Decision Making across a Newfoundland School District
Date
2013-07-15
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Abstract
This qualitative research study presents descriptive and explanatory multiple case analyses offering a description and analysis on relational decision making among school district leaders responding to a district wide videoconferencing policy. This exploratory study was conducted using an interpretive mixed method multiple case approach. Interviews and document analyses were the primary data sources used to collect data. Eleven rural principals, five urban principals and five district administrators were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Network analysis, Bates ACTIONS model (2000) and Brazer & Keller (2006) multiple stakeholder decision making models formed the conceptual framework for the data collected. The range of documents included annual reports, board meeting minutes and policy drafting. Triangulation of the data (Patton, 2002) contributed to the validity and credibility of the data analysis. Among the leaders studied, the network formed as a know-how network of influence. The rural leaders’ network emerged as an inflexible thin network where information exchange limited network capacity. The urban and district leaders’ network emerged as a dense tightly closed network. For rural leaders, learner impact from the videoconferencing influenced decision makers most. Cost influenced urban decision makers most. The district leaders considered organizational impact as their most important decision making factor. Instructional and curriculum decisions were the top decision making task for rural leaders. Strategic resourcing was the top decision making task for urban leaders. The district leaders ranked centralized and decentralized decision making as their top ranked decision making task. Rural leaders used student learning, school process and perception data to guide their decision making with implementation. The urban leaders used solely student learning data. The district leaders used student learning and school process data. Rural leaders used type 2 and type 3 collaborative decision making style within staff meeting and school council structure. Urban leaders used type 2 and type 4 collaborative decision making style within a committee structure. District leaders used type 1, type 2 and type 4 collaborative decision making style within a committee structure when involving others in shared leadership.
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Keywords
Education--Administration, Education--Curriculum and Instruction, Education--Technology
Citation
Warren, W. D. (2013). Decision Making across a Newfoundland School District (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25527