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Browsing by Author "Whitfield, Victoria Michelle"

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    Connections: examining African American teachers' religious identities and teacher identities
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2013) Whitfield, Victoria Michelle; Stallworth, Brenda J.; Johnson, Latrise P.; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    This study compares the pedagogical practices of African American Sunday school teachers and their secondary English/Language Arts pedagogical practices. The major purpose of this study is to determine if there is a connection between African American Sunday school teachers' pedagogical practices and their pedagogical practices within the secondary English/Language Arts classroom. The investigator sought to determine if the religious component of teacher identity affects the teacher's pedagogical practices. Because this study focuses on two institutions that are contextually situated within the cultures of the participants, case study was the research strategy of choice. Observational and interview data were collected over a six-month time frame (June 2012-December 2012). Utilizing a qualitative design and measures such as observations and interviews as well as the constant comparative method, major commonalities were identified between the two classroom environments. Four themes emerged based on the cross-case analysis of the three teacher participants. These themes included the following: a) focus on oral literacy; b) focus on life application; c.) shaping of curriculum perspectives; d.) shaping of classroom management perspectives. Findings suggest that teachers had similar pedagogical practices in both environments. Findings also indicate that aspects of the teachers' religious beliefs shaped their dispositions towards curriculum and classroom management. Based on these findings, implications for teacher education programs, pre-service clinical practicum experiences, relationships between teachers and communities of practice, relationships between teachers and pedagogical practices, and historicity behind pedagogical practices are discussed.
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    Personnel perceptions of Six Sigma as a preparation tool for facilitating change: a case study
    (University of Alabama Libraries, 2017) Davis, Monica Bojo; Major, Claire Howell; University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
    The higher education setting is a unique environment in which individuals are tasked with facilitating change. Numerous internal and external factors are causing institutions to need to change how they perform tasks and deliver educational opportunities to students. Therefore, institutional leaders must explore techniques for facilitating change. Within institutions, the people are the ones who lead change initiatives. However, there is limited empirical research on how personnel within institutions perceive change management programs. This study provides empirical research regarding how personnel in higher education institutions perceive change management initiatives. More specifically, this study was a program evaluation of personnel at a single institution with a Six Sigma change management program. Document analyses as well as one-on-one and focus group interviews were used to evaluate the Six Sigma program. The interviews were used to understand how personnel perceive the Six Sigma program in the higher education setting and its ability to prepare them to facilitate change. The themes developed from the interviews allowed for the conclusion to be drawn that Six Sigma does help prepare individual to facilitate change. Although, participants found the program in its entirety to help prepare them to facilitate change, they also acknowledged many shortcomings of the program. The helpful aspects included: the training program, the trainer(s), providing a process to follow, started the change conversation, knowledge can change, and confidence to lead change. The challenges included were rigidity of the program, statistical calculations, ability to influence change, and scope of the program. Additionally, participants did not perceive Six Sigma to align with the types of problems found in the higher education setting.