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The role of the school principal is second only to classroom instruction in terms of its impact on student achievement. Due to the evolving needs of students, schools, and school districts, the training of new principals should not end once they assume their first position. Research shows that while preparation programs designed to accredit new principals are critical, a growing body of literature is calling attention to the importance of professional growth opportunities that will further the development of educational leaders and address the day-to-day challenges of the role. To support this need, a number of research-based programs that are aligned with national educational leader standards create potentially valuable opportunities for ongoing professional development for principals. This qualitative study was designed to describe the perceptions and experiences of the recently appointed principals who participated in the Virginia Tech School Leaders Institute Recently Appointed Administrator Program (RAAP) and to examine how the RAAP contributed to their leadership development as a principal. Specifically, two questions guided this study: 1) How did principal participants indicate the RAAP contributed to their role as a principal? 2) What were the perceptions of principal participants regarding the impact of the RAAP on their leadership development? Three sources of data were used to generate findings: a demographic survey, primary data in the form of the transcription from a single focus group interview, and secondary data in the form of reflective synopses from 16 participants who took part in either the 2017, 2018, or 2019 program year. Four major findings supported by participant statements arose from this study: (a) participation in the RAAP informed them of the benefits of self-reflection and the awareness of self-care and balance as a principal, (b) by participating in the RAAP they found value in networking and building collegial relationships to overcome challenges as a recently appointed principal, (c) participation in the RAAP strengthened their leadership skills and increased their confidence, and (d) participation increased their knowledge and their ability to create actionable steps to support and implement new initiatives and programs in their schools. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Doctor of Education / This qualitative study was designed to describe the perceptions and experiences of the recently appointed principals who participated in the Virginia Tech School Leaders Institute Recently Appointed Administrator Program (RAAP) and to examine how the RAAP contributed to their leadership development as a principal. Two questions guided the development of this investigation: 1) How did principal participants indicate the RAAP contributed to their role as a principal? 2) What were the perceptions of principal participants regarding the impact of the RAAP on their leadership development? Three sources of data were used to generate findings: a demographic survey, the transcription from a single focus group interview, and secondary data from the reflective synopses of 16 participants who took park in either the 2017, 2018, or 2019 program year. Four major findings arose from this study: (a) participants indicated that participation in the RAAP informed them of the benefits of self-reflection and the awareness of self-care and balance as a principal, (b) participants indicated that by participating in the RAAP they found value in networking and building collegial relationships to overcome challenges as a recently appointed principal, (c) participants indicated that participation in the RAAP strengthened their leadership skills and increased their confidence, and (d) participants indicated that participation increased their knowledge and their ability to create actionable steps to support and implement new initiatives and programs in their schools. The findings from this study reinforce cited research on the importance of ongoing leadership development training and professional learning experiences beyond principal preparation programs for the recently appointed principal.

"This case study examined the implementation of the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at a high school that was labeled as a turnaround school (overall academic achievement proficiency below 55%) in 2006-2007. The foundation of PLCs is built on a shared vision and mission. The PLC principles of learning for all students, a collaborative culture, and a focus on results were the components most identified in the literature review, which helped shape the design of the methodology. Under the leadership of a new principal and with the implementation and focus on PLCs, Ocean Breeze High School's (OBHS) academic achievement proficiency grew from 48.6% to 87.5% within a three-year period. Based on this phenomenal progress, this case study investigated the relationship between PLC characteristics and instructional practices at this school. The data sources included fourteen interviews with eleven teachers and three administrators, observations of two PLC meetings, fourteen classroom observations, and a document review. The data from the interviews were transcribed and themes were matched to reflect common perceptions from teachers and administrators on PLC practices. PLC meetings were observed to identify collaborative interactions between team members. A document review included any documents or artifacts that the school has used to implement PLC principles or similar practices. Classroom observations were conducted to compare if instructional practices correlate with interview responses, PLC meetings, and the documents reviewed. This study found that there is a relationship between PLCs and instructional practices. The findings included: (a) teachers ensure that all students learn by developing common instructional guides that support the state curriculum; (b) teachers meet to discuss the curriculum, pedagogical strategies, and assessments in PLC meetings; and (c) teachers and administrators analyze data to make instructional decisions to enhance teaching and learning. / Ed. D.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The effective delivery of quality education depends, to a greater extent, on the quality of teachers. These teachers need to keep pace with the continuous growth of professional knowledge, skills and competences. This study evaluates teacher development programmes in Siyabuswa Circuit, Mpumalanga Province. Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is one of the initiatives that support and improve teacher knowledge and competences. Hence this study seeks to obtain teachers’ perspectives of the PLCs as a teacher development programme. This will probably shed more light into challenges faced by teachers in participating and benefitting from these developmental programmes. Scharmer (2009) states that when a new development unfolds, people may respond to it in two ways: they muddle through or fight back. Scharmer’s Theory U is thus reflected upon in this study as well to help explain and clarify these perspectives so that appropriate strategies can be found to improve teacher development and quality performance in turn.

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Students who struggle with reading in their elementary years are likely to make poor academic progress, leave school before graduation, and struggle in the workplace. The district leaders at 24 K-5 elementary schools in a large Midwestern district were interested in a formative reading program evaluation to determine reading program effectiveness. This mixed methods study, approached from a cognitive and social theoretical framework, was a formative evaluation of the Balanced Literacy Reading Program implementation at these elementary schools. The purpose of this study was to capture the K-5 classroom teachers' (n = 113), instructional coaches' (n = 18), and principals' (n = 32) perceptions of the program in regard to the resources, staff development, leadership support, and impact on students and teachers. A parallel survey with both Likert and short-answer items was designed for each participant group based on these 4 categories. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed with open coding and thematic analysis. The primary finding was that participants in all 3 groups cited a need for professional development in the area of increasing student reading proficiency to grade level and beyond. As a result of the findings, a professional learning community was designed with a focus on in-depth collaboration to increase teacher knowledge and student achievement. District leaders were presented with the results of this study and recommendations for program improvement. These recommended improvements can impact social change by increasing student achievement, graduation rates, and workplace success.

This study presents a new perspective on work practice in conceptual art. Using ethnographic evidence from five visual artists, the study used a combined visual arts and practice orientated perspective to explore the materiality of their everyday work and the sociomaterial practices shaping it. Close scrutiny is given to the forms of expertise embedded in this through concepts of knowing-in-practice and epistemic objects. Emerging from the findings is clearer understanding of how an arts-based methodology might enhance knowledge about artists’ knowing-in-practice. Popular representations of contemporary artists often ignore the realities of precarious work. This is reflected in the professional education of artists with its concentration on studio-based activities and emphasis on the production and products of artmaking. This study reconfigures and reconceptualises the work of artists as assemblages of sociomaterial practices that include, but are not limited to artmaking – so providing a different representation of the work of artists as a continuous collaboration of mundane materials. The study identified seven sociomaterial practices, defined as movement-driven; studio-making; looking; pedagogic; self-promotion; peer support; and pause. As these practices are subject to ever-changing materialities, they are constantly reassembled. Analysis revealed hidden interiors of underemployment and income generation to be significant factors embedded in the mundane materialities of everyday work, revealing resilience and adaptability as key forms of expertise necessary for the assembling of practices. Further, the arts-based methodology of ‘integrated imagework’ created ways of visually analysing the materially-mediated, socially situated nature of knowing in practice, and demonstrated how relational concepts relating to knowing-in-practice might be better analysed. Findings indicate how the professional education of artists – particularly the way the workplace of the studio is understood – could be re-envisioned to support the fluidity of contemporary artistic practices. The studio itself is a form of knowledge – ever changing – forming and being formed by the practices of artists. Adopting this view of studio-based education would be a radical departure from current studio-based pedagogies in contemporary art education. Further, resilience – the capacity to sustain practices that are emergent and constantly unfolding – becomes a form of expertise central to the professional education of artists.

Research has identified job context, specific attributes of professional development (PD), and perceived teacher input as factors that contribute to teachers' attitudes. This sequential mixed methods study tested those findings together and further investigated teachers' beliefs and attitudes about their own professional learning. The first phase of data collection included a 5-item attitude survey, demographic information, and two short-answer questions. Multiple regression analysis of the sample (N = 328) showed four statistically significant contributors to teacher attitude: (i) socioeconomic status of the school, (ii) teacher years of experience at the campus, (iii) content area taught, and (iv) degree attained by the teacher. During the second phase, six focus groups were conducted which confirmed earlier findings and revealed four themes in teachers' attitudes: (1) a need and desire for collaborative, engaging PD; (2) perceived interference from outside forces that supplant teachers' own PD goals and wishes; (3) a need to establish a context and a cohesive plan for long-term career and campus goals; and (4) a subgroup of teachers who believe that PD has little inherent value. Limitations and implications are included.

The principal and teachers of a small independent South African school noticed a significant gap in the implementation of an effective Intermediate Phase (IP) reading curriculum. The principal decided to establish a Community of Inquiry (CoI) at the school to focus on this problem, and to research the process. The main purpose of this research was to investigate the affordances and constraints of the establishment of a CoI for the professional development of teachers as an instructional leadership intervention by the principal. The sub-questions that emerged from the main research question were: what would be the affordances and constraints of the principal establishing, facilitating and researching the CoI; what would be to the benefit of the teachers (and their learners) of establishing such a community for professional development and reading instruction in the IP; and, what processes are entailed in establishing an in-school CoI? To what degree, if any, would the CoI be a generating space to answer the research questions and aims? The literature review for the study explored the means of professional development available to educators and principals, especially Professional Learning Communities and their more focused interventions – Communities of Inquiry, and that professional development needs to target four levels – the teacher, their teaching, the community and collegiality at the school, and the principal as a developmental leader, in order for there to be an improvement in students’ learning. The concerning South African context with regard to reading in the IP was outlined, as well as that in the school. The South African curriculum IP learning outcomes and assessment standards for reading were critically explored against the backdrop of international curricula. The process of learning to read was traced. Hindrances to effective reading were also explored. The qualitative research design was an applied case study. Grounded Theory methods were used to reduce the data from the transcripts of CoI sessions. The findings of the research were that there are many affordances to establishing an in-school CoI, and that these benefits far outweigh the constraints. The CoI provided a germinating locus in which participants could begin to address the problems related to reading and reading instruction in the IP. It enabled the principal to develop as an instructional leader, and the teachers to develop as professionals and reading instructors. In hindsight, this project was a vital one, but considerably ambitious, difficult to implement, and perhaps even constrained in the sense of the principal establishing, facilitating and researching this process herself. However, without the principal driving, facilitating and researching the CoI, the question emerges whether such an intervention would have been established. Sometimes external insistences from authority can provide valuable impetus for change at schools, as long as these are sensitively handled and one has the support and trust of participants. The actual acceleration in learning that the participants experienced was extensive, and, sometimes it is only the principal that can play this role – especially in newly established communities. Much more research and support for principals in becoming instructional leaders and in establishing CoIs at their schools is required in the South African context.