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An Exploration of the Role of Alternative Certification Programs in Teacher Preparedness
Get PDFAlternative certification programs (ACPs) recently gained popularity due to their brevity and appeal to second-career candidates. However, research shows that alternatively certified teachers often need more pedagogical skills than traditionally certified teachers, leading to the possibility of experiencing challenges their first year as an educator. To address this problem, the role of ACPs in teacher preparation was investigated to identify ways to close the gaps and provide ongoing support to alternatively certified teachers. The purpose of this study was to explore the preparedness of teachers based on their experiences in their ACPs. The study was framed within Malcolm Knowles’s adult learning theory to answer the following research questions: In what ways, if any, did your alternative certification program prepare you as a new teacher? What could your ACP do, if anything, to better prepare you as a new teacher? This study was a qualitative collective instrumental case study with 13 alternatively certified teachers from urban areas in Texas. The study consisted of a series of interviews for teachers to share what they learned from their ACP. The results showed that ACPs should adopt a reflective approach to the delivery and offerings within their programs to better serve novice teachers within and beyond their programs. Key considerations to ponder include individualized support, continuous professional development, mentorship support, collaborative learning communities, and flexible program structures, which are all areas of development to ensure they are fostering a community of well-prepared and capable educators
Teacher Attrition: A Quantitative Analysis of Driving Factors and Potential Solutions Among Highly Qualified K-12 U.S. Public School Teachers
Get PDFA comprehensive analysis is necessary to determine the cause of and solutions for the rate of K12 teacher attrition in the United States. Researchers have sought to understand the root causes of attrition or the institutional factors that influence teachers to voluntarily change professions. The most frequently identified factors include the personal characteristics of these teachers, freedom of curriculum development, teacher autonomy, and resources such as salaries. Evidence shows that this attrition among highly qualified teachers is detrimental to the quality of education, particularly in terms of student outcomes, and substantiates that effective initiatives surrounding remediation of these factors are necessary to address the root cause of many systemic issues currently faced. Regardless of efforts to understand and solve the problem, teacher attrition remains prevalent today. This quantitative descriptive and correlational study clarified the detrimental factors leading to attrition in the school system and educational policies and practices that mitigate the rate of loss of a valuable resource—namely, highly qualified teachers. Keywords: attrition, educational policies, autonomy, work satisfaction, curriculum development, workplace environment, attrition rates, teacher freedom, administrative contro
Exploring Work Satisfaction of Women in Educational Leadership from a Racial Perspective During Times of Crisis
Get PDFIn education, critical shifts and pandemic repercussions have heightened pressures. Women leaders, particularly those of color, grapple with gender and racial inequalities that shape their roles (Sanchez-Hucles & Davis, 2010). This study explores women\u27s leadership experiences, focusing on work satisfaction through a racial lens. Utilizing Resilience Theory, it delves into women\u27s perceptions, employing a quantitative approach through an electronic survey at a women educators\u27 conference. Examining racial categories, the research uncovers correlations between work satisfaction, job fit, commitment, and work-family balance. ANOVA results show no significant job satisfaction differences based on race, while Welch t-test identifies varied responses. Findings illuminate the intricate interplay of gender, race, and job satisfaction, shaped by cultural, social, and personal factors. These results, seen in the context of critical times in education, underscore the resilience of women in leadership roles. Acknowledging these dynamics, especially for women of color, enriches understanding for aspiring women leaders facing diverse educational leadership challenges
And Still We Rise…An Examination of the Perceptions of African American Women’s Lived Experiences Regarding Barriers Faced During Their Journeys to Executive Leadership Positions at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Get PDFThis qualitative case study described the lived experiences of 11 African American women regarding the barriers that they faced on their journeys to obtaining executive leadership positions at historically black colleges and universities and universities (HBCUs). Five of the African American women served in their positions at predominantly white universities (PWIs) in addition to HBCUs. The purpose of the study was to describe the perceptions of African American women regarding steps they have practiced continuing their path to notable success in higher education leadership. We described the behaviors and practices of these African American women leaders and how they engage at institutions of higher education to overcome barriers, acquire advancement and promotion, and achieve and excel in executive-level careers. In this approach, interviewing virtually or in person and describing the perceptions of African American women leaders at universities in the United States in the southeastern region may be beneficial to other women of color in developing a rite of passage or create a guidebook of procedures on what it takes in the 21st century to become an executive administrator and influential leader in higher education.
Numerous researchers and studies support that African American women leaders in higher education are at the bottom of the hierarchy regarding leadership positions. African American women continue to become more educated each year, with graduation rates for master’s and doctoral degrees higher than African American men and just as many as Caucasian women and men. African American women endure the most challenging race and gender suppression in administrative and faculty appointments, often given to their counterparts who may not be as qualified or educated. There is limited data on the competency that an African American woman must secure to excel in a leadership position in higher education. The reactions of an African American woman’s behavior, mannerisms, and ethical characteristics were discussed and identified, which may contribute to the discovery of how to become a successful leader in a field where there has always been a challenge to “break the glass ceiling.
A Hero in Tears: How the Female Gaze Elicits Male Emotional Vulnerability in Romance Novels
Get PDFThis Honors Project Thesis seeks to explore the consistent popularity of romance novels written by women within a female readership. While these novels primarily function as escapism, they also simultaneously reinforce and subvert gender expectations through the physical and emotional performance of the masculine hero. This paper focuses specifically on how masculinity is viewed through a female heterosexual lens, and the female gaze. It will pay especial regard to male emotional vulnerability, and how the male protagonist performs or subverts concepts of masculinity, stays in or extrudes gender constructs, and shapes himself into the vision exerted on him by the female gaze. Since the study of male body theory and the female gaze is a still developing scholarly area, and because romance novels are a rich area of discussion around gender that is largely overlooked, this project will address an important research gap in the study of feminism and critical gender theory in relation to stereotypes of male bodies within literature and popular culture
Safety Project to Prevent Unintentional Retained Surgical Items
Get PDFAbstract
Fifty million surgeries are performed annually in the United States with an estimated 5,000 patients affected by unintentionally retained surgical items (RSIs) due to errors in the operating room. Surgical items inadvertently left inside patients may include sponges, instruments, needles, or small miscellaneous parts. It is not well understood why the surgical counting process fails to prevent the incidence of unintentional RSIs. The proposed educational curriculum was intended to enhance the knowledge and self-efficacy of surgical nurses and technicians to minimize errors and eliminate RSIs. Evidence-based strategies to complement existing knowledge of unintentional RSIs were introduced through didactic and visual imagery. A standardized instrument developed by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses to prevent RSIs in the operating room OR was adapted to measure distinct variables of project participants. Patient injuries that can result from a retained surgical item include pain, infection, inflammatory fever, abscesses, permanent scarring, septic shock, bowel injuries, deformation and disfigurement, permanent disability, loss of sensation, stroke, brain damage, and death. Annual healthcare costs associated with unintentional RSIs are $2.4 billion in the United States. Despite policy and procedure mandates by healthcare organizations, regulatory efforts, and sanctions established by state and federal governments, surgical patients continue to have retained surgical items unintentionally left in their bodies during surgery. Stakes are high as morbidity and mortality are the ultimate costs.
Keywords: retained surgical item, RSI, preventable surgical error, communication in operating room, gossypiboma, unintended retention of foreign object, radiofrequency technologie
An Examination of the Lived Experiences of Black Women in Senior Leadership Roles at CCCU Member Institutions
Get PDFThis narrative inquiry qualitative research study explored the lived experiences of Black women in senior leadership roles at Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) member institutions. Using Black feminist thought as the theoretical framework, this research study centered on the voices of 10 current or recently retired Black female senior-level leaders at CCCU campuses. The research study focused on one central research question and three subquestions that examined the challenges and barriers experienced by the participants, the role of mentorship in their leadership journey, and the impact of the participants’ Christian faith in their career trajectory to senior leadership positions in CCCU member institutions. Ten themes emerged from the three research questions: (a) lack of mentors/mentorship opportunities, (b) racial and gender discrimination, (c)microaggressions, (d) lack of support in role, (e) served as mentors, (f) leadership development, (g) kinship, (h) faith identity, (i) calling from God, and (j) leadership style/approach. The results presented provided insight into why there is a dearth of Black women serving in senior-level leadership at CCCU member institutions and offer recommendations on how to increase the percentage of Black women senior leaders at CCCU member institutions based on the lived experiences of the research participants
Dissatisfaction and Eroding Institutional Confidence: Examining German Perspectives of the Alternative für Deutschland and Its Impact on the German Party System
Get PDFSupport for Germany’s contemporary far-right party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become more salient in recent years due to multiple crises in the European Union and changes in the German political landscape. The rise of the AfD is met with significant pushback from the majority of the German public due to its similarity to the Nazi party in rhetoric, policy, and action. However, opposition to the party is not unanimous; the AfD polled at 22 percent in January 2024. Through a qualitative analysis of 16 interviews with German citizens on their perspectives of the party, I find there exists dealignment within the German party system, tensions in civil discourse, and collective anxiety over the pariah approach of the AfD. These conclusions emerge through participants\u27 expression of frustration with their choices in parties, a lack of relationship to AfD members, and the belief in the importance of listening to those with different views than oneself. Participants express that although the AfD appears to address issues that could be considered justifiable, the party utilizes the wrong approach towards these issues and inevitably threatens Germany’s liberal democracy in the process. The research reveals implications for the state of the German party system, the EU, and the state of civil society in Germany
Employee Mindfulness and Employee Perception of Servant Leadership Behaviors on Trust in Managers Within Nonprofits
Get PDFNonprofit organizations contribute significantly to the growth and progress of economies worldwide by offering needed services and support to communities. Fostering a positive workplace culture is a critical leadership priority within nonprofit organizations, and leaders must not only attract, but they must strengthen and motivate their workforce. A staple of all positive work cultures is the presence of healthy interpersonal relationships, built on trust. Trust is an essential organizational attribute, a crucial factor in the quality of relationships. Managers must understand how their behaviors affect the extent to which their workers trust them and should exhibit a style of leadership that facilities productive relationships within their contexts. Employees, too, must contribute positively to healthy workplace cultures. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to understand how employee perception of servant leadership behaviors and employee mindful awareness in the workplace predict trust in their managers within nonprofit organizations. The sample population consisted of employees who work for nonprofit organizations, 18 years or older, and work either full-time or part-time, within the nonprofit industry within the United States. The multiple regression analysis revealed that employee mindfulness and employee perception of servant leadership behaviors were statistically significant predictors of trust in their manager. This study underscores the critical role leaders play in the health of interpersonal relationships and recognizes the equally important responsibility every worker has to exhibit behaviors that contribute to well-being at work. These findings demonstrate the importance of creating psychologically safe cultures where employees and organizations can thrive. Recommendations for practice and research are discussed.
Keywords: trust, servant leadership, mindfulness, well-being, thriving, psychological safet