Date of Award

Summer 8-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

First Advisor

Dustin Hebert

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine dispositions of teacher candidates, explore differences in leadership aspirations between traditional and alternative certification groups, and develop an unbiased predictive model for identifying future education leaders. Literature suggests that dispositions can be assessed, taught, and developed, but little is known about the link between the dispositions of teacher candidates and aspirations to seek leadership positions. Fourteen dispositions were identified through a Delphi method to correlate with educational leadership standards. They were then combined through factor analysis to develop four leadership constructs: collaborative, professional, inclusive, and modernistic.

This study found that an existing disposition assessment can be used to predict future education leaders and identified a predictive equation for discerning potential leaders. At the time of program completion, alternative certification candidates who aspire to enter leadership positions self-reported their dispositions significantly higher than their traditional counterparts. However, there were no significant differences found between pathways for candidates who do not aspire to enter leadership positions.

The relationship between leadership aspiration and the leadership dispositions of candidates is also of significance. Participants who do not aspire to leadership are likely to report higher scores in the inclusive construct, but the opposite was found for the modernistic construct.

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