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Waters dissertation FINAL.pdf (26.27 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

It Is In Giving That We Receive: The Spirituality of Special Education Administrators

Waters, Merritt Ferguson
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1407154543

Abstract Details

2014, PHD, Kent State University, College of Education, Health and Human Services / School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration.
The overarching purpose of this study was to explore how special education administrators experience spirituality in their work. Specifically, it sought to understand the meaning they make of their work, how they lead and support others, and how they cope with the demands they face. Eight special education administrators participated in this descriptive qualitative study. Data were gathered via written personal narratives, semi-structured interviews, and participant journals. Analysis of the data was conducted through a recursive coding and content analysis process. A researcher reflective journal and group member check were also utilized to facilitate interpretation and trustworthiness. The findings formed several themes, with the Ultimate at the center and service to students with disabilities as the essential motivator for the special education administrators' work. Appreciation of the grace of the Ultimate in success and reliance upon the support of the Ultimate during struggles was another key theme. Additionally, paradoxical pairings emerged: (a) productive thought processes/ feeling inadequate, (b) enacting core values/working within restrictions, (c) fulfilling collaboration/frustration with others, (d) resilience to/being overwhelmed by change, and (e) work integrated into life/work pushing life out of balance. Deeper analysis suggested three significant influences on the participants' experience, including (a) inherited factors, (b) environmental factors, and (c) choice factors. The swirl of special education administrators' spiritual leadership depicts the integrated themes revealed through this study. Vitally, the participants choose to cultivate a sense of the Ultimate throughout all aspects of their work life. The autonomy inherent in their ability to choose, especially, supports the conclusion that there is hope for improved outcomes for students with disabilities. Recommendations are provided for prospective and current special education leaders, other professionals who work with them in the schools, and for institutions of higher education that prepare them for this avocation.
Catherine Hackney, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Joffrey Jones, Dr. (Committee Member)
Karla Anhalt, Dr. (Committee Member)
399 p.
Educational Leadership
Special education; spirituality; spiritual leadership; special education administration; educational leadership; educational administration

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Waters, M. F. (2014). It Is In Giving That We Receive: The Spirituality of Special Education Administrators [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1407154543

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Waters, Merritt. It Is In Giving That We Receive: The Spirituality of Special Education Administrators. 2014. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1407154543.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Waters, Merritt. "It Is In Giving That We Receive: The Spirituality of Special Education Administrators." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1407154543

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1407154543
437
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.
Release 3.2.12