732 research outputs found
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The Connection between Learning and Achievement of Gifted and Talented (GATE) High School Students Using a Personalized Learning Framework from the Perspective of High School Teachers
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to describe how expert teachers at the high school level perceive the impact of rigor, relevance, and personalized learning on the learning experience and achievement of gifted and talented (GATE) students.
Methodology: Data collected for this study included classroom observations, interviews, and documents. The target population consisted of public high school teachers of gifted learners in grades 9-12. Moreover, teacher participants were chosen using both purposeful and emergent sampling procedures.
Findings: For this phenomenological study, there were 15 teacher participants from both Los Angeles and Orange County. The study utilized mixed methods to develop a valid understanding of natural occurrences related to the research questions. Additionally, the researcher employed the used of thick descriptions as another method of advancing external validity.
Conclusions: Experts in education indicated personalized learning and the rigor and relevance framework were effective methods for learners and specifically gifted learners.
Recommendations: The research did not produce a unified methodology incorporating differentiation, personalized learning, rigor, and relevance in a single framework. Implications suggested a need to develop a concise framework incorporating these theories to implement student-centered curricula, effective in-class strategies, and a defined approach for students becoming active participants in their own learning
Leading With Trust: A Phenomenological Study of the Strategies Leaders in Certified B Corporations Use to Build Trust With Their Employees
No full textPurpose:The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how senior management leaders of certified B Corporations (B Corps) build trust with employees, using the 5 domains of connection, concern, candor, competence, and consistency.
Methodology:Aqualitative phenomenological approach was used in this study to explore how senior leaders of certified B Corps build trust with their employees using The Values Institute (TVI; Weisman, 2016) trust framework and the accompanying domains of connection, concern, candor, competence, and consistency. Participants were purposely chosen based on study criteria of a senior management leader in a certified B Corp including leadership for at least 2 years and expert recommendation. The study collected information-rich data from 10 leaders, in 10 different certified B Corps, using semistructured interviews as the central instrument as well observations and artifacts. Data collection tools were aligned to the study purpose to explore the trust-building strategies of B Corp leaders. The researcher used NVivo software to organize and sort data based on themes and patterns.
Findings: Analysis of data from interviews, observations, and artifacts resulted in the identification of 862 total frequencies and 19 themes across the five domains of connection, concern, candor, competence, and consistency. Eight key findings were identified to answer the central research question and 5 subquestions.
Conclusions: Five conclusions, drawn from study findings, support and integrate the trust domains to describe the trust building strategies of leaders. The leaders in this study (a) demonstrate self-awareness and an understanding of the emotional impact their actions might have on employees, (b) intentionally build caring relationships with their employees, (c) communicate with truthfulness and clarity, (d) are grounded in their values and integrate them into their work, and (e) distribute power by collaborating with employees and involving them in high level decision making.
Recommendations: Further research of the trust-building strategies of leaders should be conducted using a larger study sample, across a wider geographic area. Additionally, leadership trust studies in other for-profit industries and non-profit organizations would add to academic research
Qualitative Study: Flexible Seating in Elementary School Classrooms
No full textPurpose: The learning environments provided for today’s students demand worldwide attention in order to successfully meet the pedagogical needs of education and integrate strategies to innovate and enhance digital learners. The physical environment and arrangements in elementary school classrooms are one such way to address the pedagogical needs of education. They explain that a 21st-century classroom must promote creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. Many school districts across the country are experimenting with implementing flexible seating components in classrooms throughout their schools. Recent research on flexible seating in the classroom has revealed that it creates a rigorous learning environment that allows students to utilize the 4 Cs of Common Core: communication, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. In addition, the past decade, professional organizations and workplaces have been charged with an examination of workplace environments to meet the needs of their employees. Thus, the purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe and examine elementary school teachers’ (Grades 3-6) perceptions of the implementation of flexible seating in the elementary school setting.
Methodology: This phenomenological study consisted of conducting in-depth interviews to describe elementary school teachers’ (Grades 3-6) perceptions of the implementation of flexible seating in the elementary school setting. Purposeful sampling consisted of a target population of 12 elementary school teachers (Grades 3-6) who teach at rural schools in Fresno County located in the Central San Joaquin Valley in California.
Findings: Major findings include academic effects such as increase in student achievement, accountability, ownership, staying focusing, and student engagement. Major findings also include social effects such as collaboration, working well with others, and feeling safe. Some challenges of implementation of flexible seating and the reactions of students include feeling comfortable, classroom management, and students love it.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, many conclusions were drawn that created a list of implications for action.
Recommendations: Recommendations for further research are outlined in Chapter V
A Mixed-Methods Study of How Middle School Principals Build Trust with Staff using Weisman’s Five Domains of Trust Model
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe how middle school principals established trust with teachers using Weisman’s (2010) five domains of trust: connection, concern, candor, competence, and consistency (5Cs). In addition, it was the purpose of this study to determine middle school principals’ perceived degree of importance of the 5Cs for building trust.
Methodology. This explanatory mixed-methods study used surveys and face-to-face interviews with 12 middle school principals to gather data regarding the approaches used to build trust. The survey assessed the degree of importance of the 5Cs for building trust, whereas the interviews gathered data regarding strategies and behaviors they used to build trust within the 5C domains.
Findings. The study revealed middle school principals perceived listening, meeting staff needs, maintaining an open-door policy, connecting on a personal level, maintaining regular communication, developing shared values, referencing vision and mission statements, using a shared leadership approach, analyzing data together, offering rewards, demonstrating transparency, keeping staff informed, and providing and receiving feedback are strategies perceived as important to build trust with staff.
Conclusions. The study supported the conclusion that middle school principals build trust and develop a positive school culture when they engage in active listening, have an open-door policy, communicate regularly, and keep their staff informed. Overall, it was concluded the 5Cs are important for building trust in middle schools, although communication was the factor that tied the 5Cs together and was found relevant to each domain.
Recommendations. Further research is suggested for the replication of the study from the perspective of the school staff to create a deeper understanding of how principals build trust and what strategies staff view as most important. In addition, this study was delimited to southern California, so it is recommended the study be replicated in other states
The Impact of Instructional Technology on Lesson Effectiveness and Obstacles to Incorporating Technology Into Lesson Design as Perceived by Elementary School Teachers
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the impact of instructional technology on lesson effectiveness and obstacles to incorporating instructional technology into lesson design as perceived by elementary school teachers.
Methodology. A qualitative ethnographic method was used in this study. Triangulation was accomplished through the collection and analysis of direct interviews, and artifacts shared by educators and strengthened by information-rich data provided in direct observations.
Findings: Major finding of the study showed high student engagement with the use of technology, and unavailability of the internet/Chromebooks as a big obstacle to technology integration.
Conclusions: Based on the major findings, conclusions were formed and implications for action were established. An important implication was for teachers to always have a back-up instructional plan in case the technology failed.
Recommendations: The recommendations for future studies were outlined in Chapter V. Recommendations for this study to be replicated to obtain administrators’ and students’ perspectives were also included
Strategies Exemplary Female Superintendents Use to Work with the Political Styles of School Board Members
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify the political styles of female superintendents and their school board members as perceived by superintendents. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify and explain the political strategies female superintendents use to work with the different political styles of board members.
Methodology: This study employed a sequential, explanatory mixed-methods design. The quantitative data were collected through surveys to identify the political styles of superintendents and their board members. The qualitative interview data explored the political strategies used by each superintendent with the different political styles of board members.
Findings: Exemplary female superintendents differentiate approaches based on board members’ individual needs, know their board members’ agendas, and provide information to develop understanding with all political styles of board members.
Conclusions: It was concluded that female superintendents who want to influence board members must differentiate their approach based on the needs, interests, and political style of each individual board member. They must build trust by demonstrating genuine care and concern, listening and following through on board member interests, and consistently honoring their agreements. In order to keep board members working together toward organizational interests, female superintendents must maintain awareness of the political context and understand the agendas of board members. Frequent and strategic communication should be used to gain board members’ support for organizational goals. Female superintendents who work with challenger-style board members should exude confidence, communicate strategically, and include others when conflict arises.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended on the political strategies used exclusively by male superintendents, examining the similarities and differences in political styles based on gender, the impact of gender on the relationships between superintendents and board members, and political strategies used with different experience levels and in different regions of the United States
Professional Development Needs of Tulare County Rural School Principals in Leadership Areas Associated With Improved Student and School Outcomes
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study was to identify and describe rural elementary school principals’ perceptions of their most important needs for professional development in order to effectively enact the four functions of school leadership identified by Seashore Louis et al. (2010) as Setting Direction, Developing People, Redesigning the Organization, and Managing the Instructional Program. Additionally, it was the purpose of the study to describe the perceptions of rural elementary school principals in regard to their greatest professional development need.
Methodology: Principals were surveyed and interviewed to gather quantitative and qualitative data regarding their perceptions of their most important need in professional development within the four core leadership areas as well as their overall perceptions of greatest needs for professional development.
Findings: Examination of the mixed methods data revealed rural school principals perceived several of the 16 practices to be of importance in order to implement the core leadership areas, including creating high expectations, creating effective structures for teacher collaboration, and monitoring the progress of students, teachers, and the school. It was also found that rural principals desire more contact and collaboration with principals from other rural schools.
Conclusions: The study supported recent findings of professional isolation for rural principals in California (Sutcher et al., 2018) as well as the notion that professional development should focus on those practices which have the greatest impact on student success (Seashore Louis et al., 2010). Rural principals need more time to collaborate with job alike partners around high-quality topics such as improving instruction, establishing collaborative grade level teams, and analyzing student results to lead changes in their schools.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended to consider the unique demands and needs put on superintendent-principals and superintendent-principal-teachers. Further research is also recommended to examine what factors lead to the success of some rural schools in which performance is high. It is also recommended to conduct further study on how California’s county offices of education support rural principals
A Qualitative Study Exploring the Influence of Low-Income Parental Engagement on Academic Achievement
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand and describe the strategies that low-income parents use to support their high school students’ high academic achievement.
Methodology: In this qualitative case study, interviews, artifacts, and researcher notes were used to understand and describe the parental engagement behaviors and strategies of low-income parents that contributed to the academic achievement of students from the participant’s perspective. Several themes were derived from the shared experiences of the participants through analysis of data.
Findings: Key findings included parental use of: verbal communication and their presence in the lives of their student, traditionally accepted forms of engagement strategies, teaching personal character and life skills, establishing strong loving relationships, and developing the social and emotional capitol necessary to support the high academic achievement of their high school students.
Conclusions: The study supported six conclusions regarding what strategies low-income parents used to support their high school students’ high academic achievement.
Recommendations: Seven recommendations for further research were made to broaden the core beliefs about parent engagement and develop consensus for parents and educators working together to support the academic achievement of students
