Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 198-206).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Waikato, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-[138]) Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed.S.)--Western Kentucky University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 26-28).

This thesis investigates how instructional leaders at the Windhoek College of Education (in Namibia) make sense of their roles. The Windhoek College of Education (WCE) was selected for this study because that is where I work, therefore it would be easy to observe some of the responses provided by the interviewees. It was also observed that instructional leadership is little researched in Namibia and hence study would contribute towards understanding the various perceptions that instructional leaders have of their roles. There is a need for information about the skills and tasks required to support practices of instructional leadership so that the best possible instruction can be provided. The thesis examines and presents such skills. A qualitative research framework, in particular an interpretative approach was used for the study. As my research is concerned with people’s perceptions, it is located in the interpretative paradigm. Semi-structured, open-ended interview questions were asked in order to gather information on how the participants make meaning of their roles as instructional leaders. The sample for the study consisted of eleven instructional leaders over different levels, i.e., executive leaders, leaders on middle-management level and leaders on classroom-instructional level. The findings indicated a narrow view of instructional leadership at the college. Factors contributing to this narrowness are addressed, e.g., the way concepts such as delegation, guidance and monitoring/supervision are perceived. The findings also addressed certain expectations that are needed from instructional leaders in order to ensure efficiency in their practice. The study concludes by recommending alternative, expansive ways of thinking about instructional leadership.

Many students find that their greatest academic step is that from high school to college or university, and that it involves a transition affecting almost all aspects of their lives. In order to offer assistance to students experiencing transitional and other personal problems, Student Counselling Services have been established and are operature at most tertiary institutions in Southern Africa. Currently no such service exists on the campus of the Cape College of Education, Fort Beaufort. This exploratory study attempts to determine whether there is a need for such a service and further, to establish factors which might encourage or discourage students from using such a service. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 178 students at the College in order to gain insight into their ideas and feelings and what they perceive their needs to be. Through an explication of the student protocols, several major themes emerged and are discussed in detail. The research findings suggest a need for the establishment of a counselling service, and shed some light on factors which need be considered should such a service be offered. The methodological approach is discussed as well as recommendations for improvements.

Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction Programs / David S. Allen / Haijun Kang / Using technology effectively has been proven to enhance education. The status quo in Saudi Arabia reflects low-level usage of technology in K-12 classrooms. Preparing 21st Century teachers to integrate technology in their future classrooms for meaningful learning requires College of Education faculty to model using technology effectively. This study investigated the technology integration practices of faculty members in the College of Education at Taibah University, particularly to what extent these practices are aligned with ISTE NETS-T standards and what factors predict these practices. Based on the literature, the factors examined include attitudes towards technology use, pedagogical beliefs, technical skills, workload, professional development, technology access, technical support, and leadership support. The population of the study was the 257 faculty in the College of Education at Taibah University. The study used a web-based survey containing 66 closed-ended items to collect data, and 170 valid responses were obtained (66% response rate). Descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyze data. Findings from the first research question revealed that faculty members’ technology integration practices were well-matched with ISTE NETS-T standards since the overall mean of these items was (M= 4.25, SD= .64). This indicates that faculty members had awareness of using technology effectively based on these standards to engage students in meaningful learning. Results from the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the overall model was significant as it explains 43% of the variability in faculty members’ technology integration practices. Three significant factors statistically predicted faculty members’ technology integration practices based on ISTE NETS standards. Faculty members’ attitude toward technology had a positive relationship with faculty members’ technology integration practices [β=.35, p=.00]. Faculty technical skills had also a statistically significant positive relationship with faculty members’ technology integration practices [β=.19, p=.00]. However, leadership support was found to have a statistically significant negative relationship with faculty members’ technology integration practices in teaching based on ISTE NETS-T standards [β=-.23, p=.00]. These results, in addition to the means of the independent variables, showed that the highly rated technology integration factors, including technology attitudes and technical skills, predict their high technology integration practices based on ISTE NET-T standards. However, faculty members still need more support in several technology integration factors including professional development, technology access, workload, and leadership support. The study recommends education faculty members to model the effective use of technology for pre-service teachers through providing them with opportunities to observe it in a variety of instructional models and practice the constructivist use of technology in lesson plan assignments and projects during the program, which helps in developing positive attitudes toward technology use among pre-service teachers. College of Education leaders are recommended to have a clear shared technology vision and offer the resources and support needed to make instructional technology integration successful. Recommendations for future studies are also discussed.

This study sought to understand what students learned about themselves as a leader as a result of taking a for-credit leadership seminar. The study used a qualitative case study methodology in order to interpret data collected through participant surveys and interviews. The participants were academically high-achieving college students who had won a prestigious combined academic and leadership scholarship. As a condition of accepting the scholarship, students participated in a one-unit leadership seminar. The study's findings included that after completing the leadership course, students had gained a more complex understanding of leadership concepts as well as a more complex understanding of themselves as leaders. After the course students could identify themselves as leaders in many different situations, including situations where they held no forma! leadership position. The findings indicate that as the students integrated the information on leadership theories and models into their personal understanding of leadership, their personal leadership identity became more complex. This finding adds to the literature on leadership identity development by indicating a possible mechanism for increasing the complexity of students' leadership identity.

This qualitative case study investigates first-year college-level art education in the United States today. Specifically, 12 art instructors from a broad range of postsecondary institutions (including private art institutes, public research universities, public liberal arts colleges, and community colleges) were interviewed to explore perceptions of first-year students’ art skills, dispositions, and teaching. When supplemented by online institutional data, descriptions emerge of the curricular structures and changing teaching environments of the sampled first-year art programs. This study finds that art majors enter college art programs today with different skill sets and dispositions than past students. While digital media offers new options for artmaking, the data suggest it may also influence students’ development of manual, fine-motor, and drawing skills. These art instructors describe first-year students as having shorter attention spans and experiencing greater frustration when learning new skills. Furthermore, the data and literature suggest that more college students today enter with mental health issues (such as anxiety and depression) and learning disabilities. Budgetary cutbacks to K-12 arts programming may have diminished students’ abilities to produce quality portfolios for admission to selective art programs, which may have consequences for enrollment. Enrollments reflect shifting student demographics, such as more international students attending private art colleges. Rising college costs have prompted other changes, such as more students living at home and commuting to save money, or transferring to four-year programs after attending community college, working jobs while attending college, and pursuing career-oriented art majors. First-year art programs are continually adapting to new technical, educational, and cultural challenges through restructured curricula and modified pedagogy targeted to the student demographic served by the institution. In addition to teaching art skills required for subsequent coursework, the participants reported helping first-year students adjust to the college environment in ways that foster personal growth. This study documents changes in first-year art education as a basis for further research. Art educators at all levels benefit from knowledge of how college art instructors and first-year programs are modifying pedagogy and curricula to meet the changing needs of incoming art students.

This case study examined three listservs as follow-up activities for STARLINK® (State of Texas Academic Resources Link) satellite teleconferences for community college faculty development during the 1993-94 season. Purposes included determining through self report and other data: (a) appropriateness of listservs as follow-up activities for teleconferences, (b) if combining video satellite teleconferences with a listserv satisfied perceived needs, (c) purposes of accessing a listserv and if listservs facilitated changes in the performance of work, were supportive of teaching, and provided resources beyond teleconferences' content, (d) what aspects of listservs are helpful or not helpful to participants.

The study examined faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of multicultural education and to ascertain which demographic factors had the most influence on participants’ perceptions. This study also examined whether there were any significant differences between faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of the concept. Validity of the quantitative instruments was determined by a panel of experts. Internal consistency and reliability was calculated using factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha and test/retest reliability. A mixed method research design was used in this study which included a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The surveys were completed by 313 graduate students and 48 faculty members, while 10 faculty members and 13 graduate students participated in semi-structured interviews. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted to analyze the quantitative data and the qualitative data collected were transcribed, coded and analyzed. The findings showed that faculty members and graduate students exhibited a positive perception of multicultural education and that there were some significant differences between faculty members’ and graduate students’ perceptions of the concept. The results also showed that no demographic variables had an impact on faculty members’ perceptions while race and department had an impact on graduate students’ perceptions. The findings also revealed that faculty members believed that faculty bore the most responsibility for integrating multicultural education in the classroom.The study showed that a combination of instructional strategies was used to infuse multicultural education in their courses and no formal evaluations were used to assess whether graduate students were receptive to the multicultural content being taught. Faculty indicated that they received little support from their department heads and college administrators to apply multicultural initiatives. Moreover, a number of factors motivated faculty members’ efforts to teach about multicultural education and these included traveling to foreign countries, learning about multiculturalism during their graduate studies and having an interest in the topic. Lastly, recommendations for further research and recommendations for the College of Education were presented in this study.