A Leader’s Journey: Self-examination & Implementation of the Schema-Based Instructional Model in Service of Homeless and Highly Mobile Students
Abstract
Research, conducted universally over two decades, suggests there is a significant disproportionality of achievement of housing displaced and highly mobile students (HDHM) compared to students who are in stable housing. HDHM students not only present with learning gaps but exhibit greater challenges in math. The purpose of this critical case study was to document and analyze the leadership and organizational practices used to implement a math intervention for students in grades four through eight, with a keen eye on our HDHM and how I as a school leader implemented changes to my practices to support teachers working collaboratively while engaging in inquiry via two consecutive Plan/Do/Study/Act (PDSA) cycles and weekly teacher team meetings. The primary drivers centered around deepening teacher content knowledge and efficacy relative to math and the Schema Based Instructional (SBI) model. Teachers became active participants in the process of building capacity, enhancing, and designing lessons that included culturally responsive practices and enhancing their skills in meeting the learning needs of the HDHM student. Themes that emerged highlighted that when teachers engage in layered PL around a focused theme, developing student ownership and deepening their content knowledge, they build efficacy. My actions were analyzed through the lens of adaptive leadership (Heifetz et al., 2009). The implementation process and organizational practices were analyzed using organizational change theory (DuFour & Eaker, 2008), and the use of this process to improve teacher practice were analyzed using adult learning (Drago-Stevenson, 2009), and organizational learning theory (Burke. 2002).
Subject Area
Mathematics education|Educational leadership|Pedagogy|Middle School education
Recommended Citation
Hernandez, Melitina, "A Leader’s Journey: Self-examination & Implementation of the Schema-Based Instructional Model in Service of Homeless and Highly Mobile Students" (2023). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30633688.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30633688
