Stephanie Maney-Hartlaub
Published: 2020
Total Pages: 234
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The academic achievement gap in urban schools points to the need for strong and effective instructional leaders who can counter the numerous education challenges facing these institutions. Principals strongly shape the conditions for high-quality teaching, and high-quality principals are vital to the effectiveness of our nation’s school (Fry, O’Neill, & Bottoms, 2006; Wallace Foundation, 2013, 2016). Principal preparation is the pathway for aspiring urban principals to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to be effective school leaders (Darling-Hammond, Lapointe, Meyerson, & Orr, 2007; Tucker, Young, & Korchoreck, 2012). Bandura (2012) theorizes that self-efficacy, the belief in one’s ability to achieve a specific task and produce the desired results, rather than one’s actual abilities move individuals to accomplish self-determined goals. This study examined the development of self-efficacy among aspiring urban principals for the role of an instructional leader through the lens of Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1986) and the Cognitive Coaching Framework (2002). The research employed a mixed-method sequential explanatory case study design with 57 aspiring urban principals using the Principals’ Sense of Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES). In addition, 16 semi-structured interviews were conducted with aspiring urban principals who did not receive coaching during pre-service training and aspiring urban principals who received coaching during pre-service training. The following overarching research question was addressed: How does having a school leadership coaching during pre-service training influence aspiring urban principals’ perceptions of self-efficacy in readiness for the role of instructional leadership? The related research questions asked: To what extent do differences exist in aspiring urban principals who received on-the-job coaching during pre-service training and those who did not in their perceived ability to set direction, develop people and redesign the organization to develop one that supports the performance of administrators, teachers, and students? Overall, the findings from the study support the idea that coaching during pre-service training can positively influence aspiring urban principals’ sense of self-efficacy for the role of an instructional leader. Through ongoing feedback and engagement, modeling of best practices in coaching, as well as accountability and encouragement. This research supports several recommendations for educational institutions charged with preparing urban school principals, which include, the addition of coaching as a component in preparation programs and ensuring that current practitioners with knowledge of the current work in the field serve as instructors within these preparation programs.