Date

12-16-2025

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Constance Pearson

Keywords

Education, Leadership, gender gap

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to understand the gender gap within education leadership for female teachers with terminal degrees within a Midwestern suburban school district and geographically similar educators recruited via Facebook. The theory that guided this study was Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy as it explains the relationship between self-efficacy and the choice to pursue professional leadership roles. Using purposeful and snowball sampling, 10 women were selected to participate in this study. Nine women who fit the selection criteria were recruited from the XYZ school district, and one participant was recruited via Facebook. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus groups, and self-reflection journal prompts. The data were analyzed and grouped into three themes and nine sub-themes. The Central Research Question that drove this study was, “What are the lived experiences of women with terminal degrees in education related to the gender gap in leadership roles?” This study implemented a qualitative approach to explore and understand the lived experiences of individuals who have faced barriers in educational leadership. Data collection results generated three major themes and nine subthemes. The themes were Gendered Leadership Structures and Communication Dynamics, Barriers and Work-Life Integration for Women in Leadership, and Confidence, Motivation, Mentorship, and Support Systems that answered the research questions. Additionally, empirical, practical, and theoretical implications of the data analysis and recommendations for future research were identified.

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