Roles, Relationships, and Tasks: Socialization Among Entry Level School Administrators

Abstract

The purpose of the research is to study the socialization process of entry-level school administrators. A grounded theory approach is used to conduct the study as there has been limited research regarding assistant principals and public school administrator socialization. The study's philosophical perspective is rooted in social constructivism, with the assumption that an individual constructs reality through social interaction and that individuals choose to give meaning to their own experiences, Use of ethnomethodological processes for gathering information from participants is additionally a component of the study. Participants examined their interview transcriptions for accuracy; coding of interview information used grounded theory coding levels and processes. Emergent themes that participants discuss concern the roles related to the assistant principal's position, the relationships of assistant principals with others, and the tasks that assistant principals need to perform. Additional interview data includes information related to subcategories of 'Roles,' 'Relationships,' and 'Tasks.' The study concludes with tentative theory advanced for examining entry-level school administrator socialization.