropout decision. The study sought to determine if the independent variables, along with the covariates, had predictive significance on student decisions to drop out from developmental mathematics courses at a community college in California. Data for this research was obtained by using a specially designed questionnaire of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) Questionnaire for Non-returning Students (Bower & Meyers, 1979). The data was collected during the Fall 2013, Summer 2013, and Spring 2013. semesters. A total of 560 students were surveyed from both the Lancaster and Palmdale campuses of Antelope Valley College. Out of this number, 338 were female and 221 were male.

The PAWS Statistics 18.0 statistical package was used for this study. The chi-square test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test were also utilized for bivariate analysis of the data. The logistic regression analysis method was the major multivariate analysis method utilized for the study. Results from the logistic regression analysis indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between students' academic challenge and dropout decision (X² ( 5, 560) = 26.824, p = .003). The variable in the equation indicated that inadequate study time had a significant overall effect (Wald = 6.101, df = 1, p = .014); and the Exp (B) column indicated that the less time a student used for study the greater the chance the student would drop out from developmental mathematics; course not challenging also had a significant overall effect (Wald = 9.046, df= 1, p = .0003).

The results of the Omnibus Tests (X² (13, 560) = 29.454, and p = .006) also revealed a statistically significant relationship between dropout decision and students' personal reasons . These results showed that personal reasons was a significant predictor of dropout decision. Furthermore, examination of the Homers and Lemeshow Test (p = .099) supported the finding that the full model with personal reasons was a good fit and that personal reasons was a significant predictor of dropout decision. From the variable in the equation in, study too time consuming had a significant overall effect (Wald = 4.408, df = 1, p = .036).

No statistical relationship was found between students' degree of dissatisfaction and students' dropout decision, or between student characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender, GPA, and marital status, and students' dropout decision.

The analysis, interpretation, and discussion of these results contributed to existing literature on students' dropout decision. The results of this research study also suggest the need for more research to be conducted on the subject of dropout decision from mathematics courses in community colleges. The study also revealed specific categories within the academic challenge and personal reasons scales that contributed most to the dropout models.

For decades, researchers have investigated strengths and challenges promoting early healthy childhood development, in terms of physical, social emotional and linguistic aspects, for a variety of children groups in the United States. Due to the limited availability of research on the Latino population, addressing the needs of the growing population of Latino children throughout the United States is challenging. Latino students living in the United States are academically behind students of other ethnicities. In 2011, Latinos were identified as the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S. with the lowest education attainment levels. Unfortunately, less than 50% of Latino children are less likely to be enrolled in early childhood programs.

The purpose of this research was to examine the Latino parents’ beliefs, values and knowledge affecting their decision-making process in opting to send their children to Early childhood programs (ECPs), impacting their readiness for school. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from Latino parent/guardians, Preschool to first grade teachers, and administrators from 9 schools in a school district in Phoenix, Arizona and analyzed. Qualitative data were collected in the form of in-depth interviews and surveys as sources of data from participants. Qualitative data were analyzed using two cycles of coding and represented through matrices. Quantitative data were analyzed using a descriptive analytical method. Five themes emerged that informed the research questions.

Findings of this study suggested that capitalizing on the Latino parents’ cultural wealth can help district administrators and policy makers to maximize opportunities for this growing minority group to increase their readiness to kindergarten and success in school. It is important to increase access to high quality early programs to help children begin kindergarten with the necessary tools to succeed in school and in life.

Examining teacher participation in collaborative microblogging activities may offer insight into creating alternative options for effective professional development. In this sequential explanatory mixed methods study, educators’ opinions of their use of a microblogging tool, Twitter, will be examined to determine what factors affect their participation in professional development activities using the microblogging tool, Twitter. The overall guiding question for this study will be, Why do educators participate in voluntary professional development opportunities, specifically in Twitter-supported professional learning networks?

This study will contribute to the existing body of research in the areas of professional development, professional learning networks, educator’s motivation to learn, informal learning, online learning, and social media. Social media, specifically the microblogging tool Twitter, will be examined for its potential to act as an alternative mode of dissemination for educator professional development, as well as its potential for creating informal professional learning networks. Data sources for this study will include: surveys and interview questions. This information may be useful for future creation of more effective professional development opportunities. Findings from this study may be useful for researchers, educators, administrators, and developers of professional development opportunities.

Academic presidential transitions have increased in recent years. The average tenure for a college president in 2012 was seven years, down from eight and a half years in 2006. A presidential transition introduces radical change in the academic institution. Such radical change affects the organizational perception, and thus organizational behavior, within the employees. This study explored the institutional response to presidential transition and examined the existence of a relationship between employee job satisfaction and employee affective commitment. Job satisfaction is a variable that is measured for general organizational perception, an antecedent and determinant of organizational commitment. Affective commitment is a variable that is measured for organizational commitment, an antecedent of organizational retention. The stratified random sample for this research study was obtained from faith-based, non-profit academic institutions accredited with The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). Three institutions participated in the research study. The sample population for the study was n = 73; the sample size for the study was n = 26. The participants responded to an online survey consisting of demographic questions, the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS) items, and the Three-Component Model Employee Commitment Survey (TCM ECS). The data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient (r). The cross-tabulation evidenced that positional majority was congruent with institutional majority throughout all eight items on the SPOS and all eight items on the TCM ECS ACS. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) failed to show a statistical significance between organizational position (staff, faculty, administrators) and job satisfaction, F (2, 23) = 1.034, p = .372 > α = .05, and affective commitment, F (2, 22) = 1.050, p = .367 > α = .05. The ANOVA test concluded that the organizational perception of the radical change of presidential transition was perceived and felt the same across the institution. The Pearson coefficient identified a strong, positive relationship between job satisfaction and affective commitment. During seasons of organizational change, organizational retention efforts indicate a need for steps to address the job satisfaction of employees.

Toastmasters International (TI) is a well-known worldwide association focused on communication skills and leadership development. TI clubs are designed to build confidence in public speaking. Despite the benefits that members gain from joining Toastmasters clubs, the organization is concerned with the factors that affect members' retention in TI.

This mixed-methods study of TI clubs in Southern California included member surveys completed at club meetings, interviews with club leaders, and the researcher's extensive field notes. A stratified purposeful sampling method was used to ensure that the sample size included each club category and quota of the target population of TI club members and leaders. One hundred twelve members completed the members' survey, representing a 56% response rate of the paid members in the clubs surveyed. Twelve club leaders participated in long semi-structured interviews.

The findings revealed that members join TI for self-improvement and development in speaking: the purpose of the TI curriculum. The surveys revealed that 45% of the members join TI to improve communication skills and advance their career. Fifty-six percent indicated that constant participation and attendance at TI meetings helped them to overcome their fear of public speaking. Fifty-seven percent of the members stated that they continue their membership with TI to alleviate their fear of public speaking, improve their communication, and participate in speech contests.

The survey indicated that 64% of the members enjoyed activities that allowed them to speak during the club meetings. Thirty-nine percent of the members surveyed were able to achieve their competent communicator (CC) and competent leader (CL) awards. Another 39% of the members were also in progress of completing these awards.

The convenience and location of the club was important for members in terms of their attendance. Members attended meetings when there were enough parking spaces, the club was centrally located and accessible to public transportation, and the club was comfortable as well as conducive for club meetings. It is recommended that TI develop facilities requirements to meet the needs of members and encourage them to remain in the club.

Policy makers continue to seek answers in addressing problem behaviors in schools. Zero tolerance in schools has been used widely across the nation yet educators have encountered many challenges with students who have been suspended for short or long periods. Research studies have found that the strategies used to address problem behaviors are not sufficient and many perspectives have been given on the topic. There has however, been a lack of understanding how students perceive the factors affecting their behaviors. The problem is that, in not understanding students’ perspectives on the issue, politicians will continue to make decisions without acknowledging the need to explore students’ views. A grounded theory case study will be conducted to explore how students perceive the school environment and protective and risk factors to affect their behaviors. The participants will be 6th to 8th grade students and teachers coming from a Northeastern district middle school in New York and teachers from other schools. The students will be observed and interviewed while teachers will be surveyed.