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Principal Mental Models And Perceptions Of Distributed Leadership, Leigh Ann Marlar

Doctoral Dissertations

With growing pressure on school leaders to support collaboration and distribute leadership among teachers and staff, principals need guidance in examining their own mental models on these issues to challenge and improve their current ways of thinking. The purpose of this mixed methods, multi-site case study was to describe three middle school principals’ mental models of distributed leadership and to examine to what extent the three preconditions (leadership practice, relationships, and trust) from Angelle’s (2010) model of distributed leadership for middle schools existed in the three principals’ schools. Qualitative data included principal interviews, a written statement of leadership philosophy, a …