Though change theorists recognize the importance of individuals within change efforts, the impact of perceptions, or mental models, on change initiatives at the organizational level is not fully understood. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a greater understanding of the mental models (beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and feelings)…

Research has shown that first-generation college students are educationally disadvantaged in a number of ways. While a variety of interventions have been recommended to increase the success of this population of students in higher education, little attention has been placed on the role that families can play in supporting these students,…

During the early grades, female students generally display enthusiasm for learning science. As these same students go though school, however, their level of motivation changes. Once female students reach high school, many lack the confidence to take chemistry and physics. Then, in college they lack the background necessary to major in chemistry,…

This is a qualitative dissertation study about the daily work lives of 21 school principals from 10 states across the nation. The study tells the story of the principals' work lives by featuring their voices. Since the inception of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the principalship has become a position with increased responsibilities and restricted…

A dramatic reversal of gender inequality in education occurred when women reached parity with men in college graduation rates around 1982 and surpassed men since then. While scholars have documented this remarkable turnaround in the gender gap in college completion, few studies have offered explanations for why this reversal occurred or why women…

The purpose of the study was to examine the reliability and validity of the employment interview system for Principals (ICIS-Principal). This instrument attempts to predict the effectiveness of principal applicants as building leaders, determined through a set of employment interview questions aligned with the primary themes found within the…

The growth in technology and the global nature of business and work have created new challenges for higher education. Administrators from institutions around the country desire more international study by their faculty and students as well as more visitors and residents to the campus from countries abroad. Are college students prepared for the…

The objective of this dissertation is to explore the socio-cultural contextualization of the digital divide in Japanese society. I undertake this task by developing a theoretical and methodological framework based on the notion of "culture as models," while explicating the cultural dimensions of the digital divide and the dynamics of ICTs,…

School effectiveness and instructional leadership research over the past thirty years have largely concluded that principal effects on student achievement are small and indirect; it has been assumed that principal effect is important, but mediated through other school factors. To the contrary, this experimental study found that one-on-one…

New Jersey school districts establish curriculums to meet the proficiencies found in the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS). The research focuses on the effectiveness of the Washington Township High School Career and Technology Education Department's curriculum in addressing the NJCCS Financial Literacy benchmarks. The…

While many students compete aggressively to enter into nursing schools, those who succeed have no guarantee they will be successful in their nursing studies, graduating, and passing the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN[R]). This study's objective was to gain a better understanding of how nursing students approach…

The application of virtual reality is becoming ever more important as technology reaches new heights allowing virtual environments (VE) complete with global illumination. One successful application of virtual environments is educational interventions meant to treat individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). VEs are effective with these…

Student response systems are wireless devices used for engaging students. Many studies using student response systems have been conducted in larger lecture-type settings such as in colleges and universities. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the effectiveness of student response systems in middle school math classrooms to…

When students first enter counseling programs, they are required to take a prepracticum counseling skills course, which they must successfully pass before being allowed to work with clients. This course is taught using many different methods, the most common of which is through a practical experience where students practice counseling skills while…

Training naval combat pilots is expensive and time consuming, it follows that attrition from flight training is costly to the government and traumatic for the individual. Flight training is considered high-risk training, and therefore strictly voluntary. Voluntary withdrawal from naval flight training is the largest unexplained reason for Student…