All dissertations completed at Western Michigan University are entered into ScholarWorks. Some may be embargoed or restricted by the authors and may be only available from on-campus computers. Print copies are available through interlibrary loan for dissertations before 2013. If you have any questions, please contact wmu-scholarworks@wmich.edu.
This department was called Educational Leadership until around 2000. Then departmental responsibilities were redistributed between Educational Studies and Teaching, Learning, and Leadership, both active until 2007. This list includes dissertations from all three of those earlier departments.
Dissertations from 2013
Cultural Adaptations of American Teachers in International Schools, David J. Alban
Committed Seventh-Day Adventist Students at Secular Institutions of Higher Education, LaShonda R. Anthony
Measuring Performance Excellence: Key Performance Indicators for Institutions Accepted into the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), Paul J. Ballard
Effective Leadership Behaviors: How One Principal Made Sense of and Integrated Research-Based Behaviors Into His Daily Practice, Heidi Ann Beidinger-Burnett
Anxiety-Reducing Strategies in the Classroom, Robin K. Buchler
The Impact of Institutional Culture on Student Activism: A Multi-Case Study in Christian Higher Education, Brian E. Cole
How Schools are Meeting State Legal Mandates to Provide Online Education, Mark Edward Deschaine
Collaboration between Grant-Making Organizations, Evaluators, And Program Staff Related to Standardized Evaluation Requirements, Kristin M. Everett
Veteran Teachers and Novice Coaches: A Case Study of Content Focused Coaching in Three Persistently Failing Midwestern Middle Schools, Brian E. Gamm
Principal Leardership Behaviors Which Teachers at Different Career Stages Perceive as Affecting Job Satisfaction, Valari Hill
A Comparative Study of Exact Versus Propensity Matching Techniques Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Mukaria J. J. Itang'ata
From Script to Screen to Syllabus: The Path to Curriculum Design for Undergraduate Film Production Programs, Peter J. Muir
The Process of How Teachers Become Teacher Leaders and How Teacher Leadership Becomes Distributed Within a School: A Grounded Theory Research Study, Steven J. Sanocki
A Phenomenological Exploration of Superintendents’ and Principals’ Experiences in a Shared Professional Development Process, John R. Severson
Pathways to Cyber Bullying from Bystander to Participant: Secondary School Students’ Perspectives, Michele L. Siderman
Student Thoughts and Perceptions on Curriculum Reform, Douglas D. VanderJagt
Psychosocial Development of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Higher Education, Kathleen M. VanderVeen
Making Grades Matter: Connections Between Teacher Grading Practices and Attention to State Assessment, Gregory D. Warsen
Single Case Research Designs: An Effective and Efficient Methodology for Applied Aviation Research, Geoffrey R. Whitehurst
The Voices of Higher Education Service-Learning Directors: A Qualitative Inductive Analysis, Kelsey Woodard
Dissertations from 2012
Teaching and Understanding the Concept of Critical Thinking Skills Within Michigan Accredited Associate Degree Dental Hygeine Programs, Kimberly S. Beistle
"Sí Se Puede" Latino Students Can Succeed in School: A Success Case Method Study, Manuel J. Brenes
Predictors of Academic Success for Optometry Students, Robert S. Buckingham
A Study of the Effects of Charter Schools on Achievement, Attendance and Selected Mitigating Factors in a Midwestern State’s Small Urban School Districts, Frederick C. Clarke
Higher Education Leadership in American Geography: Restrospect and Prospect, Michael S. DeVivo
Accelerated Degree Completion Programs: The Effects of Core Professors in Nontraditional Higher Education, Dale Frederick Gadd
From Crisis to Stability: A Case Study of Presidential Leadership at a Christian College, Jeffrey Gill
Female Head Athletic Trainers in NCAA Division I (IA Football) Athletics: How They Made it to the Top, JoAnne Gorant
The Role of Focus Group Venue: A Comparative Study of Face-to-Face, Telephone, and Internet Video-Based Venues, June E. Gothberg
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and Permissive Disclosure: What Information are Post-Secondary Institutions Disclosing and Why?, Christine Glah Greer
Through the Eyes of Higher Education Attorneys: How Department Chairs are Navigating the Waters of Legal Issues and Risk Management, Carol L.J. Hustoles
Design in Evaluation: Adequacy and Validity of Health Evaluation in the Context of Developing Countries, Julien Kouamé
Examining the Research Designs and Analytical Techniques in Athletic Training from 2005-2010, Monica R. Lininger
Experiences of Suburban and Rural High School Principals Who Have Attained Longevity in the Position: A Qualitative Study, Peggy A. Mathis
The Perception of Adult Learners Concerning their Satisfaction of Their Educational Experiences in a Midwestern Community College, Constance L. McCallum
Traveling with a Purpose: Stories of Contradiction and Transformation in International Service-Learning, Rebecca A. McNamara
Teachers' Sense of Professional Practices as a Result of Mentoring, Leadriane L. Roby
Overcoming Non-Academic Issues to Gain Admission into Competitive Entry College Majors: The Power of Positive Psychological Development, Stephen J. Snyder
An Inquiry Approach to Reading Instruction: A Case Study of the Relationship Between Instruction and Motivation, Tammy Turri-Scodeller
Value of U.S. Higher Education for International Students in the Context of Higher Education Internationalization, Ewa L. Urban
Dissertations from 2011
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Instructional Practices of Michigan Community College Math Instructors: The Search for a KAP Gap in Collegiate Math, Maria Haverhals Andersen
The Impact of the Head Start Parent Teacher Partnership on Home Based Mathematical Interventions Provided by Single Rural Head Start Mothers, Curtiss J. Babcock
The Impact of Leadership Training on Collegiate Student Athletes, Jerry Bergsma
Bayesian Item Response Theory: Statistical Inference and Power Analysis, Jason W. Bodnar
Children‘s Protagonism at the Centro Cultural Da Criança: A Case Study, Claudia Protasio Ceccon
A Study on Becoming an Alternatively Certified Career and Technical Educator, Kymberli Cotton-Flanagan
Transgender People on University Campuses: A Policy Discourse Analysis, Doris Andrea Dirks
How Politics, Economics, and Technology Influence Evaluation Requirements for Federally Funded Projects: A Historical Study of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act from 1965 to 2005, Maxine R. Eversley-Gilling
Teachers and Their Struggle with Personal Satisfaction as Young Mothers, Katherine Homer
Daily Practices Elementary Principals Utilize to Increase Student ReadingAchievement: A Case Study of Successful Michigan Elementary Schools, Susan L. Johnson
Comparisons of Three Analytical Techniques for Measuring Absolute and Relative Temperature Changes During Ultrasound Treatment, Michael G. Miller
A Case Study of How Students Enrolled in CTE Programs and Faculty Understand and Assess the Implications of Globalization on Career Preparation, Mohammad A. Moradi
Teaching Reading in the Secondary Content Area Classroom:Teacher Attitudes and Predictors, Sara L. Norton-Ejnik
African American Male Teachers in K-12 Education: A Limited Quantity, Kelley A. Peatross
A Qualitative Study of Instructional Strategies Used by Elementary General Education Teachers in Inclusive Classrooms, Kristen Peterson
Voices of Parolees Who Have Chosen a Community College Element within a Reentry Program, Kristi S. Potts
Learning Organization Principles: The Impact on a Midwest State Government as Perceived by Its Employees, Rosalee Billingslea Rush
Highly Qualified Public School Teacher: Its Status, Distribution, Determinants, and Relationship with Job Commitment and Job Satisfaction, Samuel Striker
Understanding the Career Paths and Experiences of Division I-A Athletic Directors: A Phenomenological Study, Harold Thomas Swift
Generalization or Specialization in High School Based Health Careers Transition Programs: What Is the Impact on the Health Care Work Force Shortage?, James Wm. Taylor
A National Study of Parental Involvement: Its Trends, Status and Effects on School Success, Alandra Washington
Professional Development Experiences of Indiana K-12 Public School Teachers: Evidence from the SASS 2007-2008, Patrick David Weil
Study Abroad Program Design, Personal Development and Intercultural Effectiveness, Margaret Davis Wiedenhoeft
Administrator Perspectives of Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities for Michigan High School Students, Carl Wozniak
Advanced Placement Courses and College Student Success: Evidence from BPS: 96/01, Jinhai Zhang
Dissertations from 2010
The Impact of Mentoring Pre-Service Teachers on the Mentor Teacher, Patti Andrea
Paths to Upper Level Positions in Public Relations, Patrick J. Bishop
The Influence of Conflict Resolution Programs on Student Conduct Violations in Middle Schools with a School Uniform Policy, Edward C. Breitenbach
A Study of the Impact of a K-12 School District–University Doctoral Cohort on District Leadership Capacity, Sharon Davis
The Phenomenology of the Bachelor of Science in HVAC Engineering Technology from Ferris State University, Michael Feutz
An Examination of the Leadership Practices of Effective Rural Superintendents: A Multiple Case Study, Mark Forner
Opt Out: Women with Children Leaving Mid-Level Student Affairs Positions, Dana Hebreard
Principal Leadership and School Effectiveness: Perspectives from Principals and Teachers, Robert Herrera
Perceived Levels of Nurse Educators' Attainment of NLN Core Competencies, Julie Kinney Higbie
Determining Characteristics that Increase Success on the National Asthma Educator Certification Exam, Karen Kain
Direct Care Workers Perceptions and Practices Related to Quality of Life in Long Term Care, Karen M. Kinyon
Job Satisfaction of University Chief Student Conduct Administrators and Their Intent to Stay or Leave the Position, Suzie Nagel-Bennett
The Perceived Impacts of the 14-Year (1989-2003) Civil War on Higher Education in Liberia: An Analysis of the Case for the University of Liberia and Cuttington University, Manjerngie Cecelia Ndebe
4-H Leaders: Factors that Affect Their Persistence in the 4-H Youth Development Program, Regina Schinker
Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in AQIP Accredited Community and Technical Colleges, Constance M. Schwass
Superintendents' Use of Research-Based Responsibilities/Practices in High-Performing School Districts, Wayne Russell Stitt
The Knowing-Doing Gap: The Influence of Teacher Feedback in Changing Principal Behavior - A Mixed Methods Study, Kimberly St. Martin
Creative Iconology: A Conceptual Framework for Instruction in K-12 and Pre-Service Visual Arts Education, Cindy Todd
The Inception and Development of Michigan's 21st Century Schools Fund, John Richard VanWagoner II
Dissertations from 2009
Systemic and Personal Change: A Retrospective Case Study Of Balanced Literacy Implementation as Perceived by Those Involved, Donna J. Anderson
Persistence and Success: A Study of Cognitive, Social, and Institutional Factors Related to Retention of Kalamazoo Promise Recipients at Western Michigan University, Michelle Ann Bakerson
A Qualitative Study of School Lockdown Procedures and Teachers' Ability to Conduct and Implement Them at the Classroom Level, Bethney Bergh
The Effects of Toyota Production System Training Discontinuation, Robert Patrick Biggins