Teacher job satisfaction is important to retaining high-performing teachers. This study aims to investigate the effects of certain factors, such as age, gender, and years of experience, on overall job satisfaction. This study involved over 400 teachers from a West Tennessee school district, where the Job Satisfaction Survey was distributed. The…

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2021), more than half of all public-school districts and nearly one-third of all public-school students attend rural schools in the U.S. This study identifies characteristics of the physical environment of rural schools, considers how the physical environment of rural schools compares to…

This mixed methods study analyzed the effect organizational health has on high school assistant principal burnout. The Organizational Health framework for secondary schools consists of seven dimensions: Institutional Integrity, Initiating Structure, Consideration, Principal Influence, Resource Support, Morale, and Academic Emphasis (Hoy &…

In March 2020, 90% of schools shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Many schools responded by quickly moving classes online into a period of what has been called emergency remote learning (ERL). The problem addressed in this research study is the lack of engagement among middle-school students due to the home environment during emergency remote…

The purpose of this basic qualitative, interpretative study was to explore the relationships among blended learning classrooms, communities of inquiry, and student engagement in secondary grades in Tennessee. I conducted this study using the Communities of Inquiry framework to find a deeper understanding and gain insight into Tennessee public…

This dissertation explores the issue of minority underrepresentation in K-12 educational leadership roles, examining its perceived causes and implications within academic settings. The research utilized a qualitative approach involving detailed surveys and interviews with school administrators from K-12 schools in Western North Carolina, Upstate…

Retention of secondary math teachers is a critical issue in the field of K-12 education. This dissertation investigates the internal influences, external influences, and motivators that retain secondary math teachers in the classroom. This study is framed around Bronfenbrenner's Socieoecological Framework, which guided the research questions and…

Anxiety and depression have increased for adolescent youth, particularly since the pandemic. For certain students, this anxiety and depression connects to trauma because of inequity and bias in schools. This qualitative study examined successful urban middle school teachers and their perspectives on conditions they created for hope in their…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine middle school leaders' perceptions of school climate following school closures from COVID-19. The literature review suggested that school leadership is vital in establishing and maintaining a positive school climate. Interviews examined middle school leaders' perceptions of school…

In this study, I will explore some of the root causes behind middle school students' failure to attend class. Data shows that students are labeled chronically absent when they miss more than 10% of a school year, regardless of the absences- expelled, unexcused, or suspended. According to the U.S. Department of Education, about seven million…

Algorithms may be better at prediction than humans in a variety of contexts, but they are not perfect. A deeper understanding of the ways in which educators use and question algorithmic advice within their professional domain is needed. Educators are a particularly unique professional group, in comparison with the other groups studied in the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to expand knowledge and theory around instructor social presence in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provided a depiction of real-world experiences from the perspective of high school teachers during their shift to online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The study surveyed 50…

Public education depends on the collaboration of adults to promote the success of the students who are served. Principal-teacher relationships are a necessary part of the overall learning environment established for students to grow and thrive. In an urban educational setting these relationships can be tested, especially in the transitional grades…

Attrition is a major cause of the teacher shortage, threatening the educational future of America's youth. Teachers' decisions to leave are based on motivation/demotivation, school climate, and students' attitudes and behaviors; however, the relationships among these factors require further study. The purpose of this quantitative, predictive…

Employees that telework do so for different reasons, including being environmentally responsible, freedom and flexibility, autonomy, and dependent care. However, when the global pandemic COVID-19 hit, the number of teleworking individuals abruptly increased, including but not limited to the education field. There is limited research on how the…