Exploring Adult Learners' Transition to Leadership Roles in Urban Education

• In Event: Impacts on Adult Education and Adult Education Impact

Abstract

This case study explores the influence of participating in a leadership program on novice school district administrators’ perspective transformation and self-perception as leaders in K-12 urban schools. The study uses program documents, semi-structured interviews, and reflection notes, to answer: 1. How do aspiring principals’ perceptions of their self-efficacy as leaders in K-12 shift as a result of their participation in a leadership professional development program? 2. What particular individual or collective educational experiences, gained during their participation in the program, do the participants consider as transformative for their development as leaders? The findings support a participants' perspective shift, add to the emerging literature on the field of adult learners, and informs professional development programs approach to adult learners’ transformative experiences.

Author

• Regina J Giraldo-Garcia, Ball State University