Teachers' Perceptions of Leadership Approaches of In-School Administrators

The purpose of this study was to collect, analyse, and represent teachers’ stories of experience regarding varied leadership approaches of in-school administrators. In this study, I focused on teachers' perceptions of the role of the in-school administrators as viewed through teachers' experiences of the leadership approaches of in-school administrators and the impact of these perceptions on the teachers’ professional practice. Data collection occurred in two stages: first, an anonymous online survey was completed by 63 participants; and second, one-on-one confidential interviews were conducted with seven participants. All research participants were practicing teachers from southern Saskatchewan schools, and all volunteered to participate. I explored participants’ stories of their experience with in-school administrators using a narrative inquiry methodology, which positioned me and my participants as peers and co-constructors of understanding. Guided by inquiry methodology, I viewed and analyzed the data (participants’ survey responses and personal interview narratives) through an adaptation of McCormack’s Lenses (Dibley, 2011; McCormack, 2004) specifically designed for this study; the three modified lenses focused on the understandings that participants and I co-constructed in the course of interviews (What We Construct), the language participants used to describe their perceptions of various approaches to in-school leadership (How They Describe), and the content of the personal narratives that participants shared as they described their experiences with, and perceptions of, in-school leadership approaches (What They Describe). In general, through the research, I found that teachers percieved the leadership approaches of in-school administrators as a powerful influence on the school climate and on their own professional practice, and that teachers have specific hopes an expectations for the role of in-school administrators. I conclude this research text by providing a number of recommendations for in-school administrators regarding their leadership approaches, based on participating teachers’ perceptions and experiences. Keywords: teachers; administrators; leadership; narrative inquiry

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Education (MEd)

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Administration

Grantor dc:publisher

Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

Year dc:date.issued

2017

Author dc:creator

• Danyluk, Carmen Joy

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Nolan, Kathleen

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Steeves, Larry
• Bockarie, Abu

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.82465/4457

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uregina.scholaris.ca:10294/8461