ABSTRACT
PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
by
Debra Murdock
Kennesaw State University, 2018
Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct position that includes a strong emphasis on instructional leadership. Structured and systemic professional learning is necessary in order to build the capacity and self-efficacy of these new leaders. This qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of new assistant principals participating in a leadership professional learning academy in one suburban school district. This phenomenological case study examined the experiences of the new assistant principals and their thoughts and perceptions on the leadership academy in building their leadership capacity and self-efficacy. The assistant principals were provided opportunities to experience multiple structured professional learning opportunities including workshop-style learning experiences conducted by district leaders, individualized and personalized coaching sessions, scenario-based modules, goal-setting, and participation in a cohort of district peers. This study will examine the lived experiences of assistant principals in the program.
","abstract_html":"<p>ABSTRACT</p> <p>PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS</p> <p> by</p> <p>Debra Murdock</p> <p>Kennesaw State University, 2018</p> <p>Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct position that includes a strong emphasis on instructional leadership. Structured and systemic professional learning is necessary in order to build the capacity and self-efficacy of these new leaders. This qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of new assistant principals participating in a leadership professional learning academy in one suburban school district. This phenomenological case study examined the experiences of the new assistant principals and their thoughts and perceptions on the leadership academy in building their leadership capacity and self-efficacy. The assistant principals were provided opportunities to experience multiple structured professional learning opportunities including workshop-style learning experiences conducted by district leaders, individualized and personalized coaching sessions, scenario-based modules, goal-setting, and participation in a cohort of district peers. This study will examine the lived experiences of assistant principals in the program.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Murdock, Debra"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educational Leadership","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Susan Banke","Dr. Anete Vasquez"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2018,"date_issued":"2018-12-11T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2018-12-11T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:26Z","subjects":["Assistant Principal; Case Study; Coaching; Leadership Academy; Mentoring; Phenomenology; Professional Learning","Qualitative Study; Self-Efficacy","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/15","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Susan Banke","Dr. Anete Vasquez"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Murdock, Debra"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Leadership"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Assistant Principal; Case Study; Coaching; Leadership Academy; Mentoring; Phenomenology; Professional Learning","Qualitative Study; Self-Efficacy","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/15"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["ABSTRACT
PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
by
Debra Murdock
Kennesaw State University, 2018
Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct position that includes a strong emphasis on instructional leadership. Structured and systemic professional learning is necessary in order to build the capacity and self-efficacy of these new leaders. This qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of new assistant principals participating in a leadership professional learning academy in one suburban school district. This phenomenological case study examined the experiences of the new assistant principals and their thoughts and perceptions on the leadership academy in building their leadership capacity and self-efficacy. The assistant principals were provided opportunities to experience multiple structured professional learning opportunities including workshop-style learning experiences conducted by district leaders, individualized and personalized coaching sessions, scenario-based modules, goal-setting, and participation in a cohort of district peers. This study will examine the lived experiences of assistant principals in the program.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Promoting Growth and Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of First-Year Assistant Principals"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Susan Banke","Dr. Anete Vasquez"],"dc:creator":["Murdock, Debra"],"dc:description.abstract":["ABSTRACT
PROMOTING GROWTH AND SELF-EFFICACY: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF FIRST-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS
by
Debra Murdock
Kennesaw State University, 2018
Newly appointed assistant principals face a myriad of challenges. Often, the roles and responsibilities of assistant principals are ambiguous, primarily consisting of managerial and organizational type tasks. The lack of a systemic focus for assistant principals coupled with the assigned menial type jobs can leave new assistant principals with professional learning gaps. In the current model of high-stakes accountability for schools and school districts, educational leaders must redefine the role of assistant principals into a more distinct position that includes a strong emphasis on instructional leadership. Structured and systemic professional learning is necessary in order to build the capacity and self-efficacy of these new leaders. This qualitative research study examined the lived experiences of new assistant principals participating in a leadership professional learning academy in one suburban school district. This phenomenological case study examined the experiences of the new assistant principals and their thoughts and perceptions on the leadership academy in building their leadership capacity and self-efficacy. The assistant principals were provided opportunities to experience multiple structured professional learning opportunities including workshop-style learning experiences conducted by district leaders, individualized and personalized coaching sessions, scenario-based modules, goal-setting, and participation in a cohort of district peers. This study will examine the lived experiences of assistant principals in the program.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/15"],"dc:subject":["Assistant Principal; Case Study; Coaching; Leadership Academy; Mentoring; Phenomenology; Professional Learning","Qualitative Study; Self-Efficacy","Education","Educational Administration and Supervision","Educational Leadership"],"dc:title":["Promoting Growth and Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experiences of First-Year Assistant Principals"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:26Z"}