CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Introduction

This chapter is arranged in five parts. The first section outlines the emergent design which helped to formalise the research approach in this case. The ontological perspective and the purpose of this study, outlined previously (See chapter one), are reiterated and the guiding research questions are restated. The second section describes the research methods rationale which guided methodological decisions as this study progressed. The rationale for selecting mixed methods is discussed and followed with an outline o f both the quantitative and qualitative research methodologies adopted in this study. This section reports the instrument design and administration procedures. The sampling across both phases is also presented. An outline o f validity and reliability o f the quantitative methodology and the trustworthiness of the qualitative approach is included in this section. Data collection and analysis procedures are also presented in this section. The third section of this chapter describes the integration process used to bring together the quantitative and qualitative findings. Some limitations are discussed in the fourth section. The chapter concludes with a discussion o f ethical considerations pertaining to the study.

Progressive Design Approach and Research Purpose

The purpose o f the study was to explore the leadership structures, procedures and practices in Irish primary schools from the perspective of novice leaders in answer to the central research question which inquired:

Do leadership supports, structures and practices in Irish primary education viewed from the perspectives of novice leaders reflect a leadership outlook that is sustainable in the long term?

The research design was not fixed at the outset, but rather emerged as a complex iterative process. The emergent approach adopted during the research process is

outlined in chapter one and developed further in this chapter. A framework depicting the reflective design is presented in the chapter one also (See Figure 1.2, p.l 7). An

emergent approach allows the researcher to remain prominent in the process, by illustrating the reflective procedures through which the design is articulated (Denzin & Lincoln, 2000). It is acknowledged that this process is not free of problems, as it is dependent on a combination of personal assumptions and theory-based knowledge, which may be debated by professionals who hold other preferable positions. The quantitative inquiry was an information seeking component of the study. As themes emerged, a qualitative design approach allowed the study to be “progressively focussed” meaning that a flexible approach was used which allowed for “concepts to change as the study moved along” (Stake, 1995, p. 133). The quantitative phase of the study was used to inform the qualitative instrument design in this case.

The study aims to investigate whether novice leaders are enabled and supported in their work as leaders of learning in schools. The intention is to provide a snapshot of

perceptions and experiences from the unique viewpoint o f NAPs at the time of investigation. The theoretical framework which guides the research is sustainable leadership (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006). The core components of sustainable leadership are used as a set of orienting concepts for evaluating sustainable leadership in Irish primary schools from the perspective of newly appointed principals. Sustainable

leadership in this case focusses on practices and procedures in schools that: increase leadership stability, build leadership within organisations, and distributes leadership responsibility in organisations (Hargreaves, 2009). The scope then is narrowed along the sustainability spectrum to encompass specifically the first three principles or

“fundamental three-dimensional characteristics” o f sustainable leadership in education posited by Hargreaves and Fink (2006). These dimensions are depth, breadth and length. This three-dimensional construct is presented as the foundational basis for leadership sustainability in schools, since these core elements according to Hargreaves and Fink (2006) should be consolidated before any long term concept of leadership can be formalised. It is apt then to seek evidence relating to the prevalence of the

fundamental elements of sustainable leadership as a means o f providing a greater understanding of sustainable leadership in the Irish primary school sector. By focusing on the succession processes that mark out leadership development in Ireland, a modified three dimensional framework has been developed in this case (See chapter one, Figure

1.2) and fleshed out using the three constructs: depth, length and breadth describes as: leading learning, endurance and succession planning, and leadership distribution

respectively (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006). The contemporary Irish issues derived from the literature (See chapter two) are also framed using the core principles o f sustainable leadership (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006) in Table 3.1 overleaf. The idea that leadership is a socially constructed phenomenon which is heavily influenced by both context and social interaction is a core assumption in this case. Leadership practice then is flexible and adaptive and can change depending on unique circumstances in a given setting at a given point in time.

Table 3.1: Linking the principles of sustainable leadership with issues in Irish primary education C o re P rin c ip le s on w hich S u sta in a b le le a d e rsh ip is b u ilt (H a rg re a v e s a n d F in k , 2006) ;

L in k ed w ith issues a n d challen g es d o c u m e n te d in th e Irish lite ra tu re

P rin c ip le 1: C a p a c ity to lead le a rn in g in schools

• responsibility for developing the knowledge, skills and capabilities necessary to effectively lead learning and teaching is generally left to the individual (Anderson et aL,2011; OECD, 2008).

• sharp increase in the level of responsibilities and duties (Drea and O’Brien, 2002).

• Irish primary principals are not currently required to undertake any career professional development (IPPN, 2014).

P rin c ip le 2: Succession P la n n in g p ro m o te s ex p e rien c e a n d sta b ility

• leader preparation and succession planning processes are at best ad hoc or absent altogether in any systematic sense (Anderson et al,2011; Morgan & Sugrue, 2005).

• recent upsurge in principal retirements causing instability in Irish schools (IPPN, 2009).

• issues recruiting new leaders particularly in smaller schools (IPPN, 2010; Watson, 2007; PricewaterHouseCooper, 2009).

• current practices in the development and preparation of leaders of learning and teaching are a long way from modelling sustainable practice (Travers & McKeown, 2005).

P rin c ip le 3: D is trib u te d le a d e rsh ip in schools s u p p o rts p rin c ip a l le a d e rs a n d p ro m o te s f u tu r e le a d e rs

• distributed leadership practice has yet to become established as an authentically embedded construct in schools (Humphreys, 2009; IPPN, 2014).

• capacity for distributing leadership in schools has been seriously undermined by the moratorium on middle-management

appointments in schools , in many cases the entire middle- management team has been removed (IPPN, 2014).

• principals lack guidance and support in fulfilling their duties in schools (IPPN, 2014; Mahon, 1993; NAPD, 2014).

Examining school leadership in terms o f its long term sustainability produces specific sets of research questions which expand on the central research question relating to sustainable leadership structures and practices in schools. These refined questions link directly to the first three principles of sustainable leadership proposed by Hargreaves and Fink (2006) and are presented as follows:

• Do principals have adequate opportunity to lead learning in their schools? • Are there succession plans in place to adequately support leadership changes in

schools?

• Is leadership distributed among members of the school community in support of the school principal?

These key questions direct the development o f methodological approaches which have been deemed as the best fit for the purpose o f the study (Crotty, 1998). The schema outlining the Irish context, ontology and epistemology, theoretical perspectives,

methodologies and methods is presented in Figure 3.1 overleaf. This figure presents an overview of the factors and theory which progressed the methodological design in this case. The contemporary Irish socio-political climate of austerity and economic reform is an important factor in determining a research design plan. It is important to

contextualise the experiences and perceptions o f the sample group o f NAPs at a specific point in time. It is considered that a mixed methods design may provide an overview of the expansion o f roles in primary schools. Dealing with restricted resources and

performance demands may be captured using a quantitative methodology by accessing a broad bank o f information relating to wider leadership practices in schools. The reality o f practice at this unique time in Ireland may also be captured using a qualitative methodology to ground issues in more specific contexts. The schema has been presented to frame the theory and concepts which preceded the research design (See Figure 3.1). The rationale for selecting a mixed methods approach linked with the

theoretical and conceptual framework is discussed further in the next section of this chapter.

Figure 3.1: Factors and perspectives guiding the research design

Irish context Economic austerity & reform Theoretical Perspective Interpreti vi sm Sustainable Conceptual Framework Fundamental Data Analysis Integration of Methodology Phase 1: Survey Questionnaire &

Quant. Data Analysis

Methods Mixed Sequential

QUANT-Qual

Methods

The research methodology or plan of action is linked with the underpinning

assumptions already formalised by the researcher in approaching any study (Crotty, 1998), since these are the processes that researcher believes will answer the questions posed by the research. Holden and Lynch (2004, p. 397) recommend that “research

should not be methodologically led, but rather that methodological choices should be consequential to the researcher’s philosophical stance and the social science

phenomenon to be investigated.” This approach provides fluid links between the philosophy, methodology and the research question and creates a greater sense of direction along pathways of inquiry.

Rationale for mixed methods approach

The challenge in selecting a methodological approach is to strike a balance between a design that provides enough structure and direction to develop a broad understanding of leadership experiences in schools, while also providing enough opportunity to get at the deeper aspects of leadership practice through the narratives of lived experiences. It is important in this case that the data collected could be calibrated against a sustainable leadership framework. The study seeks to optimize the capacity to construct meaning from evidence, by drawing upon the unique strengths of both quantitative and

qualitative methodological approaches, as outlined in Table 3.2 below. This table synopsises the strengths of quantitative research outlined by Castro, Kellison, Boyd and Kopak (2010) and strengths of qualitative research outlined by Guba and Lincoln (1994).

Table 3.2: Combining strengths in Multi- Method Approaches

Q uantitative Strengths- Wide Frame (Castro, Kellison, Boyd & Kopak, 2010)

Qualitative Strengths- Narrow Frame (Guba & Lincoln, 1994)

-accurate operationalization & measurement of constructs

-capacity to carry out group comparisons -the capacity to examine relationships between variables

-the capacity for testing hypotheses

-the capacity to provide narrative accounts that are examined within the original context of action

-the capacity to apply in-depth analysis of complex human and cultural experiences

The value o f a mixed methods approach in this study was further reinforced following engagement with the Irish literature, which highlighted a lack research relating to the sample grouping and the contemporary leadership issues in the Irish primary school context (Anderson e ta l., 2011; Cunningham, 2013; Morgan & Sugrue, 2005). Mixed research methods can be applied as a way o f initiating new understanding o f the topic at hand (Caracelli & Greene, 1997). It is posited by the researcher that this study required an initial quantitative, survey phase to provide some baseline information relating to leadership experiences among the specific sample grouping. A post-positivist stance was applied to the quantitative aspect of this study. Adopting such a stance means acknowledging that “we cannot observe the world we are part o f as totally objective and disinterested outsiders” (Muijs, 2011, p. 5), but that we can approximate the reality of social phenomena using well considered quantitative methodologies. To reinforce the full meaning of such approximations, the quantitative data gathered and analysed can be explored more deeply using a complementary qualitative approach (Sale, Lohfeld & Brazil, 2002).

A strong rationale for mixing methods is the belief that quantitative and qualitative methods complement each other and allow for more complete analysis o f an issue or phenomenon (Green, Camilli, & Elmore, 2006, Tashakkori & Creswell, 2007). In this case, survey questionnaires were used to gather quantitative data and semi-structured interviews were selected to further explore the significant themes that emerged following analysis of the survey findings. The study employed an explanatory

sequential design, as the qualitative data was used to explain and build upon the initial quantitative results to provide deeper contextual meaning and “local groundedness” o f the findings (Punch, 2009, p. 291). Semi-structured interviews were used to thicken the

quantitative findings and the second phase of the study and the design o f the survey questionnaire and interview schedules were tightly linked. The study is focussed on understanding the world o f school leaders “through first-hand experience, truthful reporting and quotations o f actual conversations from insiders’ perspectives, than testing the laws of human behaviour” (Tuli, 2010, p. 100). The aim is to access and discover new insights into the leadership experiences and perceptions o f a specific sample population of newly appointed leaders in primary schools at a particular point in time.