Decision Making across a Newfoundland School District

Warren, Wilson Douglas

Decision Making across a Newfoundland School District

atmire.migration.oldid	1160
dc.contributor.advisor	Kowch, Eugene
dc.contributor.author	Warren, Wilson Douglas
dc.date.accessioned	2013-07-15T20:35:58Z
dc.date.available	2013-11-12T08:00:16Z
dc.date.issued	2013-07-15
dc.date.submitted	2013	en
dc.description.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.	en_US
dc.identifier.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	en_US
dc.identifier.doi	http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/25527
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/11023/818
dc.language.iso	eng
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary	en
dc.publisher.place	Calgary	en
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Education--Administration
dc.subject	Education--Curriculum and Instruction
dc.subject	Education--Technology
dc.subject.classification	Decision Making	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Networking	en_US
dc.title	Decision Making across a Newfoundland School District
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Educational Research
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Education (EdD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopy	true