Defense Date

3-3-2017

Graduation Date

Spring 1-1-2017

Availability

One-year Embargo

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

EdD

Department

Professional Doctorate in Educational Leadership (ProDEL)

School

School of Education

Committee Chair

Connie Moss

Committee Member

Carole Parke

Committee Member

Glenn Smartschan

Keywords

Change, Culture, Education, Leadership, Principal, Student-Focused

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the utility of a Culture of Leadership Framework for both evaluating and contributing to the formation of a dynamic school culture that infuses leadership up, down, and throughout the membership of the school learning community with students as a central figure. The Culture of Leadership Framework emerged from an extensive review of the literature and includes four distinct dimensions (indicators) that become critical to analyzing the data: Leadership Orientation, Leveraging Leadership, Leadership for Learning, and Leadership Growth. The researcher used a general interpretive process of close reading to develop themes from extant feedback and survey data from a ten-year period and an online narrative response from participants at the end of the ten-year period. Using a constant comparative analysis of the themes through the lens of the Culture of Leadership and established look-for success criteria from the four dimensions, the researcher organized the findings from the data across the ten-year timeline. The data showed positive participant language and action changes over time with regard to the leadership principles aligned with the Culture of Leadership Framework. The participants also acknowledged and celebrated student involvement, engagement, and actions related to their exposure to their leadership learning and opportunity. Having established the utility of the Culture of Leadership Framework, the researcher concludes with a practical discussion and an application workshop for a building principal to use to intentionally and purposefully implement a Culture of Leadership Theory of Action.

Format

PDF

Language

English

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