Dissertation
TRUSTWORTHY LEADERSHIP IN A SMALL, RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: AN APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
01/2016
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117500
Abstract
The purpose of this appreciative inquiry was to address the issue of trust in a small, rural school district in Washington State, specifically, to improve trustworthy leadership (Tschannen- Moran, 2004) and thereby improve the climate of trust within the district. Research questions were: (a) What are the school district’s experiences around the issues of trust in regard to district and school leadership? (b) What approaches to improving trustworthy leadership (Tschannen- Moran, 2004) and the climate of trust are appropriate in a small, rural school district? (c) How can Tschannen-Moran’s (2004) Trustworthy Leadership Matrix be used effectively as a guide to develop trustworthy leadership? and (d) What is the role of the superintendent in improving the climate of trust in a small, rural school district? The study was guided by Whitney and Torsten- Bloom’s (2003) model for appreciative inquiry and included the phases of discover, dream, design, and destiny, with Tschannen-Moran’s (2004) Trustworthy Leadership Matrix serving as a theoretical frame. The district administrative team, led by the superintendent, served as the research team. Data collected by the team included interviews with teachers and other school staff members. The outcomes of the study were: (a) a more complete understanding on the part of district leaders of the concepts of trust and trustworthy leadership, (b) a broader perspective on the issues of trust within the district, (c) an increased awareness of appreciative inquiry and its application, (d) a positive core map and action plan the district leadership team will use in moving the district forward, and (e) a new set of skills that helped increase the effectiveness of the superintendent. Conclusions of the study included a validation of the usefulness of the Trustworthy Leadership Matrix (Tschannen-Moran, 2004), with the qualification that the model be linked to other initiatives currently in the structure of the organization. The study also concluded that appreciative inquiry was a useful process for superintendents to use when developing trustworthy leaders. The final conclusion was in regard to the role of the superintendent being critical in cultivating a climate of trust in a school district.
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Details
- Title
- TRUSTWORTHY LEADERSHIP IN A SMALL, RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: AN APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
- Creators
- Thaynan Lee Knowlton
- Contributors
- Gail Furman (Advisor)Gordon Gates (Committee Member)Teena McDonald (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Educational Leadership, Sport Studies, and Educational/Counseling Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Education (EdD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 117
- Identifiers
- 99900581835601842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation