We are currently revising and reimagining the Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership (EOLL) program. Therefore, we are not accepting applications for this program at this time, but we plan to offer admissions to our new educational leadership doctoral program in the future. Please continue to check back to learn more about our new and exciting reimagined leadership doctoral program!
This dissertation outlines the need for more to be done to help general education students succeed in reading within the public school system. It presents current data surrounding public education and potential sources to improve reading among young students. It explores the research surrounding reading motivation, reading fluency, and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and the impact of AAT on reading scores and attitude toward reading through a study with boys who are general education students in a second grade classroom. The study employed a single-subject design and collected multiple baseline measures across subjects to determine the effects of students' reading progress and attitude towards reading when participating in reading sessions with a therapy dog. A Motivation Survey assessment was used to attempt to identify the participants' answer to how much they like to read and results in this study were shown to be suspect. Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) was used to measure students' oral reading fluency. In this study, AAT was shown to have a large effect on participants' oral reading fluency scores.
Dissertation completed by Jessica Conte.
Full dissertation title: "Preventing the Summer Slide: Using Closed Captioning and Same-Language Subtitling on Television as a Literacy Tool in the Home to Increase Reading Achievement".
This quantitative quasi-experimental comparative study asked to what extent the use of closed captioning and same-language subtitling used during regular television programming and on movies on DVD may be a supplementary literacy tool in the home during the summer months to increase reading achievement and prevent the "summer slide" (or loss of learning) that typically occurs during summer months when students are not in school. Parents of first graders from two Title 1 schools in the greater Seattle urban area constituted the voluntarily sample in this study. The treatment group used closed captioning and same-language subtitling as a literacy tool in the home during the summer months, while the control group did not use this tool in their homes during the summer months. All parents (treatment and control) gave permission to the school to report their child's first grade spring end- of-year (EndYear1) reading oral fluency scores and fall beginning-of-year (BeginYear2) oral reading fluency scores as measured by the DIBELS instrument commonly administered in schools. All parents also answered a parent survey about their child's reading and viewing habits during the summer. Treatment and control group DIBELS scores were compared by computing a 2x2 ANOVA. The treatment group did outperform the control group but these mean scores did not yield significant results.
However, t tests and effect sizes were calculated on change scores and provided promising results. The findings indicated that most of the children in the treatment group increased their fluency scores over the summer unlike the control where several experienced the summer slide in reading. This study is important because it is the first ever conducted in the home. Future studies need to be conducted with larger sample sizes to more definitively reveal the extent to which closed captioning and same-language subtitling could be used in the home as a practical, readily available, and cost-effective tool to increase reading achievement and prevent the summer slide in all types of children from all different backgrounds during the summer months.
Dissertation completed by Joy Brooke.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore to what degree there is currently agreement among a group of researcher, planning, and community practice experts from diverse fields on 1) the characteristics of a high-capacity community, 2) the best ways to build community capacity, and 3) what leadership models are most effective in the process. The researcher used a three-round Delphi method eliciting narrative responses from 16 experts in five categories: definitions, characteristics, indicators, best practices, and leadership related to community capacity. Participants then reviewed the major themes compiled from the group responses, revised or retained their initial responses, and ranked their agreement on those themes.
Over the three rounds, participant agreement grew from 23% to 100% on 44 themes or concepts that emerged. Participants further agreed on the importance of four concepts across all five categories. They were: building relationships, collective reflection, collective action, and expanding leadership. Participants also agreed that social justice and equity are core values for building true community capacity. The researcher concluded that there is a higher degree of agreement among diverse practitioners about building community capacity than the literature might indicate and that building authentic relationships is at the heart of the work. The study further suggested that when uncovering the strengths of community, a lack of agreement should not be confused with disagreement. Community capacity increases as a community becomes more able to identify and mobilize its diversities, not only its similarities.
Dissertation completed by Geoffrey Morgan.
Promise scholarships, which guarantee tuition assistance to entire student populations, have become a new trend in higher education financial aid. This study examined the demographics and academic achievement of students who attend a community college through a promise scholarship program. This retrospective case study used student enrollment records to describe the demographics and academic achievement of these promise scholarship students. Results found that the students who enrolled in the community college using the promise scholarship were predominantly students of color and students who were considered academically disadvantaged. Promise scholarships, especially at community colleges, appear to be an effective strategy to increase college enrollment for underserved students; however since many of these students struggled to make substantial progress toward a degree or certificate, it is strongly advised that additional student and academic support services be made available for these students and that educational leaders better understand and quantify the value of college attendance beyond persistence or completion.
Dissertation completed by Elizabeth Pluhta.
Full dissertation title: "The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Among African American Women Breast Cancer Survivors".
This study explores the perceptions and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by African American women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer when making treatment decisions. The study also addresses to what extent African American women breast cancer survivors perceive themselves as strong advocates for their own health and as leaders in promoting self- health advocacy for other African American women.
Issues examined in this study are participants' knowledge, attitudes, and roles in relation to CAM as a treatment option for African American women living in greater metropolitan Seattle, Washington. Areas explored are (a) awareness and understanding of CAM modalities, (b) access/barriers to CAM providers, (c) access/barriers to good nutrition and exercise, (d) the benefits of integrating CAM into treatment plans, (e) how the attitudes of mainstream providers influence the choice of CAM, (f) how spiritual beliefs influence healthcare decisions, and (g) the leadership role of African American women in their own health advocacy.
The study design is mixed methods, using two surveys and key informant interviews. It is non-causal, instead focusing on the participants' personal experiences and perspectives relevant to CAM. The sample for the surveys was African American breast cancer survivors. The two key informants were physicians who treat breast cancer patients. All data were triangulated to determine alignment.
Keywords: better nutrition, breast cancer, complementary and alternative medicine, exercise, health advocacy, spirituality, western/conventional medicine.
Dissertation completed by Paula Houston.
Full dissertation title: "Me? A Leader? An Examination of African American Girls and Their Perceptions of Leadership".
Literature regarding African American girls and leadership development is scarce. With a preponderance of the literature focusing on issues such as teenage pregnancy and high school dropout rates among urban African American adolescent girls, this study sought to provide a healthy view of African American girls as leaders and agents of change. The purpose of this study was to give voice to African American girls to understand how they come to define, perceive, and express themselves as leaders. From different regions of the United States, 12 African American girls who were actively engaged in leadership roles were interviewed. Data collected through the interviews revealed that (a) family and upbringing was the strongest influence on respondents' self-perceptions as a leader (b) mentors and role models were not only highly valued among respondents, but were a critical aspect of their leadership formation, (c) respondents were keenly aware of the negative influences that mainstream and social media held on their self- and public perceptions as leaders, and (d) respondents expressed a desire for more practical leadership skills , such as conflict resolution, as part of their development as leaders.
Keywords: African American girls, Black girls, leadership, leadership development, mentors.
Dissertation completed by Michelle Majors.
Full dissertation title: "Macroergonomics Interventions: Influence of Referral Method, Psychosocial, and Demographic Factors on Outcomes".
Most mainstream ergonomics scholars concur that interventions work in eliminating the etiology and minimizing the exacerbation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD). Many advocate for participatory ergonomics (PE) as the preferred method of engaging employees in the intervention process. Currently, there is a paucity of research on the effectiveness of PE engagement processes. This study explored the efficacy of one PE engagement practice—referral method (self or mandated). The study examined the influence of referral method, psychosocial, and demographic factors on intervention outcome variables: engagement, intervention implementation, strains, workers' compensation claims, workstation satisfaction, and overall job satisfaction.
Data came from two sources: (a) archival records from 714 public sector office workers and (b) a new instrument used to collect data from 387 workers who comprised a convenience sample. The study reported two new findings: (a) referral method does not influence ergonomics interventions and (b) self-referred participants file fewer post-assessment workers' compensation claims. The study also confirmed three prior results: (a) there is a prevalence of WRMSD reporting by women (Armstrong et al., 1993; Hales et al., 1994; Noak-Cooper et al., 2009), (b) socioeconomic status reflected by educational level is less of a factor on WRMSD outcomes than psychosocial factors (Gillen et al., 2007), and (c) psychosocial factors are essential in managing employee safety (de Lange et al., 2003; Goodman et al., 2005). This dissertation study's findings, in the King County context in which it was conducted, underscores the agency's equity and social justice policies that ". . . do not favor one group over the other" (Joines & Sommerich, 2001, p. 334).
Dissertation completed by Onyenma (Dan) Nwaelele.
Full dissertation title: "School Performance within the Economic and Cultural Contexts of Nine Nations: An Exploratory Study of Education Indicators".
The purpose of this study is to examine the context, processes, and outcomes of education in eight nations roughly comparable to the United States. The prime focus is on the "G-7" countries, the nations (including the United States) with the largest economies. Due to widespread public interest in educational attainment in Finland and China, these two nations are also examined. Adopting a socio-economic view known as a deontological approach, this study examines: various measures of poverty and inequity in these nations, social stress, support for young families, support for schools, along with a variety of outcome measures, including assessments of student performance and measures of overall system performance. This study involves identifying several large national and international data bases, mining the information in them for comparative purposes, and developing graphics, tables, and charts to display nations' standing relative to each other on these indicators. The intent is to explore the possibility of developing a working model of a comprehensive and credible indicator system that helps citizens and policymakers in these nations (including the United States) better understand the context in which their schools function.
The main conclusion is that this exploratory approach holds promise of providing a more comprehensive and balanced understanding of the social and economic context within which national school systems pursue their missions. The research identifies 24 indicators distributed across six broad dimensions: economic inequity, social stress, support for young families, support for schools, student outcomes, and system outcomes. Although a comprehensive indicator system can be developed for each of the G-7 nations and Finland, only a partial indicator system can be developed for China for which reliable national information on a number of measures, including student outcomes, is not available.
Keywords: education indicators, international comparisons, international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), aggregating indicators, indicator development.
Dissertation completed by James Harvey.
Full dissertation title: "Focused Learning to Improve Teacher Effectiveness (FLITE): Evaluating a Professional Development Model at an Elementary School".
The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of Focused Learning to Improve Teacher Effectiveness (FLITE), a job-embedded professional development model implemented at an elementary school in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Two types of data were collected to examine effectiveness, namely archival school data spanning several years prior to this study and input from current teachers at the school on their perceptions of the extent to which this model embodies the Standards for Professional Learning (Learning Forward, 2011). Overall results indicated that FLITE is closely aligned with the Standards for Professional Learning, which have been validated through research. Furthermore, archival teacher learning reflections and principal observation notes suggest substantial increases in teacher learning and varying degrees of increase in teacher implementation of formative-assessment practices. Finally, an examination of the trend means for Washington State Measures of Student Progress (MSP) over 3 years while the FLITE model was implemented indicate increases in students meeting standard for two groups: students in the non-low-income group, and students in the low-income group.
Dissertation completed by Melinda (Wendy) Eidbo.
This dissertation is a case study examining the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship education in universities. Social entrepreneurship has been defined as a process whose goal is social change and/or the development of mission driven social ventures. This study used the primary lens of social entrepreneurship as a process whose goal is sustainability, that is, the resilience and survivability of human culture and the natural environment. The research questions focus on the perceived demand, need, obstacles, and leadership impacts relating to the development of multi-disciplinary, university social entrepreneurship curricula emphasizing leadership, business, and technical skills. The author used an online survey, with 136 faculty members responding, who were involved with social entrepreneurship teaching and/or research, and interviews with five directors and senior faculty of university social entrepreneurship programs to gather data for the study. While most of the faculty associated with social entrepreneurship studies were associated with schools of business, others were involved with schools of leadership and public policy, engineering, and liberal arts. Some social entrepreneurship programs were interdisciplinary to the extent of not being located in just one school or part of the university, but rather in several, or centrally located under the university administration. The similarities in the findings between the interview and survey data indicated a consensus that social entrepreneurship studies fit well with the mission of the respondents' universities, and are in demand by students. Respondents also indicated a perception that there is support for these types of programs on the part of university administrators. Respondents further indicated that while at the present time the numbers of their students interested in going into a dedicated career as a social entrepreneur is low, participation in social entrepreneurship coursework would make students more attractive to a variety of potential employers particularly in the area of social enterprise, nonprofit and social service organizations. Finally, the respondents report an apparent belief that social entrepreneurship education is efficacious for producing more ethical, reflective, and effective future leaders.
Keywords: social entrepreneurship; sustainability; university education; interdisciplinary; mission-driven; social change.
Dissertation completed by Mark Pomerantz.
Full dissertation title: "A Qualitative Study of Graduate Theological Administrator Support of Student Community Engagement".
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how graduate theological administrators can best support student community engagement. The findings were based on a Delphi process of graduate theological administrators identified as student community engagement experts as well as a focus group of graduate theological students. Delphi participants responded to seven open-ended questions through an online survey. Focus group participants were interviewed to assess the Delphi participants' synthesis.
The theoretical frameworks included Tinto's (1975) interactionalist theory of retention as well as relevant commentaries (Baird, 2000; Bean & Eaton, 2000; Braxton, 2000; Elkins Nesheim et al., 2006; Kuh & Love, 2000), a framework of Schlossberg's (1989) marginality and mattering, and understandings of community in an interdependent and interconnected world (Block, 2008; Gardner, 1989; Peck, 1987; Wheatley, 2005, 2006).
Findings presented a synthesized definition of student community engagement, major benefits and challenges, best practices, and significance to graduate theological education. Two conclusions offered suggestions for how to best support student community engagement: graduate theological administrators should understand and communicate with students the educational and psychosocial benefits of student community engagement as well as faculty, administration, and staff should offer support and participate in student community engagement. Policy recommendations included: graduate theological education should advocate for student community; administrators, faculty, and staff should intentionally design, implement, and participate in student community engagement; administrators should offer students administrative and financial support to affect and build their student community as they deem necessary; and administrators of graduate theological education should routinely assess achieved student community engagement of their current student community.
Dissertation completed by Colette Casavant.
Full dissertation title: "Formal Testing Versus Teacher Identification: Models of Access to Advanced Learning Opportunities in Mathematics".
This research study investigated the achievement levels of elementary students identified for an advanced learning program by a school district's categorical model using a combination of ability and achievement testing, or by teachers with a developmental model using classroom performance and teacher observation. The purpose was to examine if there are differences in the students identified by the two models.
The study occurred in a public elementary school in the Northwestern United States. It examined the achievement of 373 students in first through fifth grades who were identified for advanced math classes using a categorical model of formal testing or a developmental model using teacher identification. Students' fall and spring MAP® test scores were collected from district servers and analyzed using paired t tests and ANOVA based on available demographic, grade level, and longitudinal data.
The results of the study show that both the categorically identified students and developmentally identified students increased their mean percentile rankings significantly during the study, demonstrating that these groups had benefitted from the advanced math classes. In addition, both groups of students showed significant increases in their mean percentile rankings at the fourth and fifth grade level as well as in the later years of the study, indicating that students may benefit from being in advanced math for longer time periods. Furthermore, using the developmental model, teachers were able to identify an ethnic population for the advanced math program that closely paralleled the school's population.
The data provide evidence that the developmental model may be an effective way to identify students for advanced learning opportunities, either alongside or in place of the categorical model. Further study on programs that use a developmental model to identify students may help to increase the range of key characteristics that can be used to effectively identify a diverse range of students who may benefit from advanced learning programs.
Dissertation completed by Martha May.
Full dissertation title: "Learning While Sick: Perceptions of Undergraduate Students with Chronic Illness on Their Academic Experiences".
The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of undergraduate students with chronic illness of their academic experience, including their perceptions of their experience with academic accommodations, and factors they perceived contributed to or obstructed their persistence to degree completion. Students with chronic illness are an emerging population in higher education.
Two theoretical frameworks provided the grounding for the study. The first was Rendon's (1994) construct of validation. The second framework identified seven critical factors for persistence to degree completion for students with disabilities and chronic illness, including (a) access to and use of academic accommodations, (b) self-determination and self-advocacy skills, (c) effective transition into higher education, (d) an academic environment that is engaging and validating, (e) positive relationships with peers, (f) skilled use of assistive and other technology, and (g) effective strategies to mitigate the effects of chronic illness.
Juniors and seniors who had registered with the disability services office at a 4-year private institution in the United States were invited to participate in the study. Students had an illness such as asthma, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, epilepsy, lupus, or multiple sclerosis. Chronic illnesses that were considered to be psychological disabilities were not the focus of this study. An online survey was designed for the study, which captured qualitative data. Survey data were analyzed using Creswell's (2009) approach to qualitative data analysis.
Findings indicated that students with chronic illness were engaged in a balancing act as they managed the dual roles of being a student and living with a chronic illness at the same time. Student actions, including strategic balancing of these roles, proactively addressing their chronic illness, willingness to seek help, and qualities such as being goal-oriented, determined and disciplined were factors which contributed to their persistence to degree completion. Institutional supports, including academic accommodations and supportive and understanding faculty members, were identified as significant. Obstacles to degree completion included chronic illness itself, negative interactions with faculty members, instances of lacking true academic accommodations, and structural issues.
Keywords: students with chronic illness, students with disabilities, persistence to degree completion, academic experience, undergraduate students, exploratory qualitative.
Dissertation completed by Elizabeth Skofield.
Full dissertation title: "Effects of Targeted Professional Development on Transition Services and Teacher Practice".
The purpose of this quantitative descriptive and correlational research was to study the effects of targeted professional development on teacher transition practice and documentation of how the Individual Education Plan (IEP) was implemented. Participants were secondary special education resource room teachers (n = 10) in a large urban school district in the Western United States. This study utilized the Levels of Use (Loucks, Newlove, & Hall, 1975) interview protocol from the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (Hall & Hord, 2015) to determine the level of change in teacher practice, which then was correlated with the transition services data documented in student IEPs. Overall results indicated that teacher participation in targeted professional development focused on providing student transition services does positively influence teacher classroom practice and compliance on student IEPs. These findings may inform transition technical assistance centers and state monitoring agencies by providing an effective professional development model for improvement in teacher practice and compliance.
Keywords: special education teacher, professional development, transition services, compliance.
Dissertation completed by Sue Ann Bube.
Full dissertation title: "Mapping and Meaning Making: A Portrait of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer College Undergraduate Experience".
This dissertation examined the meaning-making processes during undergraduate college experiences of students who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and the role that various influences in their lives play when they make decisions about their social, academic, and environmental choices. To examine this process, a phenomenological, non-causal qualitative study was conducted, which involved a camera-based method called Photovoice, and then a 60-minute face-to-face interview followed. Data collection took place at a 4-year public university in the Pacific Northwest with five undergraduate participants who self-identified as LGBTQ. Results revealed that (a) meaning making occurs through application of lessons learned through previous experiences; (b) decision making occurs through the influence of family, peers, and heteronormative stereotypes; and (c) the Photovoice method is an affirming and reflective process for meaning making. Overall, this study indicates that providing opportunities for self-reflection in higher education can assist students who identify as LGBTQ in make meaning of their undergraduate experiences.
Keywords: self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, self-authorship, meaning making, decision making.
Dissertation completed by Ashlee Norris.
This dissertation examines and compares the level of effective communication amongst academic advisors in institutions in the Pacific Northwest. Effective communication was explored through the lenses of framing, listening, and developmental management. A quantitative study employing the Communication Assessment (COMSA-R2) questionnaire, which assesses the interpersonal skills needed for effective communication, was administered to document the analysis. The questionnaire specifically evaluates and summarizes the interpersonal skills of (a) verbal expression, (b) listening, and (c) emotional management as successful traits for effective communication. Data were collected from academic advisors in higher education, from Northwestern American states and provinces (Northwest Region 8). Overall results indicate that (a) academic advisors perceived that they model effective communication, (b) academic advisors perceive that they have specific components of communication effectiveness, (c) more experienced academic advisors did not perceive that they have higher levels of effective communication compared to entry-level advisors, and (d) comparisons did not show differences amongst demographic categories.
Dissertation completed by Nadeje Alexandre.
Full dissertation title: "Mindfulness in K-12 Education: Transforming Students, Schools, and Educational Leadership".
This study identifies the necessary conditions for K-12 educational leaders to integrate mindfulness education into K-12 school programs in the United States. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated benefits in clinical settings and in neurological studies. Given these demonstrated benefits, mindfulness-based education is being introduced in K-12 public and private schools. However, there is little information about how this is being done. This qualitative study allowed the voices of educational leaders, educators, and facilitators of mindfulness who are integrating mindfulness education into K-I2 public and private schools to be heard.
The three-part methodological theoretical framework comprised of phenomenology, symbolic interactionism, and grounded theory employed a three-round Delphi process to analyze and interpret subjective responses of experts in educational leadership. The names of these experts were solicited from organizations that teach mindfulness in schools or to educators and educational leaders as well as from research professors in the field, presenters and attendees at a 2013 mindfulness conference, and three web-based groups: the Mindfulness in Education Network (MiEN), the Association for Mindfulness in Education (AME), and the Omega Mindfulness and Education Network. A combination of personal invitations and a snowball technique enhanced the purposive sample. The Delphi data collection and protocols consisted of three rounds of questionnaires.
The opinions of K-12 educational leaders created a framework of best practices for integrating mindfulness education into K-12 education. This dissertation study extends the efforts of educational leaders and offers directions and recommendations to those who have just begun or wish to begin integrating mindfulness education into K-12 public and private schools.
Keywords: education, educational leadership, mindfulness
Dissertation completed by Brody LaRock.
The dissertation being presented was a study of the impacts of wilderness education experiences on participant self-efficacy beliefs in subjects ages 11-18. The conceptual framework for the mixed methods study was developed by exploring two concepts: Nature Deficit Disorder (Louv, 2005) and Self-Efficacy Theory (Bandura, 1977, 1997). A non-experimental, pre-test, post-test design was used to study the impacts on N=27 participants in two different wilderness education programs. Implications for future research and an emerging theory in this area are included in this dissertation.
Dissertation completed by Rana Lokos.
Full dissertation title: " School district professional learning: Teachers' perceptions of instructional leadership, teacher practice, and student learning".
This dissertation study includes an evaluation of a school district model of professional learning that aims to improve school administrators' instructional leadership skills and teacher practice to positively impact student learning. This study employs a valid and reliable survey instrument that measures professional learning standards. The narrow content focus of this model of professional learning is formative assessment practices. The findings of this study may inform policymakers, professional learning developers, and school districts interested in an effective model of school administrator and teacher professional learning.
The design of this study is quantitative and a purposive convenience sample was sought. Participants include secondary school teachers ( n = 281). This dissertation study includes descriptive and bivariate correlational statistics to determine the relationships among variables.
Keywords: school administrator and teacher professional learning, model of professional development, instructional leadership, teacher practice, formative assessment practices, student learning, professional learning evaluation, professional learning standards.
Dissertation completed by Christine Avery.
Soccer officiating can be challenging, exciting, and rewarding. On the other hand, officials can also feel frustrated, abused, and unappreciated. Soccer officials face as much pressure and emotion—sometimes more—than the athletes and coaches.
The purpose of this study was to give both professional and amateur league referees in the United States Soccer Federation the opportunity not only to offer explanations, but also to respond to the criticisms and stressors they experienced both directly and indirectly from their officiating. This study also examined the relationship between officiating and leadership, and evaluated whether referees developed leadership skills resulting from their officiating experience. Three research questions about stressors, coping with the stressors, and if the referees perceived themselves as leaders were used to achieve the purpose of this study. A survey consisting of seven separate categories, including some open-ended questions, was provided to professional and amateur league soccer referees in the United States who participated in the annual Referee Training Seminars, local and regional soccer tournaments, or attended referee chapter meetings.
The survey had 79 Likert-style scale questions and four open-ended questions. Data from the 300 retuned surveys were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative techniques. The two most common stressors were (a) making an important decision and later realizing it was wrong, followed by (b) having a bad game. The top two responses for coping with stressors were (a) trying to learn something from errors and (b) analyzing what happened to understand it better. In the qualitative analysis, the preponderance of responses indicated that the referees perceived themselves as leaders and believed they applied attributes of a good leader while officiating. Ninety percent of participants in this study said they developed leadership skills as the result of their officiating experience.
Dissertation completed by Mohammad Zarrabi-Kashani.
High school religion teachers in Catholic schools are central to the mission of such schools and teach in every Catholic high school. Research on effective teaching has not traditionally included this subset of teachers. The overall purpose of this study was to research the best instructional practices for high school religion teachers in Washington State, explore how to best implement the best practices, and explore what opportunities for sharing best practices teachers currently have. The Survey of Instructional Practices (SIP) was created, piloted, revised, and administered in this study. The SIP provided information from high school religion teachers in Washington State about lessons deemed to engage students and enhance student learning, in addition to teachers' opportunities for sharing ideas on best practices for teaching high school religion.
The participants in this study reported on a best lesson taught in a high school religion class and many key findings emerged. The best instructional practices included: (a) discussion, (b) application to real-world situations, (c) application to student's own life, (d) questioning by teacher, (e) cooperative or collaborative learning, and (f) identifying similarities and differences. Each of these practices is highlighted in the research on best instructional practices for teachers. Furthermore, four major themes emerged for how teachers can implement these practices, which included: (a) clear guidelines and directions, (b) students engaged, (c) student-centered, and (d) students working together. Lastly, participants in the study highlighted the opportunities for sharing best practices as being informal, yet helpful and important. Overall, the findings highlight two important themes for high school religion teachers: (a) the importance of collaboration, both for students and teachers, and (b) the importance of being engaged in the learning process.
Key words: high school religion; Catholic schools; instructional practices; effective teaching.
Dissertation completed by Marianne McGah.
Full dissertation title: ""Empowering Pre-Adolescent Girls: An Exploratory Study of Girls on the Run Experiential Learning Program".
This dissertation examined the extent of long-term participation in Girls on the Run (GOTR), an international non-profit experiential learning program for pre-adolescent girls, and its effect on healthy living and self-esteem. To explore these relationships, an exploratory, mixed-methods study was conducted, which involved open- and closed-ended surveys and interviews. Data collection took place in Seattle, Washington with former Girls on the Run Puget Sound (GOTRPS) 2002, 2003, 2009, and 2011 participants who now range in age from 8 to 20 years old. Specifically, this study scrutinized the (a) long-term participation of the GOTR program, (b) self-perceptions and perceived behavioral changes as a result of GOTR, and (c) whether or not GOTR values are reinforced in the home. Even though the sample size was small (surveys n = 65; interviews n = 7), results concluded positive program impact on girls that participated both once (short-term) and multiple times (long-term). Correlations on long-term participation revealed a positive and statistical significant correlation (r = .350, p = 002).
Keywords: pre-adolescent, adolescent, single-sex, experiential education, experiential learning, self-esteem, running.
Dissertation completed by Stephanie Galeotti.
This study investigated the experience of spiritual direction utilizing videophone technology between a spiritual director and spiritual directees, all of whom are deaf. The interview questionnaire used to investigate the experience of spiritual direction was designed with four major sections: spirituality and the world of worship, spiritual direction, information and communication technology, and hearing loss/deafness. The content validity index (CVI) was employed to evaluate the content validity of the questionnaire. Twelve experts consented to participate in the content validity analysis of the questionnaire. As a result, the questionnaire was reduced from 81 to 77 items, resulting in a CVI of .99, suggesting a high level of content validity.
The spiritual and technological experiences of the spiritual directees and the spiritual director were examined utilizing the questionnaire. The four participants ranged in age from 37 to 91 years, were Caucasian, had a severe-to-profound hearing loss, and were raised in the Christian faith. The interviews were conducted via direct videophone to videophone where each of the participants was interviewed in his or her own homes. The interviews were recorded with a capture card and images were downloaded into the computer. Each interview was transcribed from sign language into written English and portraitures were developed for each participant. The questionnaire guided the heuristic inquiry and development of the spiritual director's portraiture.
Three different qualitative analyses were used in the study: an analytic inductive process, a computer-assisted analysis, and collaborative analysis. Relationship, spirituality, spiritual direction, and communication were four common thematic categories that emerged from the three analyses. Salient themes from the analyses were consolidated into eight major themes under the four thematic categories, supporting the four propositions inherent in the study's theoretical framework. The results from this study suggest that both communication technology and spiritual direction played an important role in empowering the spiritual directees who are deaf in their relationship with other people and with God.
Dissertation completed by Nancy Delich.
Full dissertation title: "K–12 education nonprofit employees' perceptions of strategies for recruiting and retaining employees".
This qualitative study explored the key reasons individuals who work in K-12 education nonprofit organizations enter the field of K-12 nonprofit education and their motivations for doing so. The purpose of this study was to find new strategies for recruiting and retaining K-12 education nonprofit employees by examining the obstacles that exist to entering this field and strategies for overcoming these obstacles through the perspective of the K-12 education nonprofit employee.
The data were collected through online questionnaires completed by 46 K-12 education nonprofit employees and in-depth interviews with 9 K-12 education nonprofit employees. During the interview, participants were also asked to draw or verbally walk through a timeline of significant events that led to their current position.
The findings revealed that participants were educated from a variety of educational backgrounds. The main ways participants discovered their passion for the field were through volunteering or community service, by taking a job in the field and then discovering a passion for the field, and by being a participant at a K-12 education nonprofit as a youth. The key motivations for being in the K-12 education nonprofit field were doing meaningful work, having a passion for the cause, and the ability to serve others.
The main obstacles for entering the field were low pay, fewer job opportunities, and long work hours. The first strategy for overcoming obstacles in the field was for K-12 education nonprofits to increase public exposure and community awareness of their organizations The second strategy was to better emphasize the rewards and sense of fulfillment the sector brings. The third strategy was to create clearer career paths for K-12 education nonprofit employees, most specifically at the college level.
Recommendations are that (a) Educational institutions offer more undergraduate and graduate nonprofit degrees and courses to students; (b) K-12 education nonprofits invest more time and energy in recruiting new volunteers and employees externally by connecting more with the community; and (c) K-12 education nonprofits create a culture that values and promotes self-care, a supportive environment, flexibility, and training opportunities in order to better offset obstacles to entering the field.
Dissertation completed by Tara Byrne Luckie.