Developing School Leadership Through Sustained Mentoring and Coaching: A Longitudinal Qualitative Single-Case Study

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership Preparation, Mentoring, and Development

Abstract

In this proposal we examine how sustained, relationship-based instructional coaching supports the development and transformation of school leadership over time. Grounded in Synergistic Leadership Theory and guided by the Organizational Leadership Effectiveness Inventory (OLEI), we conducted a longitudinal qualitative case study of a leadership team in an urban elementary school. Over three academic semesters, the leadership team engaged in virtual mentoring and coaching (VMC) with an experienced leadership coach. We analyzed transcripts from leadership meetings to answer three questions related to changes in leadership practice, responses to external expectations, and leadership identity. The findings show that embedded VMC contributed to structural, behavioral, and identity shifts across all four domains of the OLEI framework.

Authors

• Minoo Mohammadi, Texas A&M University

• Beverly J. Irby, Texas A&M University

• Rafael Lara-Alecio, Texas A&M University

• Cindy L. Guerrero, Texas A&M University

• Linda Rodriguez, Texas A&M University

• Fuhui Tong, Texas A&M University