Problem: Ledesma (2011) reports that principals' average tenure in Adventist schools in North America "ranges from 2.5-4.0 years. Elementary principals remain in leadership for 2.5 years, day academy principals stay for 3.6 years, and boarding academy principals leave after 4.0 years" (p, 8). Ledesma also noted that the length of tenure…

As the number of international students studying in the United States increases, it is important to analyze how specific subsets of international students understand their experiences in order to ensure student success in specific populations. Both female students and Saudi students have individually been given very little attention in the…

This study of over 100 kindergarten through 12th grade teachers in southern California focused on the exploration of teacher spirituality, specifically relationship with God and spiritual connection to others, through investigating its predictive role on teacher self-efficacy, specifically efficacy in student engagement, instructional strategies,…

This dissertation explores dialect diversification in the long-distance New World Plautdietsch speech community. Plautdietsch dialects are traditionally classified as belonging to one of two types: either Chortitza or Molotschna. The traditional dialect classification has recently come under scrutiny because speakers rarely use features exclusive…

The United States Supreme Court's decision in the case Wisconsin v. Yoder et al. (1972) created a special provision for Amish and Old Order Mennonite families by allowing their children to end formal schooling at age 14. The assumption was that these Anabaptist families were preparing children adequately to live "full lives" in their…

This phenomenological qualitative research study investigated Mennonite women with experience leading Mennonite high schools across the United States and Canada during their first year serving in the role of principal. This study gives voice to 12 Mennonite women leaders who felt God's "call" to lead. Women leaders encountered bias due…

Mormon college students may leave or delay their studies to serve missions for their church, typically for 18 to 24 months. This dissertation studies the impact of serving a mission on the spiritual development and psychological wellbeing of these students. Using a two-factor ANOVA fixed-effects, nonexperimental design, five measurement scales on…

Since the early 1980s, several Muslim communities have attempted to create indigenous Muslim American institutions of higher learning. Many of the first attempts failed to sustain their operations beyond a few years; and until recently, none could attain accreditation. Since early 2000, a second wave of Islamic postsecondary institutions has…

This study explored the educational preferences and motivational typology of Modern Orthodox adults, a community that according to previous research appeared to present a contrasting educational paradigm than that evidenced by other adult students. The research conducted in the liberal Jewish community and in the broader contemporary field of…

The transition from a usually autocratic to generally participative style of leadership has been a process full of frustration, anxiety, and concerns for Nigerian immigrant pastors in The Apostolic Church (TAC) North America. These pastors have brought the values, concepts, practices, and behavior which they learned in Nigeria to lead the American…

Problem and Purpose: Much research over several decades has established the importance of ongoing professional learning for teachers and has identified what effective professional learning should look like. Little research has been done, however, on the professional learning practices of teachers in faith-based schools, and few studies have…

More than 300,000 Chinese students attend U.S. universities annually (USDHS, 2017), many of whom reportedly "Leave China, Study in America, Find Jesus" (H. Zhang, 2016). However, research on this phenomenon of worldview change is thin, especially experiences of atheist or nonreligious Chinese graduate students attending Christian…

This study explores how religious education, and in particular transformative teaching and learning can provide an opportunity to re-ground authority in the Roman Catholic Church. The research presents an educational response to the legitimation crisis. It seeks to resolve the organization problem as typified in the pyramidic-hierarchical pattern…

This study asked the question: Do spiritual factors impact academic achievement? The subjects in this study were all students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11, in Seventh-day Adventist schools in the United States and Bermuda, from 2006 to 2008. The compilation of the results of 75 questions as correlated to academic achievement, controlled…

To date, there is limited research examining the parenting experiences of parents with a child with special needs, and there is virtually no research on the experience of these parents in the Jewish community. In addressing this gap in the scholarship, this study describes the experiences of parents with a child with special needs and explores the…