Date of Award
6-12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Topeka Singleton
Second Advisor
Lori Sanchez
Committee Members
Mandi Adams-Brazill
Call Number
ISBN 9798280760356
Abstract
The rise of full-time virtual K-12 schools presents unique challenges for administrators in cultivating a collaborative staff culture among remote staff members. Collaboration among educators is essential for trust, professional development, and student achievement; however, existing research primarily focuses on traditional school settings. The problem addressed in this study is the difficulty K-12 virtual school administrators face in fostering collaboration among staff who work in different locations, potentially affecting instructional quality, job satisfaction, and student outcomes. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to identify the best practices K-12 virtual school administrators had implemented to build a collaborative culture among their remote staff. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Learning Theory and Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture, this study examined how school leaders establish a culture of collaboration and how it impacts teacher professional development and job satisfaction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six administrators and six teachers from one full-time virtual K-12 school with a history of student success and high teacher satisfaction. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in participants’ experiences. Findings revealed that effective communication, trust-building, and structured professional development were key strategies in fostering collaboration. Administrators who prioritized opportunities for staff to share in decision-making, leadership opportunities, and peer interaction facilitated a stronger sense of community among remote staff members. Participants reported that a positive and supportive work culture contributed to increased job satisfaction, reinforcing the importance of intentional leadership in virtual education. This study contributes to the growing field of virtual education by identifying the best practices for fostering collaboration among a remote staff in K-12 virtual schools. The findings suggest that administrators should implement structured communication plans, foster trust through development of a shared vision, integrate leadership opportunities into professional development, and provide intentional opportunities for relationship building. Future research should explore the scalability of these practices across diverse virtual school settings and examine their long-term impact on student achievement and teacher retention.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Droegemeier, Jamie L., "Building a Collaborative Culture Among a Remote Staff in K-12 Virtual Schools" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1057.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1057
