http://hdl.handle.net/2092/282 2013-06-20T13:31:43Z http://hdl.handle.net/2092/1992 A Study Of Connective Leadership In Five Midwestern School Districts Eighmy, Brandon M. Extending the work of Lipman-Blumen (1996) in the field of leadership, this study focused on the operationalization of connective leadership in school superintendents. The question pursued in this study concentrated on how school superintendents operationalize the achieving styles of Lipman-Blumen’s (1996) connective leadership model. This qualitative, phenomenological research centered on educational leadership in a Midwestern state. The central research question, “How are the three main achieving styles of Connective Leadership (direct, instrumental, and relational) operationalized in school superintendents?” guided my study. Data were collected from five semi-structured interviews of school superintendents in a Midwestern state. These school leaders were specifically selected through an identification process with School Administrators of Iowa. Data analysis was conducted through the process of using predetermined themes, searching for additional themes through coding; triangulation; member checking and data interpretation. This study found that connective leadership and the operationalization of the achieving styles exists in these five participants. The participants utilized each achieving style as they maneuvered through their leadership responsibilities on a daily basis. Participants accessed the achieving styles differently and some felt more comfortable in specific achieving styles than others. The participants felt that the direct achieving styles were the most difficult to access but did acknowledge their relevancy in their work as educational leaders. From local issues with teachers or community members to working with local and state leaders, the achieving styles were important for each district leader. It is the conclusion of this study that in order to achieve all of the different areas of educational leadership, adopting a leadership model and being reflective in one’s leadership is essential. Quality leadership in the field of education requires a multi-leveled leadership approach that involves all stakeholders from multiple leadership styles. 92 leaves 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2092/1990 We Still Have A Lot To Learn: Learning Experiences Of Individuals Age 80 And Older In Care Facilities In A Midwestern State Grebert, Sheila This qualitative study focused on the learning experiences of individuals, age 80 and older, in care facilities in a Midwestern state. Even with the well documented growth of the over age 85 demographic, there are few studies about learning that included this demographic or considered the wants and needs of this group. Using a phenomenological research approach, participants for this study were purposefully selected from two rural and two urban care facilities. These participants took part in three semi-structured interviews. The first included questions about their life history, the second focused on their current learning activities, while the final interview provided time for the participants to reflect on the meaning of learning within their lives. Additional data was collected through observing learning activities at each of the participating facilities. By using the constant comparative data analysis method along with open and focused coding, four themes emerged from the data collected: overwhelming participation in both non-formal and informal learning, learning through travel and exercise, motivation for learning: cognitive interests and social aspect, and positive impacts of learning in later life. The importance of continuing learning activities in later life was overwhelmingly supported by the findings of this study. The participants in this study were active, able, and learning daily. They all provided images of individuals over 80 who are successfully aging and living. With a lack of research that includes the over age 85 demographic, the findings of this study call for a start to building a better understanding of the impacts of continued learning with the oldest of the old. 104 p. 2012-10-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2092/1889 An Exploratory Study On The Assessment Of Pre-Service Teacher Dispositions By Teacher Education Programs In Iowa Brindle, Sharon Evans Problem: Within the higher education community there is discourse regarding teacher dispositions and the assessment of dispositions. Murray (2007) and Damon (2007) posited that additional scholarship and research were needed to provide a meaningful construct of dispositions. With this lack of consensus, teacher education programs need to explore dispositions and how best to assess them. Procedures: This quantitative (Creswell, 2012) study explored the background characteristics of teacher education programs in Iowa to determine if there were differences in the assessment of pre-service teacher dispositions. Data were gathered through a survey (Fink, 2009). Methods: A postpositivist worldview (Crotty, 1998) was used to explore the background characteristics of teacher education programs to determine if there were differences (Green & Salkind, 2011) in how teacher dispositions were assessed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (Johnson and Christensen, 2008; Tabachnick & Fidell, 2007). Results: Analyses of the data revealed there were differences in the assessment of dispositions based on geographic location, Carnegie classification, teacher education enrollment, and the type of institution. Conclusions: The study hypothesized there would be differences in how programs assessed dispositions. Data indicated there were differences in when, who, how, and what dispositions were assessed. Recommendation: Recommendation include using varied methods to assess dispositions, providing students with ongoing feedback regarding dispositions, employing multiple assessors including student self-assessment, creating remediation plans when needed, and stressing the value and role of dispositions in effective teaching. 147 leaves 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/2092/1863 Individual, Family, School, And Community Predictors Of High School Male Suicidal Behaviors: An Analysis Of 2010 Iowa Youth Survey Data Beck-Cross, Cathy Youth suicide is a public health issue and the second leading cause of death for young Iowans ages 15 to 24 years, with young males six times more likely to die than their female peers (Iowa Department of Public Health, 2009). Suicide among adolescents is a complex issue, but there are patterns of individual, family, school, and community influences that contribute to the likelihood a young person will think about, plan, or attempt suicide. Examination of those patterns reveals that adolescent males have a different constellation of risk and protective factors impacting their likelihood of suicide (Kelly, Lynch, Donovan, & Clark, 2001) than adolescent females. Using Bronfenbrenner’s (2005) bioecological model of human development, the purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the macrosystem of race/ethnicity, and the microsystems of individual (risk behaviors of substance use and anti-social choices, and resilient behavior of self-determination), family (family engagement), school (school connectedness), and community (community support) predicted the suicide behaviors of intent or attempt in 11th grade males in the state of Iowa. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated each of the variables was predictive of either suicide intent or attempt, with substance use, anti-social choices, self-determination, family engagement, and school connectedness predictive of both of the suicidal behaviors. This study provides information about predictors of suicidal behaviors among young males, which can lead to the development of targeted strategies for prevention. Recommendations for policy and practice are provided for individual, family, school, and community interventions. 122 leaves 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z