Doctor of Education, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

This study sought to explore the perceived effectiveness of a teacher mentoring program in a large urban school district in Ohio. One hundred fifty-three new teachers enrolled in the district's residency mentoring program were surveyed about its effectiveness and general demographic information within their first five years of teaching. Furthermore, ten survey respondents volunteered to be interviewed, with five randomly chosen for the study. The results of this study were intended to provide insight into how teacher mentoring programs can help reduce the rate of new teachers leaving the profession, which has increased by 50% in the last decade, as well as the rate of experienced teachers going, which is over 20%. Half of all new teachers are gone within five years, leaving districts and states to invest heavily in recruiting, hiring, and retaining new teachers to combat this growing issue. Over the past decade, the number of new teachers leaving their profession has increased by more than 20% nationally. Many new teachers leave the profession within the first three years, and half are gone within five years. To address this issue, billions of dollars are spent by districts and states to recruit, hire, and retain new teachers. The research was conducted to understand how new teachers feel about their mentoring program in a large urban school district. The opinions of these teachers were examined to explore the program's effectiveness, given the significant investments districts and states have made in recruiting, hiring, and retaining them. This research utilized Bandura's social cognitive theory, sociocultural theory, and Knowles's adult learning theory to explore how new teachers viewed the benefits and drawbacks of their mentoring program, the strategies employed, and what modifications could be made to enhance it. Through surveys, interviews, and transcripts, the research found that having a mentor, more structure, collaboration, and support (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lucian Szlizewski, Dr. (Advisor); Sherrill Sellers Dr. (Committee Member); Kate Rousmaniere, Dr. (Committee Co-Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2019, College of Education and Human Services

The study examined the acculturation experiences of Asian Indian immigrant math and science teachers in a K-12 urban school district. The study was preceded by a pilot study in 2008 to develop a protocol for dissertation, which examined the acculturation experiences of professional Asian Indian females and cultural values conflict in the United States. The current research investigated if being a math or science teacher in an urban school district has influenced the participants' acculturation process in the United States. Framed in social constructivism theory, the researcher used the phenomenological approach to investigate the meaning-making process of immigrant professional teachers in their new social environment. The study explored factors, such as gender roles, work environment, and cultural values to extrapolate if participants' perceptions changed regarding these after interacting with the mainstream culture. The results indicated successful acculturation of the participants by clearly adopting the values of the host culture, and retaining their own-hence, finding a balanced approach between the two. The research will benefit the new immigrants, teaching professionals in K-12, counselors, and school administrators to assist the immigrant populations in schools and professional environment.

Committee: Brian Harper PhD (Committee Chair); Catherine Hansman PhD (Committee Member); Anne Galletta PhD (Committee Member); Hebat-Allah El Attar PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian American Studies; Bilingual Education; Curriculum Development; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Educational Tests and Measurements; Mathematics Education; Science Education

PHD, Kent State University, 2015, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

The teaching of writing in elementary school settings has been well documented through research. However, when it comes to secondary schools settings, the literature reveals a gap in treatment of writing instruction in an urban school environment. This study adds to the literature guided by three major research questions: (1) What beliefs do secondary teachers across the curriculum hold about teaching writing in an urban high school? (2) What are secondary teachers' experiences with writing instruction in an urban high school? (3) What tensions emerge for secondary teachers with writing instruction in an urban high school that is implementing Common Core State Standards? The purpose of this interpretative qualitative study was to understand six secondary teachers' writing beliefs, experiences, and tensions in implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) with respect to writing instruction across the curriculum through a social constructivist framework. Purposeful Sampling and Responsive Interview Method procedures were utilized in this study. Teachers participated in interview sessions along with follow-up questions during a school semester. Data transcribed and coded using NVivo software. Themes and patterns identified as they emerged through analysis of statements and interpretation of data collected. The findings of this study suggest that teachers have limited skills and various challenges that prevent effective writing instruction in the classroom. These results prompted the presentation of numerous implications for teachers, administrators, school districts, and teacher educational programs.

Committee: William Bintz Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Lori Wilfong Ph.D. (Committee Co-Chair); Susan Iverson Ph.D. (Committee Member); Steve Turner Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: African American Studies; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Leadership; Higher Education; Language Arts; Literacy; Minority and Ethnic Groups; School Administration; Secondary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Education, University of Toledo, 2014, Educational Administration and Supervision

Investigations in the field of teacher epistemology have been informative in that they have provided a framework for identifying which epistemic beliefs are associated with student- and teacher centered instruction (Schraw & Olafson, 2002) and which beliefs prevent teachers from adopting student centered instructional practices (Gill, Ashton, & Algina, 2004). Understanding teachers' epistemic beliefs is an important asset to school districts because it provides insight on which teachers may require additional intervention to adopt new teaching practices. However, few studies have examined the epistemic beliefs of high school teachers. There were three objectives of this investigation: (1) to identify the proportions of high school teachers in one urban district whose epistemic beliefs reflect resistance to change teaching practices (Gill et al., 2004; Patrick & Pintrich, 2010) versus those with beliefs amenable to adopting new practices (Feucht, 2010); (2) to identify the proportion of teachers with teacher- and student centered epistemic beliefs by area of certification, and (3) to establish whether relationships exist between high school teachers' epistemic beliefs and selected demographic variables. Findings showed that 57.9% of teachers surveyed held epistemic beliefs that reflect a student centered orientation. Few relationships were found between high school teachers' epistemic beliefs and selected demographic factors. Implications for teacher epistemology research and school district leaders were discussed.

Committee: Nancy Staub (Committee Chair); Dale Snauwaert (Committee Member); Mary Ellen Edwards (Committee Member); Shanda Gore (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Education Philosophy; Education Policy; Educational Evaluation; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Theory; Epistemology; Pedagogy; Secondary Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Education (EdD), Ohio University, 2013, Educational Administration (Education)

This study is a narrative inquiry that explores the understandings of elementary principals in schools where the racial and cultural makeup of the student body differs markedly from the racial and cultural makeup of the teaching staff. I purposefully selected principals who work in majority-Black schools staffed with majority-White teachers. I conducted in-depth interviews with ten Midwest elementary principals, five White and five Black, in three different urban areas. I transcribed these interviews and used the resulting transcript data as well as my field notes as the primary data sources from which to draw conclusions. My data analysis surfaced three themes that describe how principals collectively understand such schools and their leadership in them. First, the principals' own biography seemingly influenced how they understood, experienced, and engaged race and racism in their schools. Second, principals envisioned their leadership role as moral agents and used their moral power to assuage the perceived social injustices experienced by students. Third, principals understood that they functioned in a culture of fear where teachers were afraid of Black students, their parents, and the Black community surrounding the schools.

Committee: Craig Howley (Committee Chair) Subjects: Educational Leadership; School Administration

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Educational Studies

The purpose of this empirical study was to explore the lived experiences of African American retired female teachers who have prior experience with educating urban African American students in public schools. Also explored are the experiences of active African American female teachers of urban African American students and comparisons are analyzed. The research questions explore how retired African American educators perceived and describe their experiences with urban students and how their experiences can be used to improve teacher training programs designed to help teachers adapt to school reform. Conceptually, this study was framed within the context that stories are an effective way to communicate experiences, as supported by Dewey and Erickson. Data was collected through a series of interviews. Initially, a line by line analysis was conducted on the responses of 6 respondents, 3 retired and 3 active African American women, who were chosen from a large metropolitan area based upon their designation as retirees and their willingness to participate. Each interview question was coded for specific information. Each code was derived as a result of repetitive analysis with a goal of identifying patterns and drawing out as much information as possible about the respondents' lived experiences with urban educational. The results of the study suggest that listening to retirees is an effective way to evaluate previous pedagogues and practices, from the perspectives of those who lived through them, information about how they were implemented. The retirees were eager to use their experiences to convey messages of hope and give advice to pre-service and active teachers about strategies to use when adapting to educating urban African American students. This study contributes to positive social change by providing suggestions to improve professional development programs, which could lead to better teaching experiences for pre-service and active teachers and higher recruitment a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Vanessa Allen-brown Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Dorothy E. Battle Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lionel Brown Ed.D. (Committee Member); Stephen Sunderland Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2013, Educational Leadership

The purpose of this study was to ascertain contributing leadership factors that teachers describe as influencing the overall climate, culture, and organizational health of a K-8 school in an urban setting. Specifically, the research question was "What are the leadership characteristics identified by teachers as affecting the overall organizational health of high achieving K-8 schools in an urban Midwestern city?" A qualitative research approach was used to examine the research question. Three K-8 buildings in the Columbus City School District were selected, each with long tenured, female principals. A total of twenty teachers and administrators chose to participate in the study. After first confirming that each building was seen by teachers to have strong organizational health, each was asked a series of interview questions, designed to determine in what ways teachers believed the principal to influence the climate, culture, and health of their building. An inductive approach to data analysis (Merriam, 1988) was utilized in order to identify emergent themes centered on the research question. First, teacher reported contributions to the building's success that did not directly involve the principal were removed and reported separately. Data analysis was again employed and four common themes or characteristics then emerged, centered on the principal's influence on each building. These are: (1) advocacy, (2) support of teachers, (3) communication, and (4) temperament. Implications of these findings on practice are presented as well as recommendations for future research.

Committee: C. Daniel Raisch Ph.D. (Advisor); Carolyn Ridenour Ed.D. (Committee Member); Paul Sweeney Ph.D. (Committee Member); Pamela Young Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Leadership

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Urban Educational Leadership

The purpose of this research was to examine teachers perspectives on transitioning from a predominately whole to small-group delivery method during reading instruction. This study used a qualitative approach and nested itself in an epistemology of constructivism. The research operated under the umbrella of practice ethnography as it closely examined a reading framework that incorporated small-group instruction. Research was conducted in a large urban school district. There were four teachers who participated in the study. All four teachers were implementing a small-group delivery method. Pre-observational surveys, classroom observations and post-observational interviews were used to gain insight into their practice. Using a theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism, the researcher presented case studies to reveal each teachers reaction as she transitioned from a whole to small-group delivery method. A cross-case analysis was conducted to capture their responses regarding the challenges and benefits of implementing this type of delivery method. The researcher found that although teachers felt that the theory of using a small-group delivery method is pedagogically sound, the process of implementation may be overwhelming. The study found that this delivery method promoted students‟ discourse, social skill development, student-teacher relationships and increased the opportunities for students to respond and actively engage in the learning process. The study also found that one key benefit to using a small-group delivery method is that teachers are able to provide differentiated and individualized instruction according to students academic needs. A list of clearly-identified patterns of effective classroom management strategies and behaviors that are needed when utilizing this delivery method emerged from the study. A primary conclusion from the study is that using a small-group delivery method is not only an academically sound practice for urban schools, but st (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lanthan Camblin PhD (Committee Chair); Roger Collins PhD (Committee Member); Lionel Brown EdD (Committee Member); Annette Hemmings PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Elementary Education

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2008, Education : Urban Educational Leadership

This qualitative study investigated the connection between the behaviors of principals and teacher job satisfaction and motivation, and how this connection results in increased teacher retention. Particularly, the researcher looked at what strategies principals use to motivate and encourage teachers to remain at a school. The researcher also examined teachers' primary reasons for staying at a particular school. Two urban high schools were the sites for this study. The researcher conducted both focus groups and interviews. Individual interviews were held with two principals; one principal had two years of experience and the other had seven years of experience. In addition, the researcher conducted individual interviews with three teachers from each school. One focus group at each school, each composed of three to four participants, also yielded data. The research showed that college education programs do not adequately prepare teachers to work with students and face the various challenges that often accompany them. Teachers need support in order to succeed as educators. The data revealed that the principal sets the tone and is the driving force of a school, thereby having a huge impact on the school environment. Though teachers were more likely to stay at schools where they felt a connection to their students, this study found that the principal is instrumental in teacher retention. The researcher found that though teachers believe they directly have control of many aspects of the school reality, the principal continues to orchestrate and facilitate school operations in an indirect, inclusive manner. The effective, invisible principal creates an environment where teachers are empowered and moved to the forefront, while the principal navigates from the background. The ability of the teacher to focus on teaching and learning is directly correlated with the principal's ability to maintain a safe and orderly environment, complete with the supports and recognition teacher (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lanthan Camblin PhD (Committee Chair); Roger Collins PhD (Committee Member); Terry Joyner EdD (Committee Member); Steve Sunderland PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education; Educational Sociology; Educational Theory; School Administration

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Curriculum and Instruction

Lower socio-economic African-American students are at-risk in the area of literacy in academics. This may come from a disconnect between the discourse of the student and the discourse of academics. It is a teacher's responsibility to make a connection between these discourses to support academic success. The purpose of this study was to ascertain what knowledge European-American teachers in an urban district brought to the literacy education of their African-American students. Using one-on-one interviews, the participants responded not only to questions to determine experience and professional knowledge, but also to scenarios that incorporated African-American culture and language communication techniques. The results revealed that four European-American teachers who were interviewed had a foundational knowledge of African-American culture. However, the participants might benefit from a more in-depth knowledge of African-American communication techniques to support connections between the students' personal discourse and the academic discourse. The study also found that the European-American teachers interviewed did reveal knowledge of culturally relevant teaching. Despite this knowledge, the participants did not incorporate culturally relevant teaching in its entirety. By incorporating a more comprehensive approach to the implementation of culturally relevant teaching, the student might be better supported in the academic setting.

Committee: Helen Meyer (Advisor) Subjects:

EdD, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Education : Counselor Education

This study's purpose was to explore the daily work lives of urban teachers to understand how they experienced career fit, and factors that helped them work in the environment. The ecological counseling model was used as the framework to understand the person-environment fit of five urban teachers, whose stories are revealed in this qualitative inquiry. Teachers described an urban school as challenging, with poor funding, few supplies, disadvantaged low-achieving students, and little parental or administrative support. Students from violent neighborhoods came with family issues associated with poverty: substance abuse, poor health, domestic abuse, and broken families. Urban-dwelling students are at risk because of the emotional, psychological, and intellectual problems that define the plight of poverty. Initial coding created themes: sense of responsibility, personal rewards, caring, resourcefulness, flexibility, and autonomy. Teachers felt responsibility for students' intellectual, moral and emotional development, using personal resources of flexibility, resourcefulness and caring. Lacking support from parents or administrators, they felt autonomous, but despite challenges, teachers experienced personal rewards. Further analysis revealed three ecological principles of import: multiple contexts are considered, interactions between person and environment are particularly salient, and meaning making is the basis for how people perceive reality. Multiple contexts involved daily assessments of student interactions. Interactions between person and environment were also salient for teachers to define their life-career context. The principle of meaning making was how teachers perceived reality in relation to the urban setting, shaping their own experiences, values, attitudes, goals and purposes. This study bridged two disciplines, counseling and education, to explore the career fit of urban teachers. Data supported use of the ecological counseling model to promote understan (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Ellen Cook (Advisor) Subjects:

PHD, Kent State University, 2007, College of Education, Health, and Human Services / Department of Teaching, Leadership and Curriculum Studies

This qualitative hermeneutic study examined the lived experiences of 5 preservice secondary English/language arts teachers. It specifically examined their negotiation of an early urban field placement and their reflections upon the general methodology course in which it was embedded. The course was designed to facilitate their understanding of Henderson's (2001) teaching for democratic living through 3S understanding. The study employed an adaptation of Pinar's (1976) method of currere to scaffold their reflection. The study examines the origins of the participants' pre-understandings of urban public schools, as well as their considerations of them after leaving the field. Incorporated in to the participants' currere narratives are also their reflections on Henderson's teaching for democratic living and Pinar's currere.

Committee: James Henderson (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2009, College of Education and Human Services

The purposes of this research were to analyze the influence of participants' experiences on their culturally responsive pedagogical development and consider the policy implications for higher education, schools and school districts, and the state. Four substitute teachers from three urban school districts participated in a professional development experience—autodidactic cultural diversity development—to learn about culturally responsive pedagogy and implement it in their classrooms. Participants' upbringing, collegiate experiences, substitute teaching experiences, and the professional development influenced their development as culturally responsive educators. This research may also be used to inform policy discussions regarding the value and applicability of the substitute teaching experience for preservice teachers and cultural diversity professional development for substitute teachers. Autodidactic cultural diversity development is comprised of the culturally responsive pedagogical taxonomy (Feola's taxonomy) and literature-integrated, autoethnographic reflection. The taxonomy includes nine facets for learning the attitudes and skills of culturally responsive pedagogy. Participants read nine excerpts from the culturally responsive teaching literature, which illustrated aspects of the taxonomy, over 15 weeks and used an autoethnographic reflection form to analyze eight substitute teaching experiences. The structured reflection promoted the integration of the literature and their teaching experiences. Case study and narrative inquiry methodologies informed data collection and analysis. Utilizing data from two focus groups, two individual interviews, and eight written reflections, participants' culturally responsive pedagogical development was analyzed through a conceptual framework of the conceptual change model. NVIVO, a qualitative research analysis software, was used to facilitate data analysis. Each participant's case highlights her or his development and the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Carl PhD (Committee Chair); Catherine Hansman PhD (Committee Co-Chair); Frederick Hampton PhD (Committee Member); Judith Stahlman PhD (Committee Member); Ana Maria Villegas PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Education; Educational Evaluation; Higher Education; Multicultural Education