Abstract Educational leaders who have an awareness of social justice are those who advocate for and achieve more equitable schools. School leader preparation programs that focus on social justice may help to improve schools, systems, and society (Dentith & Peterlin, 2011; Boske, 2012; Marshall and Oliva, 2006; Shields, 2004, 2010, 2012). For the purpose of this study, social justice is defined as fairness in terms of distribution of wealth, social privileges and opportunities within society. Some school leaders experience transformative processes which increase their critical awareness or consciousness during their formal preparation. What is not known is the extent to which social justice and transformative learning are salient characteristics of leader preparation programs- even those with an explicit social justice focus. Informed by Capper, Theoharis, & Sebastian’s (2006) framework for preparing educational leaders for social justice, this explanatory case study for dissertation examined a single educational leadership preparation program with an explicit social justice focus to explore the ways in which social justice is operationalized. Data was collected from multiple sources, guided by the following research questions: How can a stated commitment to social justice and transformation (transformative learning) be operationalized in a graduate program of study? and What perceptions do graduates have of the operationalization of a social justice-oriented school leader preparation program? Data was collected via nine semi-structured one-on-one interviews as a primary source for capturing participants’ perceptions of the program and its impact. It examined the in-place curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments that participants felt contributed to their development as socially-just school leaders. In addition, participants shared aspects of the program which they feel most effectively promoted their own critical consciousness, knowledge and skills. This study also utilized data from print sources (program overview and course syllabi) to provide additional information about the program. This research adds to the scholarly discussion of educational leadership development (in theory and practice). It focuses on the processes of developing an understanding of diversity and equity during preparation of socially-just school leaders. Finally, there are suggestions for further development of Capper, et. al’s (2006) framework for preparing social justice school leaders. This further developed framework, informed by leaders in the field, should be used to guide the development, review and improvement of programs that prepare school leaders for social justice.

There is a critical need for college students to receive an education that fosters global learning in preparation for life in an increasingly interdependent and interconnected world. Universities recognize this need and endeavor to provide a range of programs that target global knowledge and skills, and meet the needs of traditional and non-traditional students. Domestic foreign language immersion programs can contribute to student global learning and development by providing students with an opportunity to participate in a rich global learning experience in the U.S. While some researchers have investigated impacts of domestic foreign language immersion on language proficiency, few studies of other kinds of global learning outcomes are available, and research is needed to gain an understanding of program impacts and make improvements. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which participation in a domestic foreign language immersion program was perceived to influence global learning and development. The study used a mixed-methods design that incorporated as a key instrument a retrospective survey of former participants in a university-level domestic foreign language immersion program. Perspectives from short-term study abroad, foreign languages, transformative learning, and global citizenship informed the research. The study found that participants in a domestic foreign language immersion program perceived influence in all three domains of global development. The degree of perceived influence was similar in the three domains except in the area of social responsibility, which received a significantly lower rating. Finally, student characteristics, including age, language level, prior international or other intercultural experience, and on/off-campus residence were not associated with perceived program influence. A qualitative analysis helped explain these findings.

Preparing college students to be contributing members of local and global societies requires educators to analyze the capabilities and needs of their students and to adjust instructional content and practice. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was twofold: (a) to explore how classroom approaches designed to facilitate students' questioning of assumptions and beliefs regarding different cultural beliefs, social structures, and practices might influence Japanese college students' self-reported development of intercultural competence, and (b) to investigate whether or not the students developed their potential for intercultural competence. Mezirow's transformative learning theory informed this study. Archival qualitative data were from 137 Japanese undergraduate students' journals from a course with approaches designed to facilitate questioning their assumptions and beliefs. Multilevel coding was used to support thematic analysis. Archival quantitative data of students' pretest and posttest scores on the Intercultural Adaptation Potential Scale (ICAPS) were too few for meaningful analysis. Limited trend interpretations of the quantitative data helped support the qualitative data findings. Key findings included students identifying the importance of opportunities to discuss conflicting cultural beliefs, social structures, and practices; several questioned their assumptions and enhanced their intercultural competence. Expanded research into the challenge of enhancing cultural competence is needed. Positive social change is possible when intercultural competence and understanding the importance of dealing with cultural conflicts in an informed manner are enhanced. Students who expand their comfort levels and understandings will gain membership into multiple societies, reflect critically on their worldviews, and be able to take positive actions during conflicts.

This qualitative case study addressed the problem at a West Indies theological college that lacked the ability to provide courses for spiritual care training by using the teaching methodology of clinical pastoral education (CPE). CPE is an experiential process using a clinical method of learning to interpret human conditions. Spiritual care training through CPE teaches clerics how to help persons find meaning in life's situations and make connections with their God. Guided by the frameworks of transformative learning and critical theological reflection, this study explored the lived experiences of 5 purposefully selected CPE students who participated in 1 unit of CPE training at the college. Interview data were coded and analyzed to uncover emergent themes. The findings revealed these overarching themes: (a) personal empowerment, (b) increased pastoral care competencies, (c) increased sensitivity to suffering, and (d) connectivity to self-care and ministry. The interview data provided the impetus for the developed CPE Orientation (CPEO) to help students obtain basic skills in pastoral/spiritual care and critical theological reflections. It is recommended that persons with advanced CPE training could conduct the CPEO training, negating the need for a certified CPE supervisor expertise. Positive social change may occur when pastoral/spiritual care training is provided to clergy and laity to improve basic pastoral/spiritual care skills by helping clergy and parishioners respond to stressors in a healthy manner. Theological education that promotes spiritual care for persons in crisis may benefit the world and presents an avenue for social change to occur in the communities where clergy serve.

Sverige anses idag vara ett av det mest jämställda länderna i världen. Även om kvinnor idag besitter över 50 procent av chefspositionerna inom både landsting och kommun så besitts endast 38,2 procent av chefspositioner inom samtliga sektorer på arbetsmarknaden av kvinnor. Minst kvinnor i chefspositioner finns inom den privata sektorn. Detta trots att företagsledare säger sig vilja ha jämställda arbetsplatser och styrelser. Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka om en bidragande faktor till den skeva könsfördelningen mellan män och kvinnor, i chefspositioner inom mansdominerade branscher, kan vara vad företagen uttrycker sig eftersöka för typ av egenskaper i sina rekryteringsannonser. Det finns tidigare forskning som visar att en kvinna inte är benägen att söka ett arbete där det i rekryteringsannonsen eftersökes stereotypiska manliga egenskaper. Vår studie utgår ifrån begreppen transaktionellt ledarskap och transformativt ledarskap. Transaktionellt ledarskap kopplas till typiskt manliga ledaregenskaper och transformativt ledarskap kopplas till typiskt kvinnliga ledaregenskaper. / Sweden is today considered to be one of the most equal countries in the world. Although women today hold over 50 percent of the management positions in Botha county councils and municipalities, only 38.2 percent of managerial positions in all sectors of the labor market are owned by women. The least amount of women in managerial positions are in the private sector. This is despite the fact that business leaders say they want equal workplaces and boards. The purpose of our study is to see if a contributing factor to the skewed gender distribution between men and women in managerial positions, in male-dominated industries, can be what the companies express themselves to search for the type of properties in their recruitment ads. There is previous research that shows that a woman is not inland to seek a job where in the recruitment advertisement, stereotypical male attributes are sought. Our study is based on the concepts of transactional leadership and transformative leadership. Transactional leadership is linked to typically male leadership qualities and transformative leadership is linked to typically female leadership qualities. This thesis is written in swedish.

Numerous research showed having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can affect families in many ways (Brace, 2009; DeGrace, 2004; Fantaroni, 2012). The primary types of impact include family relationship (spousal and sibling relationships), finances, and access to resources and services to assist with caring for the social, emotional and academic development of a child with autism (Grindle & Remington, 2014; Harper et al., 2013; Koydemir & Tosun, 2009; Ludlow, Skelly, & Rohleder, 2011; Montes & Cianca, 2014). While extensive studies have shown similar findings of the impact of autism on family quality of life in America and other places in the world, such as Africa, East of England and London, Jamaica, Toronto and Turkey, limited or no research has shown the impact of autism on family quality of life in The Bahamas. This study expands those findings and identifies parent perceptions of the quality of life for a family raising a child or children with ASD in The Bahamas. The purpose of this study was to identify parent perceptions of the quality of life for a family raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in The Bahamas. This study employed the Beach Center on Disability (2006) Family Quality of Life Survey to collect data from a purposive and chain sample of 56 parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorder in The Bahamas. The data from the survey was statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means, standard deviations, skewness, kurtosis, and correlation, and inferential statistics such as multiple regression, and coding for the four open-ended questions. The results of this study revealed the family quality of life for parents raising a child with ASD in The Bahamas was overall satisfactory with family interactions, parenting, and physical/material well-being being the areas of most satisfied, while emotional well-being and disability-related support were the least satisfied. The predictors for parenting, and emotional well-being were statistically significant for severity level, and educational level, respectively. The predictors for parenting a child with mild (p = 0.01) or moderate (p = 0.05) autism were higher than raising a child with severe autism. The predictor for emotional well-being for families with mother/guardian’s education level of a bachelor’s degree were the highest predictor and was statistically significant (p = 0.02). However, the predictor for emotional well-being for families with father/guardian’s education level of a bachelor’s degree was lower than father/guardian’s education level of a graduate/professional degree, which was statistical significant (p = .03). The correlation analysis revealed there was a positive and strong relationship between family interactions and physical/material well-being (p = .0003), and a positive and strong relationship between physical/material well-being and disability-related support (p = .0001). Emotional well-being and disability-related support also had a positive and strong relationship (p = .0001), and emotional well-being and physical/material well-being also had a positive and strong relationship (p = .0001). Educational workshop was identified as the dominant resources, but many indicated the lack of available resources. Evidence-based intervention (applied behavior analysis, speech therapy, occupational therapy) were identified as intervention/therapy services received, but most indicated the lack of available intervention/therapy, financial distress paying for these services, and dissatisfaction seeking resources and intervention services for their child with ASD. This study was significant as it highlighted and added to the knowledge relevant to parent perceptions of family quality of life raising a child with ASD. Identifying these perceptions would be useful toward improving services for families of children with ASD in The Bahamas. In addition, information gathered would assist in further development of effective programming initiatives specific for this population.

This study has adopted the metaphor of �mind-forged manacles� to explore adolescent transformation within an educational context. It does this by examining the experiences of two groups of people who participated in an intensive, one-off personal development program for adolescents, known as Discovery. The first study involves secondary school students for whom the program was part of the school curriculum. The second study consists of an older group of people who did the program during their adolescence and outside the formal education system. The third study is a contemplation of transformation derived from my experience as researcher during the course of completing this thesis. In an attempt to reflect the perspectival worldview from within which the study is created I have drawn on a range of theorists. To integrate their ideas I created three different �lenses� or ways of viewing the data. The first lens is developed from consciousness theory, the second from process philosophy and complex self-organising systems theory, and the third from individual humanistic psychology. The educational pedagogy is holistic and embraces developmental models of thinking and learning. The study uses participant reflection to argue that a program of intentionally focussed challenges, combined with the support that enables these challenges to be successfully met, can be transformational for many young people. It suggests that the complex postmodern world requires teachers to be aware of their own and their students� consciousness, and demands learning experiences that are deliberately focussed on helping the process of consciousness transformation rather than only on achieving predetermined outcomes. Transformation is understood as a shift to a different order of consciousness in which it is how one sees rather than what one sees that changes. With each shift towards a new order of consciousness the mind-forged manacles are loosed and individuals accept increasing responsibility for their lives and how they live them. Educational programs can be developed to assist this process.

<p>The aim of the research was to establish the factors relevant to the delivery of education support to the Khomani San school community, and to propose a model for appropriate education support to the Khomani San school community. In order to reach this aim I strove to answer the following questions: What ethics need to be considered to guide research with this indigenous community? What are the key policy guidelines for education support services in South Africa? Is there a link between community psychology and education support services in the South African context? How are education support services understood and currently delivered to the Khomani San school community? What suggestions can be proposed for relevant education support services delivery to the Khomani San school community? </p>

The financing of public schools in South Africa is dependent on school fees to a great extent. However, the legislative process governing the charging of school fees perpetuates the entrenched inequality in the education system and violates the constitutional rights of those learners who are unable to afford school fees and other educational costs. This study examines the impact of the school funding system on the right to basic education of these learners, who are in most instances black and/or poor.

The United Nations General Assembly recognized the years from 2005 to 2014 as the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD). Students perspectives on education for sustainable development and student perceptions on action projects for sustainable development are almost absent from the literature. This thesis presents an analysis of students voices and experiences as a result of Youth Forum 2008 (a forum proposed to support high school students as action leaders in sustainability projects) in three different case locations. The study attempts to understand students challenges with their action projects, examining them in the context of dominant discourses and explores supports that can be put into place to facilitate students navigation toward their goals of completing successful action projects for sustainable development.<p> This qualitative study was composed of a series of focus group recorded conversations with ten high school student participants involved in three different school sites who all attempted to complete action projects for sustainable development. Many themes were identified: time, whether projects were extracurricular or curricular, school community, teacher, teacher education, marks/evaluation, community engagement, youth forum and technology. In the examination and interpretation many attractions and distractions for the student participants were identified. By interpreting the students experiences through the language of the students, a deeper understanding of the dominant discourses of schools and society and how they might limit the students highlights broader ideas about students struggles and triumphs in education and with teaching. In the conclusion, I suggest recommendations and I also suggest further avenues for research.