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Exploring the Quality of the Leader-Follower Relationship and Its Effect on Followers’ Organizational Citizenship Behaviors in a Public-Service Organization
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this sequential, explanatory mixed-methods study was to identify and describe to what extent the quality of the leader-follower relationship, as perceived by followers, affects followers’ organizational citizenship behaviors in a public-service organization.
Methodology: A sequential mixed-methods study was the chosen design for this study. The first phase consisted of quantitative research in the form of a survey questionnaire that measured followers’ organizational citizenship behaviors. The researcher then conducted semistructured, face-to-face interviews that measured the quality of the leader-follower relationship.
Findings: Followers engage in organizational citizenship behaviors at a moderate to high level. Followers willingly assist co-workers and to a lesser extent, their organization. Followers who experienced a high-quality leader-follower relationship spoke highly of their leader, the opportunities they are given to be creative in their service to the public, and their ability to work as a team to accomplish desired results. Those who did not experience a high-quality leader-follower relationship cited only their intrinsic motivation and not leader influence, as the inspiration of their efforts.
Conclusions: Public-service followers go above and beyond in their job duties regardless of the quality of relationship they experience with their leader. However, public-service followers who experience a high-quality relationship with their leader experience a deeper satisfaction in their work relationships, in their contributions and in public service.
Recommendations: It would be beneficial to replicate this study in one or more public-service organizations to better understand the leader-follower relationship and its effect on followers’ organizational citizenship behaviors
The Use of Student Feedback in Teacher Development
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of master teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers about the content of Student Evaluations of Teachers (SET) in California high schools. This study also sought to reach a consensus among experts concerning how SETs can be used both in teacher evaluations and in professional development practices and content at the secondary level.
Methodology: A classical Delphi method was utilized to collect perceptual data from a panel of California master teachers, administrators, and teacher trainers that met specific criteria regarding their education, involvement in their professional communities, and their role training of new and experienced teachers. For the purposes of this Delphi study, an electronic questionnaire was distributed in three rounds to assess the participants’ perceptions of the content and use of SETs to inform evaluation and professional development practices.
Findings: Analysis of the mixed methods data indicated a variety of findings. First, a collection of forty-nine potential SET questions were generated and ranked. Next, participants favored using SETs at the secondary level for informing professional development purposes over using them as a weighted factor in teacher evaluations. They also gave higher rankings to questions that addressed a teacher’s actions and affect in the classroom over those that dealt with course content and activities. Finally, preference was expressed for twice-yearly implementation, with the resulting data being distributed individually and in aggregated form for subject leads and administrators.
Conclusions: This study supported the use of SETs at the secondary level, particularly to inform professional development processes. It also revealed continued resistance to the use of SETs in teacher evaluations, in part due to the perception that secondary students’ biases would influence their ratings.
Recommendations: Further research is recommended to explore the effects of teacher unions on SET acceptance and implementation, the possibility of using SETs with younger students, the effects of SET implementation on student voice, and the potential sources of professional development once specific needs are identified through SET use
Impact of Child and Family Teaming in a Child Welfare Agency
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was twofold, (1) to describe the family experiences of those who had a CFT and those who did not, and (2) to identify and describe the impact of child and family teams (CFTs) on reentry into foster care.
Methodology. The study used a mixed-methods approach collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data included archival data and an electronic survey. Qualitative data included in-depth interviews and narrative comments from the survey.
Findings. A careful analysis of the data resulted in nine major findings and three dominant themes. The dominant themes of the study showed system functioning impacted a child’s ability to live safely in a permanent home, using child and family teams helped families build safety nets and have a better experience with the child welfare system, and finally, that comprehensive service integration (in areas such as behavioral and medical health, housing, child care and other vital community services) was key to improving family functioning.
Conclusions. As a result of the study the following conclusions were formed: CFTs have the potential to improve outcomes for thousands of children each year. Community partners and natural supports are essential to CFT success. A positive relationship with the social worker builds trust with the family and results in stronger family engagement. Stronger agency engagement improves the potential for positive outcomes, and finally, an organization’s capacity for caring is the foundation for child and family team success.
Recommendations. Based upon the findings of this study, it is recommended the CFT concept be embedded into the social work profession through existing partnerships with colleges and universities, professional social work organizations, leadership development opportunities, and formal mentorship programs. It is also recommended child welfare agencies continue to develop more family-friendly ways to identify underlying needs and improve family functioning. Lastly, it is recommended team membership include more natural supports such as friends and relatives and those who have experience with the child welfare system such as parent partners and former foster youth
Examining the Factors that Impact Adjunct Faculty Retention in Private Nonprofit Universities
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and explore what factors, as perceived by adjunct faculty and those who hire and manage them at nonprofit universities, had the greatest impact on their decision to continue to serve in the part-time role. A secondary purpose was to explore differences between the perceptions of adjunct faculty and those who hire and manage them with regard to these factors.
Methodology:This phenomenological qualitative study collected data through in-depth interviews with ten adjunct faculty members and five supervisors working for private nonprofit California institutions of higher education. After transcription, data was coded to describe the similarities and differences in perception of the reasons adjunct faculty continue teaching part-time. Documents and artifacts were gathered to support data triangulation.
Findings: Data analysis yielded four major themes that have an impact on an adjunct faculty member’s decision to continue working part-time. Participants referenced the relationships that adjunct faculty have with their administrators, colleagues, and students most often. Participants discussed their compensation and benefits and most shared that they do not teach for the money or benefits. Faculty participants agreed that their flexible work schedule and the day-to-day work of an adjunct faculty member were also influential in their decision.
Conclusions:There was widespread agreement amongst participants that they value collegial relationships and their flexible part-time work schedule. Adjunct faculty members emphasized that they do not teach for financial gain but rather to be part of a community, share their professional knowledge, and work with students. Most are disinterested in professional growth and participants expressed concern about the connection between academic freedom and the evaluation of their work by students.
Recommendations: Future research should examine the relationship between adjunct faculty category and retention. This study should be replicated at a wider range of universities and additional studies conducted to explore the differences between the perceptions of new and long-term adjunct faculty. Research should be conducted to learn why adjunct faculty members choose to leave their positions. Finally, a grounded theory study should be conducted to develop a more current model of adjunct faculty experiences
Latina Community College Leaders and the Role Cultural Intelligence Plays in Their Leadership: El líderazgo inteligente de administradoras Latinas.
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover and describe how Latina community college administrators utilize the four elements of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to provide leadership in their organizations.
Methodology: The phenomenological qualitative approach was used to describe the utilization of cultural intelligence of ten Latina community college administrators to provide effective leadership in their organizations. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews to gain insight into participants’ leadership behaviors outlined in the study’s purpose. An examination of the data collected revealed patterns and themes.
Findings: Examination of study participants’ interviews resulted in ten themes and 411 frequencies among the four elements of Cultural Intelligence. Twelve key findings were discovered based on the frequency of mentions made by the study participants.
Conclusions: The 12 key findings were summarized as four conclusions, one for each Cultural Intelligence element. Latina leaders in this study stressed the importance of knowing your purpose; remembering your personal story and being empathetic; honoring and respecting everyone; asking questions; learning from one another; becoming advocates of change; helping to pave the way for others; checking themselves regularly; knowing your audience and adapting accordingly; practicing self-awareness; and remaining student-centered.
Recommendations: Further research examining the role that cultural intelligence (CQ) plays in Latina leadership within community colleges could provide insight into the positive aspects of culture that possibly influence Latina leadership effectiveness
The Impact of Male Gender Dissonance on Women’s Potential Eligibility for Advancement to the Position of High School Principal
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative, replication study was to discover what behaviors female administrators exhibit that may prompt male administrators with whom they work in California public education to demonstrate behaviors associated with gender dissonance and also to determine what impact these dissonant behaviors may have on women’s potential eligibility for advancement to the position of high school principal.
Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experience of six male and six female high school principals in Riverside County, California. Purposive criterion sampling method was applied to identify participants based on delimiting criteria. The researcher collected and coded data from in-depth interviews.
Findings: Examination of qualitative data from the 12 high school principals were aligned to the four conceptual areas: role confusion, communication differences, cultural differences, and women’s personal power. Findings show that females display specific behaviors associated with gender dissonance that cause men to exhibit dissonant behaviors. The majority of study participants concur that behaviors associated with gender dissonance impact eligibility for advancement to the position of high school principal.
Conclusions: The study supported the conclusions that women should manage their professional brand. Women need to focus on building one another up and supporting each other. Men still view women as imposters in the role of high school principal and women feel the need to prove themselves in their role. Women need to be decisive when making decisions and stand by those tough decisions. The #MeToo movement has had unintended consequences on the educational administration environment. Women need to work on controlling emotions in the workplace and need to be more direct in their communication. Finally, the good ol’ boy culture is prevalent in educational institutions.
Recommendations: Eight areas of further research were recommended to increase the body of literature, including other replication studies with different populations
Developing Social and Emotional Skills in Early Childhood Instruction: A Delphi Study
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore social and emotional learning in early childhood instruction with an emphasis on identifying the methods expert early childhood teachers use to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation, to have the teachers rate the impact of these methods, and to identify the specific activities used to implement the six most highly rated methods.
Methodology: This study utilized the Delphi method which is an iterative process used to collect and distill the judgments of experts using a series of questionnaires interspersed with feedback. Fourteen participants recommended strategies to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation in preschool classrooms. This data provided the content for the second survey where participants rated the effectiveness of 10 strategies on a 5-point Likert scale. Once the top six strategies were identified, participants recommended methods to implement these six methods in the classroom.
Findings: This study identified the following instructional strategies as effective to support and promote the development of empathy and emotion regulation in preschool classrooms: building positive relationships with students, modeling, role play, providing a quiet area, identify and label feelings, and group time. The study also provides recommendations to implement these strategies.
Conclusions: The findings of this study lead to three major conclusions. First, teachers need access to personal development tools where they can develop their own empathy and emotion regulation skills. Next, teachers need to understand the students’ family dynamics and build relationships with parents to ensure these social and emotional learning tools are being reinforced at home. Lastly, school districts need to adopt specified curriculum aimed at teaching social and emotional learning skills.
Recommendations: It would be wise for school districts to develop and implement a specific curriculum program that is implemented in all classrooms. This would ensure that every child is receiving the same level of training at each grade level. There is a need for additional research supporting the positive benefits of social emotional learning training across multiple contexts and ages, particularly in preschoolers
An Ethnographic Investigation into the Influence of Bandura’s Four Psychological Sources of Information on Mid-Career Elementary Teachers’ Self-Efficacy
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this ethnographic investigation was to examine and describe the experiences that impact mid-career elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs based on Bandura’s four psychological sources of information.
Methodology: An ethnographic research design was utilized in this study to collect data from 15 mid-career elementary school teachers in Riverside County, which is located in Southern California. A semi-structured interview protocol was utilized to gather the rich accounts of situations that impacted the self-efficacy beliefs of participants.
Findings: From the examination of data collected from the 15 ethnographic one-on-one interviews, the following findings emerged: (a) Teachers feel validated from positive input; (b) Teachers are more reflective after failed teaching experiences; (c) Teachers\u27 sense of personal accomplishment diminishes when uncomfortable with the academic content; (d) Teachers suffer from emotional exhaustion when other adults are involved; (e) Teachers develop confidence when observing a trusted colleague; (f) Teachers grow professionally when they participate in collaborative lesson study; (g) The positive relationships teachers establish refuel their energy to persist in the field; (h) Teachers feel motivated to improve when observing other teachers\u27 successes or failures; (i) Teachers feel a sense of worth when the light bulb goes on for the kids; (j) Teachers feel disconnected from negative input; (k) Teachers develop a deep understanding of how students learn; (l) Teachers experience a sense of joy when they know they have impacted students.
Conclusions: The results of this study are meant to inform educational leaders, educators, and researchers of the significance of developing high levels of teacher efficacy beliefs in order to ensure the well-being of mid-career teachers and in this way, ensuring that they stay committed to the teaching profession.
Recommendation: A recommendation for future research is the conduction of a longitudinal study that follows teachers from the early-career stage to the late-career stage in order to expand the understanding of how teacher self-efficacy changes through the years
Women in Leadership, in a Male-Dominated Field, Specifically the California Highway Patrol
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to examine, understand, and describe the challenges women face to advance to middle management (lieutenant and captain) in the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The study focused on the individual lived experiences of female California Highway Patrol captains and lieutenants as they rose through the ranks of the CHP.
Methodology: The phenomenological qualitative methodology was utilized to understand the lived experiences of 7 female lieutenants and 5 female captains. In-depth personal, semistructured interviews were conducted to answer the research questions and subquestions. The researcher analyzed data collected and utilized NVivo to reveal patterns and themes.
Findings: The findings were identified through 28 themes and 681 frequencies among the 6 elements of the lived experiences of female lieutenants and captains on their path to leadership. Eight key findings and one unexpected finding were identified based on the frequency of references by study participants.
Conclusions: The 8 key findings were summarized into conclusions that included having advanced degrees prior to pursuing a career, having field experience prior to advancement to leadership, taking family considerations into account before joining the CHP, having mentors throughout their career, being physically and mentally prepared when entering the academy, making a difference, and building relationships throughout their career. Additional conclusions included the politics of the promotion should apply to women and men equally, and sexual harassment should not occur nor be tolerated.
Recommendations: Future research should include examining the promotional process for both men and women in the CHP, replicating this study using another large law enforcement agency, studying recruitment of women in the CHP, exploring the experiences of women during the academy and their experiences during the break-in period, and researching the experiences of women concerning sexual harassment within the CHP
Best Practices in 21st Century Learning Environments: A Study of Two P21 Exemplar Schools
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study is to identify and describe best practices related to 21st century skill development in two elementary schools outside of California that have been recognized as exemplary by the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21).
Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study sought to investigate and understand the experiences of those associated with the phenomenon of exemplar schools, namely teachers, staff and parents in these elite elementary schools, as the elementary level sets the foundation for 21st century learning. Two schools were selected for the study based on the criteria that they had been identified as exemplary by P21, were public elementary schools, and were located outside of California. Teachers, staff, and parents at these two schools, were randomly selected for focus group interviews. Data were collected, analyzed and triangulated between interview data, observations, and review of artifacts.
Findings: Following data analysis, and a review of the prominent themes, five findings emerged as significant. First, learning experiences are intentionally designed to be integrated throughout. Second, a focus on developing agency is intentional for both students and teachers. Third, relationships exist across the school community. Fourth, learning experiences extend to the world beyond the walls of the classroom. Finally, leadership promotes a culture of inquiry and innovation.
Conclusions: Based on the findings of the study, four conclusions were drawn regarding best practices in exemplar schools. First, learning experiences in these schools intentionally integrated lesson design, content, application of 21st century skills, agency and evaluation, rather than teaching and testing skills in isolation. Second, relationships are fostered and perpetuated through meaningful partnerships where a clear vision for the school is mutually shared. Third, authentically engaging students in community and global opportunities beyond the classroom promotes global learners. Finally, school and district leaders who promoted innovation and experimentation, created a culture of growth mindset and adaptability to change.
Recommendations: This study emphasized best practices in public elementary schools recognized as exemplary by P21. Further research is recommended to identify best practices in other P21 school models, such as multi-level, early learning, charter schools, and those with diverse populations