This dissertation examined perceptions of elementary district superintendents regarding professional development in the superintendency. The current challenges of the superintendency require superintendents to be more prepared than ever before and to serve as effective leaders of school districts. Specifically, this research identified what…

It is increasingly being recognized that students are not developing all the skills in school that employers need. Much of this skill gap stems from students not developing soft skills such as the ability to communicate, form interpersonal relationships, and act professionally. This is a problem for students because it limits their employability,…

The impact of a culturally relevant professional development series on classroom teacher's cultural lens was determined. Fifty teachers from two different school districts participated in 16 hours of professional development in an attempt to impact their understanding of how culture and instruction are connected. During the professional…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the behaviors indicative of professional thinking in entry-level occupational therapists and the teaching methodologies used to facilitate professional thinking during education as described by a sample of experienced occupational therapy educators. The researcher used The Model of Professional…

According to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (1996), "... learning cannot occur in college classrooms divorced from schools" (p. 31). University coursework that is paired with carefully coordinated field experiences as well as being supported by university faculty that are skilled in helping the teacher candidate…

Reflective functioning has been referred to as the ability to understand intentions, motives, and actions in both oneself and others. This study explored reflective functioning in African American single mothers of infant and toddler children. Mothers were asked to participate in four psycho-educational group discussions that included information,…

With the challenges facing principals today, the question of how best to support new principals in meeting these challenges remains. The leadership abilities of new school leaders matter more today than ever with increasing accountability and additional responsibilities. The focus of this study was to determine participants' perceptions of the…

Academic entitlement is a concern in higher education because of the potential societal and market driven influences on credible scholarship. Most of the research has focused on negative attitudes and behaviors attributed to students. The considerations of tenured professors who interact with academically entitled students and strategies for…

The purpose of this qualitative Action Research Study was to describe eight elementary English Language Arts (ELA) teachers' perceptions of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). The teacher-participants' opinions about the PLC were used to improve the existing PLC to promote a more reflective and collaborative environment where ELA teachers…

In this collective instrumental case study, the focus was on understanding the issue of Intercultural Competence within Saudi academic migrants. The purpose of this study was to determine how Saudi academic migrants gain intercultural competence through the development of attitudes, knowledge, and skills, as defined by Deardorff's (2006) process…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine pre-service teachers and their use of online community. This study explored four focal participants enrolled at Benedictine College and their perceptions about online community. The participants were completing their student teaching block during the spring 2016 semester. The data sources…

The purpose of this study was to explore how students described the curriculum in the Introduction to Food Production class and how they perceived the curriculum prepared them for their future in the hospitality industry. The exploratory questions that guided the study were how do students describe the experiential learning curriculum in the…

Problem. Today's educational leaders face a growing barrage of challenges that threaten to detract from their ability to sustain resonant leadership over time. Leaders who ignore the signs and signals around them not only debilitate themselves as leaders but their organizations as well. These leaders simply are not getting enough, accurate, or…

Data and the use of data to make educational decisions have attained new-found prominence in K-12 education following the inception of high-stakes testing and subsequent linking of teacher evaluations and teacher-performance pay to students' outcomes on standardized assessments. Although the research literature suggested students' academic…

The purpose of this study was to better comprehend the experiences of middle school teachers when they are asked to implement practices promoted in professional development. The professional development in which the teachers were involved centered on cultivating classroom discourse through the use of six Teacher Discourse Moves. These moves were…