Tesi sul tema "Educational leadership"

The terms leadership and leader development are often used synonymously. However, there are different outcomes and needs associated with each type of development. Even with these differences, both types of developments may be needed to help individuals master leadership skills effectively. This study explored the critically formative processes and influences contributing to a leader’s leadership formation and development. A framework of adult cognitive development, identity development, and spiritual development offered areas where an individual may need development for leadership, while a framework of social cognitive theory, andragogy, and transformational learning offered insights into the process of development and transformation. By using phenomenography as the research method, this study aimed to find the variation of the phenomenon and describe leadership development as the participants experienced it. This information may help organizations and individuals who are trying to develop future leaders understand critically formative processes and influences contributing to a leader’s leadership formation and development.

The research found four categories related to the participants’ leadership development experiences within Leadership Tuscarawas and one category based on past experiences outside of the program. These categories were: (a) learning from others, (b) becoming aware, (c) building relationships, (d) emotions and feelings, and (e) leadership development experiences. Each category gave insights into what Leadership Tuscarawas alumni experienced within a leadership development program.

Principals have tremendous influence on the schools they lead (Bamburg & Andrews, 1990; Marzano et al., 2005). Certain leadership behaviors impact school level factors (Cotton, 2003; Hallinger & Heck, 2010; Leithwood, Begley, & Cousins, 1990; Marzano et al., 2005; Orr, 2003). To affect high levels of student achievement, school principals must be responsible for uniting diverse groups under shared purposes with purposeful emphasis on others rather than on self (Cotton, 2003; Hallinger & Heck, 2010; Leithwood, Begley, & Cousins, 1990; Marzano et al., 2005; Orr, 2003). Effective programs in educational leadership preparation include cohort-modeled groupings, among other features (Davis et al., 2005). Because cohorts are a feature of effective programs, yet few aspiring school leaders are prepared through cohort-based programs (Browne-Ferrigno & Muth, 2009), a concern regarding a problem of practice is raised.

The purpose of this study was to explore how aspirant school leaders experience the acquisition of leadership practices within their educational leadership preparation program and to contribute to the empirical understanding of how to best prepare school leaders for successful practice. This study was designed to examine: How do school leaders make meaning of their experience in a principal preparation program? In what ways do their experiences support the development of communitarian leadership?

The sample included nineteen school leaders who were alumni of a university-based educational leadership preparation program. Participants were interviewed using a basic interview protocol that followed the semi-structured approach for interview technique outlined by Moustakas (1994). The data analysis was carried out in the stepwise manner, using Atlas.ti 7.0 to code and group significant statements from the interview texts and using a basic memoing process to address any concerns of subjectivity.

Leaders who experienced preparation activities, including activities that gave them practice leading diverse individuals to shared outcomes articulated how preparation influenced the development of communitarian leadership skill, including relationship-building, communication, and values-identification. Communitarian leadership, which includes leadership actions linked to improved school-level outcomes (Marzano et al., 2005), may have utility as a framework for developing aspiring principals through formal preparation programs.

There is an absence of research examining the relationship between the experiences that occurred while holding formal student leadership positions and leadership identity development. This study will investigate if leadership can be learned through the lenses of the leadership experience of men who hold the formal student leadership position of chapter president within their local chapters of their national social fraternal organization. The design of the study is quantitative in nature and will utilize an electronic survey to examine the impact of a college student’s leadership identity development from holding a position of leadership within a student organization.

Educators wax eloquently about the importance of developing leaders, and establish a variety of high school student clubs that on the surface appear to develop leadership skills, but they do not seem to really provide students with a curriculum or meaningful opportunities to develop the skills and dispositions that are required to become leaders. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate and describe how high school students feel about leadership, that is, to see how high school students define leadership, to determine their motivation behind seeking out leadership opportunities, and to see what types of experiences high school students have with leadership on and off campus. This study was conducted using both document analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews, while utilizing the theoretical framework of relational leadership. The 25 participants of this study were high school student leaders during the 2015-2016 school year who collectively represented 29 clubs at the same school site. Findings of this study reveal that participants’ understanding of leadership includes setting the example for others, guiding and leading other people, reaching a common goal, and serving others. The school environment and female family members seem to be the most powerful influences on participants’ understanding of leadership. Participants’ motivation for seeking out leadership opportunities comprise of having a desire to help or guide others, desiring self-improvement, desiring to help change the school environment, or desiring to look good. Only a handful of participants actually participated in club-sponsored leadership development programs, though some of these programs appear to be inadequate for high school students. Participants did seem to develop some amount of leadership abilities as student leaders, though it appears this was primarily due to their observations or experiences, rather than to a formal leadership development program. Findings suggest that there is a connection between the level of relationship built between a student leader and club advisor, and the student leader’s level of leadership development. This study provides recommendations for practice and policy that can support the development of leadership skills for high school students with support from club advisors, school administrators, and district level personnel.

Intercollegiate athletics have received considerable attention by scholars in higher education. Despite this wide treatment by scholars, there is little examination of the athletics director. Most of the published research on athletics directors disproportionately focuses on the responsibilities of the athletics director, the pressures of the leadership position, the characteristics and behaviors of these leaders, and the organizational culture of athletics departments. The purpose of this study was to investigate and gain insight into the environmental forces that disrupted and influenced athletics director leadership. This study explored how the participants understood, acknowledged, and reacted to forces that unavoidably influenced their choices. Particular attention was placed on comprehending how these individuals led change in their organizations while at the same time balanced the intersecting demands on their positions.

Qualitative research methods were used to explore the forces that influenced athletics directors at large, public and private research universities that were part of the NCAA and sponsor Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) or Division I-AAA (no football) athletics. A grounded theory methodological approach was used in the design and execution of this study. Using this method built theories through systematic stages of data analysis and conceptual development. The development of these concepts became the building blocks of theory,which explained the participants’ experiences as athletics directors. These findings offer insight into the forces that influenced athletics directors as they led change in their organizations.

ABSTRACT Given the federal thrust for educational reform and the growth of school choice options, parents are faced with increasing opportunities for educational placement options for their children including the recent composition of full-time online K-12 schools. Understanding parents’ perceived benefits, which inform their decision-making when choosing from a multitude of educational placement or school choice options, provides the educational community with information to better increase parent satisfaction. The potential increase in parent satisfaction has the ability to simultaneously increase student achievement.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine which perceived benefits parents held when choosing a full-time online educational placement for their child. This research study examined Middle Tennessee parents’ perceived benefits of full-time online education that led them to select this educational delivery model for their child. Additionally, this study utilized an online survey and interviews to obtain quantitative data and qualitative data in the form of descriptions of the participants’ shared experience with the phenomenon. Qualitative data were recorded and transcribed verbatim for each participant before the data was coded. This enabled data organization into significant statements for the development of essential structures of the parents’ experiences. Analytical and descriptive statistics were conducted prior to a synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative data, which rendered a comprehensive representation of the summary of both data sets.

Trends from the survey data were compared to five identified themes generated from examining significant statements in the qualitative data. The findings of the study indicated parents’ perceived benefits of full-time online education center on academic quality, a safe educational environment, and an individualized learning pace for their child. The findings of this research provide support for exploring parents in the role of “consumers” which will enlighten an educational community that now functions in the role of “supplier.”

Problem. The demands of the principalship have become overwhelming for school principals and have contributed to job dissatisfaction. The expectations and pressure for schools to demonstrate positive learning outcomes require principals to be highly skilled and motivated. Since principal performance is directly affected by their job satisfaction, district offices would benefit from understanding how district directors’ leadership practices influence the job satisfaction of principals and which supports are the most impactful.

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how district directors’ leadership behaviors, as aligned to Kouzes and Posner’s (2012) 5 practices of exemplary leadership, influence principals’ job satisfaction from the perspective of principals from small to midsized San Diego County school districts in kindergarten through 8th-grade Southern California schools.

Methodology. This qualitative single case study focused on a semistructured interview and a public district document review to explore from the principal’s perspective district office directors’ leadership behaviors and practices that influence principal job satisfaction and identify impactful supports.

Findings. The analysis of the findings resulted in 6 themes and 14 subthemes that described, from principals’ perspectives, leadership behaviors and practices of district office directors that align with Kouzes and Posner’s 5 practices of exemplary and what support provided positively influenced principal job satisfaction.

Conclusions. When district office directors lead in a manner that is responsive, supportive, and encouraging, it fosters positive relationships and higher levels of job satisfaction among site principals. By improving working conditions of site principals, district leaders are minimizing principal turnover and increasing principals’ effectiveness.

Recommendations. District directors should be available and responsive to principal needs engaging in collaboration and problem solving. They should create an environment that allows for frequent communication and input, and provide personalized coaching for principals on topics of their choice. Districts should create systems that formalize these supports.

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the most important factors that motivate or deter teachers in deciding to take on the informal or formal role of teacher-leader in Riverside County elementary school districts.

Methodology: Endemic of a Delphi method, the instruments used within this study collected data from an expert panel of elementary school teacher leaders from Riverside County, California through electronic surveys in a four-round process. The expert panel consisted of teacher leaders in formal and informal roles as selected by elementary site administrators using criteria established by the researcher. The researcher collected data and tabulated frequency distribution, percentages of participant responses on the level of importance, median scores, and factors reaching 70% consensus.

Findings: The research data showed that increasing student achievement, making a difference, creating a collaborative community, being informed, and informing others are the most important factors motivating teachers in deciding to become a teacher leader in a formal or an informal role. Additionally, making decisions was important in a formal role, and recognition and respect were important in an informal role. The most important deterrents for a formal and an informal teacher leader role were lack of time, lack of support, lack of direction or goal, and increased responsibility. Another deterrent in a formal role was fear; for an informal role, it was not having enough pay.

Conclusions: These findings support the need to build a collaborative culture of authentic decision-makers through distributive leadership. The lack of time, support, and direction that teachers experience must be addressed by building teacher-leadership capacity.

Implications for Action: Districts should train teachers in the Teacher Leadership Model Standards, provide teacher pre-service coursework in leadership skills and distributed leadership, train or hire administrators and teachers who support an authentic collaborative leadership culture, recognize and monopolize individual’s areas of expertise, re-examine job titles, change the traditional school calendar, create or change support personnel positions to be housed at the site level where teacher leaders can support teachers on-site.

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of a democratic school leader and understand how his conception of leadership is congruent or incongruent with notions of democracy and democratic leadership. This small, participant-observer case study follows a democratic school leader and his staff for a year and examines those challenges and opportunities. Specifically, the research addresses how a school leader’s belief system impacts their approach to school governance. It also examines the tensions leaders in this context encounter and how those tensions are navigated. The data uncovers unique opportunities that similarly situated democratic school leaders encounter, and the best approaches for practitioners in the field.

The research traces the history of democratic schools and the diverse set of ideas that define the broad spectrum of these types of schools. This work also examines recurrent leadership themes in literature and pairs them with some of the defining characteristics of democratic schools. It then looks specifically at research aimed at understanding democratic school leadership. It creates a conceptual understanding of democratic schools based on an intimate and practitioner-based understanding of the research site: voice in decision-making, curriculum, and community.

The findings uncover a school leader who is pulled in many different directions, but one who remains committed to the democratic process of deliberation and listening. The findings also elucidate a tension with autonomous teaching and curriculum writing, as well as the process of terminating students from community. While revisiting existing research, this work explains some new understandings about leadership in a democratic school context and contains some practical suggestions for leaders in similar situations.

Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative multicase study was to examine how the leadership behaviors of California school superintendents influence the implementation of educational reform initiatives in the districts they serve.

Methods. The conceptual framework of this study centers on the interrelationship between the role of the superintendent, models of educational leadership, and the context of educational reforms. The constructs will link the elements of the research process and the influence of educational reforms on the behaviors of superintendents. The conceptual framework used Fullan and Quinn’s (2016) coherence framework as a lens to examine the constructs and to determine whether superintendents are applying proven transformational and instructional leadership behaviors.

Methodology. A multicase qualitative study was used to explore how leadership behaviors of 7 superintendents influence educational reform in public school districts. The study was not bound by site or district; it investigated a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within a real-world context (Yin, 2014). Purposeful sampling was used to recruit acting superintendents in the Los Angeles and Orange County regions. The sampling criteria were (a) the superintendents served for a minimum of 3 years, (b) in a public school district, and (c) were referrals from trusted superintendent colleagues. Seven superintendents agreed to participate.

Findings. Examination of the qualitative data from the 7 interviews indicated superintendents’ leadership behaviors have influence in the implementation of educational reforms. To develop whole-system reform, superintendents must build a system for continuous improvement. Answers to 6 interview questions were carefully analyzed to provide an understanding of how superintendent leadership behaviors are influencing whole-system improvement.

Conclusions and Recommendations. The findings of this study were consistent with the coherence framework (Fullan & Quinn, 2016), which specifically identified 4 integrated components (focusing direction, cultivating a collaborative culture, deepening learning, and securing accountability) for sustainable whole-system reform. It was concluded superintendents build coherence for reform by simultaneously implementing the 4 components. The data revealed educational reform requires leaders to think holistically about the framework. While district leadership is key to influencing the outcome of whole-system change, a culture of continuous improvement is achieved with coherency and collaboration at all levels.

This investigation attempts to determine the value of outdoor adventure education for educational leaders based upon leadership qualities identified in both the Educational Leadership and Outdoor Adventure Education (OAE) literature. Theoretical underpinnings of outdoor adventure education and claimed leadership outcomes resulting from OAE participation are identified and investigated. Three leadership skills identified as both OAE outcomes and constructs valuable to educational leaders (Self-efficacy, Collaboration, and Trust) are the focus of this mixed methodology study.

Research questions are proposed and addressed using mixed methodology. The anonymous online Outdoor Adventure Education Survey was developed based on previous research (Gareis & Tschannen-Moran, 2004; Rhodes & Martin, 2013; Tschannen-Moran & Barr, 2004; Tschannen-Moran & Gareis, 2004) and with input from educational leadership and OAE experts. Qualitative measures, including participant focus groups and key informant interviews, were developed with the advice of OAE and educational leadership experts before implementation.

Volunteers at a one-day OAE ropes challenge course participated in the anonymous online Outdoor Adventure Education Survey one week after course implementation of a one-day ropes challenge course and focus group discussions occurred within one month in order to allow for reflection, a major component of Experiential Learning Theory. Facilitators and group leaders participated in individual key informant interviews at irregular intervals after implementation.

Analysis revealed that OAE impacted self-efficacy in ways that are valuable to leadership, increased participants’ collaboration, and generally increased trust among members of each group. Results varied based on the obstacles encountered and by the group participating, but were positive overall. Additional outcomes included participants’ increased awareness of the importance of open communication, including active listening, and shared decision-making while solving problems collaboratively.

English learners (EL) account for approximately 10 percent of American public school students and a quarter of all public school students in the state of California. This student group, while already a sizable minority, is also the fastest growing group of students across the state and nation. Therefore, ways that public school systems meet, or fail to meet, the educational needs of EL students will have an increasingly significant impact on outcomes for public school students generally. However, English learners have traditionally experienced public education in very different ways from native English speaking students, ways that frequently restrict access to educational opportunities and further systemic forms of advantage for some student groups and disadvantage for others.

The purpose of this research was to better understand the relationship between the philosophies, beliefs, and practices of educational leaders, and the experiences of English learners. A conceptual framework was developed that combined the theories of Applied Critical Leadership and Moral Leadership. This framework guided the development of an interview instrument to collect qualitative data in the form of participant beliefs and practices. These qualitative data were then compared to quantitative institutional data representing EL student placement in both higher-track and lower-track educational pathways in order to understand whether a relationship between the two sets of data existed. The sample included 11 participants who were educational leaders who worked directly with EL students. Quantitative data represented course placement data for approximately 8,000 students across three high school campuses within the same district.

Findings from this research indicated that the beliefs and practices of educational leaders were consistent between schools serving demographically different communities, and that levels of equity or inequity, for English learners remained consistent on these disparate campuses. Furthermore, while all three schools had made recent progress in moving toward more equitable representation of EL students in various educational pathways, this progress may have been hindered by the lack of two leadership components, 1) the ability of educational leaders to engage site staff in critical conversations regarding race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and language proficiency, and 2) the ability of educational leaders to extend collaborative decision-making processes beyond certificated staff members in order to include the diverse perspectives of classified staff, students, parents, and community members.

Based on the findings, recommendations are made for the establishment of systemic opportunities for educational leaders to employ specific leadership practices that may achieve greater levels of equity for traditionally underserved student groups, including English learners.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to ascertain the perceptions of a principal regarding leadership insights into the ability to lead effectively in urban and multicultural education settings. The researcher determined that the potential existed for this participant, who was actively working to address issues brought on by diversity, to serve as a role model for culturally-responsive teaching through a case study. The increasing diversity among prekindergarten to Grade 12 students requires a more adequately trained, culturally aware faculty and staff. This case study used the theoretical lenses of the critical race theory, the model of Black identity development, and White identity development to examine the experiences of diverse cultures upon academic social structures. Four main research questions guided this study to determine the principal’s ability to lead in a multicultural urban setting effectively: (a) what are the principal’s perceptions about cultural awareness and his/her responsibility for serving increasingly diverse students, staff, and communities; (b) in what ways does a principal’s perceptions of his/her capacity to lead effectively and demonstrate cultural awareness in an urban school with increasingly diverse students, staff, and communities evolve in practice over time; (c) what are the principal’s perceptions of their past effectiveness to lead in a culturally responsive manner while serving increasingly diverse students, staff, and communities; and (d) what are the principal’s perceptions of their preparedness to lead in a culturally responsive and culturally competent manner while serving increasingly diverse students, staff, and communities. School principals play a critical role in improving schools. This in-depth study interviewed a principal that had demonstrated 3 years of effective multicultural leadership experience over a diverse ethnic and gender population of students within the public urban school system.

School leaders and principals have an obligation to use every tool at their disposal to maximize student achievement. All students deserve the best use of data to inform the decision-making of those entrusted to deliver the finest education available to them. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the perceptions of principals in Los Angeles Archdiocesan high schools about the use of assessment data in their schools by finding how they were using assessment data to inform curricular and pedagogical decisions, and then determining what factors affect the use of assessment data to inform their curricular decision-making.

This study was a mixed-method investigation using a quantitative survey to find processes in Archdiocesan high schools that capture and utilize assessment data to inform decision-making, as well as to determine the principals’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges related to assessment data usage. The qualitative aspect of this study consisted of interviews of Archdiocesan high school principals meant to expand upon the findings of the survey. The findings of the study, viewed through the lens of a conceptual framework, suggest a breakdown in the use of data from the very beginning of the process. Standardized assessment data are the information used to drive curricular decisions while data from formative assessments and curriculum maps, are utilized less frequently. The study also found that, while principals feel that their teachers valued the use of data, there was room for growth in the protocols enlisted to analyze assessment data, and in the cultivation of a culture of collaboration and learning.

Research indicates that adjunct faculty continues to grow in the higher education setting. Overall, universities continue to hire adjunct faculty to facilitate online courses and as a cost saving measure. While institutions continue to rely on adjunct faculty, a disconnection exists between the adjunct and the higher education administrators. This study examined adjunct faculty members’ outcomes (i.e., effectiveness, extra effort, and satisfaction) based on their perceptions of department heads’ leadership styles (i.e., transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire). In addition, the researcher examined adjunct faculty members’ organizational commitment (i.e., affective, normative, and continuance) to the online and faith-based higher education environments. Participants in this study included adjunct faculty members representing two universities: a faith-based and an online university. This study utilized the full range leadership model (FRLM) and the three-pronged organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ) to measure leadership styles, leadership outcomes, and commitment. Perceived transformational and transactional contingent reward leadership styles reflected a significant (p < .001) positive predictive relationship with the leadership outcomes (i.e., effectiveness, extra effort, and satisfaction). Passive leadership styles showed a significant (p < .001) negative predictive relationship with the leadership outcomes. Additionally, the adjunct faculty’s affective commitment revealed a significant (p < .001) positive predictive relationship with normative commitment.

The study identified the need for organizations to employ a full range of leadership styles, specifically transformational and transactional contingent reward styles, for adjuncts to exceed university administrators’ expectations in effectiveness and extra effort (Bass & Avolio, 1995/2004). The study adds to leadership styles and adjunct faculty organizational commitment studies in the online education setting (DeLotell, 2014). In conclusion, this study revealed a need for further research in higher education relationships between university administrators and adjunct faculty members.

This research examined correctional and community college administrators' perceptions of collaboration and the public value impact of a PSCE partnership through a systems thinking conceptual framework. Through interviews, observations, and document reviews, I determined how these perceptions aligned with the public value of a PSCE partnership. This was a basic qualitative study involving six participants from two public agencies. Findings from this study indicate that administrators recognized:

• Public Safety Realignment legislation contributed to the viability of a PSCE partnership in a county jail system. • Public safety improvements in the county jail system promoted a jail environment to facilitate the success of a PSCE partnership. • Service coordination with jail in-reach services promoted a continuum of services to enhance the PSCE partnership. xi • An improved jail culture has contributed to the collaboration by administrators of the PSCE partnership. • Improved interagency communication has contributed to a better understanding of the missions of both partners. • Promoting correctional best practices has contributed to improving the collection of program data of the PSCE partnership. • Recommendations for practice and for future research are provided.

The students in Title I schools remain the most vulnerable in our education system. Principals in these schools must be exceptional and well prepared. However, principals have been trained in a universal approach that is not sufficient for those who lead schools with high poverty rates as well as culturally and linguistically diverse learners. The purpose of this mixed-methods descriptive study was to gain insight from principals about instructional leadership in Title I schools. Thirty-two principals described their perceptions about the preparation, supports, and challenges necessary to develop instructional leadership, including cultural proficiency for Title I schools. The findings in this study highlight the complexity of the principal role with a specific focus on Title I schools. While principals reported positive experiences as well as support from their leadership preparation programs and school districts, neither was sufficient to fully prepare them to be instructional leaders in Title I schools. Recommendations include a comprehensive, cohesive district coaching and mentoring program that considers elements necessary to build well-prepared and exceptional leaders for Title I schools.

The job of an education system-level leader in urban environments is becoming more demanding, and the environment in which they operate more complex. Filling these very critical roles with individuals who possess the right characteristics could mean the difference between success and failure at improving the educational outcomes of students who are more often than not students of color and economically disadvantaged students.

Through seven interviews, this qualitative study focused on understanding the leadership dispositions that contributed to the success of transformative urban education system-level leaders in Los Angeles. The new transformative urban education leadership framework was developed using elements from each of the following existing frameworks: leadership for multicultural education, transformative leadership, and leadership for social justice. Findings from the data revealed four themes and two subthemes that described the characteristics that these transformative education leaders in urban Los Angeles had in common. The four themes were early experiences that impacted future trajectory, power of positive communication, forming deep relationships with the community, collaborative decision-making and teambuilder; the subthemes were communicating beliefs and vision, communicating hope, and communicating courage. These themes and subthemes suggest some positive alignment to the new transformative urban education leadership framework.

Los Angeles education organizations could develop their own pipeline of top-level leaders who are prepared to assume positions when the opportunities present themselves, elevate the role of community-based organizations (and community), and be more targeted in their recruitment and professional development strategies for existing transformative leaders.

The current study contributed to an understanding of the relationship between leader, follower, and organization by exploring the interactions between multi-factor models of servant leadership, destructive leadership, and employee engagement. The sample consisted of 107 self-identified employees of the service industry in the United States. Analysis included the calculation of correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression. The results indicated that servant leadership and destructive leadership are not antithetical. There was no significant relationship between courage and subordinate-directed behaviors and only forgiveness and accountability had negative relationships with organization-directed behaviors. It appeared that transparency limits opportunities for destructive leadership as the absence of empowerment and forgiveness predicted subordinate-directed behaviors, and the absence of accountability and forgiveness predicted organization-directed behaviors. Followers are engaged when provided with latitude and honest feedback regarding performance. Forgiveness was the only exception in a set of positive correlations between the factors of servant leadership and employee engagement. The servant leadership factors of empowerment, courage, authenticity, and forgiveness predicted the factors of employee engagement. The lack of significant relationships between destructive leadership and employee engagement indicate that destructive leadership can be persuasive rather than abusive. To be effective, the servant leader must provide the follower with both support and challenge to achieve positive, long-term developmental goals.

Educational technology can be a powerful tool and the advantages of using it in instruction are abundant. However, it is important that instructors use technology effectively. Recent rapid changes in technology have coincided with rapid growth in online learning. Since the 1990s, learning management systems (LMS) have been adopted in higher education as a means for providing instructors with educational technology tools to manage and facilitate their higher education classes. LMS tools play a significant role in the facilitation of online learning. The changes in educational technology and the growth in online learning have led educators in higher education to examine best practices for integrating technology in online learning. Retention is a major focus of higher education administrators. Thus, student satisfaction in online courses is a concern in order to decrease attrition and improve student persistence in online education. This study examines the relationships between student perception of the usefulness of LMS tools and student online course satisfaction in higher education.