School Administrators’ Perceptions of Self-Efficacy as Educational Equity Leaders: A Mixed-Methods Exploration

Abstract

Public school systems and school-based administrators are facing increasing expectations and accountability regarding educational equity. In their attempts to meet these expectations, school systems are training and providing professional development to educational leaders. The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed-methods case study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the self-efficacy of school-based administrators in successfully implementing equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. The study sample included current school-based principals and assistant principals from a large mid-Atlantic school system. The first phase of this study, the quantitative phase, included a survey of school-based administrators to measure their perceived self-efficacy. The second phase, the qualitative phase, included semi structured interviews with school-based administrators. The findings will be useful to school systems as they develop training and professional development for educational leaders to meet educational equity standards.

This study found that most principals in the studied district have an intermediate level of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. This study also found that on average, principals serving in schools where the students of color represent over 50% of the student body had lower self-efficacy to meet equity and culturally responsive leadership standards and expectations. Lastly, this study found that mastery experiences were the strongest contributing factor of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership. This study also found vicarious experiences were a major contributing factor of self-efficacy for equity and culturally responsive leadership. This study concludes with recommendations for school districts include increasing administrators’ opportunities for mastery and vicarious experiences to practice the Tools of Cultural Proficiency.