Leadership and Education

Paper Summary:

This study examines the effects of leadership and leadership theories on the educational continuum and specifically on the effect it has on the quality of education. The study uses a mixed methodology to investigate various leadership theories and examines their effect on the quality of higher education. The research shows that the delivery of educational leadership services by colleges and universities and the impact of traditional curricula on prospective educators continues to be debated and refined. The impact of additional unfunded mandates from the federal No Child Left Behind Act is profound, with many low-performing schools being threatened with the loss of their funding if they fail to achieve at least minimum academic achievement standards.

Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Background
Statement of the Problem
Purpose of the Study
Significance of the Study
Nature of the Study
Research Questions
Conceptual Framework
Definitions
Assumptions
Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations
Chapter Summary
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Background and Overview
Foundations of Educational Philosophy in the United States
Curricula Reform Initiatives
Leadership Theories
Organizational Behavior in Academic Settings
Leadership in Academic Settings
Chapter Summary
Chapter 3: Methodology
Research Method and Design Appropriateness
Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedures and
Rationale
Internal and External Validity
Data Analysis
Organization and Clarity
Chapter Summary
Chapter 4: Data Analysis
Chapter 5: Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations

From the Paper:

"While a wide range of traits have been identified as being associated with different aspects of leadership effectiveness, the specific association between individual traits and effectiveness has frequently been unconvincing (Bass 1985, cited in Fernandez, 2005). Furthermore, the research to date has consistently failed to identify a set of skills and traits that all successful leaders must possess in order to be effective in a given setting (Fernandez, 2005). Likewise, although the importance of effective leadership in educational settings is widely recognized, there remains a lack of consensus on what works best and why; indeed, given the abysmal performance of many of the nation's schools despite repeated efforts at curricula reform and pedagogical alternatives, it would seem that this lack of consensus is based on a paucity of sound models rather than a lack of effort. In this regard, Short and Greer (2002) report that in recent years, there has been a concerted effort to restructure public education. "Site-based management, charter schools, learner- centered communities, and teacher empowerment have been the focus of much of the reform effort," they advise (p. viii). These initiatives have created a concomitant debate concerning what types of educational leaders are needed in this dynamic environment. According to Short and Greer, "Ideas about leadership have expanded as schools attempt to build learning organizations with empowered participants. While much has been written about school restructuring, there is a need for a better understanding about how to build empowering environments in schools based on empirical findings rather than rhetoric or opinion" (2002, p. ix)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Allen, M., Burrell, N., Eayle, B. M., & Preiss, R. W. (2002). Interpersonal communication research: Advances through meta-analysis. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (1994). The psychology of criminal conduct. Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing Co.
• Anzul, M., Evans, J. F., King, R., & Tellier-Robinson, D. (2001). Moving beyond a deficit perspective with qualitative research methods. Exceptional Children, 67(2), 235.
• Avolio, B. J., & Bass, B. M. (2002). Developing potential across a full range of leadership: Cases on transactional and transformational leadership. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• *Axley, S. R. (1996). Communication at work: Management and the communication-intensive organization. Westport, CT: Quorum Books, p. 103.

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