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Full-Text Articles in Education
Principals As Instructional Leaders: Supporting New Middle School Principals To Implement Systems Allowing For Instructional Leadership, Jason Kaiz
Dissertations
This study is a collection, interpretation, and, eventually, recommendations based on data collected through interviews with current middle school principals. The research questions examine how middle school principals can increase their effectiveness as an instructional leader within the building. The research begins by examining the factors contributing to the principal being an instructional leader and what systems can be implemented to support this goal. These systems should include the ability for principals to facilitate learning for staff, just as staff facilitate learning within their classroom. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the need to look at resources available for principals as …
Grit And Leadership: How Exemplary Middle School Principals Use The Principles Of Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Gabriela Aldana
Grit And Leadership: How Exemplary Middle School Principals Use The Principles Of Grit To Accomplish Extraordinary Results, Gabriela Aldana
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and describe how exemplary middle school principals use the five principles associated with grit (courage, conscientiousness, long-term goals, resilience, and excellence versus perfection) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organization.
Methodology: This phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary middle school principals in Los Angeles and Orange County. The participants were selected through nonprobability purposeful sampling and met the criteria for exemplary middle school principals. As a member of a thematic research team of nine peer researchers and three faculty advisors, we developed a semistructured interview protocol for data …
How Exemplary Title I Elementary School Principals Lead With An Infinite Mindset, Lindsey Rae Gatfield
How Exemplary Title I Elementary School Principals Lead With An Infinite Mindset, Lindsey Rae Gatfield
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how exemplary Title I elementary school principals perceive practices of Sinek’s infinite mindset framework are embedded in their organization to inspire achievement of extraordinary results. A further purpose of this study was to understand organizational supports and barriers exemplary Title I elementary school principals perceive affect infinite mindset development. Methodology: This phenomenological study explored experiences of exemplary leaders and their perceptions of how the five practices of infinite mindset are embedded in their organization. The target population for this study was exemplary Title I elementary school principals in Orange …
An Exploration Of Hispanic Female Principals’ Career Advancement Through The Lens Of Intersectionality, Natalie Baptiste
An Exploration Of Hispanic Female Principals’ Career Advancement Through The Lens Of Intersectionality, Natalie Baptiste
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the perceived impact of barriers created by the intersection of gender and ethnicity on the advancement of Hispanic females to the K-12 principalship. A second purpose of this study was to identify strategies Hispanic females leverage to overcome barriers due to intersectionality while advancing to the K-12 school principalship.
Methodology: This qualitative research study employed a phenomenological approach to describe the lived experiences of nine Hispanic female principals serving in public K-12 schools in Orange and Riverside counties in California. Data collection included an interview protocol of 13 …
The Phenomenological Study On The Impact Of Servant Leadership For Establishing A Culture Of High Performance As Perceived By Middle School Principals Of Title I Middle Schools, Freddie Chavarria
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore and describe Title I middle school principals’ perceived impact of the seven servant leadership constructs developed by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance.
Methodology: The qualitative phenomenological method was used to describe and explore the middle school principals’ perceived impact of the seven servant leadership constructs developed by Patterson (2003) on establishing a culture of high performance. This method was selected by a thematic team of eight peer researchers to best examine the core meanings of K-12 leaders lived experiences. The sample for this study was middle …
How Exemplary High School Principals Who Utilize Heart-Led Principles Achieve Extraordinary Results, Jeyan Danesh
How Exemplary High School Principals Who Utilize Heart-Led Principles Achieve Extraordinary Results, Jeyan Danesh
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary high school principals in Riverside and San Bernardino counties lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s four principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential, and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their organizations. Methodology: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 8 high school principals to better understand how the use of heart-led principles can lead to extraordinary results on a high school campus. Interview data were collected, transcribed, and coded for themes, allowing the researcher to triangulate data and …
Leading With Heart: How Exemplary K-5 Principals Demonstrate Transformational Leadership Through Heart-Based Practices, Teresa Hubbard
Leading With Heart: How Exemplary K-5 Principals Demonstrate Transformational Leadership Through Heart-Based Practices, Teresa Hubbard
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe how exemplary K-5 principals in Southern California lead from the heart using Mark Crowley’s (2011) 4 principles (building a highly engaged team, connecting on a personal level, maximizing employee potential and valuing and honoring achievements) to accomplish extraordinary results in their schools.
Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological methodology to study the behaviors of elementary principals. This study, due to current Covid restrictions, included virtual one-on-one interviews that were held via the Zoom online platform. The data collected included audio and video recordings, written transcripts, and artifacts from school …
The Impact Of School Socioeconomic Status On The Effectiveness Of A Statewide Principal Mentoring Program, Michael Portwood
The Impact Of School Socioeconomic Status On The Effectiveness Of A Statewide Principal Mentoring Program, Michael Portwood
Dissertations
The professional demands on today’s school principal are varied and expansive, and as a result, relevant training and preparation is of utmost importance. Because of these rising demands, principal turnover is not uncommon, especially in low-SES schools. Formalized and strategic principal mentoring, however, has been shown to reduce principal attrition, keeping leaders in their roles and contributing to increased student achievement. This quantitative study examined the responses from school leaders on their experiences in a statewide principal mentoring program and analyzed the connection, in relation to their administrative peers, between their experience as a protégé and their status as a …
Exploring Principals’ Experiences With Social Justice Issues In Their Work As School Leaders, Djimtibaye Otalbaye
Exploring Principals’ Experiences With Social Justice Issues In Their Work As School Leaders, Djimtibaye Otalbaye
Dissertations
Social justice has taken on a special importance in education today, although it is not a new concept in terms of human history. Social justice is not a local issue, but exists in all parts of the world (Jean Marie et al., 2014). Differentiation among social environments of schools and increasing elements of diversity and roles of schools to create a socially just structure can be seen as main reasons for these issues (Turhan, 2010). Schools are therefore challenged to address the social conditions and hardships of students by responding to their needs (Avant, 2014).
The purpose of this basic …
Strategies That Exemplary Elementary Dual Immersion Principals Use To Create An Organizational Culture Of Inclusiveness, Stephanie K. Smart
Strategies That Exemplary Elementary Dual Immersion Principals Use To Create An Organizational Culture Of Inclusiveness, Stephanie K. Smart
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy’s (2008) five leadership qualities of cultural differences.
Methodology: This sequential explanatory mixed methods research study utilized quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews of 15 exemplary elementary dual immersion principals in Orange and San Diego counties in Southern California to identify and describe the strategies used to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness according to Kennedy’s (2008) five qualities …
Trust And Leadership: How Exemplary Superintendents Build Successful Principal Teams In Elementary School Districts, Louann Carlomagno
Trust And Leadership: How Exemplary Superintendents Build Successful Principal Teams In Elementary School Districts, Louann Carlomagno
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe behaviors exemplary superintendents practice during leadership team meetings to build and maintain trust with their principals based on the facets of trust defined by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (benevolence, reliability, competency, honesty, and openness).
Methodology: The qualitative use of phenomenology was utilized in this study. Respondents were able to tell their stories, providing semistructured feedback in order for the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of trust building during leadership team meetings. The researcher interviewed 16 principals from Sonoma and San Mateo Counties.
Findings: Examination of qualitative data from …
California Expert Principals’ Identification Of The Best Strategies For The Implementation Of A Transition From A Traditional Grading And Reporting System To A Standards-Based Grading And Reporting System: A Delphi Study, Sean Redmond
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this policy Delphi study was to identify the strategies California K-12 expert principals deem necessary for the implementation of a transition from a traditional grading and reporting system to a standards-based grading and reporting system, utilizing a panel of expert principals to rate the importance of the identified strategies and to recommend the best methods of implementing the five most important strategies.
Methodology: The Delphi method was utilized in this study. An expert panel of California K-12 principals was assembled, and three rounds of electronic surveys were administered. The first-round results identified strategies for implementing a …
Feminism And School Leadership: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Effective Women Principals' Self-Perceptions To Determine What Makes Them Successful, Christina Maria Sylvester
Feminism And School Leadership: A Qualitative Study Utilizing Effective Women Principals' Self-Perceptions To Determine What Makes Them Successful, Christina Maria Sylvester
Dissertations
Women are underrepresented in a variety of fields, including educational leadership. Upon assuming leadership roles, women often struggle to effectively lead due to a pervasive context of sexism and genderism in the workplace. Schools are not immune to this phenomenon. Since women comprise approximately 50% of the population, it seems logical that they should assume a comparable percentage of leadership roles in education, but this is not the case. Beyond parity, it is important that there are not only more women leaders in educational administration but also that those women in leadership roles are supported within a context that enables …
Performance Feedback: How Structure, Culture, And Agency Affects Feedback, Angelica Sleiman
Performance Feedback: How Structure, Culture, And Agency Affects Feedback, Angelica Sleiman
Dissertations
Federal and state mandates have placed an added pressure on teachers to demonstrate “effective” instructional practices. These mandates also affect the role of a principal, as an evaluator of “effective” instructional strategies, and as an instructional leader who continuously needs to build teacher capacity to satisfy these mandates. Accountability mandates promise to improve students’ academic performance but they have lacked professional development that would provide the support teachers and principals need to achieve success. Feedback is arguably a valuable mechanism to build teacher capacity and respond to accountability pressures, however, the implementation of feedback and its consequences for teacher’s professional …
The Exemplary High School Principal: A Mixed Methods Study Of How Personal Motivation And Professional Core Values Influence The Practice, Priorities And Decisions Of Award-Winning School Leaders, Erin Luby
Dissertations
This study of award-winning high school principals was designed to distill lessons from highly effective school leaders. The research explored how personal motivation and professional core values influence the practice, priorities and decisions of exemplary principals. The research followed a sequential explanatory mixed methods design. Participants included school leaders across a 10-state region who won their State Principal of the Year award from 2007 to 2017. The first phase of data collection utilized a survey, and the second phase was comprised of semi-structured interviews.
Principals indicated they were motivated to become educators because of their desire to have a positive …
Are The Leadership Behaviors Of K–12 Leaders In Mid-Western Urban School Districts Influenced By Their Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Spirituality?, Ericka M. Taylor
Are The Leadership Behaviors Of K–12 Leaders In Mid-Western Urban School Districts Influenced By Their Beliefs And Attitudes Regarding Spirituality?, Ericka M. Taylor
Dissertations
Working in a stressful and chaotic environment can be difficult for building principals in urban school districts (DeNisco, 2013; Stokley, 2002; Thompson, 2004). Presumably, the job is only expected to get more arduous with the increasing demands to improve student achievement (Allison, 2012; Kimball & Sirotnik, 2000; Queen & Schumacher, 2006). What is quite apparent today is that the role and responsibilities of the principal have changed dramatically over the past twenty years (Carlson, 2012; Hill-Yeverton, 2003) shifting from a factory model of management of learning to one in which teachers and principals have to create more student-centered and project-based …
The Challenge Of Leading Change: How Sources Of Authority And Change Management Models Intersect To Promote School Improvement, Samantha Joyce Lam
The Challenge Of Leading Change: How Sources Of Authority And Change Management Models Intersect To Promote School Improvement, Samantha Joyce Lam
Dissertations
A gap in research exists that demonstrates how principals use their authority to make decisions and how that intersects with change management models. The purpose of the study is to examine how one elementary school principal has led change and how teachers perceive the effectiveness of the change. The study seeks to explore principal's and teachers' perceptions of the impact of the change on the school.
Through a bounded, qualitative case study design, the researcher used several techniques to gather data: teacher survey, principal interview, teacher interview, and document analysis. Multiple sources of data were used to adequately shed light …
Common Leadership Responsibilities Of Principals Of Successful Turnaround Schools, Jezelle Fullwood
Common Leadership Responsibilities Of Principals Of Successful Turnaround Schools, Jezelle Fullwood
Dissertations
Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover which leadership responsibilities, within the domains of trust, communication, learning, and shared leadership, did elementary and middle school principals of successful turnaround schools perceive as most necessary to lead a turnaround intervention model school.
Themes were identified related to leadership responsibilities, practices and processes of turnaround principals within the domains of trust, communication, learning, and shared leadership identified by Fritjof Capra (2002) and the twenty-one leadership Responsibilities identified by Robert Marzano (2005). This study contributed to the literature to understand what it took to improve, or “turnaround” a school that …
Principals’ Perspectives On The Professional Development Process And Its Outcomes, Sara Kathleen Moore
Principals’ Perspectives On The Professional Development Process And Its Outcomes, Sara Kathleen Moore
Dissertations
This study examined principals’ perspectives on the professional development process and its outcomes. Principals are in the best position to ensure a connection between research-based best practices and what actually happens in the classroom, but there is little research on how principals actually select professional development for their staff in the field. This study was conducted in a Midwestern state using data gathered from public elementary school principals in the form of a survey. The sample included all K-5 and K-8 elementary principals on record with the state department of education, with 242 principals responding. It examined how much control …
Latina Principals In Southern California: A Phenomenological Look Into Their Journey Towards Leadership, Fabiola Bagula
Latina Principals In Southern California: A Phenomenological Look Into Their Journey Towards Leadership, Fabiola Bagula
Dissertations
California is home to almost 15 million Latinos, however, according to the 2015 State of Higher Education Report for California, only 12% of the Latino population between the ages of 25 and 64 has a baccalaureate degree or higher, compared with 42% of the White population. Latina students have some of the lowest levels of educational attainment at every point in their K-12 journey and in general, very low occupational attainment. Given these troubling findings, this research sought to understand and tell the stories of Latinas in k-12 leadership positions in Southern California. In this study, Latinas describe how they …
Instructional Leadership And Deliberate Practice: A Framework For Improving Student Achievement, Matthew Henry Banach
Instructional Leadership And Deliberate Practice: A Framework For Improving Student Achievement, Matthew Henry Banach
Dissertations
This study examined whether the theory of deliberate practice could be applied and expanded to the field of education to explain how school leaders successfully work with teachers to improve student achievement in schools with a high percentage of student identified as minority and low income. For the purpose of this study, deliberate practice is defined as practice that is "(a) at an appropriate level, (b) provides informative feedback, (c) provides for opportunities for repetition, and (d) allows for correction of errors" (Sternberg, Grigorenko, & Ferrari, 2002, p. 71).
The researcher completed a qualitative case study of two public elementary …
Principal-Teacher’S Decision-Making Power Relationship: A National Study Based On Sass 2003-04 Data, Jiangang Xia
Principal-Teacher’S Decision-Making Power Relationship: A National Study Based On Sass 2003-04 Data, Jiangang Xia
Dissertations
There is a theoretical controversy in the literature of educational leadership over whether principal-teacher’s power relationship is a zero-sum game or a win-win situation. The zero-sum game theory implies that when teachers gain more power, principals have less, and when teachers have less power, principals gain more. In contrast, the win-win theory suggests that to share power with teachers potentially increases principal’s power as well.
There are two issues involved with this controversy: first, researchers debate whether principal-teacher’s power relationship is a win-win situation or zero-sum game, however, the power concept and power relationship were not clearly conceptualized; and, second, …
A Comparison Of Charter Public And Traditional Public School Principals: Who They Are And How They Function, Jared R. Vickers
A Comparison Of Charter Public And Traditional Public School Principals: Who They Are And How They Function, Jared R. Vickers
Dissertations
In the context of the charter school movement in the last 25 years, this author analyzed the 2007-2008 Schools and Staff Survey (SASS) data to answer two research questions: (a) after controlling for school level and school size what are the differences between traditional and charter public school principals when examining their personal and professional backgrounds in terms of demographics, experience, and education and (b) after controlling for school level and school size what are the differences between traditional and charter public school principals in decision-making, working conditions, and perceptions of the position?
Analyses for research question 1 revealed that …
Effective Leadership Behaviors: How One Principal Made Sense Of And Integrated Research-Based Behaviors Into His Daily Practice, Heidi Ann Beidinger-Burnett
Effective Leadership Behaviors: How One Principal Made Sense Of And Integrated Research-Based Behaviors Into His Daily Practice, Heidi Ann Beidinger-Burnett
Dissertations
Unlike the principalship of yesteryear, today’s principals are under great pressure to improve academic achievement for all students. Recent literature describes the need for principals to become instructional leaders whereby they can lead change and improve student achievement. However, a lack of quality principal preparation programs and a shortage of effective principals exist. Thus, principals are often unprepared or underprepared for their role. The purpose of this participatory action research study (PAR) was to follow the process of how one high school principal made sense of and integrated research-based leadership behaviors into his practice to lead the redesign of his …
Looked After Or Left Behind: The Effectiveness Of Principal Preparation Programs As Perceived By Generation Y Principals, Chandra D. Sledge
Looked After Or Left Behind: The Effectiveness Of Principal Preparation Programs As Perceived By Generation Y Principals, Chandra D. Sledge
Dissertations
Chandra D. Sledge
Loyola University Chicago
LOOKED AFTER OR LEFT BEHIND: THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRINCIPAL PREPARATION PROGRAMS AS PERCEIVED BY GENERATION Y PRINCIPALS
This research study intended to discover the perceptions of 10 Illinois Generation Y novice high school principals pertaining to the effectiveness of their principal preparation programs in terms of how well it prepared them to lead in the first three years of their principalship, and what subsequent professional development they deemed necessary for success in the first three years of their principalship.
Through a qualitative multi-case study, in which the researcher conducted open-ended interviews, which were triangulated …
The Effectiveness Of A District-Wide Training Initiative On Determining Preparedness Of Educational Leaders In A Large, Southeastern Louisiana School System, Jeanne Bordelon Wagner
The Effectiveness Of A District-Wide Training Initiative On Determining Preparedness Of Educational Leaders In A Large, Southeastern Louisiana School System, Jeanne Bordelon Wagner
Dissertations
A nationwide shortage of qualified, experienced applicants to fill the roles of educational leaders has led to a hiring crisis among school districts across America. The diminishing pool of applicants, accompanied by a high turnover rate of practicing administrators and increasing accountability demands, has revealed the importance of recruitment and retention of educational leaders. As the roles of school administrators are constantly evolving and increasing in complexity, recruiting skillfully trained personnel proficient in all dimensions of school leadership is a catalyst for increasing student achievement and for reducing principal attrition rates. The purpose of this research was to reveal perceived …
What Professional And Personal Strategies Do Successful Principals Possess To Cultivate A School Culture That Promotes Academic Success In A Blue Ribbon School, Carlos Lateetha Mckinney
What Professional And Personal Strategies Do Successful Principals Possess To Cultivate A School Culture That Promotes Academic Success In A Blue Ribbon School, Carlos Lateetha Mckinney
Dissertations
Principals who are presiding over schools that have received a blue ribbon certification have evidently used specific professional and personal strategies, as well as behaviors, to enhance the academic and social culture of their schools. The current study examined Mississippi Gulf Coast Schools that received blue ribbon status in the last six years. A survey of administrators, teachers, and staff members was conducted.
The research confirmed that a correlation exists between personal and professional behaviors of the principals who have presided over Blue Ribbon Certified Schools and teacher morale. These principal behaviors are deemed instrumental in the building of a …