Ethical decision making impacts every school leader; 100% of interview participants in this study recognized that they made ethical decisions at least daily. This study was designed to identify if there was a gap in ethical knowledge, trainings, supports and practices and then investigated the knowledge, trainings, supports and practices that were…

Many institutions have turned to individualized holistic review to make admissions decisions, which is meant to take a comprehensive view of the quantitative and qualitative elements that comprise a single application. Prior research shows holistic review lacks a common definition and the gap between theory and practice has not been thoroughly…

The purpose of this narrative qualitative dissertation was to develop an understanding of how radiographers perceive the value of continuing education as well as the process of earning continuing education credits and its role in their practice. To achieve this purpose, seven participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview…

Triennial data collected by districts and reported by states identify students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) as the subset of students with disabilities (SWD) most negatively affected by the transition from high school to postsecondary school or employment. Unfortunately, the quantitative data collected by the state does not…

New graduate nurses often lack the clinical decision-making skills that are essential for developing clinical competency. Critical thinking abilities are essential for nursing excellence and professional competency. However, little is known about nurse educators' techniques and teaching practices for developing students' critical thinking. The…

The purpose of this action research study was to link together theory and educational leaders' practice to give form to and improve their ability to make ethically sound decisions. The questions that guided the study included: 1. How can I, as a superintendent, lead the principals I work with to use all four ethical paradigms in their own decision…

The purpose of this study was to examine the course design and pedagogical decision-making processes of English teachers at liberal arts colleges. Principles of course design iterated by Fink (2013) through the Integrated Course Design (ICD) model provided a framework for the study. The participants in this study were full-time English department…

This scholarly project was a non-experimental, pre/post-test design to (a) facilitate the voluntary adoption of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and (b) develop clinical decision making (CDM) in one cohort of junior level nursing students participating in a simulation lab. NEWS is an evidence-based predictive scoring tool developed by the…

This study investigated two questions: a) What is the relationship between reflection and professional development? and b) What is the role of reflection in teachers' instructional decision-making? Teachers are often conflicted by competing theories (e.g. behaviorist vs. constructivist) and principles (progressives vs. essentialists) at both…

Because data access may be perceived by principals as overwhelming or irrelevant rather than helpful (Wayman, Spikes, & Volonnino, 2013), data access does not guarantee effective data use. The data-based decision making literature has largely focused on teacher use of data, considering less often data-based organizational improvements for the…

Legal mandates and best practice recommendations for the education of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) emphasize the importance of systematic, ongoing observational data collection in order to monitor progress and demonstrate accountability. The absence of such documentation in decision-making on instructional objectives indicates a…

Within the past few decades, university-industry research centers have been developed in large numbers and emphasized as a valuable policy tool for innovation. Yet little is known about the heterogeneity of organizational structure within these centers, which has implications regarding policy for and management of these centers. This dissertation…

Formal instructional design (ID) theories, intended to guide instructional designers' decision-making and design practices, have grown in abundance in recent years. These ID theories are based on learning theories that form the foundation for applied work in the field. However, researchers are concerned that these theories may not be applicable to…

This study was motivated by concerns regarding the difficult academic and career choices facing today's college students as they navigate higher education and encounter career barriers along their paths. Using Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) as a primary framework, the study sought to understand the role that…

This study sought to determine the degree to which a body of successful supervision attributes actually exists in practice. Specifically, this investigation sought to determine: (1) To what extent are the twelve dimensions of supervisory practice from the 1989 ASCD Study currently being practiced among selected instructional leaders in two…