Department of Leadership and Administration

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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12520/2

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Browsing Department of Leadership and Administration by Subject "Academic achievement"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    A Basic Qualitative Research Study: Educators’ perception of Parental Involvement and Student Achievement
    (2023) Coote, Kadian Owniee
    Each year educators call on parents to be involved in their children’s schooling; they believe students of involved parents do better academically. The problem was restricted parental involvement in school-sponsored activities, such as parent-teacher meetings, communications, and conferences at the secondary grade level, impacts students’ academic performance. Researchers have measured teachers’ perceptions of parental participation, but little research has focused on Title 1 rural high schools with primarily African American pupils. This study may help to fill the literature gap. Using Epstein’s parental participation frameworks and transformational leadership theories, the purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to explore educators’ perceptions of how the extent of parental involvement relates to the degree of secondary students’ academic achievement at a high school in Eastern North Carolina. Twenty-five educators participated in the research based on their engagement with students and parents. Interviews were conducted and recorded for thematic analysis and reporting. Data were analyzed using Creswell’s six-step process for examining qualitative data and were supported using the MAXQDA data analysis software. Results revealed that secondary educators believed parental involvement is vital to students’ academic achievement; parent-teacher collaboration increases student progress, and administrators emphasize parents being advocates for their children. However, more investigation on the obstacles to parental involvement at Title 1 public high schools with mostly African American pupils is needed. Keywords: academic achievement, academic socialization, cultural competency, culturally and linguistically diverse, Epstein’s framework, family engagement, parental involvement, perception, socioeconomic status, socio-psychological barrier, Title 1, and transformational leadership theory
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    Immigration Journey Impacts on Immigrant Learners' Academic Achievement: A Phenomenological Study
    (2022-07) Ablaza, Lynson Gonzalbo
    Immigrant learners face many challenges besides language. Acculturation, racism, and domestic separations affect academic achievement. The problem is teachers need a better understanding of high school students’ experience immigrating to the United States in order to tailor educational programs. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how the lived experiences of high school immigrant learners influence academic achievement. Guiding the study were Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Gardner’s multiple intelligences theories. Research questions focused on the immigration journey and schools’ initiatives to address academic achievement. The study was conducted to collect data using in-depth semistructured interviews in a Zoom meeting portal from the 15 migrant learners who are at least 18 years old and were purposively and conveniently sampled from one of the international high schools. Interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Template analysis allowed for the development of advanced coding or priori themes before the interview. The findings of the study are: (a) immigrant learners experienced physical and mental fatigue impacting academic achievement, (b) the prolonged absence of formal education widened the learning gap, and (c) professional development on immigration may empower teachers to advocate for students. Research data provided teachers with a better understanding of how the immigration journey impacted immigrant learners’ academic achievement. The school district’s Office of Professional Learning and Leadership may redesign professional development inclusive of strategies addressing the unique needs of the immigrant learners from Central America and Mexico. Keywords: academic achievement, immigration, immigration journey, immigrant learners, mental health, professional development
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    Increased Student Engagement with Transformative Learning Pedagogy: An Ex Post Facto Study
    (2021-06-07) Ellis, Timothy
    Transformative learning pedagogy in higher education leads to increased student engagement. The problem with transformative learning in higher education is deficiencies in research on increased student engagement obtained with transformative learning pedagogy. This research study addressed unanswered questions in the literature by exploring engagement measured by academic achievement and retention when transformative learning pedagogy is fostered. Transformative learning pedagogy served as the theoretical framework. The quantitative ex post facto study consisted of archival data obtained from the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), which was then tested, and results rendered. An independent samples t test and a chi-square test on the collected archival data revealed student engagement increases with transformative learning pedagogy instruction as measured by higher academic achievement and retention, supporting the research purpose. The statistical analysis indicated students at UCO in the Student Transformative Learning Record (STLR) program had significantly increased classroom engagement than students who had not been instructed with transformative learning pedagogy, as indicated by higher academic achievement and retention.
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    Multiple Regression Analysis of Noncognitive Factors Affecting Academic Outcomes of First-time Detained Juvenile Delinquents
    (2020-03-22) Coker, David
    A review of the literature showed there was evidence to suggest many incarcerated juvenile delinquents experience lifelong problems. The problem addressed by this dissertation was to provide a description and analysis of the plight of first-time-detained juvenile delinquents and the impact of noncognitive attributes and academic achievement on grades. Since first-time-incarcerated juvenile delinquents were at risk for future failure in school and life, understanding causes of academic failure could improve graduation rates and transition back into society. Social learning theory and labeling theory suggested students behave by what the youths learned from other juveniles and the labels received from peers, parents, and the community. Adaptive leadership was used as the theoretical framework because teachers in juvenile detention centers face a myriad of problems and concerns beyond traditional school which require more than technical solutions. The research questions inquired about the degree of correlation between noncognitive attributes, academic achievement, and grades. Using a non-experimental, ex post facto design, a multiple regression analysis was conducted on archival data for first-time-detained juvenile delinquents. Three predictor variables were statistically significant and influenced academic performance measured by grades: verbal ability, social self-esteem, and prosocial skills. For juvenile delinquents (n = 72; males = 58, females = 14) aged 10-18 (M =15.3; SD = 1.6; range 10-18), the three predictor variables predicted English grades (adjusted R2 = .280) and Mathematics grades (adjusted R2 = .225). Other noncognitive attributes were discussed, and recommendations for policies and future research were outlined. The results of the study support past research findings on the interaction between student achievement, noncognitive attributes, and the need to improve communication skills of juvenile delinquents.
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    The Impact of Virtual Teacher Home Visits on Student Academic Achievement: A Quasi-Experimental Study
    (2022-09-19) Beyhan, Samuel S.
    The research presented in this dissertation used a quasi-experimental quantitative strategy to examine the impact of the virtual teacher home-visit program in a Texas-based charter school system. The research problem was to determine if the virtual teacher home-visit program had any influence on student academic growth and achievement of K–12 students in the Texas public charter school network. There was a gap in the literature about educational virtual home visits. Motivational theory and transformational leadership theory best suited the virtual teacher home visits for the purpose of studying the program. Quasi-experimental research design was consistent with research questions where two groups’ Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) growth assessment scores were used to analyze if there were any systematic differences between them. Multiple ANOVAs were conducted to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in NWEA MAP scores between virtually visited student groups on each dependent variable. Kindergarten through 10th-grade students’ math and reading NWEA MAP scores were analyzed. With the large sample size (n = 24,075), an effect size with a 0.05 α level of confidence was used to determine the significance of all statistical inference tests.