A Case Study of an Iowa Female Secondary Principal
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Dissertations and Theses @ UNI Student Work 1996 Passages: A case study of an Iowa female secondary principal Victoria L. Robinson University of Northern Iowa Let us know how access to this document benefits ouy Copyright ©1996 Victoria L. Robinson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons, and the Secondary Education and Teaching Commons Recommended Citation Robinson, Victoria L., "Passages: A case study of an Iowa female secondary principal" (1996). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 331. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/331 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses @ UNI by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Copyright by VICTORIA L. ROBINSON December 1996 All Rights Reserved PASSAGES: A CASE STUDY OF AN IOWA FEMALE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL An Abstract of a Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: Gra uate College Somervill Victoria L. Robinson University of Northern Iowa December 1996 ABSTRACT The purpose of this exploratory case study was to identify and describe one female Iowa secondary principal's career path to the principalship in an Iowa public high school. Several factors were considered in the selection of the participant including: demographics, administrative experience, and her willingness to spend time in the interview process. To provide semi-structure to the interviews and in turn suggest the conceptual frame for analyzing the data, the following questions were formulated: 1. W~at were the experiences which served as perceived barriers in the career path to the high school principalship for one Iowa female high school principal? 2. How does one Iowa female high school principal view her role, strengths, and limitations based on her experiences as a high school principal? 3. How does one Iowa female high school principal describe her leadership style? 4. How do those who work with one Iowa female high school principal describe her leadership style? The combined experiences and leadership style from one female educational administrator's own perspective emerged as data was gathered, analyzed, and organized. On-site observations, interviews with the participant's associates, and archival documents clarified meaning to provide credibility and confirmability. The method chosen in the case study for presentation of data was a descriptive narrative. The study provided a rich description of one Iowa female high school principal's career path. The documented singular voice of one Iowa female high school principal adds to the understanding of the unique role of female high school principals in a basically rural state where female high school principals are in a minority. The study provides a thick description of a career passage for females in Iowa who aspire to the principalship as well as practicing female high school principals. Furthermore, the study provides a new term for describing a leadership trait earlier identified as strong and soft traits. The term, "stroft," suggests a new way of thinking of a leadership trait defined as strong and soft but conceptually understood as a blend of those characteristics that equals "stroft." PASSAGES: A CASE STUDY OF AN IOWA FEMALE SECONDARY PRINCIPAL A Dissertation Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Approved: Victoria L. Robinson University of Northern Iowa December 1996 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Five years ago, I entered the doctoral program. My two daughters just rolled their eyes and said, "Mom is going to school again. So what else is new?" My sisters and mother shook their heads and said, "Can't you just relax and learn to enjoy life instead of always having a goal and being busy?" Friends and colleagues smiled and said, "Go for itl" Professors said, "Begin to think about your dissertation." I did think about a dissertation and concluded the process would be difficult, long, and lonely. Much to my surprise, the process was anything but lonely. I was surrounded by people who gave me encouragement, guidance, time, and valuable feedback. They have my deepest respect and sincere appreciation. I was very fortunate to have Dr. Rob Boody, Dr. Robert Decker, Dr. Mark Grey, Dr. Joane W. McKay, and Dr. Michael Waggoner all agree to serve on my committee. They deserve much thanks for their time and wise counsel. As co-chairs, Dr. Joane W. McKay and Dr. Michael Waggoner, provided excellent guidance and suggestions. Throughout the dissertation process, I was fortunate to be associated with two outstanding female administrators who served as my role models, mentors, and sponsors. Unlike my participant's role model who didn't think it would be right for a district to have two female school administrators, Dr. Linda Fernandez believed in me. Because of Dr. Fernandez, I iii made the passage from secondary teacher to secondary principal. Together, we served as administrators in one school for 4 years. I sat at the feet of a master teacher administrator and learned. Dr. Joane W. McKay, my other role model, mentor, and sponsor, not only believed in me but helped me to believe in myself. She has a magical way of bringing out the best in people, accomplishing more in a day than most accomplish in a week, and leading a balanced and joyful life. I can only hope that I will give to others the gift of confidence, time, and support she always gave me. I would like to express my gratitude to my participant, "Sue," for her generous gift of her time and for her openness in the sharing of her experiences. Her story will serve as a model of achievement for female women administrators whose career path includes the principalship. Sherry Nuss, who discovered during my dissertation process that her role title is "copy editor," contributed greatly to the finished document. Her expertise, patience, and commitment to excellence merit recognition and thanks. I thank my mother, Ivadean Lutz, who taught me at an early age, "Quitters never win, and winners never quit.'' I heard her words during many late nights at the computer. Lastly, I acknowledge all the sacrifices my daughters, Jennifer and Jodi, made during the writing of this dissertation. They allowed me time to think and to write iv when they often just wanted to talk to mom or "go do something together." I treasure the card they gave me that said, "I believe I'll accomplish what I set out to do. I believe in my strength, my perseverance, my tenacity. I believe in my goals, I am focused, and I am determined." May they, too, always believe in themselves. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page 1. INTRODUCTION. 1 Overview and Demographic. 3 Themes From the Literature • 4 Historic Barriers ••••• 4 Experiences of Female Educational Administrators •••••.••• 6 Female Leadership Style •• 8 Statement of Problem. 11 Definitions. 13 Significance of Study •• 14 Purpose of Study ••••. 15 Assumptions •• 16 Limitations •. 16 Summary ••• 17 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE • 18 Barriers to Females in Educational Administration .•.•.....• 18 Historical Perspective • 19 Barriers Identified •• 25 Internal and External Barriers • 38 Experiences of Females in Educational Administration ••••• 39 Encountering the Glass Ceiling •• 40 Deciding to Enter Educational Administration •••••••• 44 Preparing for Educational Administration 47 vi Chapter Page Seeking the Administrative Position •• 53 Serving as an Administrator •• 63 A Female High School Principal's Self- Reported Experiences. • . • • • • • • 72 Leadership Style of Females in Educational Administration. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 87 Review of Evolution on Research •• 87 Differences Between Male and Female Leadership Style in Educational Administration ....•••••. 88 Stages of Research. 91 Male and Female Voices 93 Male and Female Lenses • 96 Male and Female Communication Styles • 99 Female Dilemma ••••••• 101 Female Leadership Attributes • 103 The Six Stages of Research on Female Leadership Style •••.•••••• 103 Justification for Female Story Sharing. 106 Balanced Blend of Male and Female Leadership Styles . 109 3. METHODOLOGY •• 114 Epistemological Basis. 114 Research Design ••••• 118 Selection of Participant . 121 Description of Participant . 122 Pilot Studies •• 123 Data Collection. 124 vii Chapter Page Interviews • 124 Observations • 126 Data Analysis .. 126 Narratives .•• 129 Writing One Iowa Female High School Principal's Story. • • ••••• 130 Summary. 131 4. FINDINGS . 132 Introduction to Sue .• 132 Career Passages--Barriers to Overcome •• 136 The Journey Begins: Sue's Background 136 The Journey Into Administration: Deciding to Enter the Principalship. 138 The Journey: Sue's Educational Administration Training •••• 140 The Journey: Sue's Internal Perspectives 142 The Journey: Sue's Principalship Search. 143 The Journey's Temporary End: Sue's First Position. • . • • • . • • • . • • • • 145 The Journey Begins Again: Sue's Second Principalship Search. • • • • • . • • • 146 Another Journey's End: Sue's Reception. 148 The Journey's End: The Husband's Role. • 152 Experiences Encountered. 157 Experiences: Earning Respect • 157 Experiences: Facilitating Change 163 Experiences: Working to Make a Difference. • 171 viii Chapter Page Experiences: Remembering the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly ..••••••••• 175