Principal leadership has been widely regarded as a powerful catalyst for school improvement and student learning. This article presents a multivariate meta-analysis of 42 empirical studies, published between 2000 and 2020, that examined the effects of principal leadership on student achievement in the United States. The focus is on the conceptual…

Background: This report continues in the lineage of reviews of research in educational leadership and management by examining methodological approaches used by doctoral researchers in studying principal instructional leadership. Research Design: The article reviews the full set of 130 doctoral dissertations completed over the past three decades…

Purpose: District effectiveness research (DER) is an emerging field concerned with identifying the organizational structures, administration, and leadership practices at the school district level that help districts find success with all of their students across the schools within the system. This work has mirrored much of the early school…

The administrative process research of four prominent sets of researchers of the 1950's is examined in light of the mode of scientific inquiry that prevailed. Analysis of four currently prominent sets of researchers in terms of present multiple ideologies reveals that researchers still work within a logical positivist framework. (MJL)

The results of an extensive analysis of the statistical methodology employed by researchers whose manuscripts were published in the first twelve volumes of the "Educational Administration Quarterly" are reported. (Author)

Methodological adequacy in naturalistic inquiry is enhanced by understanding the differences between the naturalistic and rationalistic paradigms; by using simultaneous data collection and analysis, with prolonged field research, an audit trail, multiple sources, and referential materials; and by employing "thick description" extensively…

Tests a model intended to help account for the prevalence of questionnaire methodologies among doctoral students in educational administration. Several attributes of students and their doctoral programs are advanced as promoting these methods. (Author/IRT)

Purpose: The objective of this article is to provide an analysis of articles in "Education Administration Quarterly (EAQ)" over the 25-year period 1979-2003. Approach: The approach is document analysis. Findings: Information is presented on four key themes: (a) types of articles published; (b) methodologies employed; (c) topic areas emphasized;…

Surveys communications theory and discusses its application to educational organizations. Topics examined include definitions of communication, the evolution of communication models, concepts of language and semantics, interpersonal communication, and organizational communication. Finally, analytic techniques and conceptual frameworks are…

In educational research, explanatory models (such as the Iannaccone-Lutz model of school board change) are theoretical; they set concepts in relation one to another and are followed by verification-operational studies. They do not specify situational-operational indicators, so their prediction reliability may not be as good in one context as in…

Reflects on the past three decades of increasing specialization and on the diverse conceptual frameworks guiding research in the field of educational administration. Describes heterogeneity among researchers, field-based research and policy studies, linkages across specialty areas, and key points of remaining articles. Fifty-three footnotes are…