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Pedagogy of interiority : using self-inquiry in community to inform and shape leadership practice

University of British Columbia

The purpose of this research study was to explore how self-inquiry in community might serve as a way to open up new avenues for personal and professional development for school administrators. The following served as the driving question for this research study: In what ways does collegial inquiry about the relationship between beliefs, values, and leadership actions influence school leaders' personal professional development? Using three existing theoretical models for leadership – moral leadership, authentic leadership, and consciousness-driven leadership – this study was a narrative inquiry with a small group of early-career vice-principals. Designed as a qualitative research study that involved the participants writing about their high point, low point, and turning point as school administrators before engaging in focus group conversations and individual interviews with the researcher, this study focused on how school administrators might explore their professional stories in community. The objective of this research was to explore how school administrators might engage in personal and professional growth at the level of beliefs and values as a way to grow towards a more integrated personal and professional self, able to facilitate personal and professional growth for the staff whom they lead in their schools. Findings from this research indicated that there is an interest among administrators for this type of leadership development model. At the same time, school districts who undertake such a model should focus on connecting moral, authentic, and consciousness-driven leadership with trust, presence, vulnerability, and psychological safety as a way to create a safe container for personal and professional growth for school administrators.

Text

2020-09-03

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/75848

Education

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/