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Instructional leadership structures across five university departments

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Abstract

In this paper, we investigate leadership related to the instruction of lower division undergraduate courses at five university mathematics departments with strong calculus programs. We use social network analysis to identify patterns of influence on instruction, using the relations: advice seeking, instructional material sharing, discussion of instructional matters, and explicit influence on teaching approach. Data were gathered through social network surveys, which received over 60% response rate at each site. Considering both formal and informal phenomena, we identify variation in vertical and distributed instructional leadership structures within these departments. In these five communities, not all those with hierarchical authority have real influence over instructional practice, but those with the most influence over instruction do hold formally recognized positions. In light of these findings, we discuss implications for future research and practice in higher education.

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Funding

This material is based in part upon work funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 0910240 and 1430540.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, WXLR Room 216, 901 S. Palm Walk, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1804, USA

    Naneh Apkarian

  2. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-7720, USA

    Chris Rasmussen

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  1. Naneh Apkarian
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Correspondence to Naneh Apkarian.

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Apkarian, N., Rasmussen, C. Instructional leadership structures across five university departments. High Educ 81, 865–887 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00583-6

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