This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study describes the lived experiences of school leaders who worked through the processes of school mergers in New York State. The central research question that guided the study was: What are the lived experiences of school leaders who worked through the processes of a school merger? In addition,…

This study examined how tenured community college faculty learn, select, and refine teaching methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six tenured faculty at Hudson Valley Community College in New York. Transcripts were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis to identify themes. Three major themes were identified:…

While the likelihood and probability of school districts encountering major crises remain unknown, superintendents need to anticipate and prepare for such events that have the potential to threaten their organization. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore the behaviors and actions of New York State public school superintendents…

This interpretive phenomenological study explored the lived experience of rural high school principals in New York State and developed an understanding of why they choose to remain in their role as school leaders. The study answered two research questions: "What role, if any, does self-efficacy play in the sustainability of rural high school…

Public school principals are challenged with educating students effectively in the midst of frequent educational policy changes and increasing institutional demands. Principals also face mounting pressures within their communities such as poverty, racial divides, cultural barriers, and educational disparities. Building cultures of respect,…

The success of school communities and their stakeholders is determined by the leadership at the helm of the organization, as the arc of decision-making lies within their hands. Therefore, an analysis of principals' decision-making processes and their potential impact is of great significance. In the realm of decision-making, "systems thinking…

There is limited research surrounding non-native speaker-teachers of world languages and the disruption known as the "native speaker fallacy" (Phillipson, 1992), which is the belief that only native speakers can be the most suitable teachers of a given language. This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of tenured,…

This qualitative phenomenology investigated the job-related experiences of early career Catholic elementary school principals (N = 13) in the Mideastern region of the United States. Data were collected from an introductory survey, semi-structured interviews, two focus groups, and a participant designed plan for professional development. The…

Mindfulness programs are being used with increased frequency in schools, hospitals, clinics and community settings around the world. Research in school populations has predominately focused on assessing how the practice impacts students, using outcomes-based study designs. In the current study the author explored how experienced mindfulness…

For the past eighty-two years, Monroe College has been committed to being a national leader in urban and international education. Established in the fall of 2004, the honors program has been transformative for the college, bringing together a wide range of professionals from across disciplines to provide innovative academic offerings. The program…

The goal of this study was to investigate New York State's Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) from the perspectives of secondary science teachers and their administrators. Examining their perceptions through interviews was insightful due to the subjects' proximity to the teaching and learning processes. Five science…

As journalism schools continue to respond to industry disruption, some are adding curricula about practices that reframe traditional journalism. In this article, I examined experiences of some of the first university instructors of solutions journalism--critical reporting on responses to social problems--to explore the opportunities and challenges…

Classroom teachers struggle to meet the needs of all students as the United States population continues to become more diverse. While preservice teacher training programs strive to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to complete this task effectively, opportunity gaps between minority students and their peers continue to grow. Through…

Since the global economic recession in 2008, Chinese undergraduate students have quickly risen to be the largest international student population in American colleges and universities, forming a monoethnic group that often isolates itself from domestic students on campuses. This study explores how twelve Chinese undergraduate students utilized…

Teacher mindset and self-efficacy are a topic of much research. However, specific research is needed in areas pertaining to teacher self-efficacy, mindset and their comprehensive understandings of specific skill sets and concepts. In this study, the researcher has investigated how the associations between a teacher's self-efficacy (high or low)…