Elizabeth Murakami-Ramalho

A view from within: how doctoral students in educational administration develop research knowledge and identity

This study reports on experiences of doctoral students in educational administration at a time when the effectiveness of programs preparing practitioners and academics in this field are being questioned. Concerns related to how students in educational administration developed knowledge about research and identity as researchers were closely examined in a research-intensive university in the United States. Through participant interviews and personal narratives, findings revealed the challenges encountered at the nexus of the effectiveness of the educational program intersecting with the experiences of the doctoral students. Participants shared the importance of proximity to campus, self-advocacy, student status (full-time versus part-time) and personal and professional goals as influencing their development of research knowledge and identity. There were indicators that communities of practice, relationships with faculty, thematic pedagogy, public practice and action-oriented research were equally important in acquiring research knowledge and in developing a research identity.

The Wanderer, the Chameleon, and the Warrior: Experiences of Doctoral Students of Color Developing a Research Identity in Educational Administration.

In this article, the authors use their personal narratives and collaborative portraits as methods to shed light on the complexities of developing a research identity while journeying through a doctoral program. Using the metaphors of a wanderer, a chameleon, and a warrior, their narratives represent portraits of experiences faced by doctoral students at the peak of their epistemological and ontological growth. Borrowing from Lawrence-Lightfoot and Daviss alternative methodology of portraiture, the authors create portraits through personal narratives, which provide voice, reflexivity, and context to the stories told. Significant factors that fostered the students research identity were present within the authors lived experiences and continued to evolve throughout the doctoral program. Inhibiting factors included the negotiation of a temporary loss of identity for full-time students, normative and analytical modes required by doctoral programs, and a lack of consideration for issues of diversity within the doctoral program.

Successful school leadership in Sweden and the US: Contexts of social responsibility and individualism

Purpose – The purpose of this cross-cultural study of schools in Sweden and Texas is to examine the cultural contexts of schools in both settings, and the leadership role of principals in creating ...

Latin@ advocacy in the hyphen: Faculty identity and commitment in a hispanic-serving institution

This study examines our experiences as female junior scholars with multicultural backgrounds teaching at the same Hispanic‐serving institution. As education scholars with mixed‐heritage families, we identify with the commitment to serving Latinos and the number of mixed‐heritage people in the USA. The election of Barack Obama, whose racial background is both black and white, to the US presidency signifies the emergence of mixed‐heritage people as a demographic presence in this country. Our research suggests that more understanding is needed about the experiences of mixed‐heritage faculty in academia, as well as the ways in which faculty from any background may develop multiple affiliations with cultural communities and pursue professional agendas related to communities that they do not neatly fit into. Despite this variation in backgrounds and research agendas, we share our efforts in advancing Latin@ educational attainment.

Around the Fishing Net: Leadership Dynamics for Change in an American International School.

This study explored the active involvement of school and community members investing in leadership dynamics for change, especially considering the increasingly globalized world and the importance of preparing globally minded citizens. To explore how educators and leaders work to foster dynamic learning experiences in a highly mobile global context, we studied leadership dynamics in kindergarten through secondary American international schools’ environments. We inquired, ‘What kinds of leadership dynamics may be found in international schools that further inform the field about generating sustainable environments for teaching and learning?’ One case scenario is presented to illustrate how leadership in times of complexity and change may enhance sustainable environments for teaching and learning at both local and international contexts. The exploration culminated with a deep analysis of leadership dynamics for change, respecting the individual’s participatory power as well as the importance of collective wisdom in action.

Chapter 8 Advocacy in the Hyphen: Perspectives from Latina Junior Faculty at a Hispanic-Serving Institution

In this chapter, we explore how our backgrounds as mixed-heritage Latinas influence our work as junior faculty members at a four-year public Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Drawing on the conceptual lens of intersectionality, we address the question: how do our multiple social identities affect our identity development and socialization as faculty members? n nAs part of a critical mass of junior Latina scholars studying educational issues pertinent to the Latina community, we build a sense of community in what can be an isolated environment for women faculty of color. Using our own examples, we examine how two faculty members who might be considered “outsiders within” the Latina/o community draw on their Latinidad as a source of strength to employ their academic work in advancing social justice for Latina/os. Our identities have influenced us to take into account multiple social categories and social contexts in the study of educational phenomena. Serving as faculty within the institutional context of an HSI has distinctively influenced our socialization as new faculty. n nWe believe that this examination has implications for understanding how people can build cross-cultural collaborations and identify productively with communities that may not necessarily recognize them as “authentic.” Our exploration also offers insights for building a more inclusive academy, particularly for junior scholars from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Based on the themes identified in this research, we draw recommendations for university personnel interested in the recruitment and retention of Latina junior faculty. More broadly, this research has implications for developing support systems for faculty members who have been historically underrepresented in their fields and those who study marginalized populations.

Response to Intervention Implementation: A Successful Principal's Approach.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the implementation of response to intervention (RTI) in elementary schools. RTI is a systematic and comprehensive teaching and learning process intended to identify and prevent student academic failure through differentiated or intensified instruction.Design/methodology/approach – Using an exploratory case study approach, this study observes the philosophical shift from removing students from the classroom for testing and remedial instruction, to incorporating a three‐tiered intervention approach beginning with the classroom teacher.Findings – Findings show the strategies one principal used to implement RTI practices using a whole‐organization structured approach. Teachers and administrators jointly planned the strategies and created venues conducive for the intervention students needed to meet district, local, and national academic expectations.Research limitations/implications – Research implications relate to the limited sample a single‐case study can p...

Leadership Succession and Successful Leadership: The Case of Laura Martinez.

This case study follows the work of principal Laura Martinez as moving from leading Stevens Elementary for 9 years, and now opening a new P–8th grade academy in the same south Texas urban, inner-city district. The purpose of this case study was to observe successful leadership and the principals strategies both in her previous and present school, and how she applied some of the same practices in the new school to establish an exemplary campus.