0.7 Using a leadership practice field to develop aspiring principals  (Page 3/5)

Student groups primarily identified specific situations, i.e. dealing with an irate parent, working with teachers who are experiencing conflicts with other staff, and answering questions from the media. The challenge in developing the practice field activities and follow-up was to identify for students those processes and actions such as communication, problem solving, and decision making, that extend beyond the situational contexts of particular activities and can be applied to many contexts. A matrix ( Appendix A ) was developed to identify the readings, practice field activities, and skills and knowledge to be addressed for each of the ELCC/ISLLC standards. Sample practice field activities are included are included separately in separate modules within the collection, Nature and Context of Educational Administration.

Student reactions to course design

In order to gauge students’ reactions to being asked for input on course content and methods, an anonymous survey was administered after the group presentations. Students were given four, open-ended prompts.

1. What is your initial reaction to being asked to help determine the content of this course?
2. What is your initial reaction to being asked to help determine the instructional methods used in this course?
3. Briefly describe your learning style/preference.
4. You may add any additional comments here.

In response to the first, second and fourth prompts, the majority of students made positive statements such as “excited” and “pleased”. They also commented that they felt their needs would be better met through this structure, were happy that their ideas mattered, and looked forward to “real-world” learning. There were also some concerns. Two students were more reserved in their reactions. They expressed concern that they were not sure how things were going to work and if their needs were going to be met.

In response to the prompt regarding students’ learning styles, eight indicated they were “hands-on” learners and others indicated similar styles with responses such as “experiential”, “kinesthetic”, and “interactive”. Five students indicated a preference for visual learning. Only one student described himself or herself as an auditory learner.

Students were surveyed three additional times across the semester. The second survey asked for students’ reactions after having completed two practice field activities. Each of these activities primarily involved the students working independently. Most students felt they had handled the situations well and were gaining confidence in their abilities to act as a principal. Negative reactions included feeling “rushed” and “pressured”. Several students indicated that the small and large group discussions following the activities were helpful. One student stated “I enjoy doing these practice fields [but] I like to have a set schedule”. This theme relating to the need for more structure within the assignments and class generally would be repeated across the semester.

The third survey focused primarily on one particular practice field activity but also collected students’ responses to all activities at that point in the semester. This practice field activity was the first that required extensive collaboration with a small group. Student responses indicated that group process skills were important. They expressed difficulty establishing group roles, setting an agenda, maintaining direction, and coming to consensus. Once again “time constraints” made the activity difficult for many students. One student stated “It would be nice to have more time to complete assignments, however I understand the logic behind the time constraints”. The student was correct in assessing that the time constraints were intentional as a way to add a level of intensity similar to what will be experienced as an acting principal.