LEA Representatives' Leadership and Perceived Fit of Leadership Style as Reported by Special Education Practitioners: An Application of Situational Leadership®II during IEP Team Meetings

• Main Author: Holliday, Amanda Lauren
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest LLC 2022; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subjects: Comparative Analysis; Educational Administration; Educational leadership; Grade 12; Individualized Education Programs; Individualized Instruction; Instructional Leadership; Job Satisfaction; Leadership; Leadership Styles; Mainstreaming; Meetings; Public Schools; School Districts; Special education; Special Education Teachers; Speech therapy; Teacher Administrator Relationship; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Transformational Leadership; South Carolina
• ISBN: 9798379426552

The focus of the study was to explore real and ideal leadership styles provided by LEA representatives to Special Education practitioners during IEP team meetings and to apply Situational Leadership® II to the specific context. By using the Leader Action Profile (LAP) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule -- Short Form (PANAS-SF), the study was able to find if Special Education practitioners reported a fit or misfit of leadership style and then to compare the outcome measures, including job satisfaction and job-related affect between those reporting a fit and those reporting a misfit. The population (n = 91) chosen for the study was Special Education practitioners in 5 public school districts in Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Implications for the educational community include the importance of LEA Representatives providing appropriate support to Special Education practitioners during IEP team meetings, as higher levels of support were associated with statistically significantly higher levels of positive affect and job satisfaction measures. Implications also include while Special Education practitioners indicated a desire for delegating leadership from LEA Representatives, those reporting receiving coaching behaviors from their LEA Representatives had statistically significantly better outcome measures overall. Conclusively, LEA Representatives were seen as fulfilling their professional responsibilities as principals at the state and federal levels regarding leadership during IEP team meetings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]