The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to explore the different ways that elementary assistant principals experienced mentoring from their elementary principals as a way to provide the requisite leadership development that would lead them to become a principal. This research study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data source. Ancillary data sources such as demographic surveys, reviewing district leadership secondary source documents, and researcher journal notes aided in the data triangulation and analysis. This study was guided by one main research question: What are the different ways elementary assistant principals experience mentoring from their elementary principals?
The research question posed allowed participants to illuminate their lived experiences about how elementary assistant principals experienced mentorship directly from their elementary principals. The prominent themes that emerged from the data were: a) assistant principal leadership development, b) principal leadership development, and c) mentorship perceptions. The findings established from this study were interpreted and presented in the context of this study’s theoretical-conceptual framework and extant literature. Research implications for educational leadership and practice were also addressed and discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to explore the different ways that elementary assistant principals experienced mentoring from their elementary principals as a way to provide the requisite leadership development that would lead them to become a principal. This research study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data source. Ancillary data sources such as demographic surveys, reviewing district leadership secondary source documents, and researcher journal notes aided in the data triangulation and analysis. This study was guided by one main research question: What are the different ways elementary assistant principals experience mentoring from their elementary principals?</p> <p>The research question posed allowed participants to illuminate their lived experiences about how elementary assistant principals experienced mentorship directly from their elementary principals. The prominent themes that emerged from the data were: a) assistant principal leadership development, b) principal leadership development, and c) mentorship perceptions. The findings established from this study were interpreted and presented in the context of this study’s theoretical-conceptual framework and extant literature. Research implications for educational leadership and practice were also addressed and discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Shakir, Adib"],"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. Nicholas Clegorne","Dr. Sheryl Croft"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2021,"date_issued":"2021-02-17T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2021-02-17T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:42Z","subjects":["phenomenography","mentorship perceptions","elementary assistant principal development","principal leadership development","school leader development","Educational Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/28","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Nicholas Clegorne","Dr. Sheryl Croft"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Shakir, Adib"]}]},{"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":["phenomenography","mentorship perceptions","elementary assistant principal development","principal leadership development","school leader development","Educational Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/28"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to explore the different ways that elementary assistant principals experienced mentoring from their elementary principals as a way to provide the requisite leadership development that would lead them to become a principal. This research study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data source. Ancillary data sources such as demographic surveys, reviewing district leadership secondary source documents, and researcher journal notes aided in the data triangulation and analysis. This study was guided by one main research question: What are the different ways elementary assistant principals experience mentoring from their elementary principals?
The research question posed allowed participants to illuminate their lived experiences about how elementary assistant principals experienced mentorship directly from their elementary principals. The prominent themes that emerged from the data were: a) assistant principal leadership development, b) principal leadership development, and c) mentorship perceptions. The findings established from this study were interpreted and presented in the context of this study’s theoretical-conceptual framework and extant literature. Research implications for educational leadership and practice were also addressed and discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["An Exploration of the Mentoring Experiences of Elementary Assistant Principals Provided by Elementary Principals Within One Large Urban School District."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Nicholas Clegorne","Dr. Sheryl Croft"],"dc:creator":["Shakir, Adib"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this qualitative phenomenographical study was to explore the different ways that elementary assistant principals experienced mentoring from their elementary principals as a way to provide the requisite leadership development that would lead them to become a principal. This research study was conducted using in-depth semi-structured interviews as the primary data source. Ancillary data sources such as demographic surveys, reviewing district leadership secondary source documents, and researcher journal notes aided in the data triangulation and analysis. This study was guided by one main research question: What are the different ways elementary assistant principals experience mentoring from their elementary principals?
The research question posed allowed participants to illuminate their lived experiences about how elementary assistant principals experienced mentorship directly from their elementary principals. The prominent themes that emerged from the data were: a) assistant principal leadership development, b) principal leadership development, and c) mentorship perceptions. The findings established from this study were interpreted and presented in the context of this study’s theoretical-conceptual framework and extant literature. Research implications for educational leadership and practice were also addressed and discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/educleaddoc_etd/28"],"dc:subject":["phenomenography","mentorship perceptions","elementary assistant principal development","principal leadership development","school leader development","Educational Leadership","Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration","Other Educational Administration and Supervision"],"dc:title":["An Exploration of the Mentoring Experiences of Elementary Assistant Principals Provided by Elementary Principals Within One Large Urban School District."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Leadership"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Learning Dissertations"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:42Z"}