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ANAPPRECIATIVE INQUIRYCASE STUDY:RECOGNIZINGTHEPOSITIVECOREOF TEACHERSINA LOWSESELEMENTARYSCHOOLTHATMET STANDARDOF EXCELLENCE ADissertationby Jaclynn L.Glasgow M.Ed., WichitaStateUniversity,2003 M.Ed., WichitaStateUniversity,1978 B.S.,EmporiaStateUniversity,1974 SubmittedtotheCollegeofEducation andtothefacultyoftheGraduateSchoolof WichitaStateUniversity inpartialfulfillmentof therequirements forthedegreeof DoctorofEducation May2008 © Copyright2008byJaclynn L.Glasgow AllRightsReserved ANAPPRECIATIVE INQUIRYCASE STUDY:RECOGNIZINGTHEPOSITIVECOREOF TEACHERSINA LOWSESELEMENTARYSCHOOLTHATMET STANDARDOF EXCELLENCE Ihaveexaminedthefinalcopyofthisdissertationforformand content,and recommendthatit beacceptedinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeof DoctorofEducational Leadership. _________________________________ Raymond L.Calabrese,CommitteeChair Wehavereadthisdissertationandrecommendits acceptance: _________________________________ John Fast,CommitteeMember _________________________________ Dennis Kear,CommitteeMember _________________________________ JeanPatterson,Committee Member _________________________________ RandyTurk,CommitteeMember AcceptedfortheCollegeofEducation _________________________________ Sharon Iorio,Dean Acceptedforthe GraduateSchool _________________________________ Susan K. Kovar,Dean iii DEDICATION ToSteveforsupportingmydream,Jenni,Tyler,andGrantforbelievinginme,myparents,Lyle andJeanUdall,fortheiraffirmationoffaithanddailyencouragement, myfriendsandcolleagues whostoodbymethroughoutthis journeyofdiscovery.Inlovingmemoryofmyfatherand mother-in-law,HomerandJeanGlasgow,whosharedmyvaluesofeducation. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ihavealways beenconsideredalifelonglearnerpushingmyselftoexcelandfurther my knowledge. Icouldnothavepursued myeducationaljourneyofdiscoverywithoutthesupportof thoseIconsidereducationalleaders. IwishtothankDr.RayCalabreseforshapingandmolding thepotentialhesawin methat Ineverthoughtpossible.Hedidnotallowmetolimitmyvision ofwho Icanbe.His expectationwasnothingless thanformetoperform mybest.Hehelped me realizethatlearninghas noboundaries. Irespecthisexpertise,imagery, andenergyas an educationalleader.Hehaschanged mylife. TheEducational LeadershipDoctoralProgramhasempowered metodevelopasan educationalleader andextendmylearning.Iamgratefulfortheirinsightandknowledge bestowedupon mebyEducation Leadershipfacultyduringmythree years ofstudy—Dr.Ray Calabrese,Dr.JeanPatterson,Dr.RandyTurk,Dr.IanGibson,andDr.GlynRimmington. Iam appreciativetothemembers of mydissertationcommittee,Dr.RayCalabrese,Dr. JeanPatterson,Dr.RandyTurk, Dr.Dennis Kear,andDr.John Fast,fortheirencouragement, support,andleadership. IwanttothankDr.Allen Hillen,former SuperintendentofUSD,who guidedmeduring mydoctoralprogram.IalsothankMr.Rick Weiss,USD353 SuperintendentWellingtonPublic Schools,membersoftheUSD353BoardofEducation,andUSD353CentralOfficestafffor theirunselfishsupportduringmyeducationaljourney. IalsowishtothanktheotherthreemembersofCohort14—AllenJantz,Kathy Mickelson,andTeresaSanMartin. IespeciallythankTeresaSan Martinwhowasmyanchorand mysailthroughthisprocess.Ourcohortsetexpectationsofnotacceptinganythingbutourbest; and,eachof youtaughtmetobelieveinmyself. v IthankCohort13membersand graduates,EricaNance,Charlene Laramore,BillKelley, JanPeterson,DanielleHollas,DianeGross,andCrystalHummel,fortheir ongoingguidanceand fortitude. IthankDonnaPalsmeier,JenniferRobinson,and CindyStrublemyofficeadministrative assistants,andthestaff membersat LincolnElementarySchoolwholistenedtome,encouraged me,andbelievedinmetoachievethis goal. IgivespecialthankstotheinspiringstaffofLincoln Elementaryfortheiraspirationtohelpmeconduct myresearchand for makingadifference for allstudents. Ithankmycolleagues DaleListon,JoeJacobs,JerryHodson,JamieYbarra,John Walton, KellyAdams,RonBrown,CarolHadorn, formerUSD353principal,andDr. Marcy Aycock,formerUSD353principal,fortheir assistancewithvariousdistrictresponsibilities whileinthedoctoralprogram. Ithankmyparents, LyleandJeanUdall,whobelievedandsupportedmeunconditionally. Ialsothankmychildren, GrantGlasgow,JenniHeffronandherhusbandTyler,whounderstood theimportanceof mydream. Lastly,thank youto myhusband,Steve Glasgow,whodiditalland allowedmetobeme. vi ABSTRACT Thepurposeofmystudywastodiscoverthesuccessfulteachingpracticesofteachersin aStandardofExcellence elementaryschool.Mystudyalsoidentifiedthenecessaryecological conditionsfortheteacherstosustainandextendtheirsuccessfulteachingpractices.Dueto limitedresearchonthestudyofsuccessfulteachingpracticesofteachers as itrelatestostudent achievement,this studysoughttodescribethesuccessfulteachingpractices ofteachers inaSOE elementaryschool,anditsoughttounderstandtheconditionstohelpsustainandextendtheir successfulteachingpractices. Thedesignofthisstudywasaqualitativecasestudyconductedthroughan appreciative inquirytheoreticalperspectiveandcapacitybuildingtheory.Anappreciativeinquirytheoretical perspectiveisaninquiryprocess thatseekstoaffirmandbuildonstrengths andpastsuccesses of theparticipantstodiscoverwhat giveslifetotheir organizationoritspositivecore.Capacity buildingtheoryencouragestheconditions andopportunitiesforsharedlearningand collaboration. Participantswereaskedtovolunteertoparticipateinvariousdatacollectionmethods: semi-structuredpairedinterviews,focus groups,andparticipantcreateddocuments.Datawere unitized,sorted,andcodedthroughanopen andaxialcodingprocess (whichisaprocess of breakingdownthedataandthensynthesizingitin ameaningfulway) (Strauss&Corbin,1990), usingtextanalysis software(Ryan &Bernard,2000)sothattheparticipants’perspectives were synthesizedinamannerthatallowedtheresearch questions tobeanswered (Huberman,1990). Contentanalysis simultaneouslycodedthecontentandconstructsrelevantcategories (Merriam, 2001).CATPACsoftwarewas used asaninitialfoundationofreadingtextforthe vii interrelationshipsbetweenwordsallowingthemes toemerge (Woelfel,1990).Datawas comparedbycategories,themes,ordimensions ofinformation (Creswell,1998). Participantswereguided throughtwophases oftheAI4-DCycleofdiscoveryand dream.Detailedfieldnotesweretaken andinformationwas collected frommultipleperspectives. Fivesalientfindings emergedfromthedataanalysis:(1)LincolnElementarySchoolis a cohesivegroupofeducatorswhoseektohelpstudentsreachtheirpotential; (2) Lincoln ElementarySchooleducatorscollaboratetostrengthenandenhanceinstructionalpractices;(3) LincolnElementarySchooleducatorsvalueandcareaboutallschoolstakeholders; (4)Lincoln ElementarySchooleducatorscreatedaninclusivecommunityboundbystronginterpersonal relationships; (5)Lincoln ElementarySchooleducatorswanttocreatealearningenvironment thatisstudent centered andfamilyorientedwhereteachers useprogressive practicesinteaching students. Thefindings frommyresearchsuggestedthatthe appreciativeinquiryprocesshas the potentialtochangeteachers’pedagogicalpracticesandtheconditionsforthepracticestosustain. Usingan appreciativeinquiryprocessinthisresearchstudyempoweredparticipants andsparked anewvisionofoptimism,hope,andapassionforteaching. Allthefindings fromthis studyhavethepotentialtotransformhoweducatorsmeetthe demandsofschoolaccountabilityandlooktosustainhighperformancebydescribingthe successfulteachingpractices andtheecologicalconditions neededtosustainandextendthese practices. viii TABLEOFCONTENTS Chapter Page DEDICATION...............................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................v ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER1....................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 BACKGROUNDTOTHESTUDY................................................................................................2 TeacherBeliefs.......................................................................................................................6 PROBLEMSTATEMENT..............................................................................................................8 PURPOSEOFTHE STUDY...........................................................................................................9 SIGNIFICANCEOFTHE STUDY.................................................................................................9 OVERVIEWOFMETHODOLOGY............................................................................................11 UnitsofAnalysis...................................................................................................................12 RESEARCHQUESTIONS............................................................................................................................................12 OBJECTIVES.............................................................................................................................................................12 LIMITATIONS...........................................................................................................................................................13 DELIMITATIONS.......................................................................................................................................................13 ASSUMPTIONS..........................................................................................................................................................13 DEFINITIONOFKEYTERMS...................................................................................................14 CapacityBuilding.................................................................................................................14 Standard ofExcellence.........................................................................................................14 StudentAchievement............................................................................................................14 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................15 CHAPTER2..................................................................................................................................16 REVIEWOFTHE LITERATURE...............................................................................................16 CONCEPTUALFRAMEWORK.....................................................................................................................................16 ProfessionalExperiences......................................................................................................16 Epistemology........................................................................................................................17 ix TABLEOFCONTENTS(Cont.) Chapter Page Theoretical Framework.........................................................................................................18 Appreciativeinquiry................................................................................................................................................................20 Capacitybuildingtheory.........................................................................................................................................................23 COMPETINGPERSPECTIVE.......................................................................................................................................26 METHODOLOGY FOR THE REVIEWOFEMPIRICALRESEARCH....................................27 SYNTHESISOFTHEREVIEWEDRESEARCH...............................................................................................................31 SuccessfulPedagogyand PedagogicalPracticesandStudentSuccess................................31 TeacherEfficacyandHighExpectationsforStudents.........................................................33 TeacherInvolvementinDecisionMakingandDistributed Leadership...............................35 PositiveSchoolClimateandStudentAcademicSuccess.....................................................37 AppreciativeInquiryand OptimisticChange.......................................................................38 SUMMARY...................................................................................................................................42 CHAPTER3..................................................................................................................................44 METHODOLOGY........................................................................................................................44 RESEARCHDESIGNAND METHODOLOGY.........................................................................44 PURPOSEOFTHE STUDY.........................................................................................................45 RESEARCHQUESTIONS...........................................................................................................45 CONTEXT.....................................................................................................................................46 UNITOFANALYSIS...................................................................................................................48 ROLEOFTHERESEARCHER...................................................................................................49 METHODS....................................................................................................................................50 SEMI-STRUCTUREDPAIREDINTERVIEWS.................................................................................................................52 FOCUSGROUPS........................................................................................................................................................52 PARTICIPANTCREATEDDOCUMENTS......................................................................................................................53 DATAANALYSIS........................................................................................................................53 RESEARCHQUALITY................................................................................................................54 x
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