Motivating Teachers to Lead in Low-performing Schools: A Qualitative Study of School Leaders in Three Arkansas High Schools

This qualitative research study addressed the problem of motivating teachers to take on leadership roles in “low-performing” schools. Coupled with the high demands of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) being placed on public school principals to ensure that all students achieve and successfully graduate high school, better ways to distribute leadership and share responsibilities among teachers were identified. The research question and purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify the perceived leadership behaviors of high school principals in once labeled “low-performing” schools that support the motivation of teachers to take on leadership roles. Nine identified teacher leaders and three experienced high school principals with at least three years of administrative experience in once identified “lowperforming” high schools participated in individual in-depth interviews conducted by the researcher using semi-structured questioning techniques. Interviews were transcribed and coded and triangulated with observations and document reviews to identify emergent themes. Data analysis determined what behaviors teachers perceived as motivating them to take on leadership roles within their schools. By incorporating the findings of this study into educational leadership programs at colleges and universities, masters-level students will benefit by participating in improved practical experiences needed to better prepare them for all types of high school settings. Moreover, veteran principals at the high school level will be able to incorporate the identified leadership behaviors, leadership strategies, and lived experiences into their current context to build more sustainable leadership practices within their schools. ©2017 by Joseph Fisher All Rights Reserved ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I give thanks and appreciation to my dissertation chair, Dr. Carleton Holt, for his leadership throughout this very rigorous process, as well as for his feedback and contribution to my study. Also, I am grateful to my dissertation committee members, Dr. Kara Lasater and Dr. Richard Abernathy, for the use of their time and expertise to make valuable contributions to better my work. To the remainder of my doctoral program professors: Dr. Ed Bengtson, Dr. Paul Hewitt, and Dr. John Pijanowski, I extend my appreciation for the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with such a dedicated group of education professionals. A very special acknowledgement is made to my critical friend and sister, Dr. Donna Fisher-Smiley, who listened to my endless questions, wrote and re-wrote chapters with me, encouraged me, and pushed me to complete this study. I also acknowledge my fellow “capacity builders” at the Arkansas Leadership Academy (University of Arkansas in Fayetteville) for the hours of conversation and collaboration about the finer points of school improvement, building leadership capacity, and understanding organizational change. To the participants of each of my study schools: I am thankful and grateful for the opportunity I have had to conduct research with such a great group of teachers and administrators. Your commitment to building the capacity of others and to improving student learning is an inspiration and stands as an example of how schools can overcome the education label of “low-performing. ” Finally, I am eternally indebted to Dr. Mary B. Gunter for serving as my educational leadership “guru” and for reminding me that all my efforts as an educational leader must be focused on what is best for students. DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Amy Fisher and our children Colin and Garrett Fisher, for their love, support, and patience throughout the entire doctorate program. To my mother and father, Bobby and Sandra Fisher, for believing in me since childhood and for making the sacrifices necessary to ensure that my sister and I would be the first in our family to have the opportunity to attend college. I sincerely appreciate all my family members for the time they sacrificed for me to work on and complete this study. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.1 Organization of the Chapter.1 Background and Context.1 Statement of the Problem.3 Purpose and Research Questions.5 Research Design Overview.6 Assumptions.7 The researcher.7 Rationale and Significance.9 Conceptual Design.11 Parameters of the Study.13 Limitations of the Study.13 Definition of Key Terms.14 Summary.14 Organization of the Dissertation.15 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.16 Introduction and Overview.16 Methods and Search Strategy.16 Characteristics of High and Low-performing Schools.19 Trends in School Leadership.22 The Role of Principal as Leader.28 Motivating Teachers to Lead.33 The Role of Teacher as Leader.35 Sustaining Teacher Leadership.37 Conclusion.40 CHAPTER 3: METHODS.42 Introduction and Overview.42 Theoretical Framework.43 Research Sample.45 Overview of Information Needed.46 Research Design.48 Data Collection Method.49 Surveys.49 Interviews.50 Observations.51 Document reviews.52 Reflective journal entries.52 Data Analysis and Synthesis.52 Ethical Considerations.54 Ethical Research Design.54 Ethical Issues Review (Institutional Review Board). 55 Ethical Researcher-Participant Relationship.55 Ethical Data Collection Process.55 Ethical Data Analysis and Interpretation.56 Ethical Dissemination of Findings.56 Issues of Trustworthiness.56 Limitations and Delimitations.57 Chapter Summary.