Date
8-29-2025
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sherrita Rogers
Keywords
character traits, educational leadership, female leadership, intersectionality, leadership equity, niceness
Disciplines
Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Berry, Michelle, "A Transcendental Phenomenological Study of the Experiences of Female Charter School Leaders' Socialized Traits on Career Trajectory and Student Success" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7435.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7435
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of female charter school leaders in California charter schools. The theory guiding this study was Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory, as it emphasizes the complexity of an individual’s experience due to overlapping biases faced by those in disadvantaged groups. The central research question explored how gender disparities in leadership roles and the influence of societally conditioned feminine character traits impacted female charter school leaders. Participants for this study were 11 females who have served as leaders in California charter schools within the last eight years. The data collection process began with a questionnaire, then individual interviews, and concluded with focus groups. Data was analyzed by following the procedures for transcendental phenomenology by Moustakas. The results of the study illustrated the ways in which socialized feminine character traits constrain and empower female charter school leaders. The study highlights strategies these leaders used to navigate gendered expectations while pursuing success for students and staff. The insights from this study contribute to the literature on intersectionality and educational leadership by offering recommendations for future action.
