Walden University School of Management DBA Doctoral Study Prospectus Form

Purpose

The purpose of this form is to identify/align the problem, method, research question, population, and geographical location of the business issue to be researched. This form will also be used to assign your second committee member and University Research Reviewer (URR). After your chair has approved your completed prospectus form, the chair is to email this form to DBAProgramDirector@waldenu.edu . Upon receiving the chair approved prospectus form, the second committee member and the URR will be assigned by the DBA Program Designee at the start of DDBA-9000.
Instructions Type information in the area provided. Student Name: Stacey Q. Whitmore Student email address: stacey.whitmore@waldenu.edu Date: 2/19/2012 Current course Number/Section: Seminar in Entrepreneurial Finance/8541-1 Program Doctorate in Business Administration Specialization Entrepreneurship

Name of your faculty chair: Dr. Russell Strickland Email address of your faculty chair: russell.strickland@waldenu.edu 10-12 Word Doctoral Study Title: An examination of teacher retention in the Houston Independent School District: A quantitative study Your Study: A hook from the peer-reviewed literature identifies that a general problem exists: Fall (2010) published that teacher turnover disproportionately impacts high poverty districts, where teachers hold fewer professional credentials and working conditions are more challenging. The anchor is: Coronado (2009) published that in Texas, the State Board for Educator Certification found that about 77% of the increase in demand for teachers over the past five years was due to teacher attrition. Now enter your hook and anchor that frames the scope of your business study (maximum of 100 words): Hook citation: I want to examine this study to see if the research reveals significant differences in perceived school supports across districts, with varying levels of poverty. This should frame whether teachers working in high-poverty districts view their principals, colleagues as less supportive, perceived less involvement in school decisions, and reported having fewer materials. Furthermore, it should frame whether teachers average caseloads differ significantly across the Houston school district. Anchor citation: Teachers leave the profession for many reasons. This study should frame the teachers who stay with the Houston district, and those teachers who remained at the same school. Some teachers move to a different school, and many left the profession. Teachers left the profession for a variety of reasons, including taking a job in a field other than elementary or secondary teaching, pursuing further

DBA Doctoral Study Prospectus: School of Management

education, leaving for family reasons, retiring, or other miscellaneous reasons. The problem is most acute in the nations high minority, high poverty, and low performing schools. We find that 46% of all new teachers in the United States leave the profession within five years. Your Research Design and Methodology: Select Method of Research to be conducted: Check one Qualitative Research Quantitative Research X Both Qualitative and Quantitative Research (Mixed Methods) Select the research design that matches your method of inquiry: Quantitative Designs Experimental Design- an experiment is conducted with a control group Correlation- is there a relationship between XXX and XXX Quasi-Experimental (1 of 3 elements is missing: manipulation, randomization or control group) Causal-Comparative-(cause and effect relation) Case Study-relates to existing event/person X Other, explain Non-experimental design, such as surveys Qualitative Designs: X Phenomenological Interviews to seek lived experiences Ethnographic - observations Case Study-describes a single situation/event/person-has boundaries Content Analysis-examines existing artifacts Delphi Study-group of experts through a series of surveys often to project the future Action-concerned with immediate applications Other, explain __________________________ Purpose Your Research: The purpose of this quantitative design is to examine current teacher retention rates. Data will be obtained from education professionals through surveys, and current educational data. Data will be analyzed using Nvivo. The scope of the study will be conducted within the geographical location of Houston. The data from this study might impact social change by recognizing that the problems plaguing our educators are embedded in the way our society is organized. This data may encourage teachers and students to work for social change. Educators are using a many strategies to improve teaching and learning, restructure schools, and transform school systems to bring about educational equity. With all the educational strategies, teachers are still leaving. The purpose of this research should give readers more insight on why teacher retention is so high in Texas.

If you are doing a quantitative or mixed method, please identify your variables Independent variable: Cause, influence, affect of teacher retention Dependent variable: Depends on the criteria, outcome, and effect of the independent variable

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DBA Doctoral Study Prospectus: School of Management

Write out the purpose of your study: The purpose of this study is to develop new knowledge about the teaching learning situation and to improve current educational practice. Also, the purpose of this research is to see what works for teachers, and under what teaching conditions. Research Question: What do you want to learn? (Typically 15 words or less) I want to gain more data from teachers and administrators as to why Texas teachers are not staying in their profession long. If you are doing a Quantitative or Mixed Methods Study, list your hypothesis here in the proper scientific format that includes the dependent/independent variable H1o: To what extent do qualitative interviews with teachers contribute a comprehensive understanding on why teachers leave their profession so soon? H1a: How will the surveys from teachers and principals explain any quantitative differences on high teacher retention in Texas? Requesting your second committee member: Your second committee member will be assigned to you by the DBA Program Designee. You may request a faculty member to be assigned as your second committee member. This requested faculty member must have completed the required doctoral study training to serve on your committee. We cannot promise that you will be assigned your choice, but will do our best to accommodate your preference. Faculty Name: Dr. Arnold Witchel Faculty email address: arnold.witchel@waldenu.edu

Have you contacted and received pre-approval from your desired second committee member? Yes: No: X

Feedback Received: Dr. Strickland made me aware that I really need to decide on your research question before you can determine what method you use. A given topic can be investigated in a variety of ways, depending on exactly what question you are trying to answer. One thing to note is that quantitative methods studies are often the quickest to complete (from survey distribution to final v5.10

DBA Doctoral Study Prospectus: School of Management

defense); qualitative methods studies can take a bit longer; and mixed methods studies are tantamount to doing both in succession. In addition, I was informed that the methodology and design should follow from your research question(s). Quantitative studies often involve surveys, but can involve the analysis of collected data, such as machine output in a factory setting, employee call-outs or turn-over, or financial data versus other organizational or environmental factors. Analyses tend to involve hypothesis tests but can involve more complex factor analyses, predictive modeling, or Monte Carlo simulations. Quantitative methods is a rich and varied mode of research that can take on virtually as many forms as there are research questions to answer. The doctoral study is not subject to a specific page count. Your estimate of 100-200 pages is reasonable. There can be quite a bit of variation depending upon the type of study and the level of activity pertaining to the study in the research community.

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