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 2018
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
Effective Fund Raising Practices in Public Community Colleges, Mark A. Bergstrom
Mothers Who Choose Traditional Public Education in Times of Economic Stress, Criticism, and District Reform, Brian W. Davis
lnfluences lmpacting the Development of Entry-Level Master's Athletic Training Programs, Jennifer E. Deranek
GME Graduate Retention Rates: A Single Institution Study, Tracy J. Frieswyk
An Examination of Academic Grit in Urban High Schools, Ronald Gorman
Experiences of African American Female First Generation College Students, Ashley Green
A National Study of Alternatively and Traditionally Certified Teachers, John F. Hoye
Family Resilience and Sojourning Japanese Families in the U.S., Mitsuyo Izumi
Comparing Online and Traditional Interview Techniques: A Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Researchers and Participants in the Malaysian Context, Diyana Kamarudin
Retention of Community College Students in Online Courses, Sarah Krajewski
Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) at U.S. Colleges and Universities: Administration Processes Regarding the Adoption, Implementation, and Integration of ERM, Anne E. Lundquist
Perceptions of Teacher Evaluation Systems at CTE Centers in Michigan, Michael A. Martel
Improving Evaluation in Nonprofit Organizations: A Study of How Evaluation Requests for Proposals Are Developed, Responded to, and Fulfilled, Nakia S. Matthews
Closing The Loop: A Study of How the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is Used for Decision-Making and Planning in Student Affairs, Jennifer Lee McCaul
Redefining Significance: Experiences of Humanities Faculty Engaged in Undergraduate Research, Susan Mendoza
Principal Leadership: Communication, Support, Management, and Evaluation in Literacy Education in Michigan Elementary Reward Schools Beating the Odds, Jason Michael Surian
From Networked Learning to Operational Practice: Constructing and Transferring Superintendent Knowledge in a Regional Instructional Rounds Network, Timothy J. Travis
Dissertations from 2014
Relationships between Wellness-Related Behaviors and Academic Performance, Helene M. Alfano
The Lived Experiences of Veteran Elementary Urban School Teachers: Why and How They Stay, Cynthia A. Anthony
Investigating Practices of Research-Proven Multidimensional Teacher Evaluation Systems in Michigan Schools, George A. Aramath
Using Case Method to Explicitly Teach Formative Assessment in Preservice Teacher Science Education, Amy Elizabeth Bentz
Teacher Trust Levels and How They Differ Between School Settings and Impact Teacher Involvement in Student Achievement Activities, Gretchen Kaeding Bergan
Focus and Priority Schools: How Principals Enact Leadership Responsibilities to Increase Student Achievement in Selected Mid-Western Counties, Jeffery P. Boggan
Processes, Tools, and Procedures Section 504 Coordinators Use toCreate and Provide Uniformity of Section 504 Requirements Across Their Districts, Caroline Breault-Cannon
Career and Technical Education and the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award in Education, Patricia Crum-Allen
A Monte Carlo Study of the Optimal Rank Order Relationship with Criterion Scores, Hongyan Cui
How Do Middle School Core Content Area Teachers in a Title 1 School Use Cooperative Learning in the Context of High Accountability for Student Proficiency: A Multiple Case Study, Martha Cunigan-Wells
Elementary Principals’ Perspectives on Newly Graduated General Education Teachers’ Abilities to Teach Students with Disabilities in Inclusion Classrooms, Darla Jane England
The Impact of Mentoring on the Self-Perceived Personal and Professional Success Of African American Women Graduates of a Midwestern University, Deveta R. Gardner
A Phenomenological Study of University Faculty Experiences with Disruptive Undergraduate Students in a Face-to-Face Classroom or Laboratory Setting, Anne Marie Gillespie
From National Standards to Classrooms: A Case Study of Middle Level Teachers’ Assessment Knowledge and Practice, Susan Lynn Gutierrez
Black Male Graduates’ Reflections on their College Experiences at a Private, Faith-Based, Predominantly White Institution of Higher Education, Kimberly Hayworth
Connecting the Disciplinary Dots: Faculty Attitudes Toward the Professionalization of Web Development, Kathleen Mary Kalata
District Mandated Changes in Technology and Inquiry-Based Instruction, Mulonge Musa Kalumbula
An Examination of How Feminist Perspectives and Generational Differences lnfluence the Leadership Practices of Women Administrators in Higher Education, Marlene Kowalski-Braun
Tatweer School Principals' Perceptions of New Authorities Grantedin the lnitial Steps of Decentralization, Salah Salih Meemar
From Altruism to Investment: Venture Philanthropy and its Impact on Shared Governance at Liberal Arts Colleges, Joshua D. Merchant
Perceptions of General Education Deans and Department Chairs of their Colleges as Learning Organizations, May Charmayne Mulligan
The Logistics of Implementing a Field-Based Comprehensive School Reform Initiative, Dawn E. Reeves
The Experiences of Latina/o Executives in Higher Education, Leonard A. Savala III