732 research outputs found
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A Phenomenological Investigation of Professional Development and the Impact on Elementary Principals Instructional Leadership
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological investigation is to identify and describe professional development components that elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley perceive as having the greatest impact on their instructional leadership related to building teachers’ capacity for improving classroom instruction.
Methodology: To investigate the professional development of elementary school principals in the Santa Clarita Valley and the impact on instructional leadership, the study will follow a phenomenological research design that includes a series of interviews. This research design will focus and describe professional development components and the perspectives of elementary school principals with regard to professional development in the area of instructional leadership. The sources used to gather data for this study include interviews, which will be used to examine various models and components of professional development and the perceptions of elementary school principals about professional development in the area of instructional leadership. Through one-on-one interviews with selected elementary school principals, the triangulation of data will support the researcher’s efforts in collecting and maintaining appropriate information. This procedure will allow the researcher to find themes and patterns, and to assist in presenting the beliefs related to elementary school principals’ perceptions of their professional development
Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol as a Districtwide Professional Development Reform
No full textThe purpose of this mixed-methods study was to ascertain to what degree of application the K-5 elementary teachers in Learning First School District have transferred the 8 components of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol into their instructional practices. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to determine which conditions supported and limited the teachers’ successful implementation of the SIOP professional development trainings into daily classroom instruction, as perceived by teachers. Finally, it was the purpose of this study to determine whether Learning First School District’s professional development had an effect on student achievement, as perceived by teachers and archival data. The research methods for this mixed-method study included online surveys with 101 elementary teachers, 3 focus group interviews, and 2 individual interviews with teachers, and review of archival testing data and attendance rate data of students. There were 7 research questions which guided the study. Quantitative analysis revealed that M = 1.86 and SD = .55 when all 8 components were combined together; and the SIOP component most fully transferred into teachers’ classroom instructional practices was comprehensible input, while the least fully transferred was interaction. Significant differences were only found in 2 of the 5 school metrics following SIOP trainings (K-2nd grade DIBELS and K-5th grade attendance rates). Qualitative analysis identified 21 themes related to professional learning conditions and recommendations, in which strategies/techniques/practices/tools/SIOP components were reported to have the most occurrences and found to most likely support implementation of SIOP into instructional practices. The process, content, and structure of teacher trainings was the condition most identified as limiting successful implementation of SIOP; and recommendations for improving the professional development program identified 6 themes. Teachers’ perceptions were mixed regarding whether the SIOP trainings had led to an increase in student achievement; however, teachers attributed SIOP with improving their students’ behaviors and success in their classrooms
A Mixed-Methods (Quantitative-Qualitative) Study to Identify the Perceived Level of
No full textDifferent approaches to developing leaders have been established through various forms of self-assessment, action learning, and education and training activities (Smither et al., 2005). The existing body of research on the impact and success of college and university leadership development programs focuses heavily on undergraduate leadership programs and not graduate-level programs such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) or the doctorate. The purpose of this mixed-methods (quantitative–qualitative) study was to identify the perceived level of transformational leadership skill development by students enrolled in a doctoral program in organizational leadership. In addition, it was the purpose of this study to identify which of the seven core program elements students perceive as being most beneficial to the development of their transformational leadership skills. Finally, it was the purpose of this study to identify what students perceive as the personal and professional benefits realized after 2 years in the program. This study sought to fill gaps in research by identifying which programmatic factors support leadership skill development. This study used the results from student input on the TLSi, a 360-degree feedback assessment tool, along with a custom designed online survey to measure the change in students’ perceived growth in each of the 10 elements from Year 1 to Year 2 of the EdD program at Brandman University located in Irvine, California
The Impact of Realignment on Property Crime: Perspectives of Chiefs of Police
No full textRealignment, instituted in October 2011, was California’s latest effort at prison reform by realigning responsibility for prisoners labeled nonviolent, non-serious, and non sex-related from the state to counties. Many of these offenders were in state prison upon conviction of property crime offenses. Realignment had a net decarcerative effect on offenders. Simultaneously, California cities’ officer staffing levels shrunk during the great recession. To determine what impact realignment may have had on property crime in small California cities, and to identify effective response strategies, property crime and officer staffing data was analyzed and a survey administered to the chiefs of those cities. Fifty-six California cities with a population of between 25,000 and 50,000 and their own police departments were studied. This study analyzed data for the full year before and after realignment’s implementation, 2010 compared to 2012. Analysis of these data indicated an overall trend of increase in property crimes reported to the police, and a significant decrease in officer staffing pre-and post-implementation. Many of the 36 chiefs who responded to the survey identified realignment as the primary factor in the increase of property crime, closely followed by overcrowding in their local or county jail. Of the response strategies offered in the survey, most chiefs said they had made progress on increasing partnerships with allied law enforcement agencies. Finally, a majority of the chiefs identified increasing partnerships with allied agencies the most effective strategy followed by the creation or reorienting specialized units to respond to the issue of realigned offenders
Secondary Administrators\u27 Perceptions of the Blended Coaching Model on Their Development as Transformational Leaders
No full textSchool principals are expected to lead the major changes and intense curricular work of implementing Common Core State Standards at their school sites. In addition to existing administrative duties and instructional responsibilities, this calls for site administrators to possess transformational leadership skills and attributes in order to lead effectively and purposefully through change in the 21st century. Since education has begun to value leadership coaching for school administrators, this study examined the coaching model as a viable means of support for novice administrators in their development as transformational leaders. The purpose of this ethnographic research was to study the culture and experiences of secondary administrators (principals and assistant principals) who had been coached in the blended coaching model in a job-embedded coaching program. This study explored the context and processes of the coaching experience of secondary administrators that enhanced transformational leadership skills through the lens of the 10 domains of transformational leadership. The methodology consisted of a qualitative approach utilizing an ethnographic design. The qualitative protocols included individual interviews consisting of open-ended questions, observations, and artifact analysis. The results of the Transformational Leadership Skills Inventory (TLSi) were utilized to triangulate the data. Analysis of the data revealed that secondary administrators who participated in the blended coaching model focused on the development of transformational leadership skills. Coachees perceive these domain areas as most important to address within the coaching process. The secondary administrators who participated in the blended coaching model focused on the development of transformational leadership skills that harness the potential of others to seek solutions and build a vision of change for the future. In addition, because the coaching experience was responsive to each administrator’s job-related challenges and responsibilities at his or her school site, the coaching experience focused on real-time, job-embedded problem solving and decision making. Recommendations for future research to deepen the knowledge of leadership coaching and the development of transformational leadership skills are offered
Investigating the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and Technology Leadership Capacities of K-12 Public School Principals
No full textIt is understood that principals play a key role the integration of computer technology their schools, however there have been limited studies exploring the level of technology knowledge and technology leadership skills possessed by school principals and how these measures relate to each other. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is a popular framework for understanding the teacher knowledge required for effective technology integration. This framework has been used to study a number of different populations including pre-service and in-service teachers in a variety of grade levels, subject areas, and pedagogical contexts. This is the first time this framework has been applied to school principals. Technology leadership capacity for this study was defined by the ISTE Standards for Administrators, which define the skills school leaders need to support the successful use and integration of computer technology.
The purpose of this study was to adapt and apply the TPACK framework to school principals, to measure the technology leadership skills of those principals, and to identify whether a relationship exists between the measures. This study employed two distinct survey instruments that were delivered online. The Principal TPACK Survey used in this study was adapted from an existing TPACK survey by Schmidt et al. (2009). The Technology Leadership Inventory (TLI) is an original instrument developed to align with and measure the leadership skills represented in the ISTE Standards for Administrators.
In addition to providing baseline data for principal TPACK and principal technology leadership capacities, results indicate a strong positive correlation between TPACK and their technology leadership capacities. Additionally, results indicate principals are more knowledgeable of more traditional, non-technological conceptions of pedagogy and content. Finally, because of the strong correlation between the two measures, it is recommended that in order to improve the technology leadership ability of principals, special consideration should be given to building knowledge emphasizing the connection between technology, pedagogy, and content that is specific to classroom contexts rather than more managerial applications
A Qualitative Study on Effective Strategies for Building Positive Relationships in the AVID Classroom
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine, understand, and describe the effective strategies secondary AVID teachers in Region 3 of California employ to build positive relationships with students.
Methodology: This qualitative study focused on how AVID teachers build positive relationships with their students, and data were collected through one-on-one interviews and classroom observations. The researcher interviewed eight AVID teachers, who were recommended by the regional AVID coordinator as having strong relational skills with students. From those teachers interviewed, the researcher conducted observations of four AVID teachers to gain a better understanding of the strategies they used to build positive relationships with students. Using both of these data collection instruments allowed the researcher to discover common patterns and themes regarding the effective strategies secondary AVID teachers use to build positive relationships with their students.
Findings: Based on the perceptions of AVID teachers, the implementation of AVID curriculum to support student success, establishing clear academic and behavioral expectations for students, showing a genuine interest in students, nurturing characteristics of the teacher, teacher involvement, and the impact of AVID program characteristics were findings from this study.
Conclusions: Three conclusions can be drawn from this study regarding the strategies AVID teachers use to build positive relationships with their students. First, teachers need to use a relevant curriculum that engages students. Second, teachers who show a genuine interest in students are able to connect to students in a meaningful way. Lastly, teachers need to exhibit characteristics that nurture their students.
Recommendations: Further research is advised. A study could be conducted on teacher preparation programs and their effectiveness in preparing teachers to build positive teacher–student relationships. Another study could examine the impact positive teacher–student relationships have on teachers and students. A study could examine gender imbalance with teachers, specific to the AVID program. A future study could look at the differences in building positive teacher–student relationships between male and female teachers. Another study could examine the implications AVID program characteristics have in relationship building. And lastly, one could replicate this study using non-AVID teachers as the population
Technology Integration for Common Core State Standards Implementation: Developing Differentiated Professional Development based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model
No full textTeachers must learn how to integrate technology for CCSS implementation in an educational environment tasked with preparing 21st century students to not only survive, but thrive in a knowledge-based global society. The changes required for 21st century learning to prepare 21st century students is transformational in nature and represents a paradigm shift for many teachers. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the differences in teachers’ Stages of Concern with integrating technology for implementation of CCSS according to age, gender, and years of teaching. In addition it was the purpose of this study to use information obtained from the examination of differences to inform differentiated professional development plans and provide support for teachers. Integrating technology for instructional purposes can seem daunting for teachers not born into the digital age. This inexperience and lack of knowledge may lead to resistance and stress. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) recognizes that innovation success must be reached through understanding and acceptance of teachers’ concerns. Seven Stages of Concern (SOC) were identified within the CBAM (unconcerned, informational, personal, management, consequence, collaboration, and refocusing). These SOC are clustered into four levels (unrelated, self, personal, task, and impact). The Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ), a component of the CBAM, was utilized to gather concerns’ data from teachers. After examining the differences in concerns according to age, gender, and years of teaching experience, recommendations were made regarding professional development plans and support structures. Teachers developmentally work through intrinsic concerns related to self and task, before moving onto extrinsic concerns regarding collaboration and the impact of change on students. Without this recognition and understanding of teachers’ Stages of Concern, desired impacts from integrating technology for CCSS implementation will neither be attained nor sustained
Women Serving In Ground Combat
No full textIn 1994, Les Aspen, then Secretary of Defense, approved a Department of Defense direct ground combat exclusion policy that permitted all service members to be detailed to any position for which they qualified. The policy prohibited women from assignments to units that had the possibility of being exposed to direct ground combat. Due to the unanticipated and inadvertent involvement of women coming under hostile attacks during Desert Storm and the Iraq War, the military has explored making a paradigm shift toward allowing women in ground combat units. During Operation Desert Storm and the Iraq War, many women found themselves engaged in ground combat due to their combat support units coming under fire. Female service members learned to fight on the job since they received little to no in-close combat training. The idea of women fighting in ground combat may have the support of public opinion, but, senior military officials are not ready to fully embrace this new concept. One may argue that to be competitive, an organization, including the military, must change the organization’s mindset and culture to deal with the increased terrorism, congressional policies, and the expectations of their foreign allies. The military has changed its policies on women serving in ground combat units. However, according to Maginnis (2013), Congress is “kowtowing to radical feminist and accepting the mass media illogical formulation of the issue as one of equal rights” (p. ix) without considering the possible influence female integration may have on a unit’s cohesio
A Delphi Study: Teachers’ Perceptions of Benefits, Prerequisites, Facilitators, and Barriers of Peer Observation for Professional Learning in Secondary Public Schools
No full textA Delphi Study: Teachers’ Perceptions of Benefits, Prerequisites, Facilitators, and Barriers of Peer Observation for Professional Learning in Secondary Public Schools
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore secondary-school teachers’ perceptions about the instructional and cultural benefits of engaging in peer observations for professional learning in secondary schools. This study also sought to clarify the prerequisites, facilitators, and barriers to implementing peer observations as perceived by secondary-school teachers.
Methodology: The Delphi method was utilized in order to gather perceptual data from an expert panel of secondary-school teachers that have engaged in peer observations at various schools in Riverside County, California. For purposes of this policy Delphi study, an electronic questionnaire was distributed in three rounds to assess teachers’ perceptions of the instructional and cultural benefits of conducting peer observations along with the prerequisites, facilitators, and barriers for conducting peer observations in secondary schools.
Findings: Analysis of data revealed that teachers perceive various instructional and cultural benefits of engaging in peer observation for professional learning including observing peers’ instructional strategies in authentic learning environments, engaging in self-reflection about teaching, and increasing the team aspect of teaching including collaboration between peers and reducing isolation. Strategies to achieve the identified benefits include time, discussion opportunities, teacher choice, pre-identification of strategies, and teacher training. Perceived prerequisites for peer observations include clarity of purpose and process, guidelines, communication, and teacher input. Perceived facilitators include time and consistency. Perceived barriers to peer observation include limited time, fear, and judgment by peers.
Conclusions: According to the expert panel, in order to achieve the benefits of peer observation, schools must protect time to engage in peer observations, have clarity of purpose and consistency in the process, provide opportunities for teacher input and choice, maintain an environment for adult learning, and provide adequate teacher training prior to participation in peer observations.
Recommendations: If a school opts to implement peer observations for professional learning, (1) a planning team should be convened and time devoted to planning the peer-observation process, (2) teachers must have planning input to establish clarity of purpose, a consistent process including norms and procedures, and to determine instructional focus expectations, (3) time should be protected for peer observations, reflections, and discussions resulting from observations