Date
8-6-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Amy Schechter
Keywords
culturally responsive leadership practices, decision-making, decolonizing framework, Indigenous education, culturally responsive education
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Fitzgerald, Christine, "Exploring The Decision-Making and Implementation Process of Culturally Responsive Leadership Practices in Predominantly Native American Schools: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7264.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7264
Abstract
The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the decision-making processes of principals when implementing culturally responsive leadership practices in schools with predominantly Native American populations. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, this study frames the influences on decision-making behaviors through a social systems framework. A decolonizing framework for Indigenous evaluation was employed, recognizing Indigenous ways of knowledge creation and understanding. This qualitative study answers the central research question: What are the decision-making experiences of K-12 principals when implementing culturally responsive leadership practices in schools with high Native American populations? Purposeful criterion sampling was used to select eight principal participants with three or more years of experience in schools identified as having high levels of culturally responsive leadership practices. Participants were current or former full-time school principals employed within the past ten years in schools with a minimum of 40% American Indian student populations in the United States. Data collection methods included physical artifacts, individual interviews, and focus groups. Data analysis followed van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenological framework. The study identified three themes: Shared Decision-making, a Focus on Continuous Improvement, and Cultural Understanding and Connection. The results revealed the significance of collaborative teams and data-driven decisions. The data also indicate that culturally responsive implementation was systemic, with culture and language leveraged as solutions. Findings suggest that the principalship experience involved fostering trust and personal adaptation through lived experience.
