Principal Feedback to Teachers Leading to Sustainable Change by

• Other Authors: Hughes, Willie (author)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Educational leadership; Education
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/2018_Sp_Hughes_fsu_0071E_14418

Principals implement a variety of strategies to improve the quality of instruction within their school buildings. These strategies can range from teacher development to professional learning communities to teacher evaluation systems to various ways to provide feedback to teachers on the quality of instruction. Working in our nation’s schools to improve the educational experiences for all students; principals must strive to improve student learning through improving the quality of instruction that all students receive. This is the basis for which this research study is constructed. Following a classroom observation by the principal, how can the principal’s feedback to the teacher yield sustainable improvements in a teacher’s instructional practices? How can a principal’s instructional leadership skills ensure improvement in a teacher’s instructional practice? Throughout this research study, the Design Based Research (DBR) methodology (as authored/researched by Rick Mintrop) was used to explore these research questions. The steps for design based research include: defining/framing a problem of practice, making intuitive theories of action, understanding the problem/change process, designing research- based interventions, implementing interventions/ collecting data, and evaluating interventions/ deriving design principles (Mintrop, 2015). DBR procedures were embedded in my research study to explore these research questions through FICS Observation Cycles, Teacher Perceptions Surveys, and Principal Reflective Interviews. For this research study, we explored the feedback three principals provided to their teachers over the course of several months. Each participating principal was trained on how to ensure feedback conversations are meaningful, descriptive, specific, and undergirded by a self-regulating action plan. They used FICS Observation Protocol Sheets to capture these conversations. Each principal used teacher perception surveys to gauge the instructional leadership and the level of instructional change the teachers made based upon feedback from the principal. The premise behind this design is to ensure that teacher feedback is embedded in an instructional framework with specific goal-setting steps that are discussed through a collaborative laser-like focus on good teaching which results in better student learning. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. === Spring Semester 2018. === April 4, 2018. === instructional leadership, principal, teacher evalaution, teacher feedback, teacher goals setting, teacher perceptions === Includes bibliographical references. === Stacey Rutledge, Professor Directing Dissertation; Itel Jones, University Representative; Marytza Gawlik, Committee Member; Helen Boyle, Committee Member.