Use a contrasting case study design to identify subtle leadership differences between schools with improving and non-improving achievement¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article's method is a contrasting case study design: select schools that appear equivalent on teacher-reported leadership but differ in achievement trends, then interview to surface subtle differences. The authors state, "By using a contrasting case study design, our purpose was to identify subtle leadership differences in schools with improving student achievement from other schools." This makes the design an implementable strategy for studying leadership-instruction links.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Access to schools matched on teacher-reported leadership quality but differing in achievement trends, plus interview access to school staff, as in the four case study schools.

Constraints¶

• The design identifies subtle differences among a small number of purposively selected schools; the article reports four case studies from 12 visited schools.

Target Learners¶

• School principals and researchers studying instructional leadership

Target Learning Goals¶

• Identifying specific strategies principals use to influence instruction and learning

Related Strategies¶

• Comparing Contrasting Cases

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Key Questions: Principal instructional leadership in Chicago schools. (2019). Teachers College Record, 121(090303). https://www.tcrecord.org