Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Peer leadership'

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore how lived experiences prompt first-generation college students to engage as peer mentors, and how they experienced leadership development. Participants included thirteen first-generation college students, who engaged in peer mentoring. An explanatory model that surfaced from data collection is presented, demonstrating the process of leadership development that some first-generation college students underwent through their participation as peer mentors. Family, service, and validation, emerged as the central phenomenon of the model, which also included emerging themes: (a) (dis)engagement, (b) peer mentor engagement, (c) intrapersonal development, (d) professional development, and (e) transformational learning.

The global marketplace, with its complexity, immediacy, and ubiquitous disruptions places almost impossible demands on its leaders and its leadership ranks. For many years, a top, perennial contender for the “what keeps CEOs up at night” list has been a severe lack in both the quantity and quality of effective leaders. The war for talent has been figuratively bloody and literally protracted. Leadership development and coaching modalities abound, but demand appears to be much greater than the supply of effective and measurable solutions. Nowhere does there appear to be a scalable approach to accelerate into this demand curve.

This descriptive phenomenological inquiry explores the lived experiences of 16 leaders who participated in an experimental Facilitated Peer-group Coaching experience (FPC). FPC is a coaching methodology where participants work on both their own leadership development and the development of their peers. Participants learn to coach and develop each other with the assistance of a trained facilitator. Subjects in this study responded to 20 face-to-face interview questions designed to identify their thoughts, perceptions, feelings and perspectives. The findings and conclusions of this study revealed five developmental fields that catalyze and empower leadership growth. These fields include creating community, self-exploration and illumination, the community mirror, leadership development, and organizational business results. Those fields comprise an ecosystem that presents opportunities for global organizations, coaches and coaching organizations, and academic scholarship.

Traditional teacher evaluation procedures involve the school leader providing feedback in a summative form to the classroom teacher (Tuytens & Devos, 2011). The function of the administrator to be both supervisor and evaluator is a contrasting role. There are four main purposes of teacher evaluation: improvement, accountability, staff development, and personnel decisions (Darling-Hammond, Wise, & Pease, 1983; Tuytens & Devos, 2011). Administrators are already constrained for time and resources. Therefore, fulfilling all four purposes through the current evaluation process in California is becoming increasingly difficult.

Using peers in the evaluation process is an alternative evaluation method being explored across the country, specifically in the form of Peer Assistance and Review (PAR; Goldstein, 2004; Matula, 2011; Weems & Rogers, 2010). The problem this research addressed was the efficacy of teacher evaluation systems and how evaluative practice can be improved from the perspectives of principals and Consulting Teachers (CTs) with experience in the PAR program.

The study found principals and CTs had mixed reactions regarding the inclusion of PAR as a multiple measure for teacher evaluation. All participants' perceptions of the role of the CT included the common language of supporter, helper, coach, and mentor, which matched the PAR documents from each district. The data showed that subjectivity, fear, and lack of time, negatively impacted the traditional teacher evaluation process and that involving peers in the process could be beneficial.

The purpose of this paper is to answer research questions related to this capstone project that evaluates how peer and/or individualized professional development impacts teacher comfort and usage of technology. The analysis, measures and processes utilized to answer these questions are outlined within this paper in order to determine significant factors that affect technology usage within the classroom.

Physicians are increasingly being called on to lead healthcare systems of all sizes. Healthcare organizations are looking to physicians as leaders because they are able to provide clinical insight coupled with operational acumen necessary to improve these complex systems (Angood & Birk, 2014). Despite the increasing need for physician leaders, few physicians have been formally trained to develop leadership skills (Gabel, 2012; Osborne, 2012). Some research has shown a link between leadership skill development and peer teaching experiences via incidental learning (Dandavino, Snell, and Wiseman, 2007; Ten Cate & Durning, 2007a; Micari, Gould, & Lainez, 2010; Vira, 2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among peer teaching experiences during undergraduate medical education (UGME) and self-reported leadership practices in medical residency. Data were gathered from medical residents utilizing a three-part survey instrument. This instrument was comprised of one open-ended question regarding qualities of the ideal leader of a medical team; the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), a leadership practices self-assessment tool; and a series of residency program, peer teaching experience, and demographics questions. The open-ended question was analyzed utilizing qualitative techniques. Quantitative data were analyzed via a series of multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA). Overall results demonstrated significant relationships between leadership practices and overall peer teaching, tutoring, and groups based on internal medicine residency program. Qualitative findings added nuance to the quantitative findings. Results from this study may assist medical schools in developing leadership skills in medical students via incidental learning methods.

Because their role is highly complex, school principals require ongoing professional learning to lead effectively and respond to the challenges inherent to school leadership. Networking among principals is frequently identified as a valuable source of professional learning for school leaders. Nevertheless, existing literature applies the term to a wide variety of principal relationships and affiliations, and there is little research that examines networking among principals and its effects upon their skills, knowledge, and convictions. This qualitative study, based on phenomenological research methods, investigates how networking promotes experienced principals’ professional growth through an exploration of what principals report about the nature, characteristics, and benefits of peer dialogue. Participants identified through purposeful selection included twenty-one practicing elementary or middle school principals from Maine and Massachusetts with at least five years experience who indicated that dialogue with role-alike peers is useful to them in their practice. Data were collected through focus group sessions, individual interviews, participant responses to a writing prompt, and work artifacts.

Participants in this study report that their practice is most influenced through interactions with peers characterized by high levels of trust. Findings indicate that peer learning networks provide instructive and affective support through dialogue that promotes principals’ development within three domains: leadership inventory, leadership judgment, and leadership integrity. Moreover, while peer learning networks can be a resource for principals’ learning, the manner in which they engage in dialogue may have consequences for whether they experience transformative learning that makes them more able to address adaptive challenges in their schools. Principals’ accounts suggest that superintendents are well situated to create conditions principals need to develop their skills, knowledge, and attitudes to effectively lead. Additional research is recommended to further explore peer dialogue processes as well as the factors that enhance or impede the development of school leaders’ adaptive capacity through participation in peer learning networks.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic illness costing over $300 billion per year in the United States with an estimated 100 million individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Complications due to diabetes place individuals at increased risk for heart attack, stroke, amputations, blindness, kidney failure, disability, and early death. Education has been shown to be effective in improving health behaviors that decrease complications due to diabetes. Common risk factors for development of diabetes are modifiable behaviors such as sedentary lifestyle and obesity.

A peer-led approach to diabetes education has the potential to overcome multiple barriers to receiving education. Peer-led diabetes education can provide education at low or no cost in communities where individuals feel welcomed and travel is minimized. Diabetes education has the potential to decrease disability, early death, and the economic costs of diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to determine if peer-led sessions on diabetes self-management impacted health behaviors, empowerment, and knowledge of diabetes. Four topic-driven educational sessions were provided for participants in Northeast Arkansas who had either a diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes. Pre and post-questionnaires were used to assess changes in knowledge using the Revised Diabetes Knowledge Test, empowerment using the Diabetes Empowerment Scale - Short Form, and health behaviors.

A statistically significant difference was found in the empowerment scale with an increase in mean scores from 31.23 to 36.04. A paired samples t-test found a statistically significant difference in scores on Diabetes Knowledge Test, (t (25) = –2.54, p < .05). Significant changes in health behaviors were found for knowledge of A1C levels, the frequency of foot exams, and days of exercise per week.

Focus groups following intervention provided qualitative results indicating satisfaction with the peer-led model. In order to implement peer-led education, there is a need to develop improved strategies for recruitment. A peer-led model for diabetes education has potential to provide needed education.

Educators are always evaluating how students connect to their school, trying to identify strategies and intervention programs that will help students be success and linked to their school. A school’s culture and student engagement opportunities provide areas that can be impacted, especially when mentoring is added to the model being implemented. Educators go into the profession with the goal of having an impact on the lives of students. Key to the success of making an impact is the importance of connecting with students, providing student engagement opportunities, and maximizing mentoring with younger peers.

Peer Leaders Uniting Students program is helping districts address day-to-day issues in a collaborative manner using data. This study evaluated the impact the PLUS Program had from the perception and knowledge of adults (teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff), assessing school climate, student engagement, and student monitoring. The researcher used quantitative and qualitative measurement instruments. A survey was provided to teachers, counselors, administrators, support staff, and PLUS advisors. The survey was followed by interviews that had questions created using data from the adult participants’ survey responses.

This grounded theory approach guided the researcher to conclude that even though the PLUS Program is proving to be effective for students, adults need additional training to use the program data. The researcher created a professional development session to meet this need.