Developing Leadership Capability for Rigorous Inquiry: An Intervention Study

Rigorous inquiry is one way leaders can support teachers in improving their teaching practice for school improvement. When an inquiry is rigorous, it increases teachers’ opportunities to learn about effective teaching practices. This qualitative study examined the impact of an intervention on two senior leaders’ approaches to leading school-wide professional inquiry (PI). The research questions were framed using problem-based methodology to identify the actions characterising and explaining senior leaders’ approaches to leading PI with middle leaders and the consequences of these actions before and after introducing an intervention. Problem-based methodology theorises how research can contribute to changes in practice and underpins this study. Two cases detailing senior leaders’ approaches to leading PI were developed from school documents, meeting observations and in-depth interviews with senior and middle leaders at two secondary schools. A theory of action was developed from the data sets for each leader, and then an intervention was applied. The final phase evaluated the intervention’s impact on the senior leaders’ approaches and middle leaders’ capabilities for rigorous inquiry. In both schools, the senior leaders prioritised leading the procedural aspects of PI until an intervention was applied refocussing their approaches to begin developing the middle leaders’ interpersonal capabilities to rigorously inquire. This thesis asserts that leadership development is mediated through the enduring, typically atheoretical, and experiential nature of leaders’ personal theories of action. Theory engagement using learning tools to surface and scrutinise beliefs can enable leaders to develop interpersonal skills necessary to promote rigorous inquiry that sustains change for improvement.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Makin, Miranda Jane

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Sinnema, Claire
• Le Fevre, Deidre

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/68593

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/68593