Education Commons^™

Using Design Thinking As An Instrument For School Improvement And Innovation In Public Schools, Beth Emery Peterson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Design thinking, a creative problem-solving method in which the end user is an active member of the design team, has historically been used in business and industry, but school leaders are beginning to use the process in education settings. This multiple-case study examined the experiences of two public school leaders who used design thinking for continuous improvement initiatives or to spur innovation in their school or district. Through interviews, the school leaders shared their purposes, outcomes, challenges, and insights of using design thinking to address complex educational problems. Results indicate that design thinking is appropriate to use for continuous improvement …

Liderazgo Directivo Escolar En El Funcionamiento Del Programa De Educación Especial De La Región Norte De Puerto Rico, Meilin Gomez Román

Theses and Dissertations

El propósito de este estudio es explicar el efecto del liderazgo directivo en el funcionamiento del Programa de Educación Especial en la Región Norte de Puerto Rico. Mediante este estudio se pretende conocer de qué manera el liderazgo que ejercen los directores escolares afecta el funcionamiento del Programa de Educación Especial.

Este estudio tiene un enfoque cuantitativo con un diseño no experimental transversal de alcance descriptivo. Se administraron dos cuestionarios para la recolección de datos. La muestra estuvo constituida por 32 directores escolares que participaron de manera voluntaria.

Los resultados demostraron que el estilo de liderazgo predominante y que más …

Fighting For Justice In Education: How Schools Can Lead The Change Towards A More Equitable World, Tara Kirton

Occasional Paper Series

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine the world anew. This one is no different” (Roy, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has had tremendous implications for every aspect of life. School, work, celebrations and everyday social interactions have all felt the repercussions of the pandemic. While the shutdown called for an immediate pivot from our everyday ways of being, it has also provided opportunities for stillness and deep reflection. This moment of pause has provided an opportunity to think, speak and act differently. As a parent my hope is that educators will lead the change.

Building Resilient Education Systems: A Rapid Review Of The Education In Emergencies Literature, Pina Tarricone, Kemran Mestan, Ian Teo

International Education Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerabilities and inequalities of national education systems and hindered the education of millions of children globally. In response, the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Centre, which is a long-term, strategic partnership between the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), undertook a rapid review of literature to support policymakers. The research has six evidence-based outcomes that can help policymakers to build resilient education systems and thereby enhance education quality and equity during emergencies. The COVID-19 emergency provided the impetus for this research, with much of …

Menzies School Leadership Incubator: Insights, Adrian Field

Educational leadership

The Menzies School Leadership Incubator (the Incubator) is a national trans-disciplinary initiative to design, test and learn about transformative innovations that will support lasting systems change in Australian schools’ leadership. This review explores the successes, challenges and learning from work in the Incubator to date, from the perspective of a collaborative seeking longstanding systems change. The design of the review is informed by thinking in the innovation literature, principally communities of practice and socio-technical systems theory. This review was undertaken as a rapid exploration of experiences and learning, drawing on interviews with eight individuals from within the Incubator (six interviews) …

The Culturally Intelligent School Leader: Leadership Strategies Of Exemplary Elementary School Principals In Creating A Culture Of Inclusiveness, Leila Dodge

Dissertations

Purpose: It is the purpose of this explanatory mixed-method study to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary school principals use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy's five leadership qualities of cultural differences.

Methodology: For this study, an explanatory mixed-method design was used to conduct research to identify and describe the leadership strategies that exemplary elementary school principals use to create an organizational culture of inclusiveness using Kennedy's five leadership qualities of cultural differences. The study's quantitative part was conducted using a SurveyMonkey delivered to each participant. In the survey, participants were asked if they …

Infographic: Issues Hindering School Instruction, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

In the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM) 2019 assessment programme, school principals were asked about issues that hindered their school’s capacity to provide instruction. This infographic shows the proportions of children in the six SEA-PLM 2019 countries who attended a school where the principal reported each issue hindered school capacity to a 'large' or 'moderate' extent.

Teaching And Learning International Survey, Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) gathers data about school teaching environments from teachers and school leaders, in close to 50 countries in its most recent cycle. TALIS is a tool to assist educational reformers to improve the quality of teaching. TALIS data is based on the opinions, perceptions, beliefs and accounts of teachers and school leaders, as reported by them in a self-completion questionnaire. This publication, presents an overview of TALIS and covers its origins and context, purpose, measurement objectives, background information collection, target population and sampling methodology, assessment administration, reporting and dissemination and influence.

Onward And Upward: A Phenomenological Study Of School Leaders As They Prepare To Lead And Manage Change, Amy Elisabeth Love

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of school leaders as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change. The central research question that guided this study is: What are the experiences of school leaders in Virginia as they develop their capacity to lead and manage change? The theoretical framework that guided this study was Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning as it applies to how school leaders incorporate new learning about how to lead and manage change with their own experiences and understandings. The design was a transcendental phenomenological study of school leaders in …

Infographic: Principal Demographics, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The annual Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey collects information on the experiences of school leaders and their state of health and wellbeing. Part of the survey includes collecting demographic data on survey respondents. Here, we look at the age distribution of over 1800 respondents in 2020.

Relationship Between Servant Leadership Style And Teacher Job Satisfaction And Retention, Morgan Stamschror

Counselor Education Capstones

Effective school leaders are vital to the success of a school. The leadership style of a school leader, specifically principals, affects teacher satisfaction and retention. Servant leadership is a well-known leadership style in the business and organizational psychology field but has applications in the education setting as well. This report discusses how principals can be servant-leaders by putting others first and themselves second. As a result, teacher job satisfaction and retention are affected. Therefore, it is important for educators to learn how principals can most effectively lead teachers and other support staff. Training and professional development opportunities are essential for …

Principal Pipeline Development In Ghana: A Look At Komenda Edina Eguafo Abriem (Keea) District In The Central Region, Eunice A. Turkson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

There is no doubt that principals’ roles are important in setting the direction for successful schools, however, current knowledge on the best ways to prepare and develop highly qualified and effective school leaders is sparse (Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, Meyerson, Orr, & Cohen, 2007; Mendels, 2012). As such, the recognition of the importance of school leaders in teaching and learning coupled with a growing shortage of high-quality leaders in American schools, increased the interest in leadership development as a major reform strategy (Darling-Hammond et al., 2007). The investment of tremendous amount of time and resources on school leadership therefore help them to …

Infographic: Women In Secondary Principal Roles, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

A literature review has looked at the current state of female representation in secondary principal roles in New Zealand, Here, we look at how the percentage of women in secondary principal roles has changed over the past three decades.

The Relationship Between Career And Technical Education Enrollment And College And Career Readiness Outcomes, Daniel Soliz Jr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College and career readiness for K-12 students has become a priority of legislatures and educational leaders in the United States. In recent years, Texas public school leaders have emphasized the importance of maximizing the percentage of College, Career and Military Ready (CCMR) graduates. The specific problem studied was that a low percentage of students in Texas, in comparison to the state’s graduation rate, graduate with a CCMR distinction. Career and Technical Education (CTE), a component of K-12 education, can assist school leaders in maximizing college and career readiness for students. However, it was not clear how within schools, CTE enrollment …

Trauma Informed Leadership: Leading Through The Chaos, Christina Ruegamer, Joan T. Dorsey, Laine Smith, Megan G. Robertson

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this professional learning module is to create and promote trauma-informed leadership. Throughout the module, leaders will also learn about the six trauma-informed principles on establishing a trauma-informed site. The design of this professional learning module is to prepare leaders in addressing situations involving trauma at their site. This module can be used individually for leadership training and/or professional development. It should take one to two hours to complete. Once the training is completed, an assessment will be given. Upon successful completion of the assessment with a score of 80% or higher, a certificate will be provided via …

A Qualitative Case Study On Principal Perceptions Of Responsibilities, Preparation, And Training And Their Effect On Retention, Karlene Crawford

Doctor of Education Dissertations

The focus of this qualitative case study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the differences in school leadership responsibilities, preparation, and training of traditional public school principals and charter school principals and their effect on principal retention. The study included five principals from traditional public schools and five principals from charter schools in North Carolina. This study had four main findings: (a) Traditional public school principals have more student discipline responsibilities, while charter school principals engage in more instructional leadership; (b) All principals spent most of each workday responding in a managerial capacity to emerging stakeholder needs or, in …

The Effect Of Principal Leadership On Student Achievement: A Multivariate Meta-Analysis, Huang Wu

Dissertations

Principal leadership has been widely considered as a significant factor for school improvement and student learning. However, there are discrepancies among previous findings and controversies on both the magnitude and nature of the relationship between principal leadership and student achievement. The purpose of this study is to further the understanding of whether and how principal leadership influences student achievement.

This study is a systematic review and multivariate meta-analysis of 42 empirical studies about principal leadership’s effects on student achievement, generated during the period between 2000 and 2020 in the United States. There were three parts for the analyses: (a) a …

The Partnership Imperative For Preparing Effective Principals In North Carolina Schools, Martinette Horner, Derrick D. Jordan

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

The extant literature highlights the impact principals have on daily operations, visioning, school climate, academic programming, instructional monitoring, and numerous other areas. The need for well-trained principals at the helm of schools, particularly those with large concentrations of at-risk students, has been identified as a critically important factor in improving academic outcomes. Underdeveloped leaders often struggle to improve schools and are unable to show adequate progress among the students they serve. They are also more prone to early burnout, increasing turnover rates. As such, the need to strengthen principal preparation programs has become even more evident in recent years. A …

The Role Of Rural School Leaders In A School-Community Partnership, Sarah J. Zuckerman

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Rural schools play central roles in their communities, and rural education scholars advocate for rural school-community partnerships to support school and community renewal. Across the United States, including in rural areas, formal models for school-community partnerships have been scaled up. The literature on rural principals highlights their roles in developing school-community partnerships, yet questions remain as to how school leaders engage in such partnerships. Using boundary-spanning leadership as a theoretical lens, this descriptive study examines the role of district and school leaders in a regional school-community partnership, including as founding members, champions of collaboration, cheerleaders for the partnership, and amplifiers …

Infographic: Principal Wellbeing – Sources Of Stress And Support, Dominique Russell

Teacher infographics

The latest Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey reveals 19 sources of stress for school leaders. In this infographic, we look at the top 10 sources of stress reported by school leaders, and their top 5 sources of support.

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Timor-Leste: Interim Report 2, Elizabeth Cassity, Jennie Chainey

Teacher education

The interim reports present the findings from the first and second years of a multi-year study on Timor-Leste's Apoiu Lideransa liuhosi Mentoria no Aprendizajen (ALMA). The study focuses on understanding the extent to which education stakeholders, including school leaders and teachers, develop teaching knowledge and change teaching practice over time. It also explores the extent to which participation in the program leads to improvements in learning outcomes for students. This study is framed within the context of Timor-Leste's introduction of a new National Basic Education Curriculum.

Leadership Perspectives On The Financial Sustainability Of Non-Orthodox Jewish Day Schools In Toronto, Seth Goldsweig

Educational Studies Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how Jewish school leaders in Toronto understand non-Orthodox Jewish day school financial sustainability. A review of literature included: (a) a multidisciplinary understanding of “sustainability”, (b) a history of Jewish education in North America, (c) challenges and potential solutions to financial sustainability of Jewish day schools in North America, and (d) the evolution of the school leader and its impact on financial sustainability. This multi-site case study used a questionnaire, completed by 23 school leaders, and one-on-one interviews with all eight heads of school of the non-Orthodox Jewish day schools in Toronto …

Infographic: Principals’ Working Time, Jo Earp

Teacher infographics

The latest cycle of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS 2018) asked principals in Australia about the time they allocated to various tasks throughout the year, including curriculum-and teaching-related tasks and meetings, administrative tasks and meetings, and student interactions. This infographic takes a look at the results.

Book Excerpt: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers – The Heroes Of Real India, S Giridhar

Teacher India

In his book ‘Ordinary people, extraordinary teachers’, S Giridhar describes how teachers in government schools are determined to work beyond the call of duty based on a strong belief that ‘every child can learn’.

Virginia Standards Of Accreditation: A Case Study Of Sensemaking And Policy Implementation In A School District, Shana Nicole Remian

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between how school leaders at both the district and school level make sense of a policy change and how that understanding affects implementation. Specifically, this study explores how different factors affect individual sensemaking and the effect that has on policy implementation. Using an embedded case study methodology, data were collected through sixteen, semi-structured interviews. Additionally, field observations and document analysis were conducted to triangulate the data. Data were coded and analyzed to determine three major categories--policy ambiguity, internal and external factors, and communication. These three categories were integrated to form …

Moving Beyond Tradition: Designing An Online Course For School Leaders, Larry J. Walker, Michelle Sullivan

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Increasingly post-secondary institutions are dedicating resources to develop online courses. This includes hybrid (classroom and online instruction) and fully online classes. The growth of online options coincides with the creation of various platforms that make communication between graduate students and faculty members seamless. However, there is a gap in the research which examines the development of online courses for current and aspiring school leaders (e.g., teachers, principals, district staff). For this reason, this article utilizes extant literature and autoethnographic vignettes to 1) investigate the steps universities and school districts should take to make online classes more accessible for school leaders; …

Conceptions And Factors Associated With Effective School Leadership, Anaghaa Wagh

Teacher India

Anaghaa Wagh discusses the school leadership phenomenon from the school leaders’ perspective.

A Comparative Study On Parental Involvement, Roldens Paulynice

Theses and Dissertations

Parental involvement has been found by many researchers to be important in student academic success. However, many school leaders are challenged to get many parents actively involved in their child’s education. At the research site, for example, the researcher observed that many parents do not get actively involved in their child’s education, and they miss the school parental meeting or programs. If this problem is solved, school staff members or leaders would care and would benefit from it. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of educators on the impact of parental involvement on student success and …

Looking Through A Culturally Proficient Lens: Georgia Elementary Esol Teachers' Perceptions Of School Leaders, Mary C. Houser

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the perceptions of ESOL teachers in Georgia regarding their school leaders’ cultural proficiency in working with diverse learners. The hypothesis is that school leaders must embrace diversity within the school they supervise by promoting language learning and academic success through engagement and discourse, establishing a relationship with diverse students and their families, and show a vested interest in language learning programs. The issue surrounding this research is the lack of knowledge, interaction, respect, inclusion, and understanding that some school leaders demonstrate regarding ESOL students and their parents. Using Dewey’s Theory of Experience as a theoretical framework, narrative …

The Teaching And Learning International Survey 2018. Australian Report Volume 1: Teachers And School Leaders As Lifelong Learners, Sue Thomson, Kylie Hillman

OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) collects internationally comparable data on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers and principals in schools across the world. The results of the survey continue to provide valid, timely and comparable information from the perspective of school practitioners to help countries review and define policies for developing a high-quality teaching profession. Australia’s participation in TALIS 2018 was managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). A total of 6603 teachers and 453 principals from a representative sample of primary and secondary schools across Australia participated in TALIS 2018. This …