A rising number of students are pursuing graduate degrees while working and parenting young children. Gender differences in the experience of multiple roles are well-known, and graduate school and childbearing years tend to overlap. This study sought to discover how employed graduate student mothers (GSMs)--women fulfilling work, academic, and parenting roles--experience, perceive, and meet the demands of their multiple roles. Some of the work-family literature has explained the interface between the work and family domains using two contrasting perspectives (i.e. role conflict and role enrichment), and it is now known that role occupants can experience both conflict and enrichment throughout the course of meeting multiple role demands. The participants in the study were concurrently involved in the roles of parent of one or more preschool child(ren), graduate student (MA, EdD, or PsyD), and (full- or part-time) employee. Each woman completed a brief, structured demographic questionnaire and participated in a one-on-one, semi-structured, open-ended interview. A case-oriented, cross-case analysis using inductive and deductive methods was conducted. The findings indicated that employed GSMs experienced both challenges and benefits in the course of fulfilling student, family, and work role demands. However, an overall perspective of conflict or enrichment appeared to be related to the experience of role overload and certain student and family role factors, including the employed GSM's position in her graduate program, the role management technique she used, and the age(s) and number of her child(ren).

This dissertation presents three related studies examining institutional routines and their impact on international students at a large public university. The studies consider factors which can influence international students’ ability to overcome acculturative stress and integrate with a sense of belonging and safety.

The case study in Chapter Two focuses on an international student services office within the large public university. The ways in which organizational routines have changed are interpreted here in response to a surging international student population and changing Federal policies regarding immigration. Feldman’s generative model of organizational routines encourages the examination of routines as areas of growth. The chapter examines routinized actions used by the international office (OISS), specifically focusing on Feldman’s performative model. In addition to routinized action theory, this chapter proposes applying anxiety/uncertainty management theory (AUM) to the evaluation of organizational routines. Examination of routines is placed in the context of a conceptual overview based on literature about routines as sources of stability and change. Reducing uncertainty, expanding networks, and communicating expectations may lay the groundwork for an integrated student body, reduced acculturative stress for international students, and increased social capital.

Chapter Three explores the question: How do international students in the U.S. use social network sites (SNS)? Connections made through home-country SNS lessen student stress by maintaining establish social supports. At the same time, anxiety/uncertainty management theory (AUM) suggests reliance on familiar home-country SNS reduces motivation to integrate in the host country. This conceptual overview draws upon several recent studies to consider the ways college students use social media, how international students adapt to host-country networks (or not), and the potential for SNSs to be an effective communication channel for the host institution, with special consideration for its potential and limitations for emergency communications. A proposal to develop a SNS-based structured arrival program is included.

Chapter Four addresses institutional communications and international student response at the large public university during a natural disaster. Literature on disaster preparedness and emergency communications on college campuses rarely considers the needs of the international student population. How can the campus better support international students during a large-scale emergency? A post-incident survey examines student perceptions of the event and the institutional response to the disaster.

The final chapter considers issues raised by within these studies, limitations, and possibilities for future research. Because these chapters examine routines and processes initiated in part to comply with Federal immigration policy, using rapidly changing technologies that are also subject to constraint by governmental policies, the future offers ample opportunities for further exploration.

ABSTRACT

Teachers’ Perceptions of a Newcomer Program

by

Maria Cristina Saucedo

The United States is a nation of immigrants and it continues to receive an influx of families, including school age children. Many school districts have developed programs to meet the language, academic, and social needs of these students and capitalize on students' rich and cultural resources. Research is accumulating on school practices that facilitate opportunities to learn and/or receive English language acquisition, literacy, content mastery, cultural adjustments and social emotional support (Hersi & Watkins, 2012).

This study utilized a qualitative case study approach to explore teachers' views of (a) their experiences in a newcomer program and (b) supports and professional development they have received in one southern California urban district with a sizable influx of immigrant families. An effort was made to understand teachers' experiences of the Program particularly in relation to programmatic change. Following a 2017 pilot study, four teachers who were active in the Newcomer Program were interviewed in 2018. In addition, the researcher served as participant observer in the Program for several years.

Case studies were developed for each teacher, and themes were highlighted across cases. Similarities were revealed among the teachers with regards to background, perceptions of program facilitators, perceptions of school's response to diversity, and professional development. Implications are discussed.

Recently, researchers and policymakers have been calling on principal preparation programs to equip prospective leaders with education and training in effective instructional leadership practices as well as in school improvement strategies (Grossman, 2011; Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004; The Wallace Foundation, 2009). Kellar and Slayton’s (2013) and Martinez-Kellar’s (2012) review of the historical progression of school leadership studies identified a transition from a concern with leadership effects on schools (often examined through a quantitative framework) to a concern with the psychological and organizational dimensions of leading people in an organizational context. Martinez-Kellar’s (2012) case study of two high school principals indicated that high leader self-efficacy interacted with mental models to foster conditions to promote organizational improvement. The purpose of the current study was to explore two new elementary principals’ views of instructional leadership (including possible tensions between evaluation and supervision) as well as views of their roles to facilitate organizational improvement in low-performing schools. Principal interviews were semi-structured, and following the lead of earlier research (Kellar & Slayton, 2013), focused on the conditions/ability new principals believed were important for organizational improvement. Data collection also included two teacher interviews from each site, district and site documentation, and site walkthroughs with each principal. Case descriptions were constructed examining the organizational setting and principal perspectives on instructional leadership and organizational improvement using the conceptual framework guiding the study.

ABSTRACT

An Exploration of Teachers' Views of Evaluation in a

Choice-Based System

by

Laura Wellington

The educational landscape is changing and along with the changes is the reform and accountability system of teacher evaluations. As of late, teachers have come under scrutiny for their practice and professionalism in the classroom and many believe we need to hold teachers to higher standards. To that end, recent reforms have been put in place to allow for greater focus and accountability such as the development of new professional standards for teachers.

Professional teaching standards developed in California are designed to provide teachers with guiding principles for improved practice and provisions, as well as drive criteria for teacher evaluations. Along with a standards-based evaluation system, many local California districts are offering teachers on cycle and in good standing a choice-based method of evaluation. It is unclear what teachers' reactions to these systems have been, in particular, whether they feel the choice-based evaluation system allows for more meaningful feedback and insight into their strengths and areas of development as a professional educator. With the permission of the superintendent and a district assistant superintendent, five teachers were interviewed in a medium-sized suburban unified school district in California in order to gain a greater perspective into their opinions of the choice-based system of evaluation. With regards to types of evaluation experienced, two teachers emphasized three evaluation choices (peer, portfolio, and administrator) in their interviews; three others generally emphasized evaluation by an administrator.

A district assistant superintendent was also interviewed, providing background about the choice-based teacher evaluation system in the district, as well as insight into the overarching practice and protocol of the choice-based system in this particular district. Findings highlighted similarities and differences across the cases. For example, teachers tended to agree that it was best to maintain a choice-based system versus the traditional administrative model. In addition, teachers understood and had a clear vision of the choice-based teacher evaluation process. At times, among teachers who did not select the peer or portfolio option themselves, they nonetheless stressed the advantages of those options. Teachers had varied ideas of what might be helpful in making teacher evaluations in general more effective.

ABSTRACT

Social Learning Theory and the Use of Instructional Videos in Three

Alternative High Schools

by Stephen G. Rotondo

This study aimed to discover teacher views and opinions regarding the use of instructional videos in alternative high schools. The literature traces Social Learning Theory from Vygotsky and Piaget to Bandura and then discusses self-efficacy. The study highlights three building blocks of Social Learning Theory: collaboration, modeling, and observation.

The study used purposeful sampling to identify eight teachers from primarily three different alternative high schools as the participants. The first high school used a military cohort model where male and female students are separated, students live on the premises, and there is limited external contact with family and friends. The other two high schools were based on a traditional school format, were coed, students did not live on the premises, and, outside of the classroom, students were allowed external contact with family and friends.

The study collected data from pre-interview questionnaires, open-ended interviews, quantitative analysis of the transcripts using key words and acceptable alternatives, and four classroom observations.

Teachers viewed their use of instructional videos as promoting learning in a few different ways. Instructional videos served to complement existing lessons, enhance and act as an aid to serve more visual learners and support group collaboration and group projects.

Teachers viewed instructional video as facilitating learning by providing a link to real-time events and current life experiences. Instructional video addressed multiple dimensions of learning and is a familiar source of information for today's young generation.

Teachers viewed affordances to their use of instructional videos as including district support for equipment, teacher training and access to data. Constraints reported included lack of equipment, inadequate online digital information access and differences in perceived teaching philosophies. An important factor in affordances and constraints was the academic climate of the individual school settings.

Teachers viewed the use of instructional videos for encouraging construction of knowledge by providing a readily accessible foundation for collaboration and application of critical thinking skills. Interactive learning activities including online video-based exercises and student-generated video productions are examples.

This dissertation was an exploratory study of the perspectives of teachers who were knowledgeable about the effort to unionize one charter management organization (CMO) within the larger Chicago metropolitan area. Current trends in charter schools indicate high turnover amongst teachers, with contributing factors including workload (longer school days and school years), as well as a fast-paced culture of high expectations within the schools. An increasing number of charter schools nationally have unions. Organizing efforts have occurred in major U.S. cities, such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Sacramento (Loewus, 2017). The primary source of data for this study were interviews conducted with six teachers who had been teaching for more than seven years and were knowledgeable about, and active in, the effort to organize teachers within a three-school charter management organization (CMO). All of the teachers had spent the majority of their careers in primarily Black, majority low-income schools. The interviews were conducted in Summer 2017, at the close of the academic year following a vote for union representation (2014-2015). Secondary sources of data included state collected school performance data and the documents related to collective bargaining were examined. The findings of this study reveal similarities in teachers' views with respect to reasons for unionization. The results were discussed in light of previous research and implications for practice, including a focus on the tension between structure and flexibility.

While women now outnumber men in college attendance rates, the gender gap in occupations, salary and leadership persists. The purpose of this study was to extend the research on college women’s future thinking by exploring the possible selves and the influences on these selves of women at a private 4-year religiously affiliated college. The construct of possible selves has been used to better understand individuals’ views of their future thinking (Markus & Nurius, 1986). The investigator conducted three focus groups (15 students) followed by ten individual interviews in spring, 2015. Women were asked to share their future hopes, expectations and fears for the next five years as well as any factors or experiences that significantly influenced their future thinking. Women’s gender role beliefs were specifically queried as a possible influence. Three major themes and three unanticipated findings were identified. Anticipated themes included women’s lack of leadership aspirations, the role of faith in guiding women’s possible selves, and the influential role of family and faculty. Unanticipated findings included women’s high achievement expectations, adherence to gender role messages to do it all and do it all well, and the influence of study abroad experiences. These findings offer key insights to college administrators who shape student learning environments to best guide and support female students in thinking about their futures.

This exploratory research study employed a mixed methods research design to examine the data-driven decision making supports of data system infrastructure, analytic capacity, and data-use leadership from the perspective of the DDAs (district data administrators that oversee the provisions of data-driven decision making supports throughout the school district) and from the perspective of school and district personnel (teachers, school and district administrators, school support staff, and district staff that actively use data-driven decision making toward their educational practices). Qualitative data were collected through five individual interviews of DDAs. Quantitative data were collected through a district-wide online survey of school and district personnel (N = 218). Qualitative and quantitative data were used together to capture the overall state of the data-driven decision making supports within the school district.

Findings indicate the district under study is still in the early phases of implementing quality data-driven decision making supports such that supports are provided, but they have limitations and are “a work in progress.” The quality of the district’s data-driven decision making supports is reflected in the perceptions of the school and district personnel. On average, the school and district personnel were between somewhat disagree to somewhat agree that the district provides quality data driven-decision making supports in the three areas of data system infrastructure, analytic capacity, and data-use leadership. The findings also show predictive relationships between data-driven decision making supports and data-driven decision making processes, indicating the importance of having quality data-driven decision making supports. The findings of the study also highlight notable considerations for implementing quality data-driven decision making supports such as implementation phase, district size and breadth, organizational structures, and time.

ABSTRACT

Extensive literature on study abroad outcomes documents the benefits of study abroad for all undergraduate students, regardless of academic major. However, engineering majors, at 5% of all undergraduate students nationally who study abroad, are substantially less likely to study abroad than their social science peers, at 17.3% participation (IIE, 2016). Yet engineering majors have much to gain from international experiences: engineering is a global profession, and these future engineers will be expected not only to work in diverse teams but also travel and work abroad.

The purpose of this study is: (a) to explore the goals, motivations and challenges or barriers that undergraduate engineering majors face in their decision-making regarding study abroad, particularly in comparison to those motivations and barriers identified in the literature; (b) to identify outcomes of study abroad for this group of students and how they believe study abroad might impact their future; and (c) to explore students’ decision-making regarding engineering study abroad from academic advisors’ perspectives. These advisors not only support undergraduates’ academic needs on campus but also help them plan for study abroad.

The theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Azjen, 1975) and transformational learning theory (Mezirow, 1991) formed the theoretical framework for this study. Combined, these theories form the basis of a conceptual model to explain the decision-making process of studying abroad and how study abroad can be a transformative learning experience for study abroad participants.

This study employed a mixed methods methodology (Creswell, 2014) to address the research questions. First, a survey was sent to engineering undergraduates who had participated in study abroad at 8 different undergraduate institutions within a university system. Then, based on survey responses, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 of the survey participants. Concurrently, 7 academic advisors were interviewed in order to shed light on the advising process for engineering majors to study abroad.

Personal and institutional factors were found to be the primary considerations in deciding whether to study abroad. Personal factors included students’ desires for cultural experiences and their internal drive to overcome any obstacles they faced. Institutionally, curriculum restrictions for engineering majors and student fears about delay in graduation challenged study abroad participation. Outcomes included students’ alteration of career plans, increasing their insight into other cultures, and increasing their comfort with working abroad.