Dissertations

Play-based learning is an important part of developing the whole child emotionally, socially, physically, cognitively, and communicatively. Through play, children are allowed to explore, investigate, discover, think, solve problems, and communicate. The purpose of this study was to determine what early childhood teachers in public schools know and believe about the use of play-based learning in their classrooms and how these teachers perceive their administrator’s role in the use of play-based learning. This study used a mixed method approach to gather the perceptions of early childhood educators in seven different school districts through four counties. The sample included responses from 114 early childhood educators throughout the seven school districts. This study used a survey with Likert-type five-point scales and open-ended questions to gather the results from the participating teachers. The findings showed that the early childhood teachers believe that the use of play-based learning is important in the early years and would like to use it more often in their classrooms. The teachers also stated that they had three main barriers in the use of play-based learning: the rigor of the standards, the lack of time, and the lack of support from their administration.

This research study examined the relationship between school leadership style and the use of writing across the curriculum (WAC) in secondary classrooms. Writing practices and the use of writing as a form of assessment in subject areas other than ELA is thought to be a way to better prepare students to meet the literacy expectations of the 21st century. For writing practices to be integrated across the curriculum in secondary environments, school leadership support is essential. This study aimed to answer the following questions: How can school leaders in secondary educational settings support writing across the curriculum? What are the effects of writing on content area knowledge when used as a learning strategy in content areas across the curriculum? In secondary educational settings, is there a difference in how middle and high schools use WAC? This study used a qualitative case study analysis in the form of an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interview to gather data on school leadership style and the use of WAC. The participants are all from one district consisting of three middle schools and three high schools in a rural community in the Southeastern region of South Carolina. The data collected from this comparative-case study is comprised of data collected from administrators, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders. The data was evaluated, cataloged, and categorized to identify common terms and themes using grounded theory. Using a constant comparative method, the data was continually assessed which resulted in the identification of four clear factors in which the results are organized. Findings from this study provide information on the unique relationship between leadership and a teachers’ viewpoints and use of WAC practices.

Multiple researchers have explored avenues to achieve gender diversity in leadership, primarily by studying the barriers to success for aspiring women leaders. Despite barriers, a small group of women have risen to the top positions of US corporations, demonstrating that there is a path to success and highlighting an opportunity to address leadership diversity differently. Whereas most research on gender diversity in leadership focuses on the barriers women encounter, this qualitative phenomenological study focused on how women can succeed. By leveraging Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to explore systems that enabled a phenomenal group of women to advance to the C-suite, this study’s findings highlight paths to success for aspiring women leaders and opportunities for organizations to establish cultures that enable support, learning, and advocacy for women’s career advancement, thereby enhancing gender diversity in leadership.

In the era of emerging technologies in the 21st Century classroom, secondary English Language Arts (ELA) students may exhibit complications in navigating literacy in blended learning environments. The purpose of this research study focused on addressing a gap in the current literature in these specific areas to investigate the relationship between ELA teachers’ pedagogical practices and elements of secondary students’ learning motivation for ELA. Specifically, this study explored secondary ELA students’ perception of teachers’ classroom practices, self-regulated learning, and digital self-efficacy. The overarching research question in this study examined: What relationship exists between (a) the pedagogical practices of secondary ELA teachers in a blended learning environment and (b) student self-regulated learning and digital self-efficacy? Following an explanatory sequential mixed-methodology research approach (Creswell & Clark, 2017), this study collected quantitative self-report data. During Phase 1 data analysis results revealed compelling evidence of motivating effects of students’ perceptions of self-regulated learning, and digital self-efficacy in blended learning environments. Phase 2, semi-structured interview explored connections between teachers’ influential pedagogical practices in the blended classroom and student motivational constructs reported in Phase 1. Data mixing occurred between Phases 1 and 2 and also at the interpretation stage of data analysis, reported with a comprehensive description of categories and subcategories. The conclusions of this research study considered quantitative and qualitative data independently and together. Students’ perceptions of teachers’ pedagogical practices hold significant relationship to student perception of digital self-efficacy, self-regulation and engaged motivation for learning English in a blended classroom. Theoretical implications for secondary high school English education are described, within focusing leadership recommendations, considering pedagogical practices, and facilitating student self-regulated digital self-efficacy employment within the English blended learning environment. Implications for English teacher professional development, limitations of the study, and future research recommendations are also discussed.

This case study examined the school-based interventions used to determine a self-contained special education placement for a fourth-grade African American male student with an emotional disturbance disability. The study aimed to answer four research questions, which included the academic and behavioral school-based interventions provided to the student before a referral to special education evaluation, the perception of the student by the special education teacher and diagnostician, the role of the campus administrator in determining placement, and the parent's perception of the referral process. The study used a single case study research methodology and included four active participants. Data collection instruments included individual interviews and content analysis, including a review of academic records, special education records, discipline reports, and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) committee notes. The theoretical framework used was the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and data was analyzed using Glaser and Strauss's (2017) constant comparative method. The findings revealed that upon entry into the school district, the student began receiving Tier 2 interventions. However, the infrequency of data collection, lack of progress monitoring, and inconsistent documentation of the duration and frequency of the interventions did not support the placement recommendation of the IEP team. Therefore, the study recommends in-depth training on implementing MTSS interventions and using data to support special education placement decisions. Additionally, the study supports the need for continued research using the data collected from implementing interventions to help IEP team members determine appropriate placements for African American students.

This qualitative interpretive phenomenological study examined the professional lived experiences of Black women who hold leadership positions within Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs) in South Carolina. The researcher examined their experiences through the lens of Belenky’s (1986) Ways of Knowing framework, focusing on self-expression, voice, and how the participants processed their leadership experiences. In addition, the study draws on Crenshaw’s Intersectionality and Black Feminist Post-structuralist theories. The study explores the difficulties, successes, and strategies these women use, focusing on stereotypes, challenges in leadership roles, diversity of experiences, and the importance of voice themes. The study provides practical suggestions for empowering and assisting Black women leaders in FQHCs through a detailed investigation. These suggestions cover essential topics such as organizational adjustments, networking and mentoring initiatives, and focused professional development programs. The main goals of organizational changes are to provide accountability and open reporting systems to monitor progress and to build an inclusive culture that cherishes diversity and genuine voices. Programs for networking and mentoring are suggested as a way to establish an encouraging and growth-oriented environment. Additionally, the importance of specialized professional development programs is highlighted to overcome hidden biases, improve leadership capabilities, and advance cultural competency. The researcher’s findings shed light on the difficulties these women face in leadership positions, their resilience and coping strategies, and the role of different ways of knowing in their experiences. The study highlighted Black women’s successes and challenges in leadership roles within selected FQHCs in South Carolina. It emphasized the need to respect and validate the contributions and voices of Black women leaders. In this study, the researcher delves into the implications, limitations, and recommendations that arise from the research findings. In addition, the study’s conclusions and suggestions can be used as a manual by FQHCs and other businesses to create workplaces that value inclusion, diversity, and leadership.

With the shifts and newly evolving complexities of the 21st century, the significance of what is needed from a successful school principal has reached a critical point. Today, one of the most vital roles of an effective principal is to, "Create a climate hospitable to education so that safety, a cooperative spirit, and other foundations of fruitful interactions prevail" (Foundation, 2013, p. 6). Therefore, the present study, using a constructivist research approach to conduct a phenomenological study, strove to understand a phenomenon, in this case, the phenomenon of leadership as it is practiced by high school principals (Adom, 2016). This study endeavored to use phenomenology to explore the experiences of those that practice leadership daily to examine the essence of how they lead. To comprehend what leadership skills high school principals in Fairfax County employ to promote a positive learning environment, a qualitative research design was used. In this phenomenological qualitative interview study, three individual interviews were conducted with the principals of Woodmont High School, Marshall High School, and Robinson High School. Three separate focus-group interviews took place with assistant principals, and three separate focus-group interviews were conducted with district high school teachers from each of the aforementioned high schools. The aim of the researcher was to have a focus group size of two to four assistant principals for each focus group session and four to ten teachers for each focus group session. Each interview was recorded, transcribed, and coded into theme-clusters (Field et al., 2016). The participants’ lived experiences were examined to understand their interpretation of leadership, and to find connections within shared domains—specifically about meaningful experiences related to a positive learning environment (Nuñez & Yoshimi, 2017).