Action research in education.

This quantitative, non-experimental study was conducted to determine whether
there is a link between the principal’s behavioral agility, the organization’s culture, and
school performance as defined by the state’s Value Added Measure (VAM).
Additionally, this study examined if there was a moderator influence of contextual factors
to behavioral agility and school culture and school culture and school performance. Data
collection was obtained through the use of two validated scales, the Strategic Leadership
Questionnaire (SLQ) and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI).
Multiple regression was conducted to determine the extent each independent variable
predicts school performance. Hayes’s (2012) PROCESS macro for SPSS was completed
to determine if school culture mediated the relationship between behavioral agility and
school performance and school culture and school performance.
Significant correlations were found between and within the two instruments
measured unidimensionally and multidimensionally. The OCAI findings included significant, high effect correlations with the four culture types, although market was not
correlated with clan or adhocracy. All subscales of the SLQ had positive significant
correlations within the instrument. School size was significantly negatively correlated
with clan and adhocracy culture types. School performance was found to be significantly
correlated with hierarchy culture type and school level. The contribution this study makes
is both theoretical and practical. Theoretically, this study offers insights into school level
and its moderation of culture and school performances as well as the influence culture
types have on school performance. Practically, the study could identify a new culture
type valuable to principals for improving school performance.

A report issued in 2012 by the United States Government Accountability Office
(US Government Accountability Office, 2012) concluded that the United States is not
producing enough graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM) to meet the demands of its economy. According to the National Center for
Educational Statistics (2001), fewer than fifty percent of students nationally possess a
solid command of mathematical content. This study tested whether the insertion of
Academic Service Learning (ASL) into intermediate algebra courses improved students’
performance, their motivation to learn the subject, and attitudes towards mathematics
learning. ASL is an educational strategy that integrates meaningful community service
with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic
responsibility, and strengthen communities (Duffy, Barrington, West, Heredia, & Barry,
2011). The subjects in this study were thirty-four students enrolled in intermediate
algebra at a large public university in southeast Florida. The participant group consisted
of fifteen students who completed the requirements of the ASL program and the
comparison group consisted of nineteen students who initially showed interest in the
program but dropped out of the study early in the semester.
Through a mixed method analysis, the study found that the proportion of students
who passed the course in the ASL group was greater than the proportion of students in
the non-ASL group. Similarly, the mean final course grade in the ASL group was higher
than the mean final course grade in the non-ASL group.
The results of the qualitative analyses showed that all the participants enjoyed the
ASL experience. In addition, some participants felt that the ASL project raised their
motivation to learn mathematics and increased their competence in mathematics.
However, both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that the students’
participation in the ASL project did not affect their attitudes towards mathematics
learning. The study concluded that Academic Service Learning has the potential to help
improve students’ success rates in developmental mathematics courses as well as increase
their motivation to learn the subject.