Andragogical Practices Of School Principals In Developing The Leadership Capacities Of Assistant Principals

Abstract

ABSTRACT

LUTHER MCDANIEL ANDRAGOGICAL PRACTICES OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN DEVELOPING THE LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES OF ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Under the direction of OLIVIA BOGGS, Ed.D.

The purpose this mixed methods study was to assess school principals’ perspectives of the extent to which they apply the principles of andragogy to the professional development of assistant principals in their schools. This study was conducted in school districts that constitute a RESA area in a southeastern state. The schools in these districts represent rural and urban populations with varying demographics. The participants were school principals and assistant principals. The principals self-reported on their use of the principles of andragogy to develop leadership capacities of their assistant principal(s). The assistant principals provided their perception of the use of the principles of andragogy by their supervising principal. Forty-nine participants completed the modified Instructional Perspectives Inventory (MIPI) that included two open-ended questions. Additionally, six experienced principals with doctorate degrees participated in targeted interviews. The data were analyzed through a convergent parallel design. Quantitative data were contextualized through the analysis of qualitative data gleaned from responses to the open-ended questions and interview questions. The findings indicate that while all principal participants indicated using the principles of andragogy at the average or above level, the assistant principal participants did not report that their supervising principal used the practices at as high a level. The findings further indicated that the size of the school was the only statistically significant predictor of total MIPI score. The data from the responses to the open-ended questions by assistant principals revealed the common themes of relationships, communication, and inclusion. For principal participants, the dominant themes of the strategies they shared included opportunities, communication, and coaching. The information gained through the targeted interviews resulted in the researcher identifying the following themes- Inherent responsibility, Assistant Principal as a Goal, Development Strategies, Budget, Personnel, Leading School Improvement Team, and School Culture through Relationships and Communication. This study led to the development of the McDaniel’s Stages of Educational Leader Development model and is expected to have implications for school principals, assistant principals, school districts, and university programs. Recommendations for practice are offered.