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- Description:
- The purpose of this honors thesis is to serve as a call to research and action of both experts and current and future mathematics educators. Mathematics is a complicated, abstract, and beautiful field. Math is used in everyday life, whether or not it is recognized. However, the thought of partaking in any activity involving mathematics can cause stress and anxiety. Sometimes, this occurs in the classroom, but may also happen in everyday activities. Examples include calculating a tip or calculating interest on a loan. This phenomenon has been identified as Math Anxiety. Research has been done for many years to understand this complex concept, including its causes and effects on students and adults; however, there is so much that remains unknown. This study reviews the current literature on math anxiety in the classroom, both at the K-12 and undergraduate levels, to recognize the importance of identifying math anxiety. This research will come to form a tentative action plan for educators to help alleviate math anxiety for both their students and themselves.
- Subject:
- Mathematics and Education
- Creator:
- Goodman, Matthew
- Contributor:
- Dr. Jenna Cook, Thesis Advisor and Dr. John Hammett, Thesis Advisor
- Owner:
- lsquillante@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 06/14/2022
- Date Modified:
- 06/14/2022
- Date Created:
- Spring 2022
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Research Paper
- Description:
- According to a 2007 report by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, approximately 3.5 million people (including 1.35 million children) become homeless each year. Of that number, about 125,000 people--a group the size of the entire population of Hartford, Connecticut or Waco, Texas--are persistently homeless, but the vast majority of homeless persons are temporarily homeless. In my thesis, I will focus more on the homeless youth. Many homeless youth lack the essential needs to have a successful transition to adulthood. Across the nation, an increasing number of families without homes are trying to provide or maintain a relatively stable educational setting for their children. It is reported that there are roughly 3.5 million homeless people in the United States. An estimated 40 percent of this figure is made up of homeless families. Close to 26 percent are children under the age of 18. The obstacles involved in educating homeless children are numerous. Homeless families often move from place to place, making it hard for their children to regularly attend school or even follow through with important paperwork requirements like school records transfers and immunization documentation. Many families simply lack the money for transportation to and from school. And for school districts, identifying homeless children is a daunting task – especially given the recently expanded definition of the term homeless to include those living in parks, motels, and doubled-up with relatives or extended family. “Distinguishing who is homeless and who is not is very difficult,” says Josh Diem, a homeless advocate and doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina. “You can’t just pick them out of a crowd.” (Jackson, nhi.org). New Jersey has several objectives and regulations put in place to help homeless children and youth attain the fundamental right of a free education. As we all know, everything is easier said than done. I want to make sure that these objectives are in fact put in place. As the Chinese Proverb says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Attalla, Islam H.
- Contributor:
- Dr. Lori Buza, Thesis Advisor
- Owner:
- lsquillante@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/14/2020
- Date Modified:
- 10/14/2020
- Date Created:
- April 2, 2011
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Research Paper
- Description:
- The purpose of this mixed methods study was to investigate the impact of New Jersey’s permanent Interdistrict School Choice Program relative to equity as perceived by participating school superintendents. This researcher measured the impact of New Jersey’s Interdistrict School Choice program utilizing quantitative and qualitative data collected via a web-based survey instrument, the New Jersey Interdistrict School Choice Perception of Equity Inventory. In this approach, data from Likert questions and open-ended responses were used to evaluate superintendent’s perceptions based upon the independent variables of district socioeconomic status, district geographic classification and district enrollment dynamic. A triangulation design mixed methodology was employed to converge both the quantitative data and qualitative data for analysis. The quantitative survey data was utilized to compute inventory scores for each participant that were disaggregated based upon the independent variables. This researcher subsequently conducted ANOVA tests to determine if there were significant differences in the superintendents’ perceptions of the impact of the Interdistrict School Choice Program. The qualitative data, generated from the survey open-ended responses was pattern coded and analyzed for frequency. Finally, this researcher validated and interpreted the combined quantitative and qualitative results. The results of the study were that 71 participating superintendents held overall positive perceptions of the impact of the New Jersey Interdistrict School Choice program relative to equity. There were no significant differences in the perceptions of participating superintendents based on district socioeconomic status, district geographic classification and district enrollment dynamic.
- Keyword:
- New Jersey Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, School Superintendents, Equity Inventory, district socioeconomic status, district geographic classification, district enrollment dynamic, school finance, equity, and educational leadership
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Zywicki, Robert R.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 01/31/2024
- Date Created:
- 2015
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- This dissertation investigated the degree to which economic trends in the United States, since the publication of A Nation at Risk in 1983, have influenced subsequent education policy from 1983 to 2010. It aimed to examine the interrelatedness of economic trends within American society, as defined by employment, earning power, and the gap between the rich and poor; how corporate and private philanthropy have created the economic impetus for educational foundations; and how corporate needs, as dictated by economic trends, influence educational policy. This influence effectuated the inception of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), an educational reform movement that has resulted in the expansion of government, the advancement of a nationalized curriculum whose primary concern is developing “college and career readiness” skills, and the establishment of new industries driven by the demands of markets associated with a nationalized curriculum.
- Keyword:
- Corporate Influence, United States, 1983 - 2010, economic trends, A Nation at Risk, earning power, rich and poor, employment, and Common Core State Standards (CCSS)
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Jacobson, Tiffany
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 02/01/2024
- Date Created:
- May-2015
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Keyword:
- Special Education, Referral Service Teams, Change , Public Law , Handicapped Children Act, Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE), Disabilities Act (IDEA), and New Jersey
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Cleveland, Denise
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 04/23/2024
- Date Created:
- Apr-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- The construction industry in New Jersey has long provided a viable opportunity to young men and women searching for employment as an alternative to continuing education beyond high school. Although New Jersey's county vocational school systems were established and are funded for the purposes of educating and training students in prerequisite skill sets for work force positions, discussions with the administration of today’s county vocational school districts suggests that enrollment in many of the programs developed to prepare students for construction industry or building trades programs has been decreasing. This mixed methods study examined the evolution of building trades education in New Jersey’s county vocational high school system through the perspective of the administrators charged with leading the districts currently offering programming in the same. More specifically, these administrators were asked to identify the variables they believe to have contributed to a perceived decline in enrollment in these courses. The null hypothesis tested as part of this study was that there is no statistically significant relationship among New Jersey county vocational school administrators’ perceptions and the variables that impact enrollment in high school level Building Trades programming. In addition to testing the null hypothesis, role emphasis was placed on answering the following, research questions: 1. What are the variables that have impacted enrolment in Building Trades programming at the high school level? 2. Are there notable differences in beliefs of the respondents based on the population of the county in which the school districts operate? 3. Is there a program structure that is more effective at maintaining consistent enrollment than others, i.e. shared time programming vs. full time programming? 4. Are county vocational school districts moving away from offering prerequisite coursework in traditionally less academic trades and more towards traditionally highly academic trades, i.e. engineering, technology and medicine?
- Keyword:
- New Jersey, County vocational school systems, High School Enrollment, Trades Programs, Employment, and Building Trades programming
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- LaValva, Stephen Vincent
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 11/20/2023
- Date Created:
- May-2016
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Teacher evaluation has existed in many forms throughout history. With or without formal processes teachers are held accountable for student learning and achievement gains through a variety of measures such as standardized test scores, parent feedback, administrative feedback and students' grades. Recent political movement has spurred legislators to support more rigorous and specific evaluation systems that increased accountability of teachers and school districts to link teacher evaluation to student learning. New Jersey adopted the TEACHNJ act in 2012 which required set number of evaluations for tenured and non-tenured teachers, criteria for each evaluation through a variety of models, and test scores and teacher developed assessments were tied into a final score for teachers. If the teacher evaluation system aims to improve practice and identify areas for professional growth, it is important to understand teachers' perceptions on the new system. The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of teachers related to the effectiveness of the teacher evaluation system in New Jersey and the perceived benefits and limitations of the new system. This mixed-methods study surveyed teachers from six suburban districts in New Jersey. The districts varied in size and socioeconomic factors, but all districts were in their second year of the new teacher evaluation system. Teachers answered eight survey questions using a Likert scale and two open-ended questions that allowed respondents to expand on any of the questions or any other related comments not addressed in the survey. The study revealed that teachers believe in the fundamental principles that serve evaluation processes. Teachers understood the research behind the systems and the need for accountability. The key in successful teacher evaluation is comprehensive training opportunities for teachers not only in what constitutes effective teaching practices, but with the implementation of these practices into the classroom. Further, teachers need to have training on how to utilize the tools used to manage the evaluation systems so that teachers are not tied up with bureaucratic practices that take away from the time to plan effective lessons or collaborate with colleagues. Additionally, evaluators need to continue to learn alongside the teachers to ensure reliability and consistency within the different evaluations a teacher receives from multiple observers. Further research that aligns teacher evaluation with student achievement, as well as teacher evaluation within a variety of settings with specific evaluation models would be valuable. As new teacher evaluation systems become the norm in districts across the nation, further study would provide school leaders with ways to ensure successful and effective implementation policies that support both students and teachers.
- Keyword:
- Teacher evaluation, NJ School Systems, evaluation systems, and TEACHNJ act
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Ladd, Susan
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 02/02/2024
- Date Created:
- Mar-2016
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Study abroad has been a part of the curricular and co-curricular programming of higher education since 1875. Yet, despite the long history, a literature search revealed that study abroad is the least examined of the high impact practices (HIPs) related to engagement theory. Further, despite its promise as a retention strategy, study abroad has never been fully explored as a solution to the retention ills of higher education. Therefore, using data from the 2011 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study analyzed the engagement and retention value of higher education, principally through the use of MANOVAs and Mann-Whitney U tests. To learn more about the engagement practices of students who study abroad and elucidate learning style characteristics of study abroad participants, an analysis using Chi-square testing was conducted about students’ participation in study abroad, other voluntary high impact practices, and co-curricular activities. The results of the analysis illuminated that study abroad participants have a significant, impactful tendency to hyper-participate during and after their study abroad experience, suggesting an overall positive effect on the outcome variables. Students who studied abroad made significant gains in relation to Tinto’s construct of social integration; this was consistent across race/ethnicity, academic major, and gender factors. The students made different gains in retention, albeit to varying degrees, as measured by level of academic integration and positive feelings about institutional actions. Finally, students demonstrated engagement gains that were mostly significant; these differed by race/ethnicity, academic major, and gender. As a result of these findings, leaders in higher education should consider study abroad as a tool to help students socially integrate, increase their engagement, and, among certain student populations, increase retention. If study abroad were integrated as a part of the core curriculum, study abroad would stifle the high dropout rates currently plaguing American higher education.
- Keyword:
- Study abroad, Student engagement, Reduce dropouts, Higher education institutions, high impact practices (HIPs), MANOVAs, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Chi-square testing
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Lily M., Di Maggio
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 11/17/2023
- Date Created:
- May-2016
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Are fraternities still relevant to the college student experience? By examining the moral, student, and leadership development of IFC fraternity men, while controlling for institutional and student characteristics, the current study analyzed the roots of the purported value-added nature of fraternities using data from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL). Specifically, the current study examined fraternity men’s gains in self-authorship, internalized moral perspective, advancement along Kohlberg’s model of moral reasoning, and the individual “c’s” of the social change model while controlling for the variables of race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and parental education. This quantitative study used both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze data from a national dataset; inferential analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis one-way Analysis of Variance and the Mann-Whitney U test as a post hoc analysis. The interesting and troubling findings of this study allowed for the elucidation of much needed policy change, new best practice, and a call for reform in the fraternity movement.
- Keyword:
- Fraternity, College student, IFC , self-authorship, internalized moral perspective, Kohlberg’s model, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, parental education, Kruskal-Wallis one-way Analysis of Variance, and Mann-Whitney U test
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Dowiak, Shawn Michael
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 11/17/2023
- Date Created:
- May-2016
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a PLC model as theorized by Hord (1997) and as influenced by Bandura's (1997) theory of self-efficacy on grade 4 mathematics and language arts literacy achievement on High-Stakes Criterion-Based Assessments (HSCBA). The researcher conducted this study in an urban New Jersey elementary setting and utilized a longitudinal non-experimental quantitative design. The researcher measured total population, ethnic sub groups and special education achievement through an analysis of the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) among 1,479 4th grade students to determine if there was a statistically significant link between PLCs and student achievement levels. The researcher subsequently conducted a series of ANOVAs on the NJASK4 data obtained. The study results support the benefit of PLCs as capacity-building, efficacy-supporting structure that improves student achievement.
- Keyword:
- Professional learning, Elementary level, Urban New Jersey , PLC model, High-Stakes Criterion-Based Assessments (HSCBA), and New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK)
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Terrell, Jerard L.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 11/16/2023
- Date Created:
- 2015
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to examine the sustained impact of participation in the Tools of the Mind preschool program on language arts, mathematics, reading and writing achievement in middle school, the specific impact of participation on racial subgroups and socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and the effects of student mobility on academic achievement. Using a nonexperimental, quantitative, longitudinal design, the achievement of the original cohort of students who participated in the program was examined over 2 consecutive years. The results of the study suggest that participation in the Tools of the Mind program increases the overall achievement of socioeconomically disadvantaged students and the writing performance of African American students. Analysis of student mobility data revealed that a high rate of student mobility has a negative impact on student achievement. These study results are consistent with decades of research into the impact of participation in a high-quality preschool program. Caution should be taken in interpreting the results because promotion of the development of self-regulation and executive function, aspects that set the Tools of the Mind program apart from other preschool programs, is not measured by the NJASK, and thus the impact of the program may have been underestimated.
- Keyword:
- Tools of the Mind, Preschool, Middle School, Socioeconomically disadvantaged students , African American Students , and NJASK
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Millaway, Sally A.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/07/2020
- Date Modified:
- 11/16/2023
- Date Created:
- 2015
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Keyword:
- school board , school superintendent, role of relationship , State of New Jersey, and stakeholders
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Reisenauer, Lauren
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/26/2018
- Date Modified:
- 10/26/2023
- Date Created:
- Mar-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Studies have investigated student-faculty relations and its impact on children’s lives, repeatedly citing many benefits. With a lack of research on the high school level on how these relations affect academic self-perception, the purpose of this study was to examine first year college students’ interactions with faculty in high school and its impact on student academic self-ratings. Using data from the 2013 CIRP Freshman Survey that was given to thousands of first-time, full-time college freshmen across the nation, ANOVA results found significant differences between first year college students’ engagement in high school activities and influences involving educators and their academic self-ratings. The analysis indicates a positive relationship between increased amounts of activities or influences involving educators and student academic self-ratings. Furthermore, the analysis shows favorable results on how student academic self-ratings impact school performance, which provides support that besides increased student-faculty interaction impacting academic self-perception, it can indirectly have a positive impact on student performance. Educational leaders should further seek implementation of increased student-faculty interaction to benefit student confidence and performance.
- Subject:
- Students’ Academic Self-Ratings , Education, Student Engagement, and Educator Influence
- Creator:
- Ferraro, Stephen
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/26/2018
- Date Modified:
- 10/12/2023
- Date Created:
- Dec-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1.6% of Americans identify as gay or lesbian and 0.7% identify as bisexual (Somashekhar, 2014). Applying these statistics to the number of public school teachers in New Jersey indicates that of the more than 114,000 teachers, over 1,800 teachers would identify as gay or lesbian and almost 800 teachers would identify as bisexual (New Jersey Department of Education [NJDOE], 2016). The findings of this study provide insight to the school climate of LGBT teachers and offer guidance to boards of education, administration, and pre-service teacher training programs. This study used qualitative research methods and was divided into two phases. The first phase of the study consisted of participants completing an online survey. Potential participants were notified of the survey through emails, social media, advertisements, flyers/posters, letters, and in-person requests. The survey was accessible to all current public school teachers in New Jersey. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment based on homophobic remarks, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics. The results of this survey were used to create a cohort faction of four teachers. Of the four teachers chosen to continue with the study, two scored the lowest on the survey, indicating a high prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools, and two scored the highest on the survey, indicating a low prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools. The second phase of the study included face-to-face interviews in a semi-structured format. Participants answered open-ended questions. The purpose of the face-to-face interviews was to examine the indicators of school climate as well as the overall school climate for LGBT teachers.
- Subject:
- School Climate, Education, LGBTQ+, and K-12 Public Schools
- Creator:
- Burns, Lori B.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 10/12/2023
- Date Created:
- 2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- In 2010-2011, urban high schools across New Jersey reported suspension rates that ranged between 10 and 20%. This rate translated into increased dropout rates and low graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influenced suspension rates, dropout rates and graduation rates of an urban New Jersey high school. More specifically, this study began as an inquiry into the effectiveness of the Student Youth Development (SYD) program, an alternative to an in-school and out-of-school suspension developed to help at-risk students to recognize and replace dysfunctional behavioral and academic decisions. An innovative practice, added to SYD in its fourth year, was assigning the student to write a reflective essay. The theoretical lens for this mixed-methods study was Duckworth’s concepts of grit and the value of self-control in the expression of learners who demonstrate grit (Duckworth, Gendler & Gross, 2014), The assumption that guided this study was that students who expressed self-control were more likely than those who did not to develop appropriate school behaviors and complete their courses for the year. Six coders, who were educators in the high school trained to recognize expressions of self-control, read 30 reflective essays written by at-risk students during the first semester of the 2015-2016 school year, examining them for themes of self-control. The student-authors’ self-control scores were then compared to their subsequent behavioral and academic performances. While the multiple comparisons found no statistically significant correlation between self-control themes and a student’s behavioral and academic outcomes, the patterns of students’ subsequent performances did show that participating in the SYD program yielded moderately significant positive outcomes with respect to the subsequent behavior records and academic performances of the at-risk students. In debriefings that followed the coding of the essays, staff members articulated the value of the concept of self-control for understanding and interacting with the at-risk students. Based upon these unanimous reports, the researcher recommends the following interventions: the implementation of emotional intelligence training for staff and students; opportunities for reflective writing in the History and English curriculum; and, the addition of a certified counselor to proactively assist students with emerging issues of character development.
- Subject:
- Reflective Writings, Urban High Schools, Self Control Themes , Education, At-Risk Students, and Prevention Behavioral and Academic Growth
- Creator:
- Burch, David W.
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 10/12/2023
- Date Created:
- Jul-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Financial crunching has created a vacuum in the mission of community colleges, with specific focus paid to completion rates and degree attainment of students from low economic settings. This constraint on a profound national level has imposed a general concern to the American society, and many of our community colleges have aligned with global affordable technology, worldwide demand for accessible high quality education, and ever-increasing revenue that calls for a strategic path to fundraising. In this study, resource dependence theory, highlights fundraising as a capacity-building management tool that leads educational leadership team down to varied ways of success. This theoretical framework was used for this study to explore the correlational impact prevailing between the strategies of fundraising, such as capital appropriation, endowment, charity gifts, and grants as independent variables and completion rates as dependent variables. As predictive research, this study is open to predicting the future status of the dependent or outcome variable on the basis of four attributes of the independent variable characterized as fundraising. The dependent variable of college completion rate is a key component of discussions about accountability in higher education, with a specific relationship in the 19 community colleges in New Jersey within four academic years. This strategic alternative resource is the most descriptive means of using fundraising to meet state workforce, educational, and economic goals, as well as essentially enhancing the diverse array of community colleges to achieve the most successful return on student completion rate, which is the sole concern of college presidents in New Jersey who have limited staffing and budgets for fundraising.
- Subject:
- Financial, Education, Community College, and Fundraising
- Creator:
- Aribe, Stephen Chukwuemeka
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 10/12/2023
- Date Created:
- Nov-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- The demands of high-stakes testing, tenure reform, and teacher accountability have dominated the landscape of education for almost two decades. The expectations placed on public schools require leadership that supports and motivates teachers to perform at extremely high levels. Public schools therefore must fill their institutions with principals who possess a leadership style that can inspire and empower teachers to tackle these demands and set a clear vision for the future of their schools. Transformational leadership is a model of leadership that has been shown to elevate and motivate followers to perform beyond organizational expectations. The purpose of this study is to examine the common transformational leadership behaviors and methods of application utilized by public school principals. This study uses quantitative and qualitative methods of research separated into two stages. In the first stage, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire-Self (MLQ) was used to survey 66 public school principals in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The results of the survey were analyzed and used to develop a cohort of 10 principals to participate in the qualitative stage of the study. In this second stage, the cohort of 10 principals participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews in order for the researcher to further examine their behaviors and methods of application. The data from the MLQ and the interviews revealed that transformational leadership exists in public schools in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The results from this study identified specific behaviors and methods of application that align with the four domains of transformational leadership. This study contributes to the existing research on transformational leadership and also provides current public school principals with information regarding behaviors that can be implemented to enhance their practices. Further research that builds upon the application of transformational leadership and its effect on variables such as school climate, teacher turnover, and student achievement would reveal the influence that transformational leadership has on other aspects of school leadership.
- Keyword:
- Public School , Transformational leadership Practices, high-stakes testing, tenure reform, leadership style, Transformational leadership , quantitative methods, qualitative methods , Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire-Self (MLQ) , Monmouth County, New Jersey, school climate, teacher turnover, student achievement, and school leadership
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Aldarelli, Edward
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 02/29/2024
- Date Created:
- Jul-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- This study focuses on understanding the impact of voice on a student conduct administrator’s role and retention in that role at community colleges. By understanding the development of student services from the Colonial era to present day and providing background information about the different types of approaches utilized to address student conduct violations, this study builds the framework to understand the impact of voice on a student conduct administrator’s role and retention in that role at community colleges. The theoretical frameworks-exit, voice, loyalty, (Hirschman, 1970), use of the ProSocial Voice (Dyne, Ang, & Botero, 2003), and principles of effective retention (Tinto, 1987) provide the foundation for the use of a qualitative narrative approach to answer the research questions (1) what impact does the ability to use voice as a student conduct administrator have on the professional’s remaining in the position? (1a) what, if any, impact does the ability to facilitate change in the institution’s student conduct process influence the professional’s remaining in the position? (1b) what, if any, impact does a student conduct administrator’s ability to advocate for the use of an approach of their choosing to address conduct violations influence his or her remaining in the position? 12 60-90 minute interviews were conducted with current student conduct administrators that work at the community college institution. Chapter 1 informs the reader about the problem, chapter two provides a detailed literature review, chapter 3 outlines the methodology and sample while chapter four provides themes of the study and data analysis. The final chapter, chapter five, discusses the findings, and recommendations for policy, practice and future studies.
- Keyword:
- Community College , Impact of voice, Student Conduct, and Administrator's Role
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Bhatt, Juhi
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 02/29/2024
- Date Created:
- Jul-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Description:
- Using paraprofessionals to meet the social, self-care, and instructional needs of special education students began in the 1960s. The roles, duties, and expectations for these paraprofessionals evolved over the subsequent fifty years. Special education paraprofessionals play an important role in the education of students with disabilities. Since the inclusion of students with disabilities in nationally mandated assessments, their utilization has increased (Brenton, 2010). The research literature has shown that these paraprofessionals have not received adequate training for, or supervision while, performing their responsibilities and duties. Findings from the literature also highlight that these individuals provide a disproportionate amount of instruction to students with disabilities when compared to certified educators. This study focused on the responsibilities, duties, and professional needs of special education paraprofessionals in kindergarten through sixth grades. Using a concurrent mixed methods design, it utilized a three-part survey and one-time interviews to inform recommendations for expanding data collection and creating a sustainable learning community for the specific sample analyzed during this study. The current study found that many of the responsibilities and duties of this sample of special education paraprofessionals are different from those revealed in previous research. According to their responses, they do not operate independently, and they spend a significant amount of time following the teachers’ lessons plans and working under the teachers’ direct supervision. This sample of professional development needs focused on duties and responsibilities that they would like to learn more about or perform better, including training in behavior management and one-on-one tutoring.
- Keyword:
- Self-Care , Paraprofessionals, Special Education, and Urban School District
- Subject:
- Education
- Creator:
- Bertolero, Kristin
- Owner:
- skushner@saintpeters.edu
- Publisher:
- Saint Peter's University
- Date Uploaded:
- 10/25/2018
- Date Modified:
- 02/02/2024
- Date Created:
- 11-May-2017
- Rights Statement:
- In Copyright
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation