Education Electronic Theses and Dissertations (UMKC)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the School of Education. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Reaching out from within: Poet’s soft lightning delivered with thunder(2025) Sanders, Poet T. L.; Caruthers, Loyce Ellenor, 1947-In this critical autoethnography, I explore my transformative life journey profoundly shaped through mentorship, analyzed within the conceptual frameworks of ecological systems theory, social networking theory, social capital theory, identity theory, and transformational leadership theory. Through introspective narrative inquiry and poetic expression, I critically examine my lived experiences from childhood through adulthood, highlighting the pivotal role mentors played within my ecological systems—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. My study underscores the capacity of mentorship to mediate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including intergenerational trauma and systemic racism, emphasizing the necessity of culturally responsive, asset-based mentoring practices to nurture resilient identities. Empirical literature and personal reflections converge, evidencing mentorship’s role in cultivating my prosocial behaviors, enhancing my academic and career trajectories, and influencing my identity formation. I advocate for integrative mentoring structures in educational settings, emphasizing accountability, equity, and comprehensive stakeholder involvement. Ultimately, this work contributes valuable insights into effective mentoring strategies, proposing holistic, culturally competent frameworks that empower youth to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.Item Expanding the network: key factors influencing leadership development for females in higher education IT environments(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2025) Magrone, Lyndsey; Riggers-Piehl, TiffaniThe purpose of this qualitative heuristic phenomenological study was to investigate the leadership development experiences of female IT leaders in higher education environments. Through in-depth interviews with seven participants from diverse institutions across the United States, the study explored the key factors, challenges, and strategies that shaped their leadership journeys within a traditionally male-dominated field. The central research question guiding this study was: What are the key factors that contribute to leadership development for female IT leaders in higher education? Three sub-questions examined the types of experiences most influential in leadership development, the characteristics and traits considered essential for success, and how gender influences leadership pathways. Three major themes emerged from the data: Influences on Women’s Leadership Development, Key Characteristics of Women in Leadership, and How Gender Shapes Leadership Development. Participants emphasized the importance of mentorship, access to professional networks, leadership training, and self-efficacy in fostering their development. Resilience, adaptability, and strong communication skills were identified as critical leadership traits. Gender was a defining factor, with participants navigating bias, exclusion, and stereotypes. However, the participants used these challenges as motivation to support other women and advocate for inclusive practices. The study highlighted several implications for higher education IT environments and proposed the following recommendations: • Establishing structured mentorship programs within and outside of organizations, with a focus on same gender mentoring for women • Investing in leadership training programs and peer networking groups • Diversifying the leadership pipeline • Fostering an inclusive work culture These strategies aim to address systemic barriers and create environments that empower women to pursue and succeed in leadership roles. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of women’s leadership development in higher education IT and underscores the need for intentional institutional support. By implementing targeted initiatives, organizations can cultivate diverse leadership and promote equity in a rapidly evolving field.Item Black boy confusion, assimilation, and discovery: an urban leader’s experience with grief and trauma colored by anti-blackness(2025) Milner, Robert N.; Caruthers, Loyce Ellenor, 1947-The purpose of this critical autoethnographic research was to explore, as a Black male, my personal experiences with trauma and loss that may lead to identifying and reflecting on indicators of the phenomena among Black students. Trauma and loss in this confessional tale is defined as the death, divorce, or incarceration of a parent, compounded by race in America. This form of autoethnography writing integrates my autobiographical memories to make meaning of personal grief and loss within the culture of a variety of schools both elementary and secondary across the Kansas City metropolitan area. The criticality of my study is emphasized with Critical Race Theory, which challenges the relationship among race, racism, and power through the lens of BlackCrit, a theory that highlights and resists the marginalization of Black people in international human rights and laws. BlackCrit raises the dilemma of the “social recognition of the humanness of others [that] systematically excludes this possibility for the Black” and raises issues regarding anti-Black attitudes that Black children confront in schools that ultimately influence their social integration and academic progress. Using three forms of data over five years consisting of multiple narratives, journaling, and poetry followed by a self-reflective interview performed by a critical friend, I came to embrace my own vulnerability. I uncovered hidden hurt and pain that I have held on to for years and confronted my assimilated self as a guard against anti-blackness in the workplace and community. There is no greater discovery than discovering oneself, and through this confessional tale, with the help of incredible relationships, I have done just that. My hope is my discovery of self and the Black man I have come to understand may provide a blueprint for students to confront the trauma of grief and loss.Item An investigation into the variables of research administration office staff size at R2 institutions(2025) Winders, Christopher Ryan; Maher, MichelleResearch administrators play a critical role in managing the staffing needs of Research Administration Offices (RAOs) within higher education institutions. As the complexity of research administration increases, determining the appropriate staff size becomes a significant challenge. This study explores the key variables research administrators consider when determining staff size, using Q methodology to identify distinct perspectives within the field. The purpose of this study is to understand how research administrators prioritize different tasks and responsibilities when making staffing decisions, particularly within R2 institutions as classified by the Carnegie Classification System. The research employed Q methodology to study subjective viewpoints by having participants rank a set of statements according to their level of agreement or importance. Research administrators from R2 institutions participated in a Q-sort exercise, ranking various research administration tasks based on their perceived importance in staffing decisions. Factor analysis was used to identify shared perspectives among participants, revealing distinct patterns in how research administrators allocate personnel. The findings revealed four distinct factors, each representing a unique staffing philosophy. Factor 1 emphasized pre-award support, faculty engagement, and proposal development, with less focus on compliance and policy enforcement. Factor 2 prioritizes regulatory compliance, policy development, and institutional risk management over direct research funding activities. Factor 3 focuses on research growth through increased proposal volume and funding acquisition, highlighting a competitive, pre-award-driven environment. Finally, factor 4 centers on transactional efficiency and regulatory processing, particularly IRB and contract-related tasks, with limited strategic outreach or proposal development. Consensus statements across all factors indicated a shared emphasis on maintaining compliance, ensuring ethical research practices, and aligning staff resources with institutional priorities. However, distinguishing statements highlighted key differences in how research administrators weigh financial oversight, compliance responsibilities, and proposal development in determining staff size. These findings provide actionable insights for RAOs, helping administrators refine staffing models that align with institutional needs and funding landscapes. Additionally, the results contribute to ongoing discussions about staffing strategies in response to changes in the Carnegie Classification System. Understanding these perspectives can help RAOs navigate evolving research administration challenges and advocate for appropriate staffing levels within their institutions.Item The impact of the intersectionality of race and gender on school discipline(2025) Williams, Anika D.; Wu, Huang (Professor of educational leadership)The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to determine if and to what extent the race and gender of the students correlate with the length of disciplinary suspension of the students in the sixth through 12th grades in a midwestern school district. A Quantitative Critical Race Theory lens serves as the framework for the study. The study was conducted in a Midwest urban school district. Suspension data was collected from four consecutive school years: 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and 2022-2023. Descriptive statistics were examined at both the suspension incident level and student level to identify patterns in suspension frequencies and mean suspension days across racial and gender groups. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to answer the three research questions regarding length of days removed and gender, race, and intersectionality of race and gender. The findings indicated that gender appears to associate with number of suspension incidents received as well as the number of days removed from school, with boys accounting for a higher percentages of suspension incidents and having longer suspension days. Black students in general have received more days of suspensions. The findings also support the importance of intersectional perspective of examining both race/ethnicity and gender in relation to suspension incidents received. Although White female students tend to receive fewer suspension days than White male students, Black girls seem to receive more suspension days than girls of other races/ethnicities, as well as black male students. As schools work to improve equalities in school discipline, school leaders and policy makers should take note of other practices that can be both preventive, such as integrating social emotional learning for students, and providing trainings for teachers in the area of culturally responsive teaching.