Educational Leadership Program: Dissertation Briefs

An important part of the UCLA Educational Leadership Program is completion of an independent dissertation research project. In their projects, ELP students address diverse problems of practice and questions of equity across PreK–16 and nonprofit sectors.

The ELP Dissertation Brief Series was launched in order to ensure that the findings of program alumni reach as many scholars and practitioners as possible. Each brief summarizes a study conducted by an ELP alum and includes recommendations for practitioners derived from the primary study, a review of relevant literature, and the professional experience of the author.

A new brief will be released each month, January to June. Please check this webpage monthly for new additions.

“Career Confidence Linked to Academic Performance for Students of Color”

by Ifeanyi Onyejiji

In his ELP dissertation, Onyejiji examined the relationship between career self-efficacy, career aspirations, and school performance for high school students from low-income communities of color. The results showed positive associations between career self-efficacy and academic performance for high school students from low-income communities of color — particularly for boys. And, in certain cases, students’ career aspirations could be connected to academic performance. Read more about the study in The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed findings and recommendations.

“It’s Not Just About Skills: Tech Social Capital, a Growing Aspect of Technical Workforce Development”

by Mary Jo Madda

Study findings make the case for helping students develop tech social capital. Read more about Madda in The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed findings and recommendations.

“Improv Theater’s Benefits for Newcomer English Learners”

by David Metz

Study findings suggest improv’s play-based, spontaneous activities can reduce anxiety and increase engagement among newcomer English-language learner students. Read more about Metz and the brief in the The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed findings and recommendations.

“Not Everyone Has Access: How Elementary Teachers’ Computer Science Goals and Strategies Relate to Equity”

by Melissa Toohey

ELP Dissertation Brief explores elementary school computer science teachers’ thinking about equity. Study highlights strategies teachers use to make their practices more equitable. Read more about Toohey and the brief in the The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed findings and recommendations.

“Independent School Teachers of Color Face More Barriers to Belonging Than Their White Colleagues”

by Jason Kim-Seda

“Teachers of color feel less belonging than their white colleagues in terms of their voices being valued or having input on school policies and procedures. They feel like tokens sometimes, and face more pressure to prove themselves,” Kim-Seda says. “There seems to be a weariness and a tiredness that I think leads to kind of expedited burnout.” Read more about Kim-Seda and the brief in the The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed recommendations.

“We’re Ready: Restorative Justice for College Sexual Misconduct”

by Julia Wade

How universities respond to sexual misconduct matters. Conduct administrators need an option to provide complainants and respondents with greater satisfaction and behavioral change outcomes. Restorative justice — with the guiding principle of addressing the needs of the person who was harmed to create social equity and to actively work toward mutual respect and human dignity — provides one option. Ultimately, the successful implementation of a restorative justice response provides a new way to talk about and address sexual harm. This has a ripple effect on how students interact with one another, form relationships, and experience campus climate (Koss et al., 2014). Read more about Wade and the brief in The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed recommendations.

“How the Financial Aid Process Negatively Impacts Students”

by Joanne Do

“This research is really about how the financial aid process affects students individually and personally, and the impact that process has on students’ experiences in college,” Do said. “I was really interested in seeing how the personal impact of some these processes that we put in place affects students.” Read more about Do and the brief in the The Latest News.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed recommendations.

“A Colorblind Education Makes Us Invisible: Perspectives from Independent School Alumni of Color”

by Asako Kurosaka-Jost and Pedro Noguera

Independent School BIPOC Students Call for Change
During the nationwide protest against police brutality and racial injustice in 2020, outcries could be heard from BIPOC K–12 students and alumni at predominantly white independent schools (PWIs) from around the country. This movement, often referred to as Black@activism, utilized social media accounts to share students’ experiences with problematic behaviors in their schools, such as racially inappropriate teacher comments, peers using racial slurs, and frequent racial microaggressions.

Read the full ELP Dissertation Brief, including more detailed recommendations.

Contact Us

For More Information About the ELP Dissertation Brief Series

Karen Jarsky
kjarsky@ucla.edu