Educational Leadership Students Research Articles

Using AI-Enabled Tools to Support Minority Students’ Success in HE

Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are transforming workplace literacy practices in the fourth industrial revolution. This study explored how master's students in educational leadership and teacher education programs at a minority-serving university in a low SES urban metroplex in the south-central USA perceive and experience using LLMs and AI-assisted software. The focus was on how these tools support their learning and help them demonstrate knowledge. Key themes include equitable access to AI tools, diverse applications in academic and professional contexts, building student confidence through support and training, using AI to enhance academic readiness and skills, identifying individual needs, enabling higher order thinking opportunities, and promoting ethical use and academic integrity.By addressing various issues of AI usage, institutions can better support underserved students in using disruptive technologies, contributing to their academic success and professional preparedness. Faculty must ensure students' needs are met before requiring the use of new technologies like generative AI and AI-enabled tools.

“I am not Your English Teacher”: Leadership for Addressing Xenophobia and Racism in the Wake of Demographic Change

This case asks educational leadership students to consider how immigrant students new to a quickly changing community may interpret subtle messaging of unbelonging and overt xenophobic hostility. Despite her best intentions, the principal in this case struggles to connect with the Latinx students and families who were recent arrivals to the community and school. The authors ask future school leaders to consider how to make a school environment more inclusive for immigrant students and other students who may be marginalized for their differences.

Locating the “white” in critical whiteness studies: considerations for white scholars seeking to dismantle whiteness within educational research

In this essay, I reflect on and detail some of my experiences navigating the question of what it means for white scholars and white researchers to critically engage their own whiteness within the context of educational research. Considering my current academic role as a faculty member who works primarily with graduate students in educational leadership, students who include white people who are seeking to better understand racism and white supremacy, this reflective essay details my thoughts regarding white people who wish to use educational research to uncover, expose, and disrupt whiteness and white supremacy within schools and contexts that are school adjacent, such as education organizations and education non-profits. I walk the reader through various aspects of my own journey understanding my racialized self, how racism and white supremacy connect to Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) as a field of inquiry, and ending with my considerations for white scholars.

The contribution of case-based learning to adopting a multidimensional view in educational leadership students

PurposeAdopting a multidimensional view is a characteristic of systems thinking in school leadership, which involves recognizing that each component of the school system necessarily has more than one cause, result or solution. This study explores how case-based learning has contributed to the development of adopting a multidimensional view in educational leadership students.Design/methodology/approachThe present study was qualitative in nature. Study participants were 32 graduate students from an Israeli college of education who participated in case-based learning held in a 14-session course. The data collected for this study included journal entries written by these students after each session. Overall, 318 journal entries were analyzed through a four-step process: sorting, coding, categorizing and theorizing.FindingsData analysis indicated three aspects of adopting a multidimensional view developed through case-based learning: acquiring a principal's perspective, recognizing other schools' perspectives and exposure to other individuals' perspectives.Originality/valueThis study joins other recent efforts to find ways to develop influential educational leaders, suggesting that case-based learning contributes to the development of adopting a multidimensional view in educational leadership students.

Pulling Back the Curtain on Moral Reasoning and Ethical Leadership Development for K–12 School Leaders

Using the Defining Issues Test of moral reasoning, researchers gathered pre- and posttest data from educational leadership students ( N = 52) and confidence levels in enacting ethical school leadership, before and after completing a master’s degree program in educational leadership. On a 95-point scale, pretest, postconventional moral reasoning abilities were calculated at M = 33.57. Significantly higher posttest, postconventional moral reasoning ( M = 38.80) was determined. Respondent confidence levels in enacting ethical leadership also increased dramatically. Moral reasoning abilities measured far lower than would be expected compared with national norms of adults who had achieved similar levels of education in other professional areas.

A Case Study of Educational Leadership Doctoral Students: Developing Culturally Competent School Leadership Through Study Abroad

Aim/Purpose: This study focuses on how a short-term international study abroad program to England impacted doctoral students’ cultural competencies. Background: The case study captures the experiences of six school leadership doctoral students who traveled abroad to East London, England. The overarching goal of this experience was to improve their self-efficacy for culturally competent school leadership. Methodology: Through this case study of six doctoral students in an educational leadership doctoral program, the researchers sought to answer the following question: How do knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors around cultural competencies of U.S. school leaders shift because they participated in an international internship? Through pre-post surveys and follow-up interviews, the researchers explored how the international experience impacted cultural competencies. Contribution: The primary goal of this experience was to improve self-efficacy for culturally responsive school leadership. The doctoral students were either aspiring school leaders or were currently serving as a building leader of a P-12 school. It is from these students that we can learn how a short-term international experience might impact school leaders, and in return, the students and staff they serve. This study adds to the limited literature about the benefits of study abroad programs for educational leadership students in doctoral programs. Findings: The doctoral students in this case study gained knowledge and skills because of this study abroad. Knowledge was gained about educational systems and self-awareness. Skills learned included relationship skills, travel skills, and skills related to empowering teachers. Attitudes about diversity shifted to be more encompassing. Further, the behaviors of doctoral students changed because of this trip. The results from the pre-test and post-test on cultural competence indicated a significant improvement in cultural competence for the group. Recommendations for Practitioners: The knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavioral shifts captured in this study spoke to profound growth around cultural competencies. It is through preparing these doctoral students before the international sojourn, guiding them during the experience, and following up with them upon return that we were able to create a supportive, meaningful, and impactful study abroad experience for future school leaders. Thus, these experiences will likely impact their collective leadership in the future. Recommendation for Researchers: Though research about the benefits of study abroad programs for graduate students is limited, several studies are about the benefits of study abroad and international programs in undergraduate education. There is all but a lack of literature focused on doctoral educational leadership students and study abroad. Nevertheless, for many students who choose to study overseas, it may be the first opportunity they have to explore a new country and to be fully immersed in a culture that is different from their own. Through these experiences, many development opportunities can affect how students view their professional work. Impact on Society: Through exposure to others, by experiencing diverse ways of thinking and doing, and through critical conversation, institutions of higher education can develop school leaders to be culturally competent, culturally responsive, and socially just. As demonstrated in this study, international experiences are one decisive way to start this conversation. Future Research: Research has shown that it is possible to increase students’ cultural competence through study abroad. As such, in the current study, the researchers took a mixed methods approach to understand how cultural competencies around knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors shifted. As a result, we found that each doctoral student increased their cultural awareness in significant ways. Students gained knowledge by comparing the cultures within education systems and gained self-awareness about their own cultural awareness issues. More research needs to be done to better understand the impact of study abroad experiences on graduate students in educational leadership programs. These experiences could be short experiences (i.e., one to two weeks) or longer experiences (i.e., more than two weeks). Further, focusing on developing cultural competency before, during, and after a trip in different educational fields other than educational leadership (e.g., literacy, curriculum & instruction) could have significant school-level effects. Lastly, extending study abroad experiences into locations where English is not the first or primary language could provide opportunities for developing language skills while enhancing patience, cross-cultural communication, and problem-solving skills that could be beneficial personally and professionally.

Photovoices of Urban Educational Leadership Students Abroad in Peru

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions and experiences of educational leadership graduate students who participated in a short term study abroad program in Peru. We analyzed assignments submitted for course credit, including a total of 144 photos and 107 corresponding reflections submitted as part of the photovoice assignment. Analysis revealed that the study abroad was a transformative experience . Students drew upon their own professional experiences to make sense of their educational experiences overseas . Their experience in Peru gave them a window into the wor ld of so many students in their U S schools what it is like to be a racial and language minority enriching and informing their perspectives as educators and future educational leaders. Instructors in study abroad courses may seek a balance between th e analytical const raints of applied heuristics with the freedom that photovoice promises.

Leadership Preparation Programs: Preparing Culturally Competent Educational Leaders

The demographic profile of the United States has been rapidly changing; by 2020, minority students will constitute the majority of the public school student population nationwide. This makes cultural competence a necessity for today’s school leaders. Educational leadership preparation programs are responsible for preparing culturally competent leaders; however, few programs assess their students’ cultural competence. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional, causal-comparative study was to examine whether graduates of educational leadership preparation programs had significantly different cultural competence than those beginning their respective program. The findings of this study suggest that matriculating through a principal preparation program positively correlates with educational leadership students’ overall cultural competence, cultural beliefs and motivation, and cultural knowledge. However, there appears to be no significant relationship between completing the program and students’ cultural skills.

The One Voice Project: A Case of Complexity in Community-Driven Education Reform

This case represents an effort to connect academic learning with educational reform in real time. It describes a district initiative to meaningfully engage a skeptical community and the subsequent attempts of university-based researchers to provide further entry points into the perspectives and concerns of educational partners. What is compelling about the ensuing case is its relevancy to current graduate students in educational leadership and policy studies, many of whom are still grappling with distinctions between theory and practice, and their evolving role(s) in improving schools at the local and national levels. Education discourses continue to make evident the tensions between academic knowledge and the priorities of field practitioners. Consequently, this anonymous case provides an opportunity to consider how one (e.g., graduate student, university-based teacher/researcher) might negotiate potentially conflicting demands and respond to the most immediate needs of the surrounding community. This case follows university-based staff, Johnathon Greene, and student researchers, Nia Williams and Micah Robinson, as they are called upon by a newly appointed superintendent, Dr. Elaine Shull, to help facilitate the process of “listening” to and understanding the needs of the College Park Public School community. How might this type of collaboration create new opportunities for learning, professional development, and strategic action?

What Constitutes Sexual Harassment and How Should Administrators Handle It?

Gender discrimination and sexual harassment persist on college campuses across the United States. This seems especially obvious at the beginning of the academic year when many freshman women and their parents are welcomed to campus with sexually explicit signs displayed on all-male residences. But, sometimes, sexual harassment and gender discrimination takes a subtler form, creating unique challenges for administrators. This article presents the true case of a professional fraternity party gone awry, testing the leadership skills of several college administrators. The case provides a platform for educational leadership students to apply the theories they are learning in their preparation programs to real-life situations. This case is important and timely as educational leaders across the p-20 pipeline struggle to navigate the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights’ 2011 directives concerning defining and responding to allegations of sexual assault and harassment.

White, queer and female: using intersectionality as a tool for teaching social justice in the Deep South

In this critical autoethnography, I discuss and critically reflect on some of my personal identities, specifically being a white, queer woman in the Deep South of the United States, that inform how I interact with the world and my students. I then discuss how the interplay of these identities has led me to particular pedagogical strategies for teaching social justice. In particular, as a white scholar, I seek to decentre whiteness in my teaching. To this end, I ask student to reflect on their own intersecting identities to create empathy and perspective, to investigate the experiences of others to create understanding and ultimately to plan and implement actions that disrupt systems of power and oppression. I conclude this piece with opportunities for action, particularly when working with educational leadership students.

Conceptualizing Practitioner-Scholarship for Educational Leadership Research and Practice

In this conceptual article, we draw upon recent literature to describe the theoretical, epistemological, and methodological anchors that can inform a working conception of practitioner-scholarship. We position practitioner-scholarship at the intersection of an individual’s work as a practitioner and researcher, wherein a practitioner focuses on understanding localized problems of practice through in-depth inquiry. Through our discussion, we highlight three implications for leadership programs. First, practitioner-scholarship demands that all program faculty take a learning orientation. Second, research experiences provided to students should be immersed in leadership practice and directly situated within schools and districts. Third, we advocate increased consistency, rigor, and theoretical depth in methods training for educational leadership students.

Teaching Introductory Quantitative Research Methods to Doctoral Students in Educational Leadership: Using Real Data to Improve Statistical Literacy

The purpose of this study is to provide a deeper understanding of the quantitative research method experiences of educational leadership doctoral students and explore instructors’ perspectives on teaching the course through the specific pedagogical approach of using real secondary data. Survey data confirms students favorably support the use of real data in statistics courses, despite challenges to learning statistical software and time constraints that inhibit full engagement in the analyses. Qualitative data illustrates the affordances and constraints instructors face in teaching applied quantitative methods to educational leadership doctoral students.

Engaging aspiring educational leaders in self-reflection regarding race and privilege

Self-reflection is a vital tool that can be used in the preparation of aspiring school leaders to ensure they can equitably serve the increasingly racially, culturally, linguistically and economically diverse students in schools. When coupled with social justice pedagogy, reflection can also serve as a means of gauging student resistance, growth and understanding of issues of race and privilege. In this study, written self-reflections from educational leadership students exposed to social justice pedagogy were examined, revealing varying degrees of resistance in the form of intense emotions, distancing and opposition for some, and changes in mindset for others. Students also began interrogating their own assumptions, practices and the equity-oriented theories presented. Findings reiterate the utility and need for social justice pedagogy that includes self-reflection in the preparation and continued professional development of educational leaders.

Lessons Learned

This case describes a strategic planning process initiated by the division of student affairs at a small, private college. It presents several issues related to institutional identity, strategic planning initiative development, faculty and staff buy-in and stay-in, and the changing landscape of higher education. The case is designed for usage in educational leadership programs and is particularly pertinent to provoke discussions regarding leading from the middle, leadership for institutional change, and moral and ethical leadership. Students in educational leadership enrolled in student affairs leadership and administration courses, budgeting or strategic planning, or organizational theory courses can engage in discussion using multiple aspects of the case.

Arrested Development? Comparing Educational Leadership Students With National Norms on Moral Reasoning

Purpose: The public expects school leaders to be moral exemplars, yet prior research indicates that teachers and, more recently, school principals may score lower than other career groups on a widely used measure of moral reasoning, the Defining Issues Test. Moreover, little empirical research has been conducted on educators during leadership preparation in graduate school. The purpose of this research was to create a baseline profile for moral reasoning in educational leadership/administration graduate students in one Southern state and to compare their scores with a composite national average for graduate students across disciplines to see if educational interventions are needed. Research Design: In the summer of 2012, the updated Defining Issues Test–2 was offered via e-mail as an online questionnaire to 539 master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral students in the five advanced-track schools in the study state. The questionnaire also gathered data on the students’ demographics and the virtual test-taking environment. Findings: Complete data for 113 respondents (a 21% response rate) show that the educational leadership/administration graduate students prefer a maintaining norms schema when solving moral problems. In fact, participants scored significantly lower ( M = 30) on postconventional (advanced) moral thinking than the national norm for graduate students across disciplines ( M = 41) and a historical average for graduate students ( M = 53) on the Defining Issues Test. Conclusions: Researchers urge evidenced-based educational interventions for this group—specifically, Rest’s four-component model, which addresses all four moral psychological processes: sensitivity, judgment, motivation, and character. They also recommend beginning ethics instruction with professional identity development. Classification: This is an empirical study.

Using experience sampling methodology to understand how educational leadership students solve problems on the fly

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot study of the emotional states associated with educational leadership students’ attempts at problem solving “on the fly” in their schools and organizations.Design/methodology/approach– Experience sampling methodology (ESM) was used to study 375 “problem-perceiving moments” in leadership students using iPod touches, followed by individual cognitive interviews (CIs).Findings– Students reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement when solving new vs old problems. Students experienced both more positive and more negative emotions when attempting to problem solve than when reporting that they were not solving problems, yet lower levels of self-efficacy coupled with insufficient time to reflect on their leadership goals while at work. Consistent with previous research, students reported engaging in metacognitive and reflective activities more frequently while with supervisors and colleagues. In the CIs, students’ narrative descriptions generally supported the quantitative analysis. For example, students described “putting out fires,” and discussed multi-tasking as a deterrent to problem solving. They also talked about balancing the emotional “highs and lows” throughout their day as well as the role of social affirmation in the problem solving process.Research limitations/implications– While the limitations of this small pilot study include a small sample using self-report data, the implications for educational leadership faculty are to explicitly integrate psychological research into leadership courses to expand students’ knowledge of creative problem solving and focus on building their self-efficacy.Originality/value– Even though students might not perceive they are good at problem solving, faculty can help them learn how to regulate their emotions and create teamwork conditions for constructively vetting problems. In turn, this kind of instruction and research can enhance leadership students’ persistence as problem solvers, which may help prevent leadership burnout and turnover.

Mission, vision, values, and goals: An exploration of key organizational statements and daily practice in schools

This article reports findings from a study of graduate level, educational leadership students’ familiarity with shared mission, vision, values, and goals statements and the perceived impact these concepts have on their practice as leaders and teachers in schools. The study is primarily qualitative and uses content analysis of responses to open-ended questions. Researchers adopted a limited quantitative analysis technique, however, in order to report frequency of responses to survey questions. We used the literature base regarding strategic planning and school improvement as conceptual frameworks to guide the analysis. Findings revealed that educational leadership students had limited ability to recall the content of key organizational statements. Further, respondents reported that these key organizational statements had only minimal impact on their daily practice. Implications are presented for university preparation programs designed to equip school leaders to effect meaningful school improvement and organizational change centered on development of shared mission and vision for improvement. This research confirms similar findings reported by Watkins and McCaw (Natl Forum Educ Adm Superv J 24(3):71–91, 2007) and adds to the research by exploring respondents’ reports of the impact of mission, vision, values, and goals statements on their daily practice. It further extends the discussion by presenting a content analysis of key organizational statements, comparing mission, vision, values, and goals statements to models of strategic planning and planning for continuous school improvement from the organizational improvement literature.

Collaboration Through Role Play Among Graduate Students in Educational Leadership in Distance Learning

This project addresses the challenge of preparing educational leaders for future roles in administration in K–12 schools. Through a project-based learning scenario set in a 3-D virtual world, graduate students in school administration and instructional technology worked together in simulated school teams to develop proposals for integrating technology into a fictitious school. The scenario provided parameters within which each team developed a proposal to a superintendent for the use of iPads, which included developing plans for professional development, collaboration among faculty and staff, infrastructure to support the technology, alignment with curriculum, and budgets. Teams worked independently of classes to develop proposals that were then posted in the virtual world for review by instructors and other students. The simulation offered opportunities to develop shared leadership and skills in collaboration outside the usual comfort zone of graduate school classes. Student perception of the value of participation provided insight into the design of the project, which will inform future such collaborative efforts among faculty. Results of student surveys and written reflections are shared as examples of the types of data collected for this project.

Bridging the chasm between two worlds: identifying perceived challenges in a sample of graduate educational-leadership students

Eighty-three educators attending a Masters’ programme in school leadership discussed their responses as they compared models learned in class with the organisational reality they experience at work. Content analysis, conducted by two independent coders revealed a sense of crisis. The majority reported experiencing frustration and anger both with the school system that is perceived as anachronistic and unsupportive of change and the study programme seemingly teaching models and ideas that are irrelevant in the reality they experience. A considerable minority reported being positively challenged to promote change. A smaller minority reported feeling the system is already going in the direction pointed out by modern models and theories. The results are discussed in light of global evidence on the issue and recommendations for future policy and educational design are offered.