Leadership journeys: a narrative research study exploring women school superintendent's meaning-making of leadership development experiences.

Permanent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20222100
Title:
Leadership journeys : a narrative research study exploring women school superintendent's meaning-making of leadership development experiences
Creator:
Komolthiti, Malisa (Author)
Contributor:
Gorman, Margaret (Advisor)
Gorman, Margaret (Committee member)
McCready, Al (Committee member)
Messenger, Scribner (Committee member)
Language:
English
Publisher:
Boston, Massachusetts : Northeastern University, 2016
Date Accepted:
June 2016
Date Awarded:
September 2016
Type of resource:
Text
Genre:
Dissertations
Format:
electronic
Digital origin:
born digital
Abstract/Description:
Literature on women's leadership reveals women are underrepresented in top leadership roles in public education in the U.S. (Skarla, 1999) and superintendency is the most male-dominated executive position of any profession in the United States. The object of this study was to explore the leadership journeys of five women school superintendents from small-midsize school districts in the remote geographic region of U.S (Alaska). This type of school leader may differ from mainland US state Superintendents because of Alaska's "frontier" and "independent" nature. The study used Super's career development theory and Mezirow's (1978) transformative learning theory as frameworks to uncover meaning-making of leadership development experiences, which are associated with leadership across the lifespan of the five women superintendents. This study employed a qualitative narrative research design. Narrative content was analyzed, using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches.

Seven conclusions emerged from this study. First, experiences and activities that are associated with leadership and that occur in non-formal settings were important for leadership development of these women school superintendents. Second, experiences that gave women school superintendents' opportunities to show leadership and the recognition of their leadership by others helped build their self-concept of being a leader. Third, meaning making is a part of leadership learning of women school superintendents, which can occur in non-formal settings and can begin in early childhood. Fourth, family influenced the development of leadership qualities of women school superintendents, starting from the growth stage. Fifth, the self-concept of being an educational leader, who can make a positive impact or can perform leadership tasks, drove women school superintendents to take educational leadership positions. Sixth, women school superintendents have a supportive network because of the credibility they built over time. Seventh, women school superintendents have positive attitudes toward being female superintendents.
Subjects and keywords:
career development theory
critical reflection
female superintendents
leadership development
transformative learning theory
women leadership
Women school superintendents -- Alaska
School of Education -- Alaska
Leadership in women -- Alaska
School management and organization -- Alaska
Women in education -- Alaska
Career development -- Alaska
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17760/D20222100
Permanent Link:
http://hdl.handle.net/2047/D20222100
Use and reproduction:
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