Date of Award
5-2020
Document Type
Action Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education, Montessori
First Advisor
Amanda Perna
Department/School
Organizational Leadership, Ethics and Leadership
Abstract
This action research project was conducted to see if participation in an online leadership cohort would affect the self-efficacy of school leaders. Using an online platform, seven Montessori heads of schools from the United States gathered to discuss topics of greatest importance to them. The schools represented were public, private, non-profit, proprietary and charter. The heads of schools ranged in experience from 3 to 33 years. They met once a week, for four weeks, for an hour each session to discuss four topics most relevant to the group, as determined by their suggestions. Data was collected using pre and post intervention self-assessments and surveys, as well as field notes, observation records, and tally sheets taken during the four leadership cohort sessions. The researcher facilitated the group and guided the conversations with prompts and continued questions. The heads of school asked questions of each other, offered answers, and shared resources. The intervention was shown to increase the self-efficacy of some participants, decrease the self-efficacy of some participants, and not affect the self-efficacy of others. However, the participants all reported feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to come together, citing community and collaboration as the most positive rewards.
Recommended Citation
Harris, Jennifer A.. (2020). Community and Collaboration: The Effects of Participation in an Online Leadership Cohort on the Self-Efficacy of School Leaders. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/348
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