Articles in this Issue
The Relationships between Gender and Graduation Rates, Dissertation Methodology, GPA, and GRE Scores for Ed.D. Graduates at a Southeastern University
Jill Channing, Sandra Lampley, and James Lampley
This quantitative study of one doctoral department at a regional, state-supported university located in the Southeastern United States used descriptive, parametric, and non-parametric methods to determine the relationships between gender and each of the academic or graduation factors. Graduation rates were analyzed for doctoral students admitted from 2004 to 2019. Alumni data from 2004 to 2013 were analyzed for the other variables in the study to examine the transition from face-to-face to online instruction. Five hundred thirty educational leadership Ed.D. alumni were included in the study. Chi-square analyses, using crosstabs and independent samples t tests, were used to determine relationships between the test variables and gender. There were no significant differences between graduation rates, GRE scores, type of dissertation completed, area of concentration, GPAs, number of dissertation hours, or dissertation semesters to completion between female and male doctoral students for any of the variables. Female and male doctoral graduates displayed remarkably similar values on all the variables in the study. Implications for this study include graduate programs providing online options for students to increase students’ access and program flexibility, actively recruiting male students to increase diversity in the programs that have low male enrollment, considering alternative admission criteria such as work and leadership experience, and striving for parity in exposure to male and female professors.
Keywords: Gender and graduate students; gender and GRE; doctoral program persistence; doctoral program completion; gender and dissertation methodology
Debriefing Mixed Reality Simulations in an Educational Leadership Preparation Program: An Exploratory Case Study
Jody S. Piro
Debriefing may be the most important factor for learning in simulations. This exploratory case study investigated a modified Plus-Delta approach to debriefings following mixed reality simulation-based learning. The findings suggested that educational leadership students who encountered debriefings from simulations developed leadership skills and dispositions and perceived that those acquired skills and dispositions would transfer to leadership positions currently or in the future. Implications and recommendations are provided.
Keywords: mixed reality simulations, leadership preparation
Combining Mentoring and Coaching to Support Aspiring Leaders’ Development: Participants’ Voices
Maria Band Roberts and Miguel Gonzalez
This study of 77 aspiring leaders of a university-based principal preparation program uses results from a questionnaire to examine the perceived benefits of two types of support, mentoring and coaching, provided throughout the program. Interaction with both mentors and coaches received high ratings of value toward meeting students’ needs as future administrators. In addition, four similar themes surfaced in response to questions regarding what was learned from mentors and coaches. The importance of communication skills, organization and time management, school management skills, and building relationships were identified as areas of learning resulting from interactions with mentors and coaches. The results suggest inclusion of both types of support in principal preparation programs may add the additional and more personal socialization component to help aspiring principals develop into effective leaders of diverse schools and who will remain in educational leadership positions.
Keywords: mentoring, coaching, aspiring leaders
Using Mentor Voice to Inform Educational Leadership Preparation Program Clinical Practices
Gregg B. Dionne and Jillian F. Davidson
The role of the principal in leading schools is vital to the success of the school. Mentors play a critical role in supporting educational leadership candidates during the clinical experience at the graduate level. This qualitative embedded single case design study explores the perceptions of mentors related to support from IHEs, collaboration, incentives, and challenges. This qualitative case study was conducted at one Midwestern IHE. Participants expressed that collaboration with IHEs, other mentors, and candidates was valuable and that they served as mentors to provide candidates with quality experiences in an effort to contribute to the development of educational leadership. Challenges were also reported and findings from the study offer educational leadership preparation programs pertinent information related to potential improvements in supports to mentors for graduate educational leadership programs.
Keywords: Mentor voice; educational leadership; clinical experience; case study
Perspectives on Teacher Leadership: Implications for Practice and Teacher Leadership Development
Jennifer Thomason, Karen L. Sanzo, and Jay Paredes Scribner
Teacher leaders are valuable members of the school community. However, there is little existing research that explores how teacher leaders shape and enact their roles. In this article we explore how teacher leaders come to understand their role, as well as how principals and other school colleagues interact with teacher leaders and the ways in which those interactions support teacher leader role development. These findings have significant implications in helping us understand how to help teacher leaders develop in their role and the ways in which leaders can foster teacher leadership growth.
Keywords: teacher leadership, leadership development