Mendi Davis - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mendi Davis

Journal of Instructional Research, 2018

The purpose of this quasiexperimental quantitative research study was to examine the extent to wh... more The purpose of this quasiexperimental quantitative research study was to examine the extent to which students enrolled in a doctoral program at a Christian university located in the southwestern United consisted of 19 doctoral students (n = 19) from a Christian university. Participants completed the Selfgroups were compared. One group was given interventions in weeks 2 and 7. The second group was given interventions in weeks 3, 4, 5, and 7. The third group was given interventions within weeks 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the distributed leadership re... more The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the distributed leadership readiness of West Virginia principals and their perceptions of selected school-based committees which influence leadership in their schools. Six hundred seventy four West Virginia principals were invited to participate in this study by responding to an online survey that included the Distributed Leadership Readiness Scale (DLRS), demographic items, and items from the researcher developed School-Based Committee Influence Survey. There were 198 West Virginia principal respondents to the survey (29.3%). The results of this study showed that West Virginia principal respondents were ready for distributed leadership and saw a relationship with the selected school-based committees. The school leadership team, school curriculum team, and faculty senate were perceived to have the most influence on the leadership of the school. The results showed the school curriculum team with a strong relationship with the perceived level of distributed leadership readiness. Lastly, the results showed that differences existed between some of the demographic factors and perceived level of distributed leadership readiness with some of the DLRS dimensions. Gender had significant differences within the dimensions of School Culture and Shared Responsibility; years of experience in their school had significant differences within the dimensions of Mission, Vision, and Goals and Shared Responsibility; and programmatic level had significant differences with the dimension of Shared Responsibility. iii Acknowledgements My dissertation journey was longer than expected and would not have been possible without the support of my wonderful wife and children. They were always in my corner and never faltered in their support for me. I knew that I could count on them to provide me the love, prayers, and support I needed to finish my journey. They made sacrifices to get me to the end of this journey. I will be forever thankful to them for those sacrifices. I am proud to have completed my journey and for my children to see me finish this race. This journey would not have ended successfully without the expertise and support of Dr. Helen Hazi. She was able to provide me with the organization I needed to write my dissertation, but also knew how to motivate me before my timeline expired. Without her dedication and advocacy, I would forever been stuck at ABD (All But Dissertation). She was a blessing to me during this process. I also could not have made it through without the statistical help of Larry White. He was there to guide me, answer questions, and help me to understand each aspect I needed to complete my study. Lastly, I am grateful to friends, family, and colleagues who provided support and encouragement during my work. Many of these individuals not only encouraged me, but worked with me during the writing process. Their patience and belief in me drove me forward throughout my journey.

“As Raw As It Can Be, Like Vulnerable and Unapologetic”: A Qualitative Study of Mystical Experience in Ordinary Life

The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society

Journal of Instructional Research

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the students’ learning experience ... more The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the students’ learning experience when utilizing a team teaching approach in an online doctoral program at a private university located within the Southwestern region of the United States. The theoretical foundation of Community of Inquiry developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) supported this study. The overarching question that drove this study was, “How do students in an online doctoral program describe the team teaching learning experience?” The sample consisted of six doctoral students from a private university enrolled in an online doctoral course. Participants were interviewed and videotaped using Zoom. Data were obtained through semistructured interviews with open-ended questions that focused on the student experience. The interviews were transcribed and coded to identify themes. The discussion of the findings included the importance of access to the instructor, instructor feedback, and student support...

Journal of Transpersonal Research , 2018

Objective: Self-transcendence, the final level of Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs is neither well stu... more Objective: Self-transcendence, the final level of Maslow‟s hierarchy of needs is neither well stu- died nor well understood from an empirical perspective. Methodology: This study followed a quantitative correlational methodology with forty-nine participants (37 females and 12 males). They completed the questionnaires: Self-Transcendence Scale (STS), Mystical Experience Scale (M-Scale), Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), and Transliminality Scale Revised (TS-R). Re- sults: A positive relationship was found between STS and the M-Scale; no relationship was found between STS and TS-R or between STS and DES; significant negative correlation was found be- tween DES and TS-R. Conclusion: The notion of mystical experience as being marked by pathol-
ogy, specifically, dissociation, is laid to rest in this study.