STEM graduate students go through various stages in their development as researchers. Specifically, Ph.D. students are expected to complete coursework, work on their research, help with projects in the lab they are working in, maintain equipment, mentor other researchers, and fulfill departmental requirements. In this dissertation, I have explored…

This explanatory study examined how distributed leadership is practiced in international schools. This included looking at principals' readiness to practice a distributed perspective of leadership, how they practice leadership, the opportunities for teacher leadership, and the relationship between distributed leadership practices and school…

Effective, engaging teacher collaboration contributes to continuous school improvement and overall student success. This formative, internal program evaluation used a combination of objectives-based and improvement-focused models to determine what worked well in mandated PLCs at MHS, what aspects of these PLCs needed improvement, and what…

An increasing number of international graduate students who learn English as an Additional Language (EAL) pursue advanced academic degrees in the United States. Previous studies have indicated that international graduate students often face several challenges as EAL learners while socializing in English academic communities and negotiating…

For the past 20 years, an increasing number of American educators have employed the Japanese model of lesson study as a process to structure their professional development experience. This study endeavored to understand how teachers experienced this relatively new and foreign process in their local contexts, using the overall research question,…

Although the adoption of new tools for communication and learning could reasonably be expected to influence culture, little is known about the relationship between cultural values and the adoption or diffusion of Web 2.0 technologies. This case study examines the way in which the cultural values of 59 teachers in four Central Asian countries…

International Academy of South East Asia (IASEA) is a preschool - grade 12 independent, non- profit international school with the vision of being a world leader in education cultivating exceptional thinkers prepared for the future. The school has determined that personalized learning is a pathway to the achievement of the vision. A personalized…

This study was conducted in order to determine if the engagement of teachers in professional learning communities (PLCs) made a difference on student reading comprehension scores. Literacy is a critical skill needed throughout the schooling years as well as into adulthood and educators are continually seeking ways to improve the reading skills of…

There is a large body of research that suggests the concept of a professional learning community (PLC) can promote improved student learning by increasing collective teacher capacity to meet the diverse learning needs of students (Reeves, 2016; Battersby & Verdi, 2013; Marzano & DuFour, 2011; Fullan 2010, Senge, 2006; Morrissey, 2000;…

This study was conducted to evaluate the extent to which, in a high turnover context, teacher leaders at an American International school in Asia were meeting the goal of building capacity within their teams to prepare for effective succession planning. Using Clark and Estes' (2008) gap analysis framework, the study investigated the knowledge,…

This research explored whether spiritual leadership could predict teacher collective efficacy and school climate in Asian international schools. Fifteen international schools from nine countries elected to participate and 104 teachers completed an online survey. Linear regression and multiple regression were used to discover a prediction equation…

This study identified the perceived professional development needs of English-speaking evangelical theological school deans in Africa and Asia, as a basis for evaluating or creating professional development programs for these regions. It answered the question: What are the perceptions of the need for professional development prior to and after…

Professional development of educators is a central feature in education reform efforts (Bredeson, 2000) and school improvement (Guskey & Huberman, 1995). The purpose of the study was to describe personal and professional gains from an international experience, notably the Fulbright-Hays Group Study Abroad Program, including new knowledge and…

This study investigates the impact of students' participation in the certificate program offered by the Asian Studies Center (ASC) at the University of Pittsburgh on their perception of global competency and skills development for international careers. Undergraduate and graduate students who were enrolled in the ASC's certificate program as of…

Change is critical in most organizations. International schools attempting to redefine 21st century education for their students are innovating pedagogies and schools' structures. However, the leader of an organization or school may be the most influential advocate for or barrier to change. International schools' leaders continue to play a role in…