Research for the Real World

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Department of Educational Administration (EDAD) faculty conduct leading research and outreach related to the most pressing and complex challenges and opportunities in the education field and support students in connecting theory to practice. Below are two summaries of recent hands-on research published by UNL EDAD faculty. Contact them to learn more.

Faculty members identify trends in the National Teacher and Principal Survey

By Taeyeon Kim, Ph.D. and Jiangang Xia, Ph.D.

Drs. Taeyeon Kim and Jiangang Xia are both faculty members in the UNL EDAD. The work of these faculty members tends to focus in P-12 education. Currently, both Drs. Kim and Xia are examining restricted data from the National Teacher and Principal Survey. This survey is a representative sample survey of K–12 schools from around the United States. Drs. Kim and Xia decided to review this data to determine national trends and patterns of accountability and its implementation.

Using external and internal controls as key predictors, Kim and Xia are studying the extent to which external controls will influence decision-making at the school level. The researchers are assessing which courses and academic opportunities are available at the school level, and if resources are available for quality instruction, such as additional instruction tailored to academic or socioemotional needs. Kim and Xia are also examining teacher expertise and how engaged teachers are when it comes to their professional development.

Kim plans to have preliminary findings this fall. She hopes to use these findings to help inform policymakers, and district and school leaders, to help them mediate external controls, then utilize those controls to achieve schoollevel learning equity.

Dr. Taeyeon Kim joined UNL in 2020 as an assistant professor. Her research is focused on how leaders’ voices and strategies intersect with school organizations and policy contexts. Most specifically, she examines policy enactment in a school setting whereby leaders and educators interpret and transform policy. She also examines leadership development in school organizations through the application of specific learning theories.

Jiangang Xia, Ph.D., is an associate professor at UNL EDAD. He teaches graduatelevel courses. His areas of focus are leadership theory, quantitative research methods, data-informed school improvement, and dissertation research. His research interests focus on PK-12 school leadership/ organization theories in general and school decisionmaking power relationships, leadership distribution, and leadership processes. Jiangang Xia can be reached on Twitter @JiangangXia.

KIM XIA

NAPSL conducts research on the topic of rural superintendent turnover

By Sarah J. Zuckerman, Ph.D.

The newly formed Nebraska Association of Professors of School Leadership (NAPSL) is working on rural superintendent turnover as a group. This group consists of Dr. Sarah Zuckerman (UNL), ZUKERMAN Dr. Mike Teahon (University of Nebraska-Kearney), Dr. Jeanne Surface (University of Nebraska-Omaha), Dr. Ann Mausbach (Creighton University), Dr. Kay Keiser (University of Nebraska-Omaha), and Dr. Kevin Riley (University of Nebraska-Omaha). The group is in the process of developing a survey available for distribution shortly. Leading up to this, Dr. Zuckerman conducted a literature review. She presented this literature review at the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) in November. A brief preview of the project is listed on the next page.

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