Browsing by Subject "Instructional Leadership"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    An analysis of the relationship between K-5 elementary school teachers' perceptions of principal instructional leadership and their science teaching efficacy.
    (2009-04) Clark, Ian
    The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between K-5 elementary school teachers' perceptions of principal instructional leadership and their science teaching efficacy. The influence of background variables on both leadership and efficacy is also analyzed. A sequential mixed methods approach was used in this study. The survey sample was comprised of teachers in the elementary divisions of schools from the nine international school regional associations. Teacher participation was obtained through an email containing an online survey link. Following the analysis of survey responses (N=356), in-depth interviews (N=17) were conducted. Reliability for the instructional leadership scale was found to be .94 (coefficient alpha) and .69 for the personal science teaching efficacy (PSTE) scale. The results show a significant correlation between elementary school teachers' perceptions of principal instructional leadership and their PSTE levels, with the most significant correlation that between the study of a science-related major or minor at college and higher PSTE scores. Strong correlations were also found between PSTE levels and having principals who discussed goals at faculty meetings, participated in science curricular review, supported recognition of student progress, encouraged new skills and concepts, discussed student progress with faculty, and used assessments to see science progress towards easily understood goals. PSTE levels were also higher in schools where principals had grade or school level science coordinators in place and where they supported the use of science kits.
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    Building Capacity for Instructional Leadership Focused on Learning: The Role of the District
    (2021-06) LaDue, Amy
    The role of principal as instructional leader is one that is not only vital to student outcomes but requires support from district level leaders to develop. This study investigated how practicing administrators understand the meaning of being an instructional leader focused on learning and how district leaders can support principals to develop their capacity. The purpose of the study was to examine principals’ learning needs and to gain a broad understanding of the structures, supports, and resources districts and district level leaders should provide to effectively support principal growth and development. To understand this, this study used an embedded comparative case study approach designed to investigate beliefs, viewpoints, practices, and experiences of principals and district level leaders who are responsible for principal development, supervision, and evaluation. Interviews with multiple administrators in four medium-sized suburban districts provided the data to conduct within-role, across-role, and between-district analysis. Findings from the study revealed a limited common definition for instructional leadership focused on learning, with consistency only centering on one element: understands the instructional practices being implemented in classrooms. Respondents identified providing a system-wide structure for principal and leadership learning as a key district support. Finally, there was broad agreement among participants regarding how principal supervisors support principal growth and development. Both principals and their supervisors identified mentoring and partnership practices along with creating a culture of adult learning, as most effective. Some system processes and coaching approaches were also identified as beneficial. These findings equip principal supervisors with a starting point for providing effective support to principals to guide and enhance growth and development. However, these findings also suggest districts may have additional work to do to establish a common understanding of leadership for learning.
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    The dynamic components of citizenship education and student engagement: lessons for leaders and educators
    (2010-05) Anderson, Timothy J.
    The study utilized a traditional qualitative case study approach to investigate two curricula offered at a single middle school in a suburb of a major metropolitan area. Three groups of participants, totally 50 individuals, were interviewed. Participant groups included middle school administrators, middle school teachers, and middle school students. Interviews were analyzed by using idiosyncratic analysis within each participant group and nomothetic analysis across all participant groups. Interview analysis was augmented with document analysis. Pre-interview questionnaires were used to provide a prelude to this qualitative study.Information from a review of four focused literature sets provided the foundation for the conceptual framework for this study. Through an exploration and review of literature, several key concepts were found to contribute to student engagement. The themes that consistently appeared in literature that were germane to this study were divided into three main categories: academic engagement, civic engagement, social engagement. Data were analyzed by examining characteristics that impact student engagement identified by administrators, teachers and students. Major findings of the study revolved around the characteristics most often perceived by participants as causing student academic, civic, and social engagement. Without a doubt, the components of citizenship education that produce full student engagement are numerous. In sum, full student engagement is the result of a variety of external and internal components whose nature can be characterized in terms of "doing", "being", or both. A newly introduced Model for Capturing Descriptions of Engagement (Figure 3, p. 237) summarizes these various components, and suggests the difficult reality that exists when interpreting qualitative data in a highly quantitative paradigm.
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    Leadership for learning: the principal and instruction.
    (2010-03) Warner, Karoline Ann Reich
    Schools are faced with many challenges, with the most emphasis on increasing student performance. This challenge can only be grappled with in educational institutions with the help of the principal, who must take on the role of instructional leader. The ability for principals to balance the management and instructional leadership practices is critical for the success of education now and in the future. The challenge is that instructional leadership cannot be easily defined and therefore enacted in schools. Instructional leadership practices vary from school to school and principal to principal. Due to this fact, there is much to be learned from the specific thoughts and processes of individual principals as they take on this challenge. This research will look at the role of the elementary principal as an instructional leader. Through the process of interviewing twenty elementary principals in their first five years of being a principal, this research will illustrate the perspective of instructional leadership from the practitioners' point of view. Included in this investigation is how principals view instructional leadership in their settings as well as the behaviors they associate with it. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes. A grounded theory approach was utilized in the analysis to bring forth the prominent themes. Upon the themes, further analysis will be drawn and implications will be shared. There were four major findings from the study, which help to inform the field of education on instructional leadership. First, defining instructional leadership is a complex process and there is some evidence that suggests a perception of little formal training to help principals with this definition. Second, according to the principals interviewed, it takes more than the principal to lead instruction within the school. The principal alone cannot undertake instructional leadership; it must be a collective effort. Third, accountability helps to inform practice and lead conversations to focus on individual learning. The pressure felt by principals affects how they use data to guide decisions and change efforts. Fourth, the principalship is highly reliant on relationships. In order to inform and change practice, which addresses instruction, principals must foster relationships with colleagues and staff.
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    Principals and Their Supervisors: Relationships that Support Development
    (2022-05) Olson-Skog, Peter
    Principals can have a positive impact on student achievement by employing specific actions targeted at improving teaching and learning. District offices can have a positive impact by helping principals develop and grow as leaders, but how and under what conditions? While growth and development are entwined with relationships, little is understood about the relationship between principals and their supervisors, the focus of this study. Through interviews in four suburban school districts, a grounded theory emerged that described the relationship needed for superintendents (and others who lead principals) to play a meaningful role in principals’ growth as leaders. A trusting relationship was a pre-requisite to facilitating principal growth through a balancing of “push” and “support”. However, this trusting relationship (from the principals’ perspective) was more elusive and required more intentionality than many supervisors understood. The grounded theory that emerged from this study details the specific actions and characteristics that undergird both core concepts of a “trusting relationship” and achieving a balance of “pushing and support”. Four actions and four characteristics were identified as critical in establishing a trusting relationship. Five actions and two characteristics were identified as effective in achieving a balance of push and support. Examples of identified actions include “investing time” and “co-creation”. Examples of identified characteristics include “vulnerability” and “caring”. The ground theory illustrates how the different actions and characteristics interconnect, as well as compares the differences in emphasis between principals and their supervisors.