Academic literature on the topic 'Educational leadership|Educational administration|Educational psychology'

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the concepts and theories of educational administration, 2) to study the model of educational management, and 3) to analyze the theoretical tendency and the educational management model in practice. The primary data were collected from the Tipitaka in Thai version of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University and Commentaries. The secondary data were collected from Buddhist documents, educational administration, and interviews with 10key informants. The collected data were analyzed by content analysis. The research results indicated that: 1) the concepts and theories concerning academic affairs, teaching and learning management and evaluation by information technology, personnel management are an important part to drive the organization into effectiveness by setting job channel and description, and personnel development in virtue and knowledge. The budget is a factor to make the organization achieve its goal. The institutional environment is to support the management and work performance effectively. Furthermore, the participation in educational administration is a key factor to push the operation according to policy and plan. 2) The educational management model based on the Ministry of Education consisted of 4 aspects; Academic management, Budget management, Personnel, and General administration with stability and relevant to the 20-Year National Strategy and Thailand 4.0, by development and empowerment of potential, opportunity, equality of people, and enhancing people's quality of life with eco-friendly system, and educational system and management development. 3) The analysis of theoretical trends and educational management models into practice in 4 aspects; academic affairs, budget, personnel, and general management in practice is to strengthen the stability and reconciliation relevant to modern administration system with innovation and social network by using the educational administration in the digital age integrated with Buddhist principles to become a professional administrator in the present situation.

Men in university administration repeatedly outnumber women in leadership positions. The problem under investigation is that this gender gap exists due to barriers to advancement and discrimination in both the hiring process and in the workplace. With less representation of women in higher education leadership, there is a higher risk of bias for women in this field. This study used an ex-post facto methodology and gathered public data from the University of California (UC) Annual Payroll Compensation database. Three separate studies were run to determine the level of gender differences in the representation of educational leaders, compensation, and career progression. Significant differences in gender equity existed, with more men represented at several levels of educational leadership. Significant differences were also found in compensation levels, where men earned more money than women in the same position. Lastly, a small effect, although not significant, was observed when comparing early career gender representation to non-early career gender representation. There are more women recent graduates than men in leadership positions. Together these results suggest that while there are gender gaps in representation and compensation, there may be slow progress towards better representation in early career leadership positions in the UC system. The implication of this research supports further research into factors which impact the compensation of women leaders in academia. Higher education hiring professionals and candidates for leadership positions could benefit from further development of theories around gender equity and representation. KEYWORDS: Gender Representation; Gender Equity; Higher Educational Leadership; Women; Higher Education; Psychology; Wage Gap; Higher Education Administration

The formal educational requirements for principals in Canada vary significantly between educational jurisdictions. Principals are typically unprepared to lead inclusive schools upon graduation from educational leadership programs, despite the importance of formal education and experience in inclusive education in order to lead inclusive schools. Being unprepared includes lacking knowledge about students with exceptionalities and how they can and should be accommodated. Whether administrators value and support inclusion is imperative to schools being inclusive. Support of inclusion can include the use of teachers’ varied and extensive skill set through distributed leadership. The utilization of a leadership style focused on distributed leadership can be addressed through educational leadership programs, but also through professional development programs such as locally developed programs on mentorship. Educational leadership programs need to change in order to develop leaders for inclusive schools. Until such change occurs, principals are in significant need of professional development on inclusive education and how to lead inclusive schools.

The 1983 publication of A Nation at Risk gave birth to an effort to reform K-12 schools and increase student achievement all over the United States. More than 30 years later, the school reform efforts have grown into immense industries with marginal effect. Major legislation and programs have been launched throughout 3 decades, with No Child Left Behind legislation and Common Core States Standards Initiative being the latest and biggest endeavors, still with minimal outcomes. These efforts follow and run along with many years of structural changes such as Voucher, Small, Pilot, and Charter Schools. The problem of effectively transforming K-12 schools into places of high student achievement remains intractable.

The principal’s role by its unique position in the educational delivery structure and its very nature is key, and may be the single most determining factor in the failure or success of a school. There are very few studies that focus on principal leadership and its effect on student achievement outcomes. All studies and most literature on principal leadership and effectiveness put most attention on traits and observable behaviors. However, it is important to look at the inner world of principals, for this influences, if not determines, the traits and behaviors they exhibit in their leadership. There are no known studies that have focused in on the inner states and experiences of effective school principals.

This phenomenological study represents a seminal effort to study the inner experiences of principals. The participant selection was done through criterion type purposive sampling to link this study to leadership effectiveness. Only principals who were able to transform their schools from failing into successful according to the objective California State Standards of Adequate Yearly Progress were included. This sampling method also enabled the study to look deeply into the inner phenomenological experience of these transformative principals.

The study findings yielded data compelling enough to propose a conclusion of effective school transformation and proposed a model to illustrate how the inner experiences of principals fit into effective school transformation. The study also presented its implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research.

This quantitative research study was developed to support school principals leading in urban school settings with high rates of poverty, crime, and violence with a need for a set of skills to create a positive school culture with kindness, empathy, and compassion. To prepare administrators for the stressors of working in an urban school setting, a school leader must be able to maintain effectiveness under stressful, or even hostile, conditions. Thus, school principals must improve their Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competency skills to be effective in creating a positive school culture with kindness, empathy, and compassion.

This research study utilized a quantitative, correlational-design approach to examine the positive correlation between staff perceptions of a secondary school principal’s leadership effectiveness with customer service and interpersonal skills with students’ sense of belonging in the same urban school. To answer the research question based on dichotomous student data (agree versus not agree), chi-square tests were performed. To measure the level of positive correlation between the staff perceptions of leadership and student, Cramer’s V tests were used.

Results from this study indicated that students reported higher overall sense of belonging for schools having principals with high scores for communicating effectively (64.4%), having principals with high scores (62.6%) for treating people with respect, and having principals with high scores (62.6%) for working collaboratively with others. For all 18 chi-square tests, a positive relationship was found between the student’s sense of belonging and ratings of the principal’s leadership abilities based on staff perceptions. Findings from this quantitative research can be used to enhance educator preparation programs in universities and be a beginning for more future research for school districts to improve key performance indicators such as chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, test scores, and graduation rates.

Policy makers continue to seek answers in addressing problem behaviors in schools. Zero tolerance in schools has been used widely across the nation yet educators have encountered many challenges with students who have been suspended for short or long periods. Research studies have found that the strategies used to address problem behaviors are not sufficient and many perspectives have been given on the topic. There has however, been a lack of understanding how students perceive the factors affecting their behaviors. The problem is that, in not understanding students’ perspectives on the issue, politicians will continue to make decisions without acknowledging the need to explore students’ views. A grounded theory case study will be conducted to explore how students perceive the school environment and protective and risk factors to affect their behaviors. The participants will be 6th to 8th grade students and teachers coming from a Northeastern district middle school in New York and teachers from other schools. The students will be observed and interviewed while teachers will be surveyed.

Creativity is generating more interest as we move into the 21 ^st century. Businesses are pressuring schools to graduate individuals who are critical thinkers and who can become future innovators. Principal creativity as a component of school success is virtually ignored. Numerous creativity studies examine the traits of personality, intelligence, motivation, or environment as predictors of creative job performance. Less attention is devoted to understanding the interactive role these components have on an individual’s creativity. The research examining principal creativity is even more restrictive in scope to nonexistent. Using Csikszentmihalyi’s (1996) three-pronged systems theory of creativity, this basic interpretive qualitative study employs open-ended interview questions and two Runco Creativity Assessment Battery (rCAB@, 2011) assessments to explore how principals perceive the influence of systems on their ability to be creative. Framed within a constructionist viewpoint, narrative analysis investigates the gap that current literature has not addressed by attempting to answer the overarching question: How does the principal perceive the impact of systems on his or her ability to be creative?

Through the data analysis several major themes emerged. As children, the principals were exposed to varied experiences and diverse ways of thinking. Engaging in activities that encouraged curiosity and perseverance appears to have laid the foundation for a lifestyle that continues into adulthood. As adults, they are able to identify and evaluate the worth of creative ideas. The principals not only excelled in their degreed fields of study, but also showed interest in exploring diverse subjects. They are ambitious, confident, competent, and eager to develop their own potential and that of their followers. The principals believe good communication builds honest and collegial relationships. They show a sensitivity and obligation to create the supportive environment needed to make their schools centers of creative thought and action.

The interactive nature of systems theory becomes clear after analyzing the data. Their individual traits impact the relationships they have with the field, which impacts the domain of educational leadership. Using systems theory, this research adds to the literature and our understanding of principal creativity.

Keywords: creativity, educational leadership, principal creativity, systems theory.

Over the past fifty years, cheating among high school students increased substantially and affected the morale of students (Simha, Armstrong, & Albert, 2012). According to a nationally representative survey of 36,000 U.S. adolescents, some 60% of high school students confessed to cheating on a test during the previous school year, and that the behavior among these students had spiked over the past 50 years (Murdock, Beauchamp, & Hinton, 2008). Armenian high school students agree that cheating is morally wrong; however, their actions do not reflect this belief (Bowers, 1964; McCabe & Trevino, 1996; Semerci, 2006). The study aims to address gaps in the literature by using Kohlberg’s (1958) theory of moral development (as cited in Hannah, Lester, & Lester, 2005) to examine how academic dishonesty, such as cheating, is associated with the moral development level of Armenian private high school students in Southern California, and the extent to which, if at all, this relationship is moderated by the degree of students’ performance orientation. No prior research is known to have been done with this specific cultural group in a high school setting.

The increase in teacher attrition rates within the state of California since 2000 is of concern to the California Department of Education and districts throughout the state because of a myriad of issues created by the loss of qualified teachers. The cost of replacing qualified teachers and recruiting and training new teachers to replace those who have left is a costly challenge. In California, 13% of new high school teachers leave the profession within the first two years of teaching and 22% leave within the first four years, even after successful completion of a teacher support program funded by the state (Reed, Reuben, & Barbour, 2006). Teacher attrition is a growing concern to both the state and the nation.

In this quantitative correlational study, one public high school within San Diego Unified School District served as a sample reviewed for data relating to teacher job satisfaction and elements of educational leadership that work to promote teacher retention. Data were analyzed to formulate a conclusion regarding job satisfaction and the set of predictor variables including the general quality of administrative leadership within a teacher’s educational environment, problem-solving conducted by the leadership in place, professional respect demonstrated for the educator by school leadership, professional development opportunities for teachers, and projected length of employment of the teacher.

A Bonferroni adjustment was performed on the original alpha level (α = .05) to reduce the likelihood of a type I error (false positive interpretation). Due to the application of the Bonferroni correction, the research study presented the finding that job satisfaction was not related teacher job satisfaction. Recommendations include the integration of relevant, focused professional development opportunities for teachers, with the ultimate goal in mind to retain dedicated, quality educators who seek to improve the lives of their students daily.

Recent literature highlights the importance of principals on school improvement efforts and suggests that the tasks and responsibilities of educational leaders are becoming increasingly complex. While a growing body of research exists examining the impact of identity, beliefs, and prior experiences of students and teachers on teaching and learning, much less is known about how the lived experiences and identities of school leaders might influence the ways in which they lead schools. This collective case study examines the relationship between social identity and leadership for three principals – one public, one charter, and one independent – all located on the East Coast of the United States. It explores how school leaders draw upon aspects of their identity to make meaning of their experiences and how such interpretations influenced their leadership development and current thinking and practice.

Key findings focus around three major themes. First, participants tended to identify at least one important social identity which impacted their decision to become leaders and thus their development as principals. Secondly, social identities of value shape the ethic by which they choose to lead, and lastly, considerations of congruence between the ecology of the school and the principal’s valued social identities influences his or her perception of leadership challenges. These findings suggest that not only are issues of social identity important contributors to a sense of belonging, credibility, and authority within the context of schools, they can lead to an increased willingness by the principal to take risks, to be vulnerable with others, and can contribute to an increased need to “compensate” for aspects of who they are which they perceive as stigmatized in regards to their ability to lead. Questions emerge, however, regarding methodological challenges in studying such personal issues related to social identity and the limitations of a leader’s own awareness of the ways in which they influence their work in schools and communities. Implications of this research suggest the need for a more nuanced approach to how school leadership is understood and researched and thus how principals might be better prepared and supported.

Researchers on bullying have given little attention to workplace bullying. This study examined the frequency among teacher-to-teacher bullying in the public school environment. From a sample of 318 teachers in 18 elementary, five high school, and three unit districts, rates of bullying were identified by three negative act sub-factors—work-related, person-related, and physically intimidating related bullying. Teacher demographics were utilized to determine if certain subsets of the population were more susceptible to bullying than others.

This study collected and analyzed data using a mixed-methods approach. Six questions were developed to address the purpose of the study and to provide the context within which data were gathered to answer the questions. The Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised was utilized for the purpose of measuring exposure to bullying in the workplace. Six demographic questions preceded the 22 questions of the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. One self-identifying question asked at the conclusion of the survey whether the participant identified as a bully, onlooker, or victim. The qualitative portion of the study examined laws as well as school district documents to determine how teachers were informed of anti-workplace bullying policies.

Statistical significance was found between teachers who had less than 10 years of teaching experience and teachers with 10-30 years of teaching experience for the work-related and person-related bullying. Teachers with graduate degrees reported higher frequency of encountering negative acts compared to teachers with bachelor degrees. The difference was found to be statistically significant in all three sub-factors. There were no significant statistical differences found with gender, age, grade level taught, or teaching experience for the physically intimidating sub-factor. One percent of the teachers (n = 3) perceived themselves as bullies; 72.6 percent of the teachers (n = 231) self-identified as onlookers; and 18.9 percent (n = 60), self-identified as a victim of bullying by another teacher. There are currently no federal or state laws; or Illinois School Codes that address workplace bullying. One school district of the 26 had anti-bullying workplace policy language. In this study, the highest frequency of encountering negative acts related to having your opinion ignored, or being ignored or excluded.

Educational Administration
Ed.D.
Over one million people suffer a traumatic brain injury every year, many of whom are students between the ages of 5 and 18. Using a qualitative case study approach, I wanted to discover the specific factors that both impede and help the school re-entry process for students in grades kindergarten through twelve so that these students can return to school on a full-time basis. The theoretical base behind this problem included motivation theories, memory theories, and emotion theories including self-determination theory, self-efficacy theory, Kübler-Ross Grief Cycle, and Lezak's stage model. Educators, including teachers, school counselors, and administrators, need to provide educational support to children with brain injuries and their families as a result of the Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-476. However, if these individuals do not have a good understanding of what these students need to achieve optimal educational success, then the students will probably not be able to achieve their educational goals. Therefore, I searched for factors that affect the re-entry process. I used a qualitative case study approach in my methodology to complete this study. The sample used in this study included those students associated with the BrainSTEPS team local to my residence who were willing to participate, along with their parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators. Historical data were collected through medical and academic records. The bulk of the data came from interviews and observations I made; I then used the constant comparative method to analyze these data. I had several methods of verification in place to ensure the validity of this study and I did my best to hold the study to the highest ethical standards possible. The factors that were found to enhance the re-entry of students with brain injuries include: education and awareness prior to the injury occurring, the scheduling of frequent breaks during the school day, a gradual transition, providing each student with a brain injury with a non-injured study buddy in the classroom, teaching the student to become a self-advocate, constant communication between all of the key players that begins as early as possible, and support provided by the administration and therapists for the classroom teachers in the form of periodic check-ups.
Temple University--Theses

Mindfulness offers a wide range of benefits for teachers and students, however, less is known about the role of mindfulness in the work of principals. Current tools that assess instructional leadership, which is a major part of the principalship, omit issues of mindfulness. Further, measures of mindfulness connect little to instructional leadership to make meaningful assessment of the mindful instructional leadership of administrators. The study discusses development of the Principal Resilience for Educator and Student Success (PRESS), a 20-item self-assessment of principal instructional practices and beliefs concerned with cognitive processes shown to support mindfulness: preoccupation with failure, commitment to resilience, deference to expertise, resistance to simplify, and sensitivity to operations. Data were gathered and analyzed from a representative statewide sample of principals in Washington State. Findings reveal differing degrees of variability on specific mindful instructional leadership practices. Scores generated by PRESS are compared to respondent scores on the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R); results indicate positive correlation between the PRESS Mindful Instructional Leadership (MIL) single factor score and the CAMS-R mindfulness single factor score. Use of the tool as part of principal professional growth, as well as further research to examine the relationship between mindfulness in instructional leadership and school improvement, are recommended.

The article substantiates the relevance of studying school engagement for research and practical perspectives. The authors analyze foreign psychologists’ experience of using various methods for diagnostics of school engagement, considering their advantages and disadvantages. The study presents the results of adapting “Multidimensional School Engagement Scale” (Wang et al., 2019) on the sample of Russian school students. The questionnaire is used for diagnostics of two global factors — school engagement and disengagement, each assessed by four components: behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social. The experience of using the questionnaire adapted in Russian language demonstrated that it can be used to evaluate and comparatively analyze the general level of engagement/disengagement of different grade schoolchildren, to assess the quality of educational environment, to analyze individual manifestations of school engagement/disengagement, and identify the corresponding risk groups. The questionnaire adaptation results confirmed the relevancy of considering school engagement as a multidimensional construct, supposing assessment of its behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects. A comparative analysis of the schoolchildren’ engagement/disengagement by various components makes it possible to obtain valuable data on the peculiarities of children’s reflection of their involvement in the school life. Whereas disengagement (if found) serves as a marker of a student’s maladaptation requiring attention from the school administration. The study confirms the importance of investigating school engagement for the purposes of planning activities related to increasing academic motivation, as well as for understanding the principles and quality of educational activities organization, students’ reflection of their school activities, depending on contextual factors. The authors consider the options for using the questionnaire in the practice of a school psychologist and in the field of educational psychology research.

“The factors parents care about most when selecting a school – their child’s educational achievement and wellbeing – are negligibly predicted by Ofsted ratings”, says Sophie von Stumm, lead researcher of a new study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.