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 2020
Saudi Arabian Women’s Lived Experiences Attaining Higher Education Deanships: Paths, Supports, and Challenges, Sarah Abdullah Allhoian
Dominican Public-School Novice Principals’ Description of Their Early Career Experiences and Needs Entering the Principalship, Mary Francis Benzo Hernandez
Experiences of Middle School Principals with Accountability-Related Stress and Coping Skills, Gus T. Calbert
Teachers’ Experiences in Schools that Serve Rural Communities in The Dominican Republic: Their Readiness to Respond to Challenges, Nidia Beatriz Columna Pérez
Parent and Guardian Perspectives Regarding Attendance: Evidence from a Governmental Early Childhood Education and Care Program, Rita L. Cruz Santelises
Trauma and Social Frameworks: the Effect of UASD-Government Conflict Between 1966 and 1978 over Perspectives about Higher Education, Jesús Leonardo D'Alessandro
How and Why Higher Education Information Technology Professionals Keep Their Skill Sets Current, Vicky L. Deur
How Elementary Teachers Demonstrate Leadership in the Classroom to Increase Science Learning, Dipsy Anais Etanislao Gonzalez
Choosing to Be a Teacher: Understanding the Career Choice of Academically Excellent University Students Who Had Graduated from High Performing High Schools in the Dominican Republic, Marcela Maria Fuster de Hernàndez
Adjustment Issues as Students Transition from High School to the Dominican Republic's First Community College, Alexandra Julia Garcia Munoz
Adopting Educational Technology: A Study of Dominican Republic Higher Education Faculty Related to their Classroom Usage, Attitudes, Barriers, and Motivations, Leipzig Elizabeth Guzmán Mena
Community College Student Success: Connections to Student Perceptions of Faculty Behaviors, and Classroom Motivators, Victor A. Henry Ubiera
The Voices of Single-Headed Household African American Mothers Concerning the High School Completion of Their Daughters, Lametria A. Johnson_Eaddy
The Role of Search Consultants in Interpreting and Communicating Organizational Identity during Presidential Searches at Small, Private Colleges, Dawn M. Markell
Understanding the School Experience of Recent LGBTQ+ Graduates in the Dominican Republic’s Education System, Rossina Matos
Relationships between Kindergarten Entrance Age and Attendance Rates in Kindergarten through Second Grade, Julie A. McDonald
Undergraduate Educational Research Experiences in the Study of Interior Design, Julia Virginia Pimentel Jiménez
Dominican Nursing Students’ Self-Reported Mastery of International Nursing Competencies, Wady Ramirez
Women’s Lived Experiences in their Pathways to Leadership Positions in Universities in the Dominican Republic, Laura Sartori
An Exploration of Preschool Choice with Low-Income Families: The Critical Role of Positive Attitudes, Behavioral Norms and Control Beliefs, Laurel E. Schmitt
The Effect of Principal Leadership on Student Achievement: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis, Huang Wu
Dissertations from 2019
Saudi Arabian Female English Language Teachers’ Perspectives on Instructional Supervisors and Supervision, Afaf Mohammed Albalawi
Factors Contributing to the Attrition of New Student Affairs Professionals, Nicole Millar Allbee
Superintendent Practices and Initiatives for Building Principal Instructional and Collaborative Leadership Capacity in a High-Performing High-Poverty School, Fatemah Ali Al Ramel
Principal Leadership and the Development of Teacher Professionalism and Autonomy within a Collaborative School Culture, Sukinah Ali Al Ramel
The Impact of Character Education Programs on Middle School Bullying Behavior, Kelly M. Amshey
The Learning Experiences of Practicing School Leadership Coaches: A Multiple Case Study, Dustin Anderson
The Role of Mental Models in Sensemaking during the Data-Driven Decision-Making Process and Their Impact on Instructional Practice, Ann M. Bingham
The Lived Experience of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Transitioning from High School to a Liberal Arts College, Joseph D. Bishop
Artist as Academic Leader, George H. Brown
The Efficacy Actions of Priority School Leaders during the Dynamic Change of School Reform, Micole D. Dyson
University Auxiliary Services: A Review of Factors Impacting Privatization Decisions, Rita S. Gordon
The Relationship between Student Math Achievement and Teachers Utilizing a Process Involving Interim Instructional Assessments, Douglas B. Greer
The Impact of Goal Orientation and Learning Organization on Mobbing of Academic Advisors in the U.S., Bette A. Ludwig
The Use of Principal Feedback from Teachers to Create Effective Leadership, Kevin Richard Macina
Female Senior Student Affairs Officers’ Experiences in Decision Making Across Their Careers, Somaia Hamza Mustafa
Delaying Kindergarten Entrance by Participating in Pre-Kindergarten and Academic Achievement in Elementary School: Red-Shirting and Achievement Scores, Rachael Postle-Brown
Change in Attribution Perspective, Shame, and Academic Identity for Freshmen on Probation Enrolled in University Academic Recovery Courses: A Mixed Methods Study, Christine L. Robinson
College with Conviction: Formerly Incarcerated Students’ Sense of Belonging in Higher Education, Colleen Kay Stano
The Social-Construct of Race and Ethnicity: One’s Self-Identity after a DNA Test, Kathryn Ann Wilson
Dissertations from 2018
Effective Teaching and Learning: Flipped Learning in the Classroom, Mohammed Fahad Alsobaie
Ten Elementary School Teachers’ Voices: How They Build Effective Literacy Learning in the Lives of Their 2nd Grade Children, Merfat Ayesh Alsubaie
University Leaders’ Experiences in Advancing the Development and Transformation of Emerging Saudi Public Universities, Abdulrahman Hamed Alsulami
Instructor Sense of Community and Instructional Practices as Predictors of Student Sense of Community: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis, Laurie K. Burgess
Looking Inward: Higher Education Public Relations and Internal Communication, Kelly A. Campbell
Response Shift Bias: An Examination of Measurement Invariance in Self-Reported Change, Katherine Nelson Daniels
Experiences of Underrepresented Minority Students in Health Professions Programs, and Their Journeys to the Programs, Alisha L. Davis
The Role of Response to Intervention in Michigan High Poverty Elementary Schools That Are Beating the Odds, Alina J. Fortenberry
The Lived Experience of New Community College Student Affairs Professionals, Eric L. Mullen
The Lived Experiences of Veteran and Military Students in the Context of a “Military Friendly” Institution: A Phenomenological Case Study, Gail Y. Rouscher
Understanding the Experiences of Students Re-Admitted After Academic Suspension as Part of a University-Initiated Process: A Qualitative Study, Gary L. Versalle
Dissertations from 2017
The Effectiveness of Using Leadership Practice lnventory (LPl 360) Feedback on Leaders' lnsight into their Leadership Behaviors in Higher Education, Abdulrahman S. Alajlan
From Following to Leading: Experiencing the Phenomena of Becoming a Teacher Leader, Alan L. Carter
Justice Involved Veterans’ Post-Release Employment-Related Experiences, James L. Dawson
From Descendants of Refugees to First-Generation College Students: The Untold Story of Southeast Asian American College Students’ Lived Experience, Vunsin Hiew Doubblestein
Expanding a Path Analytic Model of Quality Management to Include the Management of Safety, Bruce J. Ladewski
High School Seniors' Educational Experience lnfluencing the Decision to Pursue a Career in Nursing, Ryan L. Rowe
Are the Leadership Behaviors of K–12 Leaders in Mid-Western Urban School Districts Influenced by their Beliefs and Attitudes Regarding Spirituality?, Ericka M. Taylor
Superintendents’ Response to the Revised School Code Requiring Merit Pay in Selected Michigan School Districts, Mark A. Tompkins
Critical Success Factors for Agile Project Management in Non-Software Related Product Development Teams, Jeff Totten
Dissertations from 2016
Examining the Existence and Importance of Ten Skills for Successful School Leaders from Saudi Principals’ Perspectives, Khalifah Albalawi
The Empowerment of Academic Women Leaders at Saudi Universities and Its Relationship to Their Administrative Creativity, Azala M. Al Ghamdi
Empirical Evaluation of Different Features of Design in Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Deyab Almaleki
The Relationship between Student Achievement and Professional Learning Communities at the Middle School Level, Michael S. Burde
From Novice to Independent Researcher: A Content Analysis of PhD Student Blogs, Sarah J. Cox
The Federal School Improvement Grant: Telling the Story through Quantitative Outcomes, Gregg B. Dionne
Work Stress: A Review, Analysis, and Extension of the Job Demands-Control (-Support) Model, Marcus J. Fila
Single and Multiple Leadership Roles of Building Principals: Perceived Differences in Leadership Responsibilities in Selected Midwestern Districts, Michael A. Gaunt
The Experience of Teachers and Deans in an Intensive Weekly Observation/Feedback Model, Kathleen A. Grinwis
Exploration of Peer Learning in a Formal Cohort Healthcare Leadership Development Program, Melinda Marie Gruber
Students Engaged in a Learn and Earn Program: Exploring Characteristics that Identify those Interested in a Career in Manufacturing, Amy M. Koning
Females in Automotive Careers: Career Decision-Making Influences and Experiences During University Preparation and Beyond, Russell A. Leonard Jr.
Student-Teacher Connection, Race, and Relationships to Academic Achievement, Timothy Brian Mabin Jr.
The Influence of Building Configuration on Academic Achievement, Attendance, and Demographic Variables in Selected Midwestern School Districts, Catherine A. MacArthur
Exploration of Experiences and Perceptions of Saudi Arabian Students within a Team Project Setting at an U.S. University, Ronald A. McKean
Shaping Leadership: Leadership Standards in the Organizational Language of University Programs, R. Ben Meador IV
Cross-Cultural Mentoring Relationships between Faculty and Students in Undergraduate Athletic Training Programs, Scott D. Michel
Principals’ Perspectives on the Professional Development Process and its Outcomes, Sara Kathleen Moore
The Relationships between Clergy Attachment Style, Leadership Style, and Clergy Professional Longevity, Marc Nelesen
It’s on Us: A Case Study of Academic Integrity in a Mid-Western Community College, Ceceilia Parnther
Effective Practices to Address Implementation Challenges in IB Diploma Programmes in Michigan Schools, Michael B. Pascoe
The Impact of Denominational Affiliation on Organizational Sense of Belonging and Commitment of Adjunct Faculty at Bible Colleges and Universities, Kimberly M. Pilieci
Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning Strategies within Police Training Academies and Correlates with Licensing Exam Outcomes, Cecil R. Queen
A Phenomenological Approach Examining the Completion of Latino High School Students through the Lenses of Critical Race Theory, Anna M. Rangel-Clawson
Advancing Evaluation in Community Colleges: A Mixed Methods Case Study of Outcomes-Based Assessment Training in Student Affairs, Tammy L. Russell
Using RTP (Responsible Thinking Process) as a Lever For Improving School Culture: A Case Study of an Alternative Secondary School’s Implementation Of RTP, Andrew D. Rynberg
A Phenomenological Study of Practicing Educators’ Personal and Collaborative Experiences within a Climate of High Stakes Individual Accountability, Kathy L. Stewart
Principals’ Experiences Adapting to a New State-Mandated Administrator Evaluation Process: a Phenomenological Study, Kathleen Ann Teed Ramirez
Dissertations from 2015
An Exploration of Strategic Planning Perspectives and Processes within Community Colleges Identified as Being Distinctive in Their Strategic Planning Practices, Lisa J. Augustyniak
Comparison of Item Response Theory Models for Data Fit of Quality Control Measurements for Maillard Reaction Browning in Foods, Polly Barrett