Leadership Preparation Reform in First Person: Making Assumptions Public

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to capture “insider” perspectives of professors in the forefront of transforming university leadership preparation programs. From interviews, we constructed first person narratives and developed “story threads” demonstrating related sequences of their thought and action in reform work. After developing themes based on their action strategies, we worked backward to identify assumptions underpinning the actions. In all cases there were tensions between assumptions of the traditional order and the intentionally reconstructed assumptions that propelled these reform leaders’ actions toward meeting current needs for school leadership preparation. Stories in first person make available the experience of the deep pulls felt when professors genuinely break with tradition. Transformation of preparation programs through these leaders did not come in response to external pressure, rather it came through first changing themselves in response to deep value commitments.