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- All Subjects: Educational leadership
- Genre: Doctoral Dissertation
- Status: Published
Description
The most common approach to improvement of educational systems has been the adoption of episodic initiatives and short-lived improvement programs. In recent years, a continuous improvement (CI) approach has made it onto the education scene, but the effects of continuous improvement in education remain largely unstudied. This study addressed the need to examine the long term impacts of CI in educational organizations.
Using a CI framework, this mixed methods action research (MMAR) study was conducted to examine the impact of CI on one school district’s measures of quality, stakeholder satisfaction, and cost savings, as well as to determine the value of CI leadership coaching, according to district leaders.
Qualitative data included interviews with and observations of school district leaders and the CI leadership coach. Quantitative data included stakeholder surveys, district scorecards, and state data dashboard reports. Results indicated improvement from a CI approach was slow to occur, though CI positively impacted some quality outcomes, primarily in the area of math. CI positively impacted student satisfaction, though it had minimal impact on employee and parent satisfaction. The district experienced cost savings as a result of CI, and CI leadership coaching was reported as highly valued by district leaders. The results of the study suggest a systematic CI approach and coaching support can impact change over time, but requires patience and a within district executive leader champion.
Using a CI framework, this mixed methods action research (MMAR) study was conducted to examine the impact of CI on one school district’s measures of quality, stakeholder satisfaction, and cost savings, as well as to determine the value of CI leadership coaching, according to district leaders.
Qualitative data included interviews with and observations of school district leaders and the CI leadership coach. Quantitative data included stakeholder surveys, district scorecards, and state data dashboard reports. Results indicated improvement from a CI approach was slow to occur, though CI positively impacted some quality outcomes, primarily in the area of math. CI positively impacted student satisfaction, though it had minimal impact on employee and parent satisfaction. The district experienced cost savings as a result of CI, and CI leadership coaching was reported as highly valued by district leaders. The results of the study suggest a systematic CI approach and coaching support can impact change over time, but requires patience and a within district executive leader champion.
ContributorsCallaway, Erica (Author) / Rotheram-Fuller, Erin (Thesis advisor) / Hartley, Adam (Committee member) / Matarazzo, Melissa (Committee member) / Mertler, Craig (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of virtual office hours in the online classroom on engagement and course completion among criminology students at Arizona State University. The study relied on an action research mixed-method design. The goal of the interventions was to increase the engagement of all members of the class. The study’s conceptual framework drew from Albert Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory that combines cognitive psychology and behaviorism to describe the learning process within individuals, as well as Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry Framework, which is based on constructivist learning theory, where individuals actively make sense of their experiences (Garrison & Vaughan, 2008).
For the quantitative portion of the data collection, 60 students in my CRJ 305: Gender and Crime criminology iCourse were asked to participate in a pre- and post-intervention survey. For the qualitative portion of the data collection, I collected field notes during virtual office hours and invited all virtual office hour participants to participate in post-intervention interviews. From those who responded to my invitation, I conducted one-on-one interviews.
Once analyzed, descriptive data and self-reporting Question #5 indicated that the intervention—virtual office hours—did have an impact on student engagement and successful course completion. Additional quantitative data collected (mean grade point averages), once compared, suggested that those who participated in virtual office hours overall had a final higher grade point average.
The interview responses and field notes suggested that virtual office hours did have an impact on student engagement and successful course completion by allowing students to develop relationships, feel more connected, and be more successful. Overall, students found that virtual office hours allowed for a more visual and personal space where they felt comfortable and could develop a relationship with others, the kind of meaningful relationship that needs to happen with online students in order for them to be as successful, if not more so, than in traditional learning environments.
For the quantitative portion of the data collection, 60 students in my CRJ 305: Gender and Crime criminology iCourse were asked to participate in a pre- and post-intervention survey. For the qualitative portion of the data collection, I collected field notes during virtual office hours and invited all virtual office hour participants to participate in post-intervention interviews. From those who responded to my invitation, I conducted one-on-one interviews.
Once analyzed, descriptive data and self-reporting Question #5 indicated that the intervention—virtual office hours—did have an impact on student engagement and successful course completion. Additional quantitative data collected (mean grade point averages), once compared, suggested that those who participated in virtual office hours overall had a final higher grade point average.
The interview responses and field notes suggested that virtual office hours did have an impact on student engagement and successful course completion by allowing students to develop relationships, feel more connected, and be more successful. Overall, students found that virtual office hours allowed for a more visual and personal space where they felt comfortable and could develop a relationship with others, the kind of meaningful relationship that needs to happen with online students in order for them to be as successful, if not more so, than in traditional learning environments.
ContributorsDeCarolis, Claudine (Author) / Gee, Betty (Thesis advisor) / Mertler, Craig (Committee member) / Marsh, Josephine (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Research administrators (RAs) are integral to universities and corporations as the first point of contact for faculty in research proposal submissions. RAs are also the intermediary between the university or the institution and the office sponsoring the project. The multiple demands placed upon RAs could potentially lead to burnout. The objective of this mixed-methods action research study was to understand better how incorporating mindfulness practices (e.g., breathing exercises, meditation) may allow RAs to manage or potentially eliminate burnout. Participants learned about mindfulness through a smartphone meditation application, which also shared various coaching techniques for reducing stress in their work-life. Results obtained from the quantitative and qualitative pre- and post-intervention data showed RAs might benefit from managing daily work life by incorporating mindfulness practices. While many were aware of the concept of mindfulness and university trainings, they expressed their demanding work environment is continually changing, and a solution in reducing burnout may need to be continuously redefined. The understanding gained from this action research study is RAs can benefit from mindfulness tools and techniques. Furthermore, other colleges or institutions with pre-award research administrators may benefit from how to aid in lowering burnout in their daily work environments.
ContributorsBryant, Sarah (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Brown, Drew (Committee member) / Grubesic, Anthony (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
This action research study utilized a mixed-method approach to better understand the current situation of the research administration community with respect to addressing the training and development needs for new and junior staff within Arizona State University’s Fulton Schools of Engineering and encompass other departments and units at Arizona State University. The study extended on those efforts of support by implementing an innovative resource library as a foundation, to decipher the needs of the research administration community and better equip staff through successful training, development and learning experiences. This study assessed Arizona State University’s research administration training and development platforms and other institutional platforms (e.g., National Council of University Research Administrators, National Science Foundation, Grants.gov, and National Institutes of Health) – to garner the necessary ingredients and components to creatively design, develop and implement the innovative library. This study involved two naturally occurring groups consisting of a cohort of research administration staff with varying levels of experience. Specifically, a group of junior and a group of senior research staff were invited to participate in this study. The groups delivered on their experience, perceptions, evaluations, and ideas, which also aided in the necessary modifications to the library resource. For instance, following the delivery from the group of senior participants’ adjustments and modifications aided in the preparation of the junior participants' performance in the library portal. The junior participants performance experience in the library embodied and measured their perceptions, experience, confidence, and comfort levels. Performances within the site enabled the participants to clearly identify and clarify areas of need within the research administration infrastructure within Fulton Schools of Engineering and at Arizona State University overall. In addition, encouragement for future iterations of the library resource were strongly declared and proposed. The revelations brought about through the discussion modules from both groups gave insight through the eyes of participants (e.g., seniors and juniors); which heightened and strengthened the results of the study. Overall, the outcomes received and tracked through the discussion modules from both groups suggested that the current training and development research administration infrastructure within Arizona State University’s research community needed adjustments.
ContributorsDavis, Kelbrina (Author) / Puckett, Kathleen (Thesis advisor) / Cooke, Nancy J. (Committee member) / Polasky, Sarah (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The purpose of this action research study is to examine the effect of an innovation that includes staff coaching, curriculum adaptation, and researcher reflection on increasing staff effectiveness in supporting students with complex communication needs. This study included four participants (two special educators and two speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Preschool Special Education (PSE) classrooms within a public school district. The study was conducted while navigating a global pandemic and emergency remote learning. Through the use of curricular noticing and an approach inspired by a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge Framework (TPACK) framework, an innovation of a staff coaching model combined with adapted curriculum resources was designed to support staff members using the Big Day for PreK curriculum. Analysis of the data indicates that supporting staff through staff coaching and adapted curriculum materials increased their use and own adaptation of the curriculum. In addition, providing a staff coach with the opportunity to document and reflect on experiences can increase the use of curricula and coaching effectiveness.
ContributorsRoyster, Christina Innice (Author) / Graves Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Zellner, Andrea (Committee member) / Boozer, April (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The purpose of this study was to examine how positive impacts could be achieved on student’s ability to successfully navigate financial aid processes within the Maricopa Community College system and specifically at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC). By evaluating existing processes and implementing enhanced system protocols (ESP), this study aimed to see how much of a positive impact ESP would have on student’s ability to access financial aid funding and enroll in classes. The study also took a closer look at how financial aid staff could better understand the systems through ESPs. In order to effectively evaluate the implementation of ESPs at CGCC, there were two approaches used within the research methodology. The first was front-end ESPs designed to target protocols that were student facing. The second was back-end ESPs targeting the financial aid staff and operations at CGCC. With the help of established ESPs, when looked at as a whole, more students were able to successfully navigate the complexities of the financial aid process, and receive their financial aid award offers at CGC. One of the front-end ESPs that held the greatest significance, in terms of successfully influencing students, was text messaging campaigns. The available evidence suggested text messaging as the most impactful way to get student’s attention. Although all of the back-end process improvements were important, the online policy and procedure repository quantitative data analysis suggested staff were empowered to provide a higher level of service with confidence and accuracy. Each of the ESPs made a small impact to student’s success and when aggregated the combined ESP results demonstrated a large enough impact that other colleges should explore the options of implementing ESPs to help more of their students receive financial aid.
ContributorsWolsey, Timothy (Author) / Graves Wolf, Leigh (Thesis advisor) / Beaty, Shaun (Committee member) / Peterson, Greg (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
Schools are tasked with the responsibility of educating students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Teachers are tasked with finding and implementing effective teaching strategies for every student in their classroom. English Language Learners (ELLs), students who are not fluent speakers of English, represent an increasing population of students within the education system that have unique instructional needs. The goal of this study was to provide regular education teachers with instructional strategies targeted toward the educational needs of ELLs.
This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data. Data sources include using pre-post innovation surveys, self-reflection forms, post-innovation interviews, and field notes. For this study, nine public school teachers from different (representing different content areas) and two English Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) teachers were used.
The innovation for this study was the implementation of a whole group professional development (PD) session and access to a digital toolbox that provided teachers with instructional strategies for ELLs. The strategies provided in the whole group PD session and the digital toolbox were based on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model.
The results of the study show that the instructional strategies provided to the teachers from the innovation positively impacted the teacher’s ability to teach ELLs. Additionally, teachers liked the format of the whole group PD session and the Digital Toolbox as a way to learn new teaching strategies related to ELLs.
This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather data. Data sources include using pre-post innovation surveys, self-reflection forms, post-innovation interviews, and field notes. For this study, nine public school teachers from different (representing different content areas) and two English Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) teachers were used.
The innovation for this study was the implementation of a whole group professional development (PD) session and access to a digital toolbox that provided teachers with instructional strategies for ELLs. The strategies provided in the whole group PD session and the digital toolbox were based on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model.
The results of the study show that the instructional strategies provided to the teachers from the innovation positively impacted the teacher’s ability to teach ELLs. Additionally, teachers liked the format of the whole group PD session and the Digital Toolbox as a way to learn new teaching strategies related to ELLs.
ContributorsDobyns, Paul Thomas (Author) / Marsh, Josephine (Thesis advisor) / Mesa-Lema, Lily (Committee member) / Spence, Lucy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
In this dissertation I design, implement and conduct a mixed methods action research project to develop intercultural competence in domestic university staff members. My research took place at my place of employment, a research one university in the American southwest. As the director of an international student service center, I had direct observations of the interactions between domestic staff members and our international students with lower English proficiency. With the observations came the realization that this communication could be both more effective and more efficient. To address this problem, I developed three workshops to provide participants with the skills to have more productive communication with their students. I used a mixed methods approach to investigate how this innovation influenced the three constructs associated with intercultural competence: cultural awareness, cultural empathy and language modification.
Quantitative data consisted of both pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results relating to all three constructs showed significant gain between the pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys. Analysis of the qualitative data engendered four assertions. 1. As staff members learned more about a student’s culture, they become more cognizant of the communication strategies they used and become confident they could reduce conflict, ill-communication and miscommunication between students and staff member. 2. Staff members were not aware of the complexities of the English language. 3. Only after understanding the difficulties non-native English speakers face do the staff members truly understand the student experience and become willing to make sincere efforts to communicate more effectively. 4. It is incumbent on the staff member to everything possible to facilitate a successful interaction with the student.
Quantitative data consisted of both pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results relating to all three constructs showed significant gain between the pre-intervention and post-intervention surveys. Analysis of the qualitative data engendered four assertions. 1. As staff members learned more about a student’s culture, they become more cognizant of the communication strategies they used and become confident they could reduce conflict, ill-communication and miscommunication between students and staff member. 2. Staff members were not aware of the complexities of the English language. 3. Only after understanding the difficulties non-native English speakers face do the staff members truly understand the student experience and become willing to make sincere efforts to communicate more effectively. 4. It is incumbent on the staff member to everything possible to facilitate a successful interaction with the student.
ContributorsSchoenfeld, Bob (Author) / Chen, Ying-Cheh (Thesis advisor) / Buss, Ray (Committee member) / Lippincott, Dianna (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
There is tremendous value in bringing fresh voices and perspectives to theory and practice, as it is through these novel lenses that research advances in rich and more equitable ways. However, the importance of first-generation college students being involved in this process has been vastly underestimated and undervalued by researchers and practitioners alike. Extrapolating from interdisciplinary research on counterstorytelling and networked counterpublics, the aim of this study was to explore how the proposed theoretical model of networked counterstorytelling—as presented through a grassroots digital storytelling campaign—could create space for first-generation student voice and leadership to help inform current theoretical understandings of social capital and community cultural wealth. Using a multimethodological approach—combining large-scale network analytics with qualitative netnographic analysis (Kozinets, 2015)—this study (1) produced novel methods for measuring and analyzing social capital within social media communities and (2) demonstrated how grassroots digital storytelling campaigns, facilitated by the affordances of social media platforms such as Instagram, can function as means for inviting the leadership, voice, and perspectives of first-generation college students into the design of higher education research and practice.
ContributorsJohns, Kristi (Author) / Bertrand, Melanie (Thesis advisor) / Dippold, Lindsey (Committee member) / Foucault Welles, Brooke (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
This research study focuses on enhancing the Professional Student Coach (PSC) program as an innovation to help students improve their leadership skills. Using Katz’s Skills Leadership Theory to define leadership, this mixed methods study suggests an evidence-based leadership program can increase student self-efficacy and expand their leadership perceptions. Transformative learning theory, student involvement theory, and self-efficacy theory are used to guide the development of this study. Qualitative and quantitative data sources are collected to answer the following research questions: (1) How does participation in a student leadership program affect a coach’s self-efficacy?; (2) How does participation in a student leadership program affect a coach’s perceptions of leadership?; (3) How does participating in a student leadership program affect a coach’s ability to lead groups?; and (4) How do non-coach participants (first-year
ew students) perceive the student leadership program?
ew students) perceive the student leadership program?
ContributorsSadri, Sam (Author) / Wylie, Ruth (Thesis advisor) / Drane III, Daniel (Committee member) / Nagare, Melissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020