Graduate Studies, UNL

 

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

First Advisor

Shavonna Holman

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Committee Members

Don Johnson, Jenelle Reeves, Taeyeon Kim

Department

Educational Administration

Date of this Version

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Major: Educational Administration

Under the supervision of Professor

Lincoln, Nebraska, December 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, the author. Used by permission

Abstract

Implementing change in any organization is challenging. It requires careful planning, effective communication, and strong leadership. Principals provide support and empower stakeholders to take ownership of the change process. They create opportunities for others to contribute ideas, take on leadership roles, and drive innovation, fostering a culture of shared responsibility and collective action. Change leaders inspire creativity and encourage teachers to think outside the box, leading to the development of new ideas and processes that drive growth and success. This mixed-methods action research study investigated how teachers can enhance educational practices by implementing an instructional model to improve teaching strategies during the 2024–25 school year, thereby enhancing student achievement. The implementation will be successful with strong leadership, support, and teacher feedback. This study aims to investigate teachers' perceptions before and after implementing the instructional model, as well as the leadership strategies that facilitate its successful implementation. It also seeks to explore how teachers’ experience and expertise influence the implementation process and how the instructional model's implementation will lead to increased student engagement, motivation, and achievement. My findings suggest that using effective instructional strategies and methods, creating a positive learning environment, increasing content knowledge, providing frequent feedback, allowing peer collaboration, and ensuring that students are part of their learning process will make implementation successful and improve student performance. Applying the scholarly perspectives of Kotter’s eight steps to leading change and Prosci’s ADKAR model, a clear vision and sustainability are key to effectively implementing change. I incorporated transformational leadership theory and leader-member exchange theory to support change, focusing on fostering genuine relationships by creating a positive and supportive environment. This study provides school administrators with an understanding of ways that they can help lead meaningful change in improving educational practices to increase student achievement.

Advisor: Shavonna Holman

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