Center for Evaluation, Policy, & Research (CEPR) researcher Dr. Colleen Chesnut's research article “Dueling Roles in Dual Language Education: Exploring Leader Identity Development in Dual Language Strands” study has been published in the esteemed journal, Education Administration Quarterly.
In collaboration with Dr. Trish Morita-Mullaney of Purdue University, Dr. Colleen Chesnut conducted an embedded single case study on Indiana school leadership in dual language immersion (DLI) strands, including interviews with over 80% of Indiana DLI strand principals at the time of data collection. Building on research in educational leadership, dual language leadership, and leader identity development, the study examined how principals of schools with DLI strands perceive and enact their leadership roles and identities.
Findings and implications include:
- The DLI strand principals described their leadership through primarily instructional and distributed leadership dimensions, drawing upon their historic, epistemic, and political understandings of their roles.
- Principals of new DLI strands often have limited expertise related to DLI models and have not considered how their roles should accommodate leading “two schools in one."
- It is recommended that both practitioners and researchers in leadership preparation encourage school leaders’ deeper engagement in reflective work across the dimensions of leader identity development.
Access the publication online: Sage Journals