This study delves into the complexities of change in the educational setting and examines the relationship between educator readiness for change and factors related to the organization's culture which directly impact student achievement. The historical lack of progress in implementing change efforts in the United States, coupled with widening gaps…

Principals in the United States are faced with challenging and complex roles as the leaders of our schools. Levels of district, state, and federal mandates and accountability measures coupled with the demands of supporting students, parents, and teachers on a multitude of levels create a job that is almost impossible to keep up with. In addition,…

There is ample research on programs and pathways to support novice teachers entering the field but minimal research on transitioning from novice to expert teacher. The problem addressed in the research is that there is no framework for understanding how teachers become experts. This study's purpose is to understand how teachers perceive the…

America's fire departments are busier than ever, responding to both emergency and non-emergency calls that have dramatically increased over the last several decades (National Fire Protection Association [NFPA], 2021b). This dissertation in practice analyzed the on-duty training model of a mid-sized fire department in the northwestern United…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify factors that lead to job satisfaction and the specific practices that make a difference in workplace satisfaction among teachers in order to increase educator retention. Understanding these characteristics is critical to determining the impact they have on reducing the rate of teacher…

According to recent research, gun violence at schools has become a public health issue. Teachers, administrators, students, and communities are trying to cope with the aftermath of gun violence at schools. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to identify coping mechanisms among teachers and administrators after experiencing…

This qualitative study explored sources of belonging for multiracial women administrators via diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices undertaken at a historically white university, specifically UC Berkeley. This study infused storytelling through "platicas" (interactive interviews) conversations with five individual…

This phenomenological study captured the experiences of elementary educators with the purpose of gathering their perceptions of the use of restorative practices and positive behavior supports in their schools with a particular focus on how these programs influenced school climate, their professional efficacy, and their job satisfaction. Results of…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research was to better understand the lived experiences of faculty teaching in a community college setting who have addressed behavioral concerns related to students with disabilities (SWDs). Much of the existing research is focused on the experiences of the students, not the faculty. Research is…

This phenomenological multiple case study explored five first-year special education teachers' transfer of knowledge and skills learned in their preparation program to their professional setting and the support provided through their school system induction programming. I employed Baldwin and Ford's (1988) Model of Training Transfer and Rolfe et…

Restorative practices (RP) have been shown to decrease the number of suspensions and expulsions being used in schools and increase positive school climate and culture, thus reducing the negative effects on students' personal and academic achievement (Losen, 2015; Skiba et al., 2000, 2015). RP is still relatively new in the K-12 setting, however,…

The education system is like a dialectical system that holds both hope and harm in its operations. However, at the same time, the realities of the educational system have historically and continue to bring great harm to BIPOC communities and have hindered them from flourishing from the ideals of what schools have the potential to bring…

The purpose of this qualitative single-instrument case study was to explore how leadership styles and funding knowledge impact presidential turnover as experienced by trustees and senior-level administrators using a rural member college of the North Carolina Community College System as the setting. The central question of this study was, how do…

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which three academic libraries in the Southeastern United States could be considered diverse. This was a multi-site, mixed methods study. It examined the climate and culture of the libraries, which was assessed through two methods; the first, through survey responses from full-time faculty…

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the impact of the professional development model, "Powerful Teaching and Learning" (PTL) on teachers' sense of efficacy of 17 secondary teachers at a single high school in Washington State. Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using the methodical…