Education Commons^™

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 …

The Influence Of Secondary Principals' Perceived Trust Of Assistant Principals And Central Office Supervisors On Principal Self-Efficacy For Instructional Leadership, Cody J. Reutzel

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Although self-efficacy has been studied widely in education, variables associated with the self-efficacy of principals have received relatively limited attention. The current study investigated the relationship between secondary principals’ perceptions of trust in their assistant principal and central office supervisor and their own self-efficacy for instructional leadership. Surveys were collected from 80 secondary principals. Open-ended questions were utilized to gain greater understanding of the behaviors contributing to principals’ perceptions of trust and feelings of self-efficacy. Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression. Quantitative results revealed that no statistically significant relationship is present between trust perceptions in the relationships investigated …

A Quantitative Methods Examination Of The Relationship Between Student Academic Performance And The Race And Gender Of School Administrators, Tiffaney Whitt

Dissertations

This quantitative methods study identified and tested research-based constructs of school administrators’ race and gender compared to discipline, attendance, and academic achievement. This study aimed to address inequities in educational practices, policies, and systems that directly impact student academic success in schools. The quantitative analyses included statistical ANOVAs and t-tests that examined a convenience sample of 68 elementary school administrators' annual accountability data from 68 Missouri urban elementary schools. To determine differences between the gender and race of school administrators and discipline, attendance, and student proficiency, the researcher examined secondary data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education …

High School Administrators’ Perspectives Of Leadership Practices Influencing Teacher Leadership And Culture, Andrea H. Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a southeastern state in the United States, a gap in practice exists regarding the consistent implementation of instructional leadership practices to promote teacher leadership and culture in schools. The purpose of this study was to explore administrators’ perspectives of their implementation of instructional leadership practices to influence teacher leadership and culture. The conceptual framework for this qualitative approach was Bass and Avolio’s transformational leadership theory. The research question focused on high school administrators’ perceptions of the instructional leadership practices they are using to influence teacher leadership and school culture. Purposive sampling was used, and six high school administrators participated …

The Facade Of Instructional Leadership – The Patterns And Priorities Of Principals In Guiding And Driving Effective Classroom Instructional Practices, Jerad Hyden

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The Façade of Instructional Leadership: The Patterns and Priorities of High School Principals in Guiding and Driving Effective Classroom Instructional Practices

Abstract

By Jerad Hyden

University of the Pacific 2023

Classroom walkthroughs are the consistent and systematic observation of instruction in the classroom, and despite research indicating classroom walkthroughs drive student achievement and promote learning, high school principals fail to implement effective classroom walkthroughs on a consistent basis, resulting in teachers not receiving enough guidance and support to improve instruction for student learners. The purpose of this study was to assist and empower high school principals as instructional leaders through …

A Phenomenological Study Of Principals’ Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership In The Context Of Mandated Teacher Evaluation, Gabrielle P. Delatte

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The literature on instructional leadership includes the practices in which principals can engage (Stein & Nelson, 2003) and discusses how the principal’s leadership practices can be mediated by the teacher observation tool within the teacher evaluation system (Spillane, Halverson, & Diamond, 2001). However, the literature includes less about how and why leaders enact those instructional leadership practices (Spillane et al., 2001; Spillane, 2006) and how the teacher evaluation tool might or might not be influencing that how and why. The purpose of this qualitative study is to produce a description of how principals perceive the instructional leadership they provide teachers …

Principles Of Coaching For Coaching Of Principals: A Self-Directed Approach, Suzanne M. Kimball

Theses and Dissertations

Research on school districts has repeatedly found that focusing on student learning and instructional leadership is a key component to effectiveness (Murphy & Hallinger, 1988; Leithwood, 2010; Anderson & Young, 2018). Districts are currently undergoing a redefinition of roles in order to specifically support principals as instructional leaders in their schools. This qualitative case study describes how one district began to develop a system for supporting principals through incorporating leadership coaching. This study shares the perspectives of principal supervisors and other district specialists as they built their own capacities to be effective coaches. The complexity of simultaneously developing skills in …

Principal Supervisors Coaching Practices For Developing School Principals' Instructional Leadership Capacity, Jamila M. Mannie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Across the United States performance expectations of principal supervisors are shifting from a focus on compliance to a focus on instructional leadership development. The problem addressed in this study was that principal supervisors were applying feedback and coaching approaches inconsistently as they addressed school principals’ growth as instructional leaders. The conceptual framework was transformational leadership, through which leaders encourage, inspire, and motivate employees to innovate and create change that can help grow and shape future academic success for the students they serve. The research questions were designed to explore how principal supervisors provide feedback and coaching to develop school principals’ …

Administrators And Teachers' Perceptions Of Instructional Leadership Practices To Increase Student Achievement, Keyna Crawford Anderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe lack of achievement in public schools has been a concern globally and has negatively affected the growth of communities and the economy. School principals have a central role in implementing effective instructional practices and creating a positive teaching and learning environment that fosters student achievement. The problem addressed was a lack of instructional leadership in a British territory. The conceptual framework for this research was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy, which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) defining the school's mission, (b) managing the instructional program, and (c) promoting a positive school learning climate. …

A Qualitative Case Study Of Principal Supervisors’ Perceptions Of Equity-Based Instructional Leadership, Dontae Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Principal supervisors play a critical role in supporting school principals. However, historically, principal supervisors were ill prepared to address these challenges at either the district or school level. Since 2011, the role of the principal supervisors has been reexamined to provide better outcomes for students and increased support for principals. The development of equity-based instructional leadership practices was identified and therefore added to the tools focused on developing transformative, race-conscious, and culturally responsive educational leadership. The problem explored in this qualitative study is that little research has focused on the perceptions of principal supervisors to improve equitable practices in schools …

Building Leadership Capacity In An Instructional Coach: A Principal’S Contribution To The Growth Of A Leader Through The Lens Of Complexity Leadership Theory, Lori Corley

All Dissertations

School leaders are accountable for enabling others to produce innovative outcomes within the environment in which the school operates. This complex environment of the school, defined by greater levels of uncertainty, ambiguity, interdependencies, and interrelatedness (Clarke, 2013), is a place where complex problems are best solved with complex responses (Marion and Uhl-Bien, 2011) by the instructional leaders within the system. In light of this understanding, it is important to examine how instructional leaders within the school grow as leaders through the lens of complexity leadership theory. Although existing research examines what instructional leaders need to do to be effective, there …

Peer-To-Peer Feedback: An Instructional Strategy In Teacher Evaluation, Brady L. Ridge

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Over the last several decades there have been federal movements in education which place more accountability on schools and consequently their principals. Principals have many responsibilities which vary from administrative duties to improving teaching in their schools. As a result, principals are often asked to do more than they believe they have time to accomplish. Peer-to-peer feedback is a practice that principals can use to help evaluate, and more importantly, help teachers improve their teachers' teaching. This multi-case or multi-school qualitative study researched the practice of peer-to-peer feedback at two elementary schools. The purpose was to understand how peer-to-peer feedback …

The Intersection Of School-Based Leadership Practices And School Grades In The State Of Florida, Wendelynn A. Mcpherson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative study was to examine to what degree 12 self-reported leadership behaviors were associated with and predictive of school grades in the state of Florida. The study participant sample was exclusively comprised of educational leaders from elementary schools located in Florida. In this descriptive study, elementary principals were surveyed to determine the frequency of leadership behaviors (independent variable) and school grades (dependent variable). Two research questions and hypotheses were posed to address the study’s research problem. Research question one utilized a simple linear regression to assess the predictive variable of the overall leadership practices for …

Citizenship Education In Neoliberal Times, Elissar Gerges

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

In pursuit of continuous rather than episodic change, this organizational improvement plan uses Kotter’s (2014) framework for organizational change, embedded within the PDSA cycle, to create a professional development community at the school. The school’s mission is focused on citizenship, but implementation is still an area of action. The compliance culture at the school and the dominant transactional leadership approach have influenced the enactment of the school’s mission throughout the various high school departments. Using a conceptual framework adapted from Hackman’s (2002) framework for building a collaborative environment, this improvement plan explores how a private school in Ontario can implement …

Principal Retention: The Perceptions Of Veteran Secondary Principals Who Remain In Their Roles As Instructional Leaders, Coletha Tucker Johnson

Educational Leadership & Policy Studies Dissertations

The role of school principals has changed from being managers to instructional leaders. As a result, many principals do not feel prepared to lead under these conditions, in which some leave their campuses within the first five-years of service. Despite school districts implementing educational reforms to attract and retain principals, turnover persists and is more pervasive in secondary settings when compared to elementary campuses. This study explored the perceptions of six veteran secondary principals (five-years or more at their campus) from two Texas school districts and whether self-confidence in their abilities or self-efficacy impacted their effectiveness as instructional leaders, thus …

A Qualitative Study Exploring State School Leaders' Work With Teachers In Argentina, Eliana Belén Camargo

Theses - ALL

Principals' influence on teachers' practices is the second factor, after classroom instruction, that most impact student learning and success. In Argentina state schools serve 70% of the students, therefore, state school leaders play a key role in the K-12 education of the country. The present study explored the experiences of six Argentinian state school administrators (principals and assistant principals) about their role in working with teachers. This qualitative study examined the following question: How do Argentinian state school administrators experience their role in working with and leading teachers? A qualitative, phenomenological research approach and two of the most prominent educational …

A Qualitative Study Exploring State School Leaders' Work With Teachers In Argentina, Eliana Belén Camargo

Theses - ALL

Principals’ influence on teachers’ practices is the second factor, after classroom instruction, that most impact student learning and success. In Argentina state schools serve 70% of the students, therefore, state school leaders play a key role in the K-12 education of the country. The present study explored the experiences of six Argentinian state school administrators (principals and assistant principals) about their role in working with teachers. This qualitative study examined the following question: How do Argentinian state school administrators experience their role in working with and leading teachers? A qualitative, phenomenological research approach and two of the most prominent educational …

An Exploration Of Principal Instructional Leadership Increasing Instructional Capacity Through Collaborative Relationships, Michael Henry Myers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

State and federal mandates designed to increase student learning and development through principal instructional leadership are based on research that demonstrates the potential benefits teacher collaboration can have on teacher efficacy, school culture, and student learning; however, many principals are inadequately trained for instructional leadership roles that utilize collaboration. The problem this study investigated is the lack of research about successful instructional leaders using collaboration to increase the instructional capacity of the teachers in high-achieving, suburban high schools. High-quality teaching is important and requires the collective skills and expertise of well-trained teachers. The organizational development theories of McGregor, the adult …

Principals’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Content-Specific Instructional Feedback, Shernore S. Prince

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem for this basic qualitative study was that principals were not consistently providing content-specific feedback to support teachers’ instructional practices. This problem was important because principals, as instructional leaders, are responsible for giving feedback to teachers to support teachers’ instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to investigate principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of content-specific feedback. Danielson’s framework for teaching was the conceptual framework that linked the concepts and variables in this study. The research questions addressed how principals perceived that they provided content-specific feedback to support teachers’ instructional practice, and how teachers perceived principals as providing content-specific …

High School Principals' Perceptions And Instructional Leadership Practices Regarding Algebra I State Scores, Tangia Ann Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

States are double scheduling algebra classes; using calculators and virtual manipulative-like algebra tiles; and applying interventions such as Response to Interventions, needs assessments, and various computer graphing technology such as Demos. However, during the school year 2018-2019, 12.9 percent of a state public school students failed to meet passing score requirements on the state algebra test and were at risk of not graduating. The purpose of this research was to examine school principal perceptions and instructional leadership practices supporting mathematics teachers to help students to improve their proficiency in Algebra I. A basic qualitative research design, grounded in instructional leadership …

K-12 Principals, Instructional Leadership, And Equitable Gifted Program Placements For Students, Rochelle Marie Archelus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School leaders struggle to implement best instructional leadership practices to enhance student diversity in gifted programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how K-12 school principals implement instructional leadership practices regarding equitable placements of students in gifted programs. Three elements of Hallinger and Murphy’s instructional leadership model, (a) developing and promoting expectations, (b) assessing and monitoring student performance, and (c) supervising and evaluating instruction, informed this study. The research questions addressed instructional leadership practices and behaviors of K-12 school principals regarding placements of students in gifted programs. Ten K-12 school principals who worked in a large …

Teacher Development In Promising School Turnaround Efforts, Andrew Swanson

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The study was developed to examine the teacher development efforts utilized by leaders of lowperforming schools that had shown promising gains in student achievement. A researchercreated quantitative survey sent to school leaders in one state was utilized to analyze the perceived use and effectiveness of various teacher development efforts in supporting student achievement gains at their schools. Overall, the results showed school leaders focused heavily on teacher development to support their school turnaround efforts and that teacher development was effective in improving student achievement. Classroom walk-throughs were found to be an integral strategy in school turnaround and the results also …

Discipline-Culture And Instructional Practices: An Integrated Leader's Role, Joe L. Griffin

Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify the extent to which integrated leadership is present in schools, according to secondary teachers. Second, the study sought to measure the discipline-culture of schools. Discipline-culture is defined as the way discipline is administered daily in a school and how it contributes to the instructional practices that teacher’s use. Finally, integrated leadership, coined by Marks and Printy (2003), was examined relative to discipline-culture and instructional practices with this study. Leadership has been studied in multiple countries across various grade levels, but integrated leadership's influence on discipline-culture and instructional practices has not been researched. …

Transcending Compromise: Principal Practices Predicting Teacher Effectiveness And Teacher Morale, David George Grant

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Two leadership styles have dominated the literature- instructional leadership and transformational leadership. No study could be found quantitatively integrating principal practices from these styles in ways that simultaneously predicted teacher effectiveness and teacher morale. Therefore, this study sought to better understand the complex relationships between principal practices, teacher effectiveness and teacher morale. First, this study synthesized meta analyses of principal effects for studies produced between 1978-2008 and presented a unique empirically grounded integration framework summarizing principal effects for student achievement and teacher morale. Second, the study used this framework to explore four research questions. An online survey was utilized to …

Principals’ Perceptions Of Administrative Preparedness For Implementation Of Project-Based Learning, Johane St Aime

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a school district located in the southeastern part of the United States, the local problem was that principals were concerned about their knowledge and training to effectively implement project-based learning (PBL). The purpose of this study was to explore the principals’ perceptions about PBL and the implementation, training, and resources needed to improve the instructional leadership of PBL. Daresh and Playko’s proactive leadership theory served as the conceptual framework that guided this study. The research questions focused on principal perceptions about PBL, about implementing PBL, and about necessary training and resources to improve principal training of PBL. A basic …

Elementary Principal And Assistant Principal Instructional Leadership Practices Influencing Student Literacy, Jennifer England Magnusson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThe problem of a rural school district’s declining reading scores for students in Grades 3 through 8 was a significant concern because effective reading skills are of paramount importance to student success in school and life. Evidence suggests that principal instructional leadership practices influence student achievement; therefore, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the district’s elementary principals’ and assistant principals’ instructional leadership practices that influenced student literacy. Murphy’s model of instructional leadership served as the conceptual framework. The research question for this study addressed how these elementary administrators implemented instructional leadership practices at their schools to …

Principal Transformational Leadership And School Climate In Title 1 Schools, Heidi H. Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students living in poverty who attend Title 1 schools continue to underperform academically compared to their more-advantaged peers. Researchers have shown that leadership and school climate influence academic outcomes for students, and educators and community members need to understand effective leadership and school climate practices used where students have demonstrated academic growth. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of principals’ perspectives on their leadership and school climate practices that may contribute to students’ academic growth in Title 1 elementary schools. The conceptual framework encompassed elements of transformational leadership and constructs of school climate. Interviews …

Elementary School Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices Supporting Academically Marginalized Students, Stacy Lynette Parker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The research problem addressed in this qualitative case study is the need to understand elementary school principals' instructional leadership practices supporting academically marginalized students. Instructional leadership practices to "close the achievement gap" are imperative to document, so that best practices can be highlighted and disseminated among educational institutions that face similar challenges. The conceptual framework of the principal instructional management theory is used to explore instructional leadership through 3 dimensions: managing the instructional program, defining the school mission, and fostering academic achievement. Semistructured interviews and thematic analysis were conducted to collect and analyze data from 11 elementary principals in response …

Perceptions Of K-12 School Principals Regarding Instructional Leadership To Support Music Teachers, Erick Cuthbert Willie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

K-12 school principals, as instructional leaders, are critical to supporting music teachers. The problem addressed in this project study was that principals have been inconsistently applying instructional leadership to support music teachers to remain in the teaching profession. The purpose of this basic qualitative research design study was to understand how principals applied instructional leadership practices to support music teachers in order to retain them. The conceptual framework was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy, which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) the school mission, (b) the instructional program, and (c) the school climate. The research …

Principal Leadership And Student Academic Achievement, Brigitte Karin Manns

Education Dissertations

This case study is an analysis of the relationship between principal leadership and student academic achievement. This research is based upon two dominant leadership theories from the past four decades, namely transformational leadership, which has been studied extensively by Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio among others, and instructional leadership, which has been researched most notably by Philip Hallinger and colleagues. More recently, several researchers have proposed that transformational leadership and instructional leadership may be related to increases in student learning when used simultaneously by a school leader. This case study is an examination of the leadership style of a principal …