A grounded theory approach for exploring shared leadership: evidence from urban primary schools in Pennsylvania

ABSTRACT

Shared leadership among school principals and teachers has been touted as a means to enhance student achievement. Using grounded theory, we interviewed six principals and 20 urban elementary school teachers, in Pennsylvania, to examine their perceptions about federal and state mandates on shared leadership. Results indicate that although teachers desire to participate in shared leadership the pressures they encounter regarding state testing mandates, their expressed aversion to this accountability, and their lack of autonomy affected their capacity to participate in shared leadership. Principals viewed improving standardized test scores as best for students, but many teachers do not. Teachers believe they should make instructional decisions regarding students, but feel they cannot due to the mandates around standardized testing. Understanding the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding the impact of federal and state mandates on sharing the leadership role and the connection between accountability, shared leadership, and students’ best interest may assist policymakers and practitioners in the field to make decisions more attuned to the concerns of stakeholders, and thus are potentially more likely to succeed.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Angela Kownacki

Dr. Angela Kownacki is Director of Pupil Services for the School District of the City of Erie. She supervises the departments of Special Education, Child Study, School Health Services, Early Intervention, Guidance Counseling, and Mental Health Support. Dr. Kownacki holds an undergraduate degree in Mental Health Counseling, a graduate degree in Special Education, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has published in The Early Childhood Report. Dr. Kownacki received her PhD from Gannon University.

David Barker

David Barker received his Ph.D. in Sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He holds the position of Associate Professor in the Sociology and Organizational Learning and Leadership Programs at Gannon University. His research interests include; group dynamics, stress and coping, and social organizations and leadership. He serves as a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Stress Management.

Vishal Arghode

Vishal Arghode holds a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University, College Station and is currently a faculty member of the Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources Management area at IIM Nagpur. Prior to joining IIMN, he was an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Learning and Leadership Ph.D. program at Gannon University, Erie-PA where he taught courses in Organizational Studies, Leadership, Public Administration, and Research Methods besides chairing and serving on dissertation committees and conducting research. His research interests include: Change leadership, emotional issues in organizations, workplace learning, organizational culture and performance management, and emerging issues in organizations.