Doctor of Education

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12087/196

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A Grounded Theory of Spiritual Formation in Christian Higher Education: Exploring the Spiritual Formation Experiences of Faculty as Undergraduate Students and Their Influence on Pedagogical Practices
(2023-12) Osadchuk, Michael
Christian colleges and universities offer a unique teaching and learning experience grounded in spiritual formation. However, current scholarship addressing spiritual formation has been mostly isolated to rational epistemologies or narrow applications of practice. A holistic model of pedagogical practice that can be applied across disciplines and in non-traditional classroom settings is still largely not understood. This grounded theory study investigated Christian faculty to identify how spiritual formation experiences in their undergraduate education influenced their pedagogical approaches to spiritual formation in students. The central understanding of character education as a formative teaching practice was used to develop the research questions and instrument. Interviews were conducted with nine Christian faculty who received an undergraduate Christian education and currently teach in a Christian college or university to identify conditions for spiritual formation in teaching and learning. The findings of this study were presented in five themes: faculty modeling the Christian life, faculty being available to students, faculty revealing worldview connections, faculty providing a sense of belonging, and working with students in co-curricular spaces. Based on the analysis of the data, the Conditions for Spiritual Formation model (CSF) was constructed as a holistic pedagogical approach to spiritual formation. The CSF model adds to the current understanding of spiritual formation in Christian higher education and brings forth a pedagogical approach to spiritual formation that can be implemented across the disciplines and in non-traditional classroom settings and improve the alignment of institutional mission and practice. Implications for Christian faculty, university leaders, and recommendations for future scholarship were included in this study.
A Qualitative Study Exploring the Role of Professional Development and Job Satisfaction of Classified Staff
(2023-12) Spight Huffman, Pilar N.
This qualitative case study delved into professional development’s influence on job satisfaction among classified staff in California’s community colleges. The study examined a convenience sample of 20 full-time classified staff who had worked for at least 1 year at a community college in California and had participated in a professional development activity within the previous 12 months. Based on comprehensive iterative interviews and a focus group, this study contextualized how professional development influences the job satisfaction of classified staff. Using the frameworks of Herzberg’s two-factor theory and Knowles’s theory of andragogy, I sought to distinguish the significance of the relationship between professional development, job satisfaction, and leadership support among classified staff. Findings suggest that professional development positively impacts the job satisfaction of classified staff. Key results revealed emergent themes that underscore the significance of growth, inclusivity, and fostering a learning culture to advance student success.
Investigating the Relationship Between District Leadership Actions and Teacher Job Satisfaction Post-COVID-19
(2023-12) Newell, Monique L.
Retaining stakeholders within school districts following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a significant challenge. This quantitative correlational study aimed to investigate whether there is a positive correlation between school district servant leadership (administrators, principals, assistant superintendent, superintendent, etc.) qualities and actions and teacher job satisfaction post-COVID-19 for teachers at a public K–12 charter school in Southern California. This study used the Qualtrics survey platform. Educators who taught before, during, and after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic were asked to participate in this anonymous two-part survey. The first section consisted of a 36-item Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) on a 6-point Likert scale. The second section used the seven-question Servant Leadership Scale-7 Questionnaire (SL-7) on a 7-point Likert scale. The analysis of this study revealed a practical and statistically significant prediction between servant leadership actions and teacher job satisfaction post-COVID-19. This study offers three implications. The first implication is that servant leadership is positively related to teacher job satisfaction and applies to district leadership of various educational institutions. The second implication is that servant leadership can increase organizational productivity and success and applies to organizations that may not necessarily be educational institutions. The third implication is that there is a need for professional development and expansion of servant leadership practices in organizations, which applies to future leadership actions for policymakers of any organization. The information in this study indicates servant leadership can assist followers through times of great stress, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and other emergencies. Therefore, it may benefit organizations to cultivate and support servant leadership through professional development opportunities.
Leading like the Prophet: American Muslim Millennials Finding Purpose at Work
(2023-08) Nizami, Arbazz
This qualitative research study aims to understand the spiritual motivations for leadership among American Muslim millennial organizational leaders. There has been limited research into the role of leadership development and the intrinsic motivation of young American Muslim professionals. The theoretical framework of this study aligns with Fry’s (2003) spiritual leadership theory. Spiritual leadership theory invites people to find intrinsic motivation in their values, beliefs, and visions while being inclusive of other motivational theories in the workplace. Fry (2003) developed a model of spiritual leadership that recognized one’s spirituality as a crucial motivating factor that can lead to better organizational outcomes, such as employee motivation, reduced turnover, and increased productivity (Fry, 2003). This study takes a descriptive approach to researching these practices. Descriptive methods focus on the lived experience and wisdom of human beings; they provide insight into the perspectives of participants (McCabe, 2020). This study found that leadership in Muslim Student Associations (MSAs), role models, and spiritual practices all motivate participants. The MSA provides an opportunity to find one’s spiritual purpose and to develop leadership skills by serving on the board or various committees. Role models provide context for young leaders to incorporate spiritual purpose into their leadership roles. Moreover, spiritual practices motivate by helping young leaders seek God’s assistance in decision-making to overcome stressful situations. This study contributes to leadership and motivation by showing how qualitative data from young Muslim leaders correlates to theories on spiritual leadership and millennial leadership development. It also validates the impact of Muslim Student Associations on college campuses in building organizational leaders.
The Relationship Between Gun Safety, Concealed Carry Legislation, and Firearms Training in Contra Costa County, California
(2023-08) Calvin, Timothy
On June 23, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen finding that proper cause restrictions in New York’s concealed carry legislation were unconstitutional and a violation of the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. This ruling effectively eliminated all may-issue states, states in which concealed carry weapons permits were issued at the discretion of a county sheriff or police chief, and instantly turned these states into shall-issue states. With the high rate of indiscriminate gun violence, mass shootings, suicides, and now more individuals with concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits in public settings, finding sensible alternative measures to reduce firearms violence is essential. This study, therefore, explores the relationship between historical and current events, cultural differences, and political affiliation relating to perceptions of gun safety, opinions of concealed carry legislation, and the perceived need for revisions in formal firearms training courses to reduce gun-related injuries and deaths in Contra Costa County, California.
The Effects of Social Media Use for Varied Purposes on the Academic Achievement, Affective Well-Being and Leadership Development of Foreign-Born College Students
(2023-08) Aylett, Natalia Acevedo
With the quick rise of social media’s popularity among the young, colleges and universities have found ways to use social media to recruit prospective students, engage current students, and connect with former ones. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social media use for varied purposes among a student population often overlooked in research about social media in higher education. This study examined the impact of social media use for seven various purposes on the academic achievement, affective well-being, and leadership development of foreign-born college students. This quantitative study collected data via an anonymous online questionnaire completed by 41 international and immigrant students enrolled in two Southern California community colleges. The data were analyzed using ANOVA tests and simple, ordinal, and multiple regressions. It was found that social media use for solitary play purposes had a negative impact on student academic achievement, and social media use for self-understanding, interaction orientation, and expression purposes had a positive effect on student affective well-being. In addition, overall social media use positively predicted the students’ sense of belonging to their educational institutions, their ability to deal with transitions at their colleges, and their level of comfort and willingness to lead in their college contexts. These key findings have practical implications for practitioners seeking to leverage social media platforms to address the needs of this key portion of their organizational membership. Higher education leadership may find ways to use social media for the benefit of foreign-born students’ academic achievement, personal well-being, and leadership growth.
A Qualitative Study of Minority Higher Education Faculty's Experiences With Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Within Their Organizations
(2023-08) Fierro, Amanda N.
Recently throughout higher education institutions, there has been a consistent call to include diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) at the forefront of their organizational practices. Faculty make up the most significant number of employees in higher education organizations, and their experiences with diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) approaches in the classroom and the organization inform higher education organizations of their ability to integrate materials. The problem statement addressed in this study was to identify minority higher education faculty’s experiences in the discipline of English with EDI within their sense of organizational belonging; faculty’s engagement with EDI in curriculum development, academic instruction, and student interactions; and faculty’s levels of or access to professional development using a community of inquiry theoretical framework. The purpose of this study was to provide a phenomenological qualitative inquiry focused on understanding the nature of minority higher education faculty in the discipline of English and their experiences through one-on-one interviews regarding DEI methods, practices, and implementation in classrooms and organizations in Southern California. The data revealed that faculty experiences show institutional and self-awareness needed for DEI integration, including alternative teaching styles, discipline-specific application, personal actions, and a recognition of areas of needed institutional and self-improvement. The recommendations based on the findings from this study include changes for higher education organizations to consider fostering EDI in their organization.
The Factors That Influence the Use of Cloud-Based Technology in the Administration of Social Work Field Education: An Application of the Technology Acceptance Model
(2023-08) Breitenbucher, Philip
Problem Statement. As social work education programs have expanded, there is a desire to understand how cloud-based technology can better support field education administrators with the student placement process and potentially reduce workload. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence the frequency of technology use in the administration of social work field education. Theoretical Framework: The researcher used the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the underlying theoretical framework to examine the historical challenges and opportunities for social workers to embrace technology (Bullock & Colvin, 2015). Methodology. This study used a survey-method quantitative research design. Five hypotheses were tested using simple linear regression to understand the factors that influence the use of cloud-based technology solutions in the master of social work field education placement process and the frequency of use. Findings. The data indicate high levels of perceived technology knowledge among field education directors. Ease of use was the most significant factor in predicting the use of technology. Additionally, more than 30% of field education directors do not have access to field placement software. Conclusions and Recommendations. Current data indicate the need for field directors to be knowledgeable of technology and for information technology solutions to be easy to use.

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