An Examination of Educational Leadership Dissertations

• In Event: Theories of Learning, Teaching, and Effectiveness in Educational Leadership

Abstract

Do educational leadership dissertations actually study matters that are relevant to the field of education and/or educational leadership? Do they actually add to the body of knowledge in a beneficial way to education, to the community, to society? Or are they mere exercises in research, the products of which provide demonstrable evidence of one’s ability to conduct research or analyze critically?
The purpose of the present paper is to analyze recent dissertations for indications of relevance and/or advancement in the field of education. The researchers will present their findings from the examination of dissertation studies completed in 2015 and will group them into common themes as well as identify them as relevant, problem solutions, critical inquiry, or personal interest.

Authors

• Kathleen Taylor Campbell, Southeastern Louisiana University

• Thomas A. Devaney, Southeastern Louisiana University