The purpose of this study is to explore qualities that make school leaders effective in the secondary school setting -- transformational leadership and grit -- and to understand the extent to which school leaders embody both traits in their professional practice. Also, the issue of principal attrition is explored during this research to determine…

This quantitative study aimed to investigate the influence of teacher personality on teacher-student relatedness, student intrinsic motivation, and academic performance. The pressing need to understand the factors influencing educational outcomes driving this study arises from the desire to enhance teaching effectiveness and student success. By…

The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of the impact of game mechanics on developing collaborative problem solving (CPS) skills. CPS skills are important for the complex work environments of the 21st century, and games appear to provide potential learning experiences where such skills can develop. The research questions of…

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education systems worldwide, prompting a swift transition to remote learning. This study delves into the experiences of Cypriot high school teachers and students amidst the pandemic, utilizing qualitative interviews to uncover challenges, coping mechanisms, and the broader implications for education. Qualitative…

Writing motivation has been deemed a critical aspect of the writing process because motivation affects how students engage with the writing process, how much effort and time they exert in the tasks, and the quality of their written products (Graham, 2018). Writing motivation has been the focus of recent studies on how to improve the discouraging…

A growing problem in Oklahoma public schools is that some teachers integrate education technology into their classrooms while others do not. The need for adaptable practices with technology in classrooms has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. Heitink et al. (2016) state that integrating technology use into the classroom often requires changes to…

The examined problem was principals' lack of soft skills such as teamwork and adaptability, which can affect student achievement. Specifically, this qualitative research explored how principals used soft skills such as teamwork and adaptability to influence student achievement scores with a qualitative phenomenological design. The ABC Public…

This research focuses on leadership decisions by high school administrators in Maine in response to school closures and subsequent reopening plans due the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to learn the degree to which adaptive leadership was used as a leadership approach in response to a unique, complex and dynamic set of…

Public school educators have many professional duties that they are required to fulfill to fidelity. Expectations include but are not limited to; curriculum and instructional planning and application of practices; implementing classroom management and behavioral intervention strategies for individual students and whole groups; attending required…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the relationship between school leaders and teachers and how these relationships impact school climate. The study also examined essential traits of effective school leaders using the lens of servant and transformative theories. The focus on research included secondary schools under the…

Communication between principals and music teachers is an important aspect of music's role in the school and education. Understanding the process of communication, including elements such as content and methods, could provide valuable insight to improve working relationships and positively affect many aspects of the school. Specifically, for music…

This document reports the findings of a project completed as part of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at Saint Louis University. In this team project, three doctoral candidates explored the planning process of school leaders in developing professional learning opportunities for teachers at the secondary level. The…

This document reports the findings of a project completed as part of the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership program at Saint Louis University. In this team project, three doctoral candidates explored the planning process of school leaders in developing professional learning opportunities for teachers at the secondary level. The…

This qualitative study examines the perspectives of secondary teachers characterized as passionate on the critical incidents that shaped, negatively or positively, their levels of passion. Vallerand and colleagues describe passion as a strong inclination or desire toward an activity that one likes and finds important enough to invest time and…

For my dissertation requirement, I conducted two research projects, collaborating with my dissertation advisor on both projects. In my first project, I employed a phenomenology methodology to investigate how teachers' professional needs, practices, and motivations align with the goals of the professional learning community to enhance teacher…