4.4 Case studies: developing decision making skills in diverse  (Page 4/5)

The experience of selecting 8 of the 44 data sources simulates the complexity of an authentic problem-solving situation in which administrators are required to have an awareness of what data will best assist them in the decision-making process. As the students explore the data, they also can click on icons that will reveal teacher discussions about the topic in a chat-room environment. This exposes them to both the formal data and also the informal interpretation and reception of it by the faculty.

In addition to the non-linear, learner-determined exploration of content, the process is prospective in nature—considering potential, likely, or expected conditions based upon trends, faculty concerns, and present conditions. Thus, forward thinking is much more a component of the complex ETIPS cases than of traditional text-based cases.

Building on Vygotsky’s (1986) theory of mediated learning, the concept of scaffolding in the student’s zone of proximal development is integrated into the cases. Procedural scaffolding is provided by the task’s structure and process. The structure of the 44 data sources serves to develop habits of mind. As students repeatedly return to the data sources to learn more about the school and its issues, they formulate patterns of awareness regarding which data sources will best inform them on certain issues. The decision-making process integrated throughout also serves as a scaffold as students complete the following steps:

• Identify the key underlying ISSUE that needs to be addressed.
• Acknowledge guiding principles and CRITERIA for decision-making. These criteria are to be drawn from the school’s mission statement and goals, from the administrator’s dispositions, and from declarative professional knowledge that relate to the issue.
• Explore ALTERNATIVES and their associated opportunities and constraints.
• Select the best DECISION and create a plan of action.

Because the ETIPS cases are aligned with Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards, candidates who progress through the decision-making model are provided multiple opportunities to display their competency in the standards. They also increase their ability to perform well on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA). More importantly, practice using these case studies strengthens thought patterns for problem solving and collaborative decision making that candidates will take with them into the field. The ETIPS program is available to all professors of educational administration at the following website: (External Link)

References

• Levine, A. (2005, March). Educating school leaders . Retrieved from http://www.edschools.org/pdf/Final313.pdf
• Levine, A. (2005, April). Change in the principal’s office: The role of universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 51 (32), 16-20.
• Pintrich, P. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning . Handbook of Self-Regulation. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
• Putnam, R.,&Borko, H. (2000). What do new views of knowledge and thinking have to say about research on teacher learning? Educational Researcher, 29 (1), 4-15.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1986). Thought and language . (A. Kozulin, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. (Original work published 1934).
• Waters, T., Marzano, R. J.,&McNulty, B. (2003). Balanced leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement . Denver, CO: MCREL. Retrieved from http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/LeadershipOrganizationDevelopment/5031RR_Balanced Leadership.pdf
• Zuelke, D. C.,&Willerman, M. (1995). The case study approach to teaching in education administration and supervision preparation programs. Education , 115, 604-612.