Principals' perceptions and leadership in early literacy learning / Errick Lanard Greene.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Greene, Errick Lanard, author.

Contributor:

Campano, H. Gerald, degree supervisor, degree committee member.

Lytle, James H., 1940- degree committee member.

Agnamba, Lindsey Allard, degree committee member.

University of Pennsylvania. Educational Leadership, degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Educational Leadership.

Educational Leadership--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--Education.

Education--Penn dissertations.

Penn dissertations--Educational Leadership.

Educational Leadership--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

ix, 167 leaves ; 29 cm

Production:

[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] : University of Pennsylvania, 2016.

Summary:

Early childhood education is the foundation on which later learning is built. Schools across the country are constantly challenged to provide children with developmentally appropriate early childhood learning experiences, while ensuring those students' preparedness for success as they move through the primary years, elementary and secondary schooling. Elementary school principals are charged with leading their early childhood teachers in providing rich instruction for the students, even though many do not have deep knowledge or experience in that area. This study will explore four principals' beliefs and leadership practices around early literacy instruction. To guide this study, the following research question was asked: What are principals' beliefs and practices regarding early literacy learning? The insights gleaned from this study will help to inform ongoing professional development experiences for principals and, perhaps, the pre-service training that they receive. More immediately, the participating principals will have an opportunity to adjust their early literacy leadership by engaging in an inquiry-based collaborative learning experience. One of the challenges regarding early literacy instruction is the fact that there is not complete consensus regarding best practices. This is certainly true of oral language and vocabulary instruction for young children, which are key components of their literacy learning and were selected by the participating principals as our collective focus. The findings of this research suggest that principals rely heavily on their teaching and other instructionally focused experiences to inform their leadership of instruction. The findings further highlight the need for more focused preparation and support for principals in early literacy, as well as the benefits of more inquiry-based learning experiences to support principals in their leadership efforts.

Notes:

Ed. D. University of Pennsylvania 2016.

Department: Educational Leadership.

Supervisor: H. Gerald Campano.

Includes bibliographical references.