La'Keisha Newsome

Date

4-2018

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Vivian O Jones

Keywords

Connectedness, Freshman Academy, School Climate, School Leadership, Social Bond Theory, Teacher-Student Relationships

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Leadership | Educational Methods | Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how school leadership, teacher–student relationships, and school climate impact students’ perceptions of school connectedness at a freshman academy located on a middle school campus in southeast Alabama. The research questions focused on school leadership, teacher–student relationships, and school climate. Hirschi’s social bonding theory provided a framework to understand the association between socialization and social learning by focusing on an individual’s bond to social institutions. Social bond has an impact on perception, emotional well-being, and academic achievement. Data collection included student interviews, a school connectedness survey, and focus group interviews of ninth grade students. Data were collected from 12 participants using individual interviews, a school connectedness survey, and focus group interviews. Data were analyzed to identify the following themes that contributed to the understanding of the research topic: (a) students’ perceptions of attachment, (b) students’ perceptions of commitment, (c) students’ perceptions of involvement, and (d) students’ perceptions of belief. The theoretical and empirical findings confirmed the significant impact that school leadership, teacher–student relationships, and school climate had on students’ perceptions of school connectedness.

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