Mrs. Dr. O'Dell: An Ethnographic Case Study of an Elementary School Principal
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Authors
Handley, Elizabeth Blain
Issue Date
2007-05
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Elementary School , Dr. O'Dell
Alternative Title
Abstract
School leaders today are faced with many challenges as a result of the changing
role of leadership in our country. This ethnographic case study provides an in depth view
of Dr. Ruth O Dell, one elementary school principal in south Georgia. I examined her
leadership qualities and investigated her leadership style and its impact on school
effectiveness.
To conduct my study and collect data, I used the process of ethnography, an
interpretive, qualitative form of research. I spent 3 years gathering information using
interviews, focus groups, and a survey. In addition, I shadowed Dr. O Dell during an
entire school day, a shared decision team meeting at her school, and at a Georgia
Association of Elementary School Principals meeting. I visited the school in which she
was a principal on nine separate occasions. I observed Dr. O Dell at a teacher
convocation meeting where she was a keynote speaker. I audiotaped interviews, focus
groups, and shadowing experiences. I transcribed each tape and used member checking
techniques to check for accuracy and validity. Additionally, I used field notes and
journals to record my personal observations and questions throughout the study.
Six main topics were prevalent during interviews and focus groups when
discussing Dr. O Dells leadership skills. These included (a) work environment, (b)
shared decision making, (c) she listens, (d) its hard to say, No,(e) support for the
teachers, and (f) communication.
While analyzing data to determine the emergent commonalities, 9 themes
emerged: (a) caring leadership, (b) building community, (c) relationships,
(d) professional development, (e) school culture, (f) effective leadership, (g) programs,
(h) parental involvement, and (i) energy.