Ed.D. - Professional Practice

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/36920

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Wāhine Defining College Success: The wisdom of mana wāhine at UH Maui College
(University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 2023) Naeole, Davileigh Kahealani; Kahumoku, Walter; Professional Educational Practice
This qualitative, ethnographic case study investigated the journeys of three mana wāhine who earned a certificate or degree from the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. The study aimed to understand how these wāhine characterized their success in this community college. The study also identified the influencers that contributed to their achievements. Key findings included the importance of ʻōlelo, ʻike, and nohona Hawaiʻi as well as Hawaiian heritage in boosting their self-esteem. Other factors that contributed to their success were: support systems, feeling and achieving success, advocacy, a louder voice, and journey of discovery.
A Radical Idea: Female Senior Student Affairs Officers and Personal Wellness
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Jerome, Allison A.; Ideta, Lori M.; Professional Educational Practice
The culture of the student affairs profession supports a commitment to the holistic development of students, often requiring staff to be available around the clock. A Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) must be prepared to address the evolving demands of student life and such attentiveness can make it difficult to disconnect from work in order to find time and energy to practice self-care. Female SSAOs contend with the added pressure of societal gender norms which often place the onus of caring for others upon women. Previous research tells us that women SSAOs are more likely than male colleagues to experience stress which can lead to burnout, feelings of inadequacy, and exhaustion. This study reveals how female SSAOs address their wellness needs while attending to the constant demands of the student affairs profession and life beyond a professional career. Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, this study used the qualitative methods of semi-structured interviews, photo elicitation, and post-interview reflections to explore the wellness strategies of 12 female SSAOs. Through a careful analysis of the data, four themes focused on strategies emerged from the voices of the female SSAOs - connections with others, physical activity, separation from work and campus, and mindfulness. The study also exposed notable thoughts on what supports and undermines the ability of these female SSAOs to implement self-care strategies. In addition, this narrative inquiry uncovered significant findings which impacted the participants’ wellness strategies including the COVID-19 pandemic, gender, and the nature of work in student affairs. Implications for policy and practice are discussed, as well as those for future research. Recommendations for female SSAOs, student affairs administrators, supervisors, and professional associations are also included.
An Exploration Of Equitable Math Practices In Upper Elementary And Middle School Classrooms During The COVID-19 Pandemic
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Schofield, Nicole Kathleen; Lucas, Christopher M.; Heck, Ronald; Professional Educational Practice
ABSTRACTThis qualitative single-case study explored how eight upper elementary and middle school math teachers from an independent school in Hawaiʻi conceptualized equitable math practices and implemented these practices into their classrooms amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The research revealed teachers' concepts of equity included individualization, access and opportunities for learning, inclusive learning environments, and fostering a growth mindset. The implementation of equitable practices by teachers to aligning with these conceptualizations was demonstrated through strategies such as differentiated instruction, technology integration, and collaboration. Emphasized in the research was the role of the teacher in creating inclusive, supportive learning environments that embraced student diversity and nurtured a growth mindset. The study also identified challenges faced by teachers, such as access to technology, resource limitations, and the task of maintaining student engagement.
Navigating the Voyage Within: Teacher Perceptions on Embedded Social Emotional Learning in the English Language Arts Classroom
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Tom, Matthew T.Y.F.; Murata, Nathan M.; Professional Educational Practice
The middle school English Language Arts (ELA) classroom is a place where adolescents can articulate their experiences, empathize with characters, and process the world around them. Social emotional learning (SEL) is fundamentally woven in the fabric of English Language Arts, as an underpinning of ELA is to qualify the world and analyze it. This qualitative case study describes eight ELA teachers’ present levels of preparedness and currently implemented strategies in integrating SEL as an organically embedded component of ELA instruction at a middle school in urban Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a post-interview survey were used to garner teacher perceptions of SEL in the ELA classroom. Results indicated that ELA teachers feel SEL is a natural component of ELA instruction, strong relationships between students and teachers are important, SEL integration contributes to academic and emotional engagement, and SEL instruction has become more intentional. In addition, ELA teachers expressed interest in exploring peer mentoring systems of support and professional development on navigating contemporary issues.
An Examination of Native Hawaiian Belonging at Leeward Community College: Applying the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments Model to an Aspiring Model Indigenous-Serving Institution
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Losch, Tracie; Wright, Erin K.; Professional Educational Practice
The University of Hawai’i (UH) is among the many colleges and universities worldwide taking steps to integrate Indigenous people, cultures, and histories into its structure, policies, and institutional culture to close achievement gaps and empower Indigenous scholars and their communities. As one of ten campuses in the UH system, Leeward Community College (Leeward CC) acknowledges its commitment to Native Hawaiians in its mission and to support the UH system’s aspiration to become a “model indigenous-serving” institution. This qualitative, single-site case study examined Leeward CC’s campus environment concerning a sense of belonging and perceptions of Native Hawaiians and Hawaiian culture. Additionally, the study sought to identify the defining traits of a “model indigenous-serving” Leeward CC as perceived by the Native Hawaiian employees and explore potential solutions for addressing these characteristics within the college. This study used the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model to examine Leeward CC’s campus environment regarding belonging for Native Hawaiian students and employees and the college’s responsiveness to the needs of the Native Hawaiian students and employees. Faculty, staff, and students provided feedback through a survey. At the same time, interviews were conducted with Native Hawaiian employees who worked closely with Native Hawaiian students or were involved in initiatives directly related to Native Hawaiian students or employees. The data revealed that while most participants felt a sense of belonging on campus, there are disparities between Native Hawaiian and non-Native Hawaiian students and employees. Native Hawaiian employees and students are less likely to feel a sense of belonging, valued as a community, and are less satisfied than their non-Native Hawaiian counterparts with opportunities to learn about Hawaiian culture and communities or to improve or give back to the Hawaiian community. Interviewees reported a tenuous sense of belonging, noting that although they generally feel comfortable on campus, their comfort and sense of belonging are context-specific and often changed depending on location or surrounding personnel. Interviewees saw a “model indigenous-serving” Leeward CC as one that prioritizes and integrates the indigenous people, mindsets, environments, and collective wellness in decision-making, leadership, and service to the surrounding community. However, interviewees stressed that individual efforts without institutional support are unsustainable, and the vision of a “model indigenous-serving” Leeward CC is challenging without institutional support in the form of coordination, permanent positions, consistent funding, and a more holistic approach to student support.
Ecological Approaches Towards Agentic School Environments: Narratives of Teacher Agency at DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Mandado, Ryan Canoneo; Alencastre, Makalapua; Professional Educational Practice
This research study examines the mindsets, actions, and relationships needed to feel, foster, and further agency in education. DreamHouse ‘Ewa Beach (DreamHouse) is Hawai‘i’s newest and fastest growing public school on O‘ahu. This paper shares how teachers at DreamHouse experience teacher agency in their professional work environment. Agency is ecological - defined as iterational, projective, and practical-evaluative. Iterational aspects of agency focus on lived experiences of individuals. Projective aspects of agency focuses on future-orientations and desire for new realities. Practical-evaluative aspects of agency focuses on what can be changed now to reach the desired reality for people. By understanding the ecological nature of agency, I asked, “how do teachers feel, foster, and further agency in education?” Using a dynamic narrative inquiry methodology, interviews were conducted with eleven teachers to investigate what ecological factors contribute to teacher agency. Narratives from teachers were analyzed and connected themes emerged from their ideas, thoughts, and experiences. The role of a school leader in sustaining teacher agency was also investigated in this study. The findings address recommendations for school leaders who find interest in education sovereignty and agency for their school communities. Through this research study, I have discovered that teachers experience agency when they commit to reimagining education, look at themselves as transformational leaders, and trust others to lead. To accomplish these aspects of agency, school leaders must create vulnerable spaces for their teachers, persist and navigate their teams through rapid changes, and trust their teachers to make change. I also began to understand the intentional power and potential of designing for agency and how to persist against systems that are meant to be transformed.
“drop Out” Factors Of Students From The Federated States Of Micronesia And The Republic Of The Marshall Islands: The Stories That Have Not Been Told
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2023) Lowe, Saofai Pao; Ideta, Lori M.; Professional Educational Practice
The high school dropout problem in the U.S. has been studied extensively; however, the dropout of English Learner (EL) students is an underreported phenomenon. This study sought to understand the lived experiences of EL students from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) who attended high school on the Westside of O‘ahu, in the state of Hawai‘i and what contributed to their decisions to discontinue their high school education. The study used a phenomenological approach (Reiners, 2012; van Mannen, 2016) to understand the participants’ experiences with the schools and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 EL Indigenous alumni and elders from the FSM and RMI regions. Factors that impacted the discontinuation of high school education for EL alumni from the FSM and RMI included personal care, the impact of school personnel, language discrimination, policy inequities, and invisibility. Other themes that emerged from the participants' lived experiences included the strength of character, poverty and transience, and other forms of discrimination such as microaggression, racism, and bullying. These findings indicate the critical and most significant need for parent engagement at school, instead of parent involvement, having own-race teacher representation, a student cultural club, and culturally sustaining and translanguaging pedagogies. Other essential implications include teacher training on unconventional means of assessing EL students, adding additional years for EL students to complete their high school education, and for researchers to stop the perpetuation of deficit labels of Indigenous people in their research.
He Au Puni Palapala: A Critical Analysis Of The Influences Of Christo-Colonization And American English Language Teaching Methods On ʻōiwi Kanaka And ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2022) Seto, Cyrus; Kahumoku, Walter III; Professional Educational Practice
The focus of this research study centers on a critical problem-of-practice related to the authenticity of an Indigenous language during a time when many native vernaculars are quickly disappearing from use. This investigation explored historic documents–e.g., journals, sermons, letters, official communications–produced by Protestant missionaries in the 1800s to determine the degree to which Kanaka Hawaiʻi pikoʻu kanaka (Hawaiian identity) and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) were altered. As the New England ministers and their families began arriving in Hawaiʻi in 1820, they took to developing a written form of ʻŌlelo Makuahine (Hawaiian language) to educate the native population. In the process, they utilized American-English grammar, syntax, and other literary devices as well as pedagogical approaches that they brought with them to translate and teach the Protestant Bible and Calvinist ideologies. In the push from orality to literacy, kanaka Hawaiʻi communication, epistemology, cosmology, axiology, and ontology were significantly modified. This study also explored six major Hawaiian language textbooks used to teach Hawaiian language in the last thirty years and found that some of the Christo-Colonized pedagogy and forms of literacy are currently in use to not only teach ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi but also have become normalized and accepted as authentic. This study recommends: 1) increased research to expand understanding of Christo-Colonized influences on current Kānaka Hawaiʻi thinking, communication, belief systems, and ways of being; 2) more investigation into ʻŌiwi (precontact) linguistic methodologies to refine what might be considered as authentic linguistic exchange; and 3) expand professional development for kumu of ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and pikoʻu kanaka on the multiple influences that impact Hawaiian language and identity. Key Words: Indigenous language, epistemology, ontology, cosmology; ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, ʻŌlelo, palapala; Native teaching methodology, pedagogy, Memoriter, Catechism, Lancastrian; Christo-Colonization; moʻoʻōlelo; moʻopalapala; Christianity, Protestant (Calvanist) religion, literacy, proselytization, foreign missionaries and the American Board of Christian Foreign Missions; Social Justice of Indigenous Peoples; Native indoctrination, colonization-decolonization, language acquisition, knowledge transmission; Oracy; Mānaleo; Neo-Hawaiian.
Dr. Lui K. Hokoana: A Study Of Leadership At The University Of Hawai‘i, An Indigenous Serving Institution (an Oral History Inquiry)
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2020) Yamada, Joyce Tomoe Uyeda; Murata, Nathan M.; Professional Educational Practice
As an indigenous serving institution, the University of Hawai‘i (UH) serves all indigenous groups including Pacific Islander groups. Continual and practical training of emerging educational leaders at the UH is critical to the ongoing success of Hawai‘i’s only public post-secondary institution. Employing the oral history methodology, I examined the leadership journey of Dr. Lui K. Hokoana as he navigated through the UH system to identify key leadership themes, trends and characteristics of an effective leader serving within the UH, as an indigenous serving institution. As a Native Hawaiian, UH leader and crafter of the UH Hawai‘i Papa O Ke Ao (HPOKA) Initiative, Dr. Hokoana presented a unique mo‘olelo (story) that I studied through the theoretical framework of Burgess’ Building My Beloved Community as a qualitative research project. I conducted a purposeful sampling of fifteen supporting participants. Of the fifteen supporting participants, eleven participated in a semi-structured interview and four participated in a focus group interview. I conducted five semi-structured interviews of Dr. Hokoana as the primary participant. Through a deductive analysis, I identified six pre-determined typologies based on the Mission of UH Maui College and the UH Hawai‘i Papa O Ke Ao Report. From the data, I identified seven emergent typologies. I summarized the data supporting the pre-determined and the emergent typologies and I identified four overall themes based on Native Hawaiian concepts presented in the data. The typologies suggested Dr. Hokoana’s leadership characteristics are kuleana, responsibility to family and community; pilina, relationships, such as mentoring, providing opportunities, having a safe environment, trusting relationships and student, employee and community advocacy; having an optimistic outlook; supported by ‘ohana values, such as ho‘okipa, hospitality and humility; addressing challenges by the support of ‘ohana values; and being adaptive to change. From Dr. Hokoana’s mo‘olelo, it was suggested that a beloved community of leaders would know one’s hua and have appreciation for one’s gifts, develop and maintain meaningful relationships through radical aloha; live and lead through Native Hawaiian values balanced within a traditional and contemporary framework; and support the notion that everyone can lead from whatever position they hold.
A Narrative Inquiry: Decolonizing Practices With Filipino Students At A Community College In Hawaiʻi
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2020) Batallones, Jeanne; Halagao, Patricia E.; Professional Educational Practice
The purpose of this qualitative, narrative inquiry was to understand the experiences of Filipino students at a community college in Hawai‘i and whether decolonizing practices in student affairs fostered positive ethnic identity, student engagement and agency. The primary findings from a cross-comparative analysis of three Filipino community college students’ narratives who were exposed to decolonizing practices suggests decolonizing practices in student affairs were a promising intervention for facilitating positive Filipino ethnic identity, increasing student engagement, and agency. Furthermore, the analysis of findings suggests participation with decolonizing student activities can serve as a critical mental health intervention for Filipino students who experience shame of ethnic identity, lack of peer support, and family pressures to succeed. The educational narratives of study participants revealed their self-concept and ethnic identity were shaped by a dominant narrative where they were rendered invisibilized and marginalized. As a result of experiencing decolonizing practices, the narratives of these three Filipino community college students in Hawai‘i were powerful counter-stories of community cultural wealth that dismantled the dominant narrative. This study offers recommendations to address the need for future policy, practice, and research by: (a) decolonizing curriculum and programs, (b) decolonizing practices for academic and support services, and (c) decolonizing research.
Where Are the Brothers? Native Hawaiian Males and Higher Education
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018-05) Akiona, Loea A.; Professional Educational Practice
This qualitative study examined the motivating factors for Native Hawaiian male students pursuing postsecondary education at the University of Hawaiʻi – West Oʻahu. This study sought to deepen understanding of the factors that influence a Native Hawaiian male’s decision to pursue higher education and to understand the interplay of masculinities and ethnicity on their educational experiences and aspirations. The four major influencing factors were (1) encouragement and support from ʻohana and friends, (2) academic and co-curricular engagement, (3) gender performance, and (4) ethnicity. Using hegemonic masculinity and Indigenous and Oceanic masculinities, this study provides insight into the positive impact that “disadvantaged” identities had on Native Hawaiian male participants of this study and their decision to pursue a higher education degree. Native Hawaiian men are finding different ways to navigate their masculinities in this Western society. Findings suggest the implementation, continuity, and sustainability of Indigenous cultural programs that support Native Hawaiian males and the development of their kuleana to themselves, their ʻohana, and their community.
Pō‘aiapuni O Ka‘aihonua: Using Voices of the Past to Inform the Present and Future
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2018-05) Aken, Genevieve L.; Professional Educational Practice
Formal education—four walled classrooms with a single teacher and multiple children in a school setting—did not exist in traditional Hawai‘i. Traditional Hawaiian learning resembled contemporary vocational schools or specialized institutions of higher learning. Within these structures, Hawaiians became strongly rooted in cultural and familial values through a support system that provided a firm foundation for their total well-being. Unfortunately, Western influences altered Hawaiian traditional ways of knowing, doing, and being, and the impact, predominantly negative, is prevalent and can be observed in Hawaiian communities, homes, and schools. My homeland, my beloved Waiʻanae, was traditionally prized for its abundant resources and industrious people, and many traveled great distances to obtain goods from this land of plenty. In contrast, our coastline today is plagued by drug addiction, health issues, homelessness, and low performing schools. This cannot and will not continue to be our refrain. In an attempt to reestablish and modernize the traditional Hawaiian nature of learning, I redesigned a culture-based agriculture program at Wai‘anae High School in 2006. The purpose of this study was to develop a greater understanding of effective pedagogical and instructional practices that positively impacted student learning and growth for agriculture students at Waiʻanae High School throughout and beyond high school. The findings of this study suggest that effective pedagogical and instructional practices include a) fostering supportive relationships, rigor, and relevance through contextualized learning, and; b) empowering learners through safe learning environments, Hawaiian culture-based inquiry, and internship/mentorship opportunities. Key to this study are the voices of former students who informed this research.
An Oral History of Three Generations of Kapa Practitioners
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Zeug, Marlene A.; Professional Educational Practice
The first story about kapa I ever learned as a haumāna is two words: “just beat.” These words were offered to me from my kumu kapa Aunty Verna Takashima, who heard them from her kumu kapa, Kaʻiulani de Silva. Over time, these words became a metaphor, a pedagogy, a language. Until they became stories built upon stories, the threads of the tapestry that both carry the ʻike of a practice and weave us together. Even now, five years later, as my practitioner lens embraces researcher and educator lenses, the ideas and stories in this text are summed in these two words. So, this dissertation is a story of these stories. This inquiry does not ask what kapa is, but how it is experienced through story. Using the ʻohe kāpala design of the pewa as a visual metaphor, the moʻolelo of three generations of kapa practitioners are genealogically presented in the “positive spaces”: Kaʻiulani de Silva (part I), Aunty Verna Takashima (part II), and me (part III). These moʻolelo are contextually situated within practitioner, researcher, and educator “layers” that also represent the multiple lenses I wear. Negotiating my relational responsibilities among these shifting contexts and narratives fill the “negative spaces” of this text. Together, these positive and negative spaces—the moʻolelo and underlying narrative of my positionality—are the stories that comprise this dissertation. Qualitative research is increasingly reshaped by inquiry that prioritizes narrative and relational ethics in exploring the phenomena of human experience (Clandinin & Caine, 2008), and this dissertation reflects this methodological commitment. Creating a space for these moʻolelo creates a space to peer closely beneath the layers where philosophical spaces lie: about shaping identity, about our understandings of educational practice, about how we come to know. And in so doing, presents an opportunity for the reader to engage with these stories, to reflect, and discover the lessons that lie in the folds of moʻolelo built from those two words, “just beat,” the way I did.
Experiences of Persistence and Belonging: Women Mathematicians in the Academy
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Watanabe, Jerelyn T.; Professional Educational Practice
This qualitative study analyzed the stories of six women mathematicians to deepen understanding of the challenges and successes they experienced as women academics in a male dominated field. Findings from 12 semi-structured interviews showed that academic mindsets of belonging and persistence contributed to the participants’ successes in spite of implicit racism and sexism in the academy. Data aligned with existing belonging frameworks that linked selfperception with experiences of support and involvement, and where belonging led to persistence, a common measure of success. In additional findings, a participant’s internal measure of success was defined by the interrelationship of confidence, persistence and belonging and a participant’s persistence sometimes led to her belonging through not belonging, caring belonging, belonging on her terms, or belonging through agency. All the participants were active in support of increasing diversity in mathematics; they suggested changes to the structures of the academy, shared examples of personal agency and the importance of supporting women students financially and through thoughtful pedagogies.
Wai‘anae ‘Āina Momona: A Vision of Strengths and Place-Based Learning
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Wakinekona, Lynette L.; Professional Educational Practice
The long-standing achievement gap of Native Hawaiian students in the Hawaiʻi state public school system is of significant concern as Native Hawaiian children perform lower on achievement assessments in all academic areas as compared to their non-Hawaiian peers, especially along the Waiʻanae Coast of Oʻahu. However, there are options for teaching and learning that utilize strengths-based, cultural-based approaches. Through this qualitative study which utilized semi-structured focus group interviews, seven primarily Native Hawaiian kūpuna (elders) from the Waiʻanae community presented their personal accounts of their experiences with education on the Waiʻanae Coast. They also provided their recommendations for a new educational process for not just their children (and grandchildren) but for all the young (and old) on the coast—education for Waiʻanae by Waiʻanae—which included: (a) the recruitment of teachers from within the Waiʻanae community or certainly from within the Native Hawaiian community; (b) the hiring of principals, preferably from the Waiʻanae community, that uphold the community’s values, utilize community experts as cultural resources, and support teacher autonomy without punitive measures under current teacher evaluation processes; (c) the utilization of Hawaiian culture-based education (HCBE) teaching methods; and (d) the inclusion of Hawaiian culture-based assessments in lieu of or in addition to current Western-based assessment models. Framed through the lens of Waiʻanae ʻĀina Momona, this study presents the waiwai (richness, wealth) of Waiʻanae: her culture, her people, and her community.
From Mo‘olelo to Mana‘o: Transforming Postsecondary Support Systems for Native Hawaiian Teacher Education Students (An Action Research Narrative Inquiry)
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Thompson, Erin N. K.; Professional Educational Practice
In the realm of higher education, a national and local priority in the United States and Hawai‘i is the push for timely degree completion. Of particular concern are the retention and degree completion rates for Native Hawaiians. Interactions with counseling and advising professionals have the potential to significantly impact the quality and efficiency of the student college experience and degree attainment. Framing the research around critical race and post-colonial theories and adopting life history and Indigenous relationality approaches, this action research narrative inquiry answers the research question: What can we learn about supporting Native Hawaiian Teacher Education students by examining the educational life history experiences of Native Hawaiian students from Leeward Community College's Associate in Arts in Teaching (AAT) program? Fifty Native Hawaiian students who attended the AAT program between 2006 and 2016 shared their mo‘olelo (i.e., stories) and mana‘o (i.e., thoughts, ideas) by completing a qualitative survey. From the 50 students who completed the survey, a purposeful sampling of 6 students were interviewed and shared artifacts that represented their impactful educational experiences. Lastly, a focus group of Native Hawaiian AAT students was convened to solicit suggestions for program improvements. Findings revealed the importance of a Native Hawaiian identity, the value of achievement in an educational context, and how the development of Native Hawaiian, student, and future teacher identities impacts self-efficacy. Findings may benefit teacher education programs that serve minority and Indigenous students or any educational professional who supports Native Hawaiian students
Alaka‘ina: Female Leadership in Native Hawaiian Education Examining the Lives of Three Female Leaders in Native Hawaiian Education
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Sarsona, Marci-Rose W.; Professional Educational Practice
As Native Hawaiian Education continues to grow in our state, so does the need for educational leaders who are able to effectively guide and support the Native Hawaiian Education movement. However, little is known about how leadership in Native or Indigenous education in today’s contemporary setting is developed or fostered. Utilizing a qualitative multi-case study approach, this study aims to shed light on how three female Native Hawaiian Education leaders’ experiences and perspectives shaped their leadership trajectories. Transcripts from semistructured interviews with each of the participants were analyzed using cross-case comparative analysis and references to the Kumu Honua Mauli Ola, Native Hawaiian Education Philosophy Statement. While each individual’s leadership trajectory was unique, in every case their upbringing included ʻohana (family) values and influences that led to high educational expectations and the practice of Hawaiian cultural values. Consequently, the leadership practices of each of these women are firmly grounded in Hawaiian culture and a commitment to the lāhui Hawaiʻi, and have resulted in the setting of high expectations for the students attending their schools. Although each of these leaders characteristically understated the magnitude of their accomplishments, and the courage and persistence required of their positions, their conviction that the mission of Native Hawaiian Education is just and righteous led them to be strongly determined, persistent, and courageous in their actions, and enabled them to overcome major obstacles in pursuit of a cause that to this day has yet to gain popularity outside of Indigenous circles.
Innovative Leadership in Education: The Characteristics and Practices of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Digital Principals of the Year
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Sakurai, Winston Y.; Professional Educational Practice
In the 21st century school leaders need to be innovative to help meet the needs of students and to prepare them for an ever-changing future. This study examines the characteristics and practices of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Digital Principals of the Year. The goal of this research was to explore the unique characteristics and practices of Digital Principals. It uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative data to explore the backgrounds and stories of these innovative school leaders. Grit and mindset were assessed along with demographic information in the quantitative dimension. A case study of four digital principals allowed to delve deeper into the hearts and minds of school leaders. The findings suggest that Digital Principals have a passion to improve the educational experiences of students, promote the growth of faculty members, and use sound leadership strategies mixed with a bit of technology. Digital Principals are well-connected with other educators through social media where they learn, share, and borrow ideas. The needs of students, staff and parents also guide leadership-driven change processes. New ideas are grounded in creativity and the ability to persevere. The innovation that results is transformative and empowering.
The Current and Potential Landscape of Hawaiian Language and Culture at Punahou School
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Reppun, Kealohikikaupeaokamakawelikikeekapu M.; Professional Educational Practice
As the result of two gifts-a gift of land from Hawaiian chiefs and a gift of Western education from American missionaries-Punahou School boasts a 176 year history of education grounded in Hawaiʻi, its people, and its evolution. While embedded in its current "Aims of a Punahou Education," Hawaiian language and culture (HL/C) occupies a minimal and largely undefined space within the curriculum and school culture. Ultimately, centered on the belief that HL/C should occupy a more significant space within the institution, the intent of this dissertation is to present suggestions on how Punahou School might increase its integration of HL/C across its campus. As part of a succession of research aimed at inspiring further work around the clarification, definition, and integration of HL/C at this independent school, this study was designed to, 1) survey the landscape of current HL/C practice, 2) survey the landscape of aspirations surrounding HL/C, and 3) collect strategies by which Punahou School might increase its integration of HL/C across its campus from Punahou School's professional community. Furthermore, this study utilizes 1) indigenous methodology in building its conceptual framework and structuring the research study-Ka ʻOlokeʻa Makawalu, 2) a multimethods approach to data collection and analysis, 3) a personal approach to synthesis and presentation grounded in educational practice. The findings informed the development of a learning artifact-Proposal for Increased Integration of Hawaiian Language and Culture at Punahou School.
Successful Practices of Micronesian College Students in Hawai‘i: Utilizing Positive Deviants to Develop Strength-Based Student Support Services in Higher Education
(University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2017-08) Raatior, Vidalino S.; Professional Educational Practice
Since the 1986 ratification of the Compact of Free Association between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and the United States (US) government, large numbers of Micronesians have migrated to the US in search of better education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for their children. Similarly to other new immigrants to the US, Micronesians face discrimination and other negative stereotypes. While there is a growing number of Micronesians enrolling in higher education in Hawaiʻi and other US institutions, very little research has been conducted within this population. Like many institutions of higher education, student support services for Micronesians are framed entirely by deficit-oriented models often reflecting data such as low retention and graduation rates. Robust and culturally appropriate data collection methods that are more informative and responsive are sorely wanting. This qualitative study applies the Positive Deviance theoretical framework to understand the strategies and behaviors enabling success for twelve Micronesian college students at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. What emerged from the study were uncommon strategies and attitudinal adjustments about individual academic success, cultural adaptations to communal obligations in a largely individualized learning environment, maximization of limited resources, and self-regulating behaviors to build self-efficacy. The results of this study have significant implications for practice in institutions of higher learning particularly when supporting Micronesian students. It provides information and strategies for faculty and staff to utilize in developing strength-based approaches to support student success particularly for migrant students from the Pacific. The findings also provide viii valuable information for Micronesian students who strive to develop similar self-regulatory strategies and attitudinal adjustments to enable their success.

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