Graduate Programs’ Curriculum Should Explicitly Develop Emotional Intelligence and Leadership Skills

Emotional intelligence has been linked to effective leadership (Goleman, 2002, 2008b).  The curriculum of education division graduate programs must explicitly address leadership skill development (CAEP, 2013).  However, in these programs, emotional intelligence behaviors may be implicitly encouraged rather than explicitly taught.  Given results of empirical research by Anderson (2016), either graduate program development or revision of curriculum should seek to optimize development of potential educational leaders by explicitly teaching, developing, and expecting the exhibition of emotional intelligence skills.  

Without effective leadership, education reform cannot take place (Creighton & Jones, 2001).  Effective educational leadership programs result from program experiences as well as the quality of entering candidates (Creighton & Jones, 2001).  Unfortunately, teacher preparation and induction programs remain pressured to accept adequate numbers of candidates to justify the program’s cost and existence (Creighton & Jones, 2001).  Obviously, a graduate program’s need for tuition increases the need for optimal curriculum effectiveness to achieve desired outcomes.

Accountability of advanced-level teacher preparation and school leadership programs remain an ongoing process (CAEP, 2013).  Typically, students’ evaluation of faculty, pre-admission compared to post-graduation surveys, and the annual state/accreditation council review of the program, produce the data used to ascertain each program’s effectiveness.  Leaders of teacher preparation and school leadership programs may erroneously identify courses as ineffective because it takes years before graduates actually attain a school leadership position.  This may cause reform-based coursework to become either forgotten or outdated (Bottoms & O’Neill, 2001).  Therefore, implementation of processes that develop broader leadership skills in decision-making and problem solving must serve a significant role within school leadership preparation programs (Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005; Short, 1997).

A quantitative study by Sanders’ (2010) examined the perceptions of professors who address educational leadership in their work within institutes of higher education (IHE).  Specifically, Sanders sought to identify the professors’ understanding of competencies related to emotional intelligence and the extent to which these competencies were being included within their IHE teacher leadership programs.  Left unanswered was how demonstrated emotional intelligence related to the perceptions of an optimal school climate.  Maulding, Townsend, Leonard, and Sparkman, (2010) sought clarification of the correlation between the twenty-one leadership behaviors identified by Marzano et al., (2005) and student achievement.  In contrast to findings posited by the Marzano et al., (2005) meta-analysis, as evidenced by the school’s performance level, subsequent studies by Maulding et al. (2010, 2012) clearly indicated a potential correlation between emotional intelligence of school leaders and student achievement.

A study by Byron (2001) found educational programs that focus upon emotional intelligence behaviors produced successful outcomes.  Byron (2001) cited the benefits of attending to “the cultures of learning, to the individual's current abilities, propensities, and current conceptions, and to fundamental reorganizations of behavior, not just acceleration and fine-tuning" (Grotzer & Perkins, 2012, p. 510).  However, Mayer and Salovey (1997) cautioned against focusing solely upon one dimension or a single sub-skill of emotional intelligence.  Any program seeking to develop emotional intelligence skills “should be empirically defensible, measurable, and clear enough to serve as a basis for curriculum development" (Cobb & Mayer, 2000, p. 18).  

Teaching is considered one of the most stressful occupations (Palomera, Fernandez-Berrocal, & Brackett, 2008).  This increases the importance of emotional intelligence skills training because professional development or training in emotional intelligence skills can support teachers’ coping skills within a stressful environment.  Teacher burnout becomes more predictable in relation to stress.

Alternatively, teachers exhibiting high emotional intelligence use more positive, well-adapted, coping strategies to deal with different sources of stress at school, thereby feeling greater job satisfaction (Palomera et al., 2008).  Surveyed teachers identified the ability to regulate emotions as indispensable for reaching academic goals (Palomera et al., 2008).  If emotional intelligence skills training become essential part of a preparation program’s curriculum to mitigate teacher burnout, the long-term benefit will be exhibited by an educator’s professional longevity, personal satisfaction, and student learning.

Studies involving teaching and learning typically focus upon knowledge, cognition, and skill.  Studies involving teacher beliefs or practices allow researchers to make observable measurements.  Despite this propensity, Hargreaves (2001) emphasized the need to address emotional practices since emotions are embedded within the conditions and interactions of teaching.  Thus, educator and leadership preparation programs will benefit from encouraging teaching practices that require increased competence in emotional awareness as well as cognition.

The results of a study by Rojas (2012) asserted three needs for optimal emotional intelligence development among prospective teachers:

1.      Development of emotional intelligence begins with a commitment to change.

2.      Application of emotional intelligence learning is optimized within environments favorable to emotional intelligence development.

3.      Pursuit of an ideal allows interdependent application of all other emotional intelligence competencies.

Action research projects within capstone courses assess most graduate programs’ measurable outcomes.  Results of program completion include competency development in subject matter knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and caring teacher leadership skills.

Course objectives need to align with these three competency areas (CAEP, 2013). Capstone research courses often require the students to identify research questions relevant to their program-based studies, review and analyze important research related to the topic, design an action-research study using qualitative or quantitative methodology, and reflect on the implications of their study to enhance the quality of teaching and leadership.  Currently, explicit course work in both emotional intelligence behaviors within the workplace and development of school climate based on Invitational Education theory is missing from surveyed education division graduate programs.

A correlation was found between the demonstration of a leader’s high emotional intelligence behaviors and the perception of a positive school climate (Anderson, 2017).  This suggests that students of teacher preparation and school leadership programs would benefit from measurable course objectives throughout each program that identify expectations for skill development aligned with emotional intelligence competencies and the advancement of optimal school climate.  Measurable outcomes that requires development of emotional intelligence competencies and the recognition of optimal school climate could be influential for mitigating stress, improving job satisfaction, and optimizing school climate that contributes to school success.

To cite:

Anderson, C.J. (November 30, 2018) Graduate programs’ curriculum should explicitly

develop emotional intelligence and leadership skills [Web log post]

Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

References:

Anderson, C.J. (2017). Examining demonstrated emotional intelligence and perceptions of 

inviting schools. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 23, 35-61

Anderson, C.J. (2016). A correlational study examining demonstrated emotional

intelligence and perceptions of school climate. (Doctoral dissertation).

Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 10027119

Caldwell, C., & Hayes, L. A. (2007). Leadership, trustworthiness, and the mediating

lens. Journal of Management Development, 26(3), 261–281.

doi:10.1108/02621710710732155

Curry, C. C. (2009). Correlation of emotional intelligence of school leaders to perceptions

of school climate as perceived by teachers. (Order No. 3387434, Indiana University

of Pennsylvania). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 257.

Goleman, D. (2006b). The socially intelligent leader. Educational Leadership,

64(1), 76– 81. Retrieved from:

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/sept06/vol64/num01/toc.aspx

Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works:

From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and

Curriculum Development. Retrieved from:

http://marzanoresearch.com/products/catalog.aspx?product=13

Maulding, W. S., Townsend, A., Leonard, E., Sparkman, L., Styron, J., & Styron,

R. A. (2010). The relationship between emotional intelligence of principals

and student performance in Mississippi public schools. Academic Leadership

(15337812), 8(4), 67.

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso D. R. (2004a). Emotional intelligence: theory

findings and implications. Psychological Inquiry, 15 (3), 197-215.

doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli1503_02

Rojas, M. (2012). The missing link: Emotional intelligence in teacher preparation.

(Order No. 3495309, Arizona State University). ProQuest Dissertations and

Theses, 220. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/ (923616326).

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition,

and Personality, 9 (3), 185-211. doi.org/10.2190/dugg-p24e-52wk-6cdg

Sanders, S.C. (2010) Emotional intelligence, a necessary component of educational

leadership programs, as perceived by professors of educational leadership

(Doctoral Dissertation).

Effective teacher induction programs optimize teacher competencies that sustain success

            To increase effectiveness, teacher preparation and induction programs must align the intent of reform efforts to research-based leading indicators for successful pedagogy.  Reform efforts cannot be to content alone.  Innovative teacher preparation and induction programs should endeavor to exhibit balanced support between the development of the teacher candidate’s pedagogy, promotion of the teacher candidate’s active inquiry, and engagement of faculty across the disciplines.  This endeavor raises expectations for critical thinking, professionalism, and self-efficacy.  Monitoring and adjusting these leading indicators of success requires a clear mission, action-based vision, and systemic invitations to promote intentionality, care, optimism, respect, and trust (I-CORT). 

            Clinical-based training models, inspired a panel commissioned by the National Center for the Accreditation of Teacher Education to endorse “programs that are fully grounded in clinical practice and interwoven with academic content and professional courses” (NCATE, 2010, p. ii).  The report recommended “sweeping changes in how we deliver, monitor, evaluate, oversee, and staff clinically-based preparation to nurture a whole new form of teacher education” (p. iii).  To develop the desired skills and professional competencies, teacher preparation and induction programs must focus upon improving the leading indicators of success. 

However, many teacher preparation programs may erroneously focus upon one trailing indicator: the edTPA.  "The edTPA is designed to align with the authentic teaching practice of the teacher candidate" (SCALE, 2017).  As an authentic assessment of actual practice, the edTPA should encourage teacher preparation and induction programs to ensure its teacher candidates plan, implement and assess, thorough lessons that exhibit differentiated instruction to diverse learners that promote progress monitoring of learning.

However, poor communication and rushed timelines during the implementation of more stringent accountability requirements resulted in unintended consequences.  Significant to this was the fear of failure became the single most powerful force guiding a program’s change initiatives.  Without the time for development and integration of the leading indicators for success, teacher preparation and induction programs will remain subject to unintended consequences. 

            To begin the process of developing teacher competencies that sustain professional success and promotes attainment of the learning for all mission, teacher preparation and induction programs seeking to be high performing need to utilize an aligned lesson plan.  Minimally, adoption and utilization of an aligned lesson plan will elicit every teacher candidate’s understanding of:

•          The context for learning;
•          The state’s learning standards such as the Common Core, etc…;
•          The connection to previous learning;
•         The group’s measurable learning objective;
•          The central focus for the group;
•          The need for differentiated instruction that includes:

o   any focus learner’s primary learning target,

o   necessary instructional supports,

o   how to incorporate academic language,

o   the range of diverse instructional strategies, and

o   a reliable assessment of learning that is linked to the measurable learning objective. 

    

     Thus, a standards-based measurable learning objective becomes the foundation for an aligned lesson plan.  Effective teacher preparation and induction programs that expect utilization of an aligned lesson plan would not ask, “How do we help our students pass the edTPA?”  Rather, by teaching its teacher candidates to utilize a formative and summative perspective, an effective teacher preparation and induction program would empower its teacher candidates to master the development of measurable learning objectives and the other areas of the aligned lesson plan.  When this occurs, the leading indicators of success positively influence the results of trailing indicators such as the edTPA. 

            An effective teacher preparation and induction program emphasizes an action research approach to promote sustainability of success.  Through curriculum mapping and a respect for learning progressions (Idol & West, 1993), an effective teacher preparation and induction program ensures the establishment of solid learning outcomes for its preparation course work.  Once the three-pronged foundations are engrained systemically, the teacher preparation and induction program is freed to monitor how to deliver, evaluate, oversee, and staff a clinically-rich, teacher preparation and induction program. 

            Effective teacher preparation and induction programs seek to create a solid foundation formed from research-based leading indicators for success.  Matching a program’s non-negotiable goals with individual school needs will expand rather than limit the availability of research-based and success-proven strategies and interventions.  Programs that promote such a clearinghouse of support ensure professional development is available and within reach.  

Optimized support empowers stakeholders to access, review, and implement a range of interventions, thereby enriching teacher candidates through defined autonomy.  This systematizes sustained pedagogical success by ensuring the foundational indicators are available to and mastered by its teacher candidates.  The stakeholders of an effective program can then be more reflective, data-driven, and innovative, as the engrained systems reinforce the concept of defined autonomy (Marzano & Waters, 2009).  By focusing upon the leading indicators rather than trailing indicators, teacher preparation and induction programs ensure its teacher candidates successfully develop the competencies that are essential for attaining the learning for all mission (Edmonds, 1979).  That is a far, far, better outcome than focusing upon how to craft commentaries that would yield a proficient score on a teacher preparation test.  

To cite:

Anderson, C.J. (October 31, 2018) Effective teacher induction programs optimize teacher competencies

that sustain success.[Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/

References:

Edmonds, R. (1979). Effective Schools for the urban poor. Educational Leadership, 37, 15-24.

Marzano, R. & Waters, T.(2009).  District leadership that works. Bloomington, In: Solution Tree Press