Date of Award
1-16-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Ibrahim Duyar
Second Advisor
Jodi Elder
Committee Members
Amy Dill
Call Number
LD 251 .A566d 2024 V38
Abstract
This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of female superintendents in leadership positions, focusing on the opportunities and barriers they faced on the journey to the superintendency and in the position of superintendent. Women are underrepresented in the superintendency in the female-dominated educational field. The study examined the role of gender in leadership by identifying the barriers and opportunities women experienced along the path to the superintendency and in the superintendent position. Liberal Feminist Theory was adopted as a guiding framework, focusing on the effective practices, opportunities, and challenges faced by female superintendents. The liberal feminist theory was aligned with the feminist philosophy of acknowledging gender-based discrimination and the ideals of equal opportunities for women. The research questions were designed to explore the opportunities and barriers of women on their path to the superintendency and in the position of superintendent, helping policymakers provide effective strategies to overcome these barriers and ensure equity at all levels of administration. Data was gathered via Google Meets through interviews with ten current female superintendents in the northern region of Missouri. The data was organized and analyzed utilizing NVivo software. Five themes emerged from the lived experiences shared by the participants. The themes revealed from the lived experiences of the participants in the study on their journey to the superintendency regarding the challenges they faced gender bias, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance. The themes for opportunities from the participants on their journey to the superintendency were mentorship and networking. The participants shared the challenges in the superintendent position and the themes that emerged were gender bias, imposter syndrome, and work-life balance. The participants' lived experiences in the superintendent position revealed opportunities for mentorship and networking. The findings from the study would contribute to existing literature on the shared phenomenon of gender inequality in educational leadership.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Vaughn, Rondalyn, "A Qualitative Study on the Opportunities and Barriers of Female Superintendents in the Northern Region of Missouri" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1033.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1033
