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- Creator:
- Benitti, Pete
- Description:
- Empirical research on the intersection of wellness and higher education leadership is lacking (Bass, 2008; Cioffi, 2018; Riera, 2013). The emotional wellness of leaders is an issue that has received even less attention (Cioffi, 2018). Findings from this mixed-methods study suggest leaders often incur an emotional toll while dealing with the pressures of leading. These findings are in light of the stress-related turnover that the literature suggests is increasing for leaders (Gagliardi, Espinosa, Turk, & Taylor, 2017; Gardner, 2016; Selingo, 2016; Wheelhouse Center for Community College Leadership and Research, 2016). Further complicating this situation is a perceived lack of support for leaders’ emotional wellness, conceptualized as the wellness support gap. This study uses the constructs of emotional intelligence, emotional labor, mindfulness, and emotional capital as theoretical lens with which to view emotional wellness as an untapped resource and source of support. Recommendations for professional organizations, leadership practice, and policy include the adoption of standards and best practices for the profession that include leaders’ emotional wellness.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Perez, Rochelle Amores
- Description:
- The purpose of the study is twofold: a) to understand the Asian American community college students’self-beliefs, particularly self-efficacy, emotional awareness, and grit, while reaching their academic goals; and b) to unveil the issue of data disaggregation as it relates to Asian American students’ academic achievements. The main theories that guided this study were Asian Critical Race Theory or AsianCrit (Museus & Iftikar) and Ogbu’s Cultural Ecological Theory of Minority Performance. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed 12 students and conducted surveys of 149 participants to elicit experiences regarding their self-beliefs and perceptions of academic support provided by the community college. To debunk the Model Minority Myth, using GPA as an indicator, the researcher obtained average of students’ GPAs by Asian subgroups to show differences in academic achievements. In addition, collecting and reporting practices of the college and the Chancellor’s Office were captured as evidence in lumping Asian Americans as a monolithic group. The findings of this study revealed Asian American students believed they have high levels of self-efficacy, emotional awareness, and grit, that are greatly based on family values. Asian American students’ self-beliefs are shaped by cultural influences that are deeply embedded in the family, which can be beneficial and detrimental internally, as they pursue their academic goals. This study also proved that classifying Asian American students as one group concealed the identities of Asian subgroups. When academic achievements are reported as a monolithic group, it resulted in consequences that marginalized students who really needed help, e.g., colleges did not provide academic support because of the notion that all Asians were doing well. The study’s recommendations include a call for the community college to take a closer look at the students’ motivational traits, such as the attributes of self-efficacy, emotional awareness, and grit, as tools to empower students to reach their infinite potentials as well as call for higher visibility of Asian American students in campus through recognition, culturally relevant pedagogy (more Asian-centered classes), and academic support or student support services that cater to Asian American students’ needs.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Xiong, Xeng
- Description:
- The purpose of the qualitative phenomenological study was to explore second generation Southeast Asian (SEA) students’ understanding and experiences of the SEA diaspora in California. Grounded in segmented acculturation, cultural-ecological theory, and AsianCrit, the study highlighted the perceptions and experiences of second generation SEA high school students concerning their schooling experience, cultural transition, and aspirations. Twelve second generation SEA students (Cambodian, Hmong, and Lao students) at a comprehensive, urban high school in California were interviewed. Through qualitative analysis, the study found 11 themes. Regarding their schooling experience, there were five themes: positive peer relationships, relationships with school staff, opportunities for school and community involvement, independence, and good academic performance. In terms of factors that contribute to their cultural transition, four themes emerged: language, family, beliefs about home environment, and friends. Concerning their aspirations, there were two themes: positive aspirations and autonomy. The study concludes with a discussion on the findings, implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for future research.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Ayub, Zeeshan
- Description:
- The purpose of this research was to contribute to the literature on school climate by investigating the relationship between school resources (e.g., teacher salary, per-pupil expenditure, teacher experience, school size, student-teacher ratio), student perceptions of school climate (e.g., school connectedness, school safety, meaningful participation, caring relationships), and student outcomes (e.g., grades, suspension, absence) after controlling for socioeconomic status (reduced or free lunch, parent’s level of education). To do so, data from the 2016-2017 administration of the California Health Kid Survey 2016-17 (CHKS) conducted by the California Department of Education (CDE) were used. In addition, for school resources variables California Department of Education (CDE) publically available data was used. This study was focused on seventh-grade students (n=144,087) in California because it is a crucial transition age between middle school and high school. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for this research to measure school climate as second order factor and to explore the complex relationship of school resources, school climate, student outcomes, and socioeconomic status. Results indicated that school climate can be measured as second order factor with school connectedness, school safety, meaningful participation, and caring relationships as first order factor. School climate do impact student outcomes (grades, suspension, and absence) significantly, whereas school resources (per-pupil expenditure, school size, student-teacher ratio, teacher experience, and teacher salary) impact on school climate and student outcomes is puzzling and need more research. As expected, socioeconomic status is associated with school climate and student outcomes. School leaders cannot change the socioeconomic status of students; however, leaders can provide positive school climate, where all students feel safe, cared, connected, respected, treated equitable, and have a sense of belonging. School resources link with school climate is weak, meaning that leaders can still provide a positive school climate with existing levels of school resources.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Gulley-Reed, Theresa
- Description:
- This study on human capital and financial literacy supplements current literature on institutions’ responsibilities in advancing financial literacy. Students’ knowledge, when entering the post-secondary environment, is seen through the lens of their cultural, economic, and social experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of financial literacy knowledge post-secondary students bring to the post-secondary environment. Recommendations were made to inform leaders and drive policy to better prepare students for success. This study utilized a mixed-method approach to access the quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed using a Likert scale from current and former student surveys and a Pearson correlation. Qualitative data were collected from four open-ended written responses on the student survey instrument. Qualitative data were also collected from 6 interview questions of 11 current and former students. Qualitative data was analyzed using a coding process to evaluate themes that developed from or that were entrenched in the data. The researcher discovered that there were significant correlations between budgeting, interest rates, debt, and savings. More precisely, quantitative inquiry suggested that there were significant correlations between money left over from previous pay period, college tuition paid through credit cards, understanding interest rates prior to incurring student loan debt, more interest rate information on debt decisions, family savings, and personal savings. Qualitative analysis of transcribed interviews and written responses indicated limited skills in the following areas: budgeting, interest rates, savings, debt, financial literacy training, financial literacy knowledge, financial aptitude, financial planning, and managing finances.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Easley, Chandler Morgan
- Description:
- Decades-long reliance on exclusionary practices in response to unwanted behaviors in high schools has resulted in a discipline gap, or a trend in which students of color, particularly black students, are sent out of class, suspended, or expelled at much higher rates than other students. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of classroom environment, student engagement, and behavior as a proactive measure to address student behavior. This phenomenological study includes classroom observations and high school student interviews to collect data on classroom environment elements, engagement components, and cultural responsiveness. Observations and interviews were analyzed through open coding for themes which include teacher disposition and response to behavior, relationship building, relevance and youth culture, mutual respect, and meeting individual needs. Findings show that classroom environment and student engagement are highly influential on each other as well as the presence or absence of student-teacher conflict in the classroom. The students’ emotional experience in the classroom is crucial to their engagement and behavior. Students need to develop positive relationships with their teachers and feel that their identities are valued and individual needs are met in order to participate in constructive and cooperative ways. To effectively address behavior, teachers must get to the root cause of the action rather than assign a formulaic punishment. Recommendations are made to support proactive measures regarding student behavior and positive classroom experiences.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Nazir, Saima
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to heighten understanding of English learner (EL) students’ social experiences in a school setting, while developing an expanded awareness of the students’ family system whose language and culture is at crossroads with the dominant language/culture, and with the formal educational institution. This phenomenological study focused on the voice of EL students to explore the social, familial, cultural, and academic experiences of ELs to reveal factors contributing to their adjustment and overall success in the United States. The study consisted of 20 participants who are freshmen students in a northern California university, who have previously been categorized as EL in the U.S. school system, and who speak one of the top 10 languages spoken in California schools (e.g., Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Arabic, Tagalog, Cantonese, Korean, Hmong, Punjabi, and Russian). These students were selected to gather the factors that contributed to their persistence in graduating high school while also corresponding to the 10.3% of ELs in the state of California who completed all courses required for UC and/or a CSU entrance (California Department of Education, 2018). The theoretical frameworks for this study include Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of human development (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) and Ogbu and Simons’ cultural-ecological theory (1998). This study utilized a phenomenological research design to answer the following research questions: 1. What are the factors contributing to freshmen and sophomore university EL students’ adjustment and overall success? a. What are the social experiences of previously categorized EL students in the U.S.? b. What are the familial/cultural experiences of previously categorized EL students in the U.S.? c. What are the academic experiences of previously categorized EL students in the U.S.? The data produced from this research study were collected through a demographic questionnaire and one-on-one interviews. The qualitative findings of this study revealed the following 14 themes that relate to freshman university previously categorized EL students’ adjustment and overall success in the U.S.: barrier due to EL classification, interactions with EL peers, interactions with non-EL peers, media’s portrayal of language minorities, school involvement, family’s reason for coming to the U.S., family sacrifices, family involvement, family expectations, societal views of ELs’ culture, interactions with teachers, perception of the ELD program in their school, insight on their educational opportunities, and their view of the role of a degree/school credential. The implications of the study’s findings, recommendations for practice and policy, including leadership, are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Rajagopal, Kadhir V.
- Description:
- Failure in algebra is the #1 trigger of dropouts in high school according to a former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) (Helfand, 2007). Too many urban students of color are failing or performing below basic in foundational mathematics. The author, a teacher at West High School, has been able to achieve different results with low income urban students in algebra. The author has used specific strategies that have helped the majority of his once low-performing students to consistently succeed in algebra and outperform their peers throughout the entire Grand District and state of California. The strategies used by the author have been integrated into an instructional model called C.R.E.A.T.E. This project focused on documenting the impact C.R.E.A.T.E. could have on the results other math teachers experienced with their students in foundational math classrooms, specifically, algebra and geometry. Furthermore, the study revolved around the issue of replicating the success the author has had with C.R.E.A.T.E. in other classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine if the implementation of C.R.E.A.T.E. in other teachers’ classrooms at West High School resulted in a majority of low income and underperforming students succeeding on district and statewide math assessments in algebra I and geometry. The documentation of strategies and results from the implementation of C.R.E.A.T.E. may provide evidence for administrators at the district and state level to determine if the C.R.E.A.T.E. model should be implemented as a way to address the pressing crisis of failure in math for diverse urban populations.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Mason, Justin Christopher
- Description:
- The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the teacher in Advanced Placement (AP) access for high school students. There are many benefits to students who participate in the AP program including access to a rigorous curriculum, college course credit or placement for successful completion of an AP exam, and an advantage when applying to competitive colleges and universities. Access to AP courses remains an unlikely opportunity for many low-income students who attend schools that offer few AP courses, and African-American and Latino students are underrepresented in AP participation. This study uses a mixed methods design with both quantitative and qualitative methods. The first phase of the study was an online survey of AP teachers in three school districts in Northern California. The second phase of the study used follow-up interviews to collect additional data from selected Advanced Placement teachers. The online survey and follow-up interviews were designed to collect data on the perceptions and practices of AP teachers in the pre-screening of AP students, the promoting of AP courses to students, and in determining AP course offerings. This study indicates that the AP teacher plays an important role in determining both student access to AP courses as well as in the decision making process of determining whether their school will offer a specific AP course. AP teachers reported students should be pre-screened before enrolling in an AP course at higher rates in larger schools (F=3.749, p=.033) and in schools with higher API scores (F=4.478, p=.018). Additionally, responses from the follow-up interviews indicate that teachers are making the decision to pre-screen students or to allow open access without following any state, district, or site policies. While an overwhelming majority of AP teachers report that it is part of their role to promote their AP course to students, only a small percentage are actively promoting their AP course to minority students and to students who are not already in an honors or AP track. This study indicates that the AP teacher can be a powerful factor in providing a more equitable access to AP courses as well as in closing the AP participation gap for historically underrepresented students.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership
- Creator:
- Abdulmalik, Hasan
- Description:
- Ninth grade transition to high school marks a critical educational juncture and a significant event in the lives of adolescents. This is a pivotal year where transitioning students suddenly find themselves struggling to navigate large, impersonal, and competitive environments. In school districts across the United States the enormity of the problem associated with ninth grade transition cannot be understated. Educators struggle to improve the overall success rate for these students because ninth grade is the most failed grade in public school. The purpose of this quasi-experimental research study was to analyze the impact of a summer school intervention program that focused on preparing students for the transition to high school. The study analyzed critical components associated with high school transition, achievement, and success for 120 students in the Sacramento, California area. The findings from this study will add valuable insight to the body of knowledge and research that currently exists for the development and implementation of ninth grade transition to high school programs. The study has identified trends, practices, and negative factors that are alarming. The significance of socioeconomic conditions and ethnicity has compounded the systemic failure of ninth graders in suburban and urban high schools. Academic achievement, student behavior and attendance are the three overarching areas that have been identified as needing intervention. If left unattended this issue will have a profound and devastating effect on student outcomes, increased dropouts rate, school budgets, and forecasts a dismal future for students of color in public schools. The study used quantitative research methods that examined the relationship and significance between multiple variables in the three general areas of academics, behavior and attendance. An analysis of descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and t-tests examined the variables and found that there were varying degrees of difference, but there was no significant relationship between the two groups in the study.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Sacramento
- Department:
- Educational Leadership