The purpose of this study was to determine those resources that selected leadership development experts rated as most effective in discovering and fostering the continuing professional development of leaders. In this descriptive study, three research questions were formulated. A modified version of Hunter's reputational technique was used to collect data through a snowball sampling of the selected population. In phase 1 of the study, a survey was developed, validated, and mailed to 56 LEADership directors in all 50 states, yielding 34 (64%) returns, which were used in creation of the final questionnaire. In phase 2 of the study, the final instrument, including 256 identified resources, was developed, validated, and mailed to 220 experts in leadership development identified in the initial survey. A return of 88 (40%) of the questionnaires identified leadership development resources that selected experts rated as effective. The 19 instruments, 128 books or other printed materials, 32 audio or video tapes, and 77 programs identified through the initial survey were rated either "not effective", "somewhat effective", "effective", or "very effective" on a likert-type scale.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of the School Leadership Response Team Development Process in helping school personnel move toward shared leadership and to determine if it was an appropriate model for the adoption of shared leadership within Tennessee's public schools. This descriptive study systematically reviewed documents related to the project and used a questionnaire to elicit information from training participants. The population was the 196 school personnel and others from 31 schools across the State of Tennessee who obtained leadership training in 1991 as part of this grant. The follow-up questionnaire was responded to by 124 (63%) of the trainees who represented 28 (90%) of the schools that participated. Six criteria derived from the literature on shared leadership served as guides for the study. According to the literature, shared leadership within schools was indicated by; use of shared decision making, existence of leadership teams, increased self-esteem among teachers and students, increased participation in leadership activities by school personnel, improved communication between involved parties, and better identification of needs. It was evident from the data that shared leadership was being adopted more within the schools that participated. There were indications of expansion of teams, development of new mini-leadership teams, increased self-esteem among some teachers and students, improved communications between all parties, and better needs assessment. The major conclusion was that the School Leadership Response Team Development Process was successful in helping schools move toward shared leadership and that it was an appropriate model to use in Tennessee schools.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the mandatory in-service training in Tennessee for all local board of education members. The primary focus of this study was to determine if the board members' or superintendents' responses about the training agencies, content, or applicability of any Academy indicated any continuing (long-term) impact on the actions of board members when they returned to their local boards of education. The secondary concern of this study was to determine if the responses were significantly differentiated between the positions of board member and superintendent or among the demographic characteristics defined in the study. All 959 board of education members and 136 superintendents of schools were mailed a questionnaire to return anonymously to evaluate the legislatively mandated School Board Training Academies conducted over the past 4 years. Six research questions were answered and 23 null hypotheses were tested at the.05 level of significance. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Two-Sample Test or the Chi-Square Comparison was used to analyze the comparison between board members' and superintendents' scores or among the demographic strata. All nine Academies were compared according to each of the nine demographic characteristics. The average demographic characteristics of Tennessee board members are very similar to the average demographic characteristics of board members in the nation as a whole. There are significant differences among board members' evaluation scores stratified by six of the demographic characteristics. There were only two demographic characteristics for which there were any significant rating differences among superintendents. The Academies were rated positively for their effectiveness and their continuance was recommended. Specific improvements, expansion, and enhancement of the process were suggested.

The recent economic downturn has increased demand for higher education. Because most postsecondary schools offer online courses, it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of those offerings and provide information that will assist colleges and universities in meeting citizens' educational needs. This qualitative case study was used to examine the learning experiences and perceptions of students in online courses at a university in the western United States. Moore's transactional distance learning theory was used to assess interactions among students, instructors, and course content. Purposive sampling was used to select 18 students from 3 university departments to participate in the study. Research questions focused on how participants perceived their learning experiences in online courses and how they described interactions with instructors and other students. Data collection was multimodal. The interviews were conducted in face-to-face format, electronic mail, and Skype. The questionnaires were completed by electronic mail. Field notes were collected during the interviews. Interview transcripts, field notes, and questionnaire data were coded against the 4 interaction factors identified from Moore's theory. Results showed that participants rated interaction with course material as most important, followed by interaction with the instructor. Next in importance was the character of the learner, followed by student-student interaction. This study contributes to social change by informing the efforts of postsecondary faculty and administrators to review and modify online course content. Doing so will ensure that the university is able to meet students' needs by generating timely, positive, and constructive, feedback; establishing a social communication network to foster student-student interaction; and creating a more student-friendly content material delivery method.

Aboriginal people in Canada are less likely to complete postsecondary education than are non-Aboriginal people. This lack of education leads to increased rates of unemployment and poverty and the need for additional government supports. The purpose of this project study was to identify and examine barriers faced by Canadian Aboriginal adult students as they return to school for postsecondary education. The conceptual framework for this qualitative study was based on the work of Ertmer, which suggests barriers can be placed into broad categories of extrinsic and intrinsic barriers. A case study design was used with a purposeful sample from a local academic institution. Eleven Canadian Aboriginal adult students were interviewed, 6 who successfully completed the college entrance program and 5 who did not complete the program. One counselor from the program was also interviewed to help provide a better understanding of the complexities of the identified barriers. Data analysis included substantive and theoretical coding. Thematic analysis led to 8 overall themes or barriers that affected these students' success: level of self-confidence, social environment, racism, spirituality, government policies, mental health and addictions, perceived value of education, and perceived need to demonstrate leadership. Recommendations include the development of a professional learning community made up of students, teachers, and the Aboriginal communities where the students lived. The project emanating from this study is a 3-part workshop intended to identify and mitigate barriers of Canadian Aboriginal adult students. Understanding and mitigating the barriers will promote positive social change by increasing the success rates of this population of students as they attempt to return to postsecondary education.

Instructional coaching is designed to positively impact instructional practices, yet not enough is known about whether administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches have similar perceptions about this approach. The purpose of the case study was to examine the perceptions of administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches concerning instructional coaching, the impact instructional coaches have on instructional practices, and barriers encountered by instructional coaches. Guided by Knowles' theory of andragogy, the research questions were designed to explore the relationship between collective and individual actions of adult learners when acquiring information and learning new concepts. The case study involved a purposeful sample consisting of 3 instructional coaches, along with their administrators and teachers who work within the same school district. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Qualitative analysis techniques involved categorizing the data to determine themes regarding the phenomenon of instructional coaching. Identified themes included the following: assistance, receptiveness, instructional benefits, and non-evaluative role. Professional development training sessions were developed to increase administrators' awareness concerning the roles and barriers associated with instructional coaching. Implications for positive social change include increasing educators' understandings of collaborative partnerships among administrators, teachers, and instructional coaches. Such understandings may result in the use of professional learning communities to establish or maintain shared goals for improving classroom instruction and increasing student achievement.

Competent nurses are instrumental in assuring that a patient receives safe patient care of the highest quality. Patient care that lacks quality places patients at risk of poor health outcomes and results in negative financial impacts for the organization. The purpose of this staff education project was to develop nurse competency education for a facility's competency program, which merged the Wright competency model with quality and safety education for nurses' competencies. The nurse competency staff education program was evaluated by the organization's stakeholders for inclusion in the competency program. The whole-part-whole model, Knowles's adult learning theory, and Lewin's change theory were used to guide this project. Pre- and posttest data were collected from 16 organization stakeholders, including nurse managers, directors, clinical nurse specialists, nursing professional development specialists, and preceptors, who participated in an in-person education session. Data were analyzed by calculating the mean test scores and calculating the percent change. Results indicated a 32% increase in knowledge from pre- to posttest. Findings supported implementation through the nursing departments and may furthermore support implementation across other healthcare disciplines within the organization. The project promoted social change by developing and providing education to improve nurses' knowledge regarding competent practice, ensuring safe and high quality nursing practice and supporting improved patient outcomes.

Non-healing wounds can claim thousands of lives and costs billions of dollars each year, and nurse-led wound clinics are becoming necessary to fill a gap in care for patients with wounds. Even among certified wound nurses using evidence-based clinical protocols, key considerations of care are being missed. Therefore, this project was focused on developing and validating a new biofilm education module for certified or certification eligible wound care nurses. The aim of the module was to boost clinical assessment knowledge and improve patient outcomes. Benners skill acquisition model informed the development of this project. The design of the project also included a panel of expert wound care nurses using a 5-point Likert questionnaire to provide feedback on the biofilm education module, including evaluating the content, context, relevance, and use in the practice setting. Descriptive analysis provided evidence to inform the revision of the education module. Results of the Likert questionnaire ranged in mean score from 4.6 to 5.0, indicating there was strong agreement among the panel members that the education module met the objectives. The completed education module has been presented to the organization leadership for future implementation. This project supports positive social change by improving nurses' preparation to provide early clinical assessment, intervention, and definitive biofilm eradication treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to gain insight into the factors that military students perceive to have an impact on their persistence. The conceptual framework for this study was Knowles' principles of andragogy. The research questions were designed to explore military students' persistence, measures of engagement in academic activities, decisionmaking to assure success, and the strategies considered important to earn a degree at an online college. Demographic surveys, status reports and degree plans, and semistructured telephone interviews were collected from 13 military students. Interview data were transcribed and all data were open coded and thematically analyzed. Military students experienced longer than desirable time to degree while they managed institutional factors (policies and procedures), situational factors (school, work, and family obligations), and dispositional factors (age and past experiences). Specifically, military students indicated that the following factors contributed to their academic success: (a) military-friendly policies and procedures; (b) balance between school, work, and family; (c) and maturity gained from real-world experiences. They purposefully planned to persist, successfully addressed complex situations, and looked to experts in academia to ensure that those who could impact their progress were keenly aware of military students' diverse needs. Findings were incorporated into a white paper to inform academic leaders on how best to assist military students in completing their online degree programs. Implications for social change are that military students will be better prepared for more career opportunities and help mitigate the financial difficulties and high unemployment rates that disproportionately impact veterans.

Retaining novice teachers in a Northeast Florida county public school is an ongoing challenge. Research indicates that 14% of new teachers will leave the field within 5 years. The purpose of this case study was to investigate the major factors that contributed to this unique group of novice teachers' decisions to continue to teach at the school during their first 5 years in the field. The societal model served as the conceptual framework for this study of factors affecting teacher turnover, with emphasis on teacher and school characteristics in relation to teacher attrition. Data collected from 9 interviews and an observation and analyzed inductively were used to answer the key research question about what factors contributed to new teachers' retention. The findings of this study indicated that teacher preparation, administrative support, school environment, working conditions, and student characteristics influenced teacher retention at the local site. Recommendations that stemmed from the findings were formulated into a proposal for a new teacher professional development series that the participating school can use to improve new teacher retention rates. This study promotes positive social change by implementing measures to stabilize new teacher retention rates, which will improve student learning and promote academic success by creating stability in the learning environment.