Date of Award

11-2018

Rights

© 2018 Bo Peng

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Michelle Collay

Second Advisor

Erin Connor

Abstract

This study of leadership effectiveness focused on adoption, implementation, and evaluation of kindergarten curriculum. The researcher evaluated leadership effectiveness through the processes and outcomes of the team’s decision-making. Research questions were: How does the kindergarten leadership team make decisions about adoption of kindergarten curriculum? How does the kindergarten leadership team evaluate the quality of kindergarten curriculum? How does the kindergarten leadership team evaluate student learning in the three curriculum areas of Chinese language, English language and science? How does the curriculum they have adopted align with the CKEG national standards for kindergarten curriculum in China? The program evaluation, guided by the CIPP proposed by Stufflebeam (1971), a model evaluating context, inputs, process and product, was used for the analysis of the curriculum decisions. Fairholm’s (2009) four V’s (values, vision, vectors, and voice) were applied to further analyze the curriculum decision-making values. Values are what principles the team holds on the curriculum, vision guides how the team adopts curriculum, vectors describe how the team focuses the curriculum, and voice represents stakeholders’ inputs and influences how the team adjusts the curriculum.

The findings suggest that adopting kindergarten curriculum was initially guided by values and vision, and the leadership team then considered vectors and voice. The kindergarten curriculum was adopted step by step according to those values and was taught step by step with each concern reflecting the principles held by the leadership team. The content of the curriculum reflected theories of instruction in three content areas: Chinese language, English language, and science. The leadership team emphasized developing students’ thinking habits, developing vast interests, as well as developing advanced language ability. These values led to emphasis on early reading, early foreign language study, and early mathematics. Reflecting the team’s values and vision, curriculum was adopted and designed with principles as vectors and adjusted with feedback as voice. This research brought new perspectives on curriculum adoption in kindergarten and how one kindergarten leadership team made decisions to adopt curriculum. The findings of this study added to the leadership research about school management and decision-making for curriculum adoption.

Comments

Ed.D. Dissertation

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