4811 research outputs found
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Redefining Rural School Leadership in the Post-Pandemic Era: Lessons from COVID-19
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped educational leadership, especially in rural school settings where leaders confronted unique resource constraints, geographic isolation, and heightened community interdependence. This conceptual study reexamines rural educational leadership in the post-pandemic era through a synthesis of findings from Author’s (2023) dissertation, The Rural Education Leadership Experience Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, and current leadership theory. Drawing on the McREL Balanced Leadership Framework alongside adaptive and servant leadership models, the analysis identifies four interrelated dimensions that define post-pandemic rural leadership: communication as community cohesion, relationships as infrastructure, adaptive leadership as necessity, and well-being as a leadership priority. These dimensions together form the Post-Pandemic Rural Leadership Framework, a conceptual model depicting how resilient, community-centered leadership arises from the interaction of relational and adaptive capacities. The framework posits that sustainable rural leadership depends on transparency, empathy, and collective well-being as much as on technical expertise. Implications are discussed for leadership preparation, policy development, and future research. Preparation programs must integrate social-emotional learning and adaptive problem-solving into leadership curricula, while policymakers should invest in relational and wellness infrastructure to support rural education systems. This study contributes a theoretically grounded model of rural leadership resilience that informs both scholarly discourse and the daily practice of educational leaders navigating ongoing uncertainty
Returning to Roots: A Self-Study of Married Faculty Transitioning to Faculty Roles at Alma Maters
No full textThis self-study explores the transition of two faculty members returning to teach at their alma maters. Using visual methods, reflective journals, and peer dialogue, the researchers documented their experiences over six months. Triangulated data revealed eight themes, including: Identity Formation, Shifting Perspectives from Student to Faculty, Interpersonal Attunement, Navigating Changes, Memories Shape Perception, Occupational Stressors Impacting Transitions, Student Advocacy, and Personal Growth. The study highlights how personal and professional identities evolve during career transitions, and how reflective practices can deepen understanding of adaptation in higher education. These findings contribute to the literature on faculty development and offer insight into the emotional and relational dimensions of returning to familiar academic spaces
Models of Care in Higher Education: Comparing Integrated and Standalone Approaches to Student Mental Health
No full textThis qualitative study examines how the organization of campus mental health services—integrated, co-located care versus standalone counseling centers—shapes college students’ awareness, access, stigma/privacy, and engagement. Semi-structured interviews with five Midwestern undergraduate women (n = 5) explored perceptions of visibility, ease of use, barriers, and improvement ideas. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes included confusion about entry pathways, visibility-related stigma, and the salience of faculty/peer bridges to services. Students generally preferred integrated models, citing privacy through co-location, normalization, and easier warm handoffs; some noted that standalone centers can feel more specialized yet risk heightened visibility depending on location. Findings clarify leadership-controllable levers: (1) service design (co-location, stepped-care menus) primarily influences access and engagement; (2) communication (orientation touchpoints, consistent cross-channel reminders) drives awareness; and (3) resource allocation (evening/weekend/summer hours, number of free sessions, staffing mix) affects engagement and continuity. Implications include expanding integrated delivery, increasing flexible hours and no-cost sessions, clarifying counselor roles/qualifications, and activating faculty/peer networks as referral bridges. Given the small, convenience sample, future research should use diverse, mixed-methods designs to test generalizability and outcomes
Voices from the HyFlex Classroom: Understanding the Graduate Counseling Student Experience
No full textCounselor education and counseling master’s Programs face a changing landscape in higher education. This includes balancing the demand for a high-quality HyFlex program that prepares students for the counseling field. This qualitative exploratory study utilized a phenomenological approach to understand the counseling master\u27s student experience in a hybrid program. The research questions focused on the students\u27 experience attending the program either strictly on zoom, in person, or a combination of both and how that impacted them and their learning. The study consisted of eight participants who were alumni from one CACREP accredited counseling masters program. The findings included themes of accessibility, flexibility and convenience, importance of adequate technology, and instructor knowledge and preparedness that is amenable to HyFlex/hybrid modality. Implications for the profession and counseling master’s Programs include best practices in HyFlex/hybrid classrooms, adequate preparation and knowledge on technology for instructors, and further research on HyFlex/hybrid counseling master’s Programs
Reclaiming My Story: A Freirean Framework for Surviving Trauma and Transforming Recovery into Liberation
No full textThis white paper explores trauma recovery through the lens of Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1970/2018), framing healing as an act of critical consciousness and liberation rather than passive survival. Using the author’s lived experience of stalking, manipulation, and emotional abuse as a case study, it reimagines recovery not as a return to normalcy but as a dialectical process of reclaiming narrative agency, reconstructing identity, and transforming pain into purpose. Drawing upon Freirean concepts of conscientização (critical consciousness), dialogue, and praxis, the paper outlines a model for survivors to move from internalized oppression toward empowerment and social transformation
College Students\u27 Barriers to Mental Health Support Services: A Practitioner\u27s Perspective
No full textThe purpose of this study was to identify barriers to accessing mental health support for college students from the perspective of college faculty counselors. In 2022, research indicated that over 60% of college students met the criteria for one or more mental health conditions (Lipson et al., 2022), though data published in the same year revealed that practitioners employed at colleges and universities are only supporting an average of 12.2% of the student population (Bruns et al., 2023). While college counseling centers have reported increasing usage rates, there remains a gap in the number of students utilizing services versus those who are likely experiencing mental health concerns. Using the interpretivist research paradigm, a qualitative phenomenological methodology was used for this study. Participants were recruited through a combination of criterion, convenience, and snowball sampling through email invitation. Interviews were conducted via secure videoconferencing software. Interview questions were developed using the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s Process-Person-Context-Time (PPCT) model of bioecological theory (1995). Deductive coding revealed three themes relating to barriers, while inductive coding identified one theme related to changes over time and two themes related to supportive factors
The Intersection of Faculty Perceptions of Student Evaluations of Teaching and Nursing Retention: The Challenges of Undergraduate Nursing Programs in Higher Education Institutions
No full textFor over 100 years, higher education institutions in the United States of America have been using student evaluations of teaching (SET) to evaluate course effectiveness and teaching quality. SETs are used to inform faculty about areas where course improvements are needed, if course objectives have been met, and the strength of their teaching ability. Even with the longstanding integration of SETs in higher education their reliability and validity have been questioned. Various factors negatively influence student ranking of faculty including class size, faculty appearance, ethnicity, and gender. SETs also impact faculty’s ability to earn tenure and promotion, which raises concerns about potential biases against faculty from marginalized groups. This qualitative study aimed to understand nursing faculty’s perception of SET feedback and estimated retention in nursing education.
The feedback students provide along with the institutional weight of SETs on tenure, may negatively affect job security, faculty morale and retention, self-esteem, and a sense of belonging in nursing education. This qualitative study analyzed participant statements through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs framework. This study was conducted using a random sample of nursing faculty from public institutions that are a part of the MinnState system. Participants were sent an email with a request to participate, if they chose to participate, an interview date was scheduled, and a consent form and demographic survey were provided. After the interview participants were provided a copy of the transcript with the opportunity to exclude or add content. The transcripts were then analyzed, coded, and themed.
Faculty lacked culturally responsive teaching training stating they were mostly self-trained though they desired more formal training with application practice. There was a lack of faculty diversity, but a lot of student diversity identified by participants in their nursing program. It is recommended to add this training to both 2-year and 4-year institutions so faculty may be more aware, and better educators, to a growing culturally diverse student population.
While there wasn’t a direct correlation between SET feedback and retention in nursing education there was an indirect correlation. Faculty stated that they had positive morale with a good support system in place when negative feedback came. There were three faculty who had low morale, low support from peers, questioned staying in nursing education, and stated SETs played some role in their desire to leave. All faculty stated SET feedback should have a limited role in determining tenure and/or promotion due to student bias, lack of usable constructive feedback, and students not understanding faculty’s job. It is recommended that faculty have a strong mentor when first starting in nursing education and that administration thoroughly understands the limits with student feedback
Voices from the Other Side: Leadership Practices Teachers Value for Equity Systems Change
No full textA growing body of scholarship has explored leadership for equity through frameworks such as social justice leadership (Theoharis, 2010), culturally responsive leadership (Khalifa et al., 2016), and equity audits (Skrla & Scheurich, 2004). Yet, these efforts often target isolated symptoms of inequity—achievement, discipline, or inclusion—rather than engaging in systemic reform that addresses both the ostensive and performative routines sustaining racialized practices. This study centers the Integrated Comprehensive Systems (ICS) for Equity framework (Capper & Frattura, 2017) to examine teachers’ perspectives on leadership practices that support organizational equity systems change.
Using a qualitative multi-case study design (Stake, 1995), two Midwestern schools were purposefully selected for their implementation of ICS-based equity reform. Participants included principals, assistant principals, and ten teachers representing general and special education. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and equity audit artifacts. NVivo-supported coding employed constant comparative analysis aligned with the ICS framework and social justice leadership theory to identify themes across cases.
Findings revealed that teachers valued leadership practices characterized by transparency, collaboration, permanence of purpose, and language that framed inequities as systemic rather than individual deficits. Teachers emphasized the need for leaders to build staff capacity in culturally relevant and inclusive practices and to define equity collectively with staff and community members. These findings underscore the central role of teachers in advancing systemic equity reform and the necessity of leadership that invites shared ownership and dialogue.
Implications extend to leadership preparation and policy, highlighting the importance of building leaders’ epistemological flexibility, fostering organizational learning cultures, and developing policies that position equity not as an initiative but as the core mission of schooling
PBIS High School Training
Full text linkPositive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) is a structured framework for fostering a positive school climate and addressing student behaviors through preventative and data-driven interventions. PBIS is often used in elementary schools but has gained use at the high school level, where implementation has proven beneficial despite the challenges. Some important characteristics of PBIS are school-wide behavioral expectations, reinforcement systems, data-driven decision-making, and fidelity in the three tiers of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). PBIS can promote a positive school environment, reduce the amount of office referrals, and support students academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. Despite staff engagement, data integration, and resource challenges, with efficient communication, skill development, and training, PBIS can provide positive growth for students and the school
What Makes Me the Counselor I Am?
Full text linkThroughout this self-analysis, I evaluate relevant background information, various experiences, personality assessments, and counseling theories, and reflect on how they have shaped me as the person and counselor I am today. Bowlby’s Attachment Theory and Piaget\u27s Developmental Stage Theory are mentioned throughout most of this self-reflection piece, as well as an in-depth reflection on interviews with important people in my life. Taking the time to delve into deep levels of self-exploration has proven to be difficult, yet very rewarding. The impact of this type of internal work is infinite, and my increase in self-awareness was accomplished. A plan for continuous individual and professional development is provided