Caught at a Crossroads: Secondary Principals’ Perceptions of Change Agentry within Two Paradigms of Education

Abstract

Caught at a Crossroads: Secondary Principals’ Perceptions of Change Agentry within Two Paradigms of Education Raymond Delgado Doctor of Education, 2019 University of Redlands Advisor: James Valadez, Ph. D. Secondary school principals increasingly face the challenge of working in the space between the existing, obsolete paradigm of education (standardized testing and accountability) and the paradigm that has yet to come into existence (i.e., a radically different way of thinking about education as a social system). Principals continue to be held accountable for increasing student achievement (based on continued use of assessment tools that are inadequate to prepare students for the realities of the 21st Century) while implementing a paradigm that does address realities for the 21st Century. Such a paradigm emphasizes cognitive development where thinking, through reciprocal processes of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing have primacy (i.e., providing opportunities for young people to learn how to think rather than being told what to think as opposed to the emphasis in the traditional transmissive, standardized assessment and accountability paradigm). Thus, principals are caught at the crossroads between a paradigm based on an outdated understanding of achievement and a paradigm based on understanding equity, access, technology, and opportunity gaps caused by societal injustices traditionally advantaging Whites while disadvantaging African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans. The purpose of my study was to understand secondary principals’ perceptions regarding change agentry as it relates to those who viewed change agentry as paradigmatic (meaning a change in leadership, assessment, curriculum, and the definition of achievement) from those who seek piecemeal changes and do not recognize a need for a paradigmatic change. TWO PARADIGMS OF EDUCATION vi All participants spoke of a paradigmatic change, but perceptions and beliefs shared by participants suggest it is not yet understood. TWO PARADIGMS OF EDUCATION vii