Date
7-15-2024
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
James Sigler
Keywords
hermeneutic, phenomenology, school culture, school climate, leadership qualities, teacher experience, commitment, school improvement
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Brodish, Sarah Cole, "School Culture, Teacher Experience, and Commitment: A Phenomenological Study of High School Teachers at a Cyber Charter School" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5795.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5795
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to describe the influence of school culture and leadership on the experiences and levels of commitment of high school teachers at a cyber charter academy in the northeastern United States. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Dansereau, Graen, and Haga's Leadership-Member Exchange Theory, which examined the impact of leadership relationships on school culture and teacher experience. This study sought to answer the primary research question: How does school culture influence teacher experience? A phenomenological approach was chosen to gain a deeper understanding of these experiences specifically, a hermeneutic phenomenological design allowed for a more personal connection between the researcher and the study. The participants in this study were high school teachers at a cyber school in the northeastern United States. The sample population consisted of 12 teachers who have worked at the cyber school for two or more years. Data collection methods included a questionnaire, individual interviews, and letter-writing prompts, with data analysis informed by van Manen, Saldaña, and Moustakas's practices.
