How Can I Improve My Life-Affirming, Need-Fulfilling, and Performance Enhancing Capacity to ...

349 Pages·2012·2.94 MB·English

by  William Barry

How Can I Improve My Life-Affirming, Need-Fulfilling, and
Performance Enhancing Capacity to Understand and Model
the Meaning of Educational Quality?

William J. Barry II

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the
requirements of Nottingham Trent University
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Nottingham Trent University
School of Education
March 2012
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Table of Contents
List of Figures vi
Acknowledgements vii
Abstract ix
Chapter 1 Introduction to the Action Research Project 1
What Was My Research Concern? 1
The Organising Research Question of the Thesis 4
Why I Chose a Living Educational Theory Approach to Action
Research 5
The Danger of Solipsism and/or Narcissism in Living Theory
Research 7
My Educational Values and Beliefs 8
My Epistemological Values 8
My Phenomenological-Hermeneutical Approach to Understanding 10
My Understanding and Passion for Critical Theory and
Humanistic Education 11
Neuro-Linguistic Programming 13
Spiral Dynamics 14
Standards of Judgement 16
The Potential Significance of the Study 17
My Claim to Generating New Educational Knowledge 17
Organisation of the Thesis 18
Chapter 2 My Methodological Orientation and Method Choices for Using
Living Theory Action Research as a Way to Generate New
Knowledge about the Meaning of Quality in American Public
Education 23
Introduction 23
Living Educational Theory: The Umbrella Method of the Study 24
Seeking Answers to My Action Research Concerns through Living
Theory Case Studies and Critical Incidents 29
Data Collection Methods and Techniques 31
My Understanding and Use of Phenomenological and
Hermeneutical Research Methodologies and Methods 33
My Use of the Phenomenological Approach to Research 33
Paulo Freire’s Conception of Phenomenology 35
Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s Conception of Phenomenology 37
Martin Buber and Phenomenology 40
A Phenomenological-Hermeneutic Approach to Written and
Visual Texts 42
Hermeneutic Methodology: A Humanistic and Critical Dimension of the
Research 45
People’s Search for Meaning: Viktor Frankl and His Influence on
My Hermeneutical Lens of Interpretation and Deconstruction 47
Evidence of Rhythm, Resonance and Collective Intelligence as
Valid Data Sources and Methods for Generating New Knowledge 49
Neuro-Linguistic Programming as a Research Tool 54
Spiral Dynamics as a Research Tool 57
Fiction Storytelling as a Research Method 62
Confidentiality and the Use of Pseudonyms in the Thesis 63
Chapter 3 Education Influences on My Values and Beliefs Regarding
Educational Quality: The Background Story of the Thesis—A
Historical Fictional Tale 65
Introduction 65
Prologue from Agent Wiley 67
Introduction by Agent Wiley 70
The Story 71
Chapter 4 Challenging the Status quo: The Introduction of
Transformational Quality Theory (TQT) 161
Introduction: Background and Purpose 161
Living Theory 162
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Data Collection Methods and Techniques 164
Issues of Validity and Standards of Judgement 167
Data Description 168
Interpretations of the Data and Creation of Transformational
Quality Theory (TQT) 172
The Eight Behaviours of Transformational Educational Quality:
The C.A.P.A.C.I.T.Y. Model 183
Evidence of TQT Effect on School Culture at Potsdam High
School 191
Exposing Contradictions in My School Leadership Using TQT 193
The Potential Significance of My Creation of Transformational
Quality Theory (TQT) 194
Thoughts about the Impact in Creating TQT 195
Chapter 5 Using Transformational Quality Theory (TQT) as a Guide to
Developing and Fostering Creativity, Resiliency, and
Optimism in Myself and Other People During All-
Encompassing Social, Academic, and Institutional School
Reform 197
CASE STUDY 1: How can I improve my life-affirming and need-
fulfilling capacity to understand and model the meaning of
educational quality to improve the social and academic milieu of
PHS through curriculum and course offering reform? 198
How My Values and Beliefs Were Denied in Practice during the
Case Study 209
CASE STUDY 2: How can I improve my life-affirming and need-
fulfilling capacity to understand and model the meaning of
educational quality to improve the social and academic milieu of
the school through pedagogical reform? 213
Action Plan in Praxis for a Freshman Academy: A Prologue and
Ending 219
How my values and beliefs were denied in leadership practice
during the reform process, “narrative wreckage,” and how I
improved my emotional resiliency in the face of adversity 244
CRITICAL ISSUE 1: Teacher Misbehaviour and Disrespect 245
CRITICAL ISSUE 2: Dealing with Homosexual Slurs and
Prejudice by the School Baseball Coach 249
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CRITICAL INCIDENT 3: The Firing of the School District
Superintendent and Hiring of an Interim Superintendent 260
Chapter 6 Dissemination and Impact: Evaluating My Claim to an
Original Contribution to Knowledge 271
Dissemination Impact 271
My Claim to Original Contribution to Knowledge 282
Evaluation of the Living Theory Action Research Study 282
Chapter 7 Assessment of My Use of TQT as a Guide for School
Leadership and Visions for Future Research 293
Feedback from My Critical Friends after the Conclusion of the
Action Research Project 302
Visions for Future Research of Transformational Quality Theory
(TQT) 306
Concluding Thoughts 310
Bibliography 311
Appendix A 335
Appendix B 337

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List of Figures
Figure 1. Living Theory Action Research 7
Figure 2. Spiral Dynamics Explanatory Model 61
Figure 3. Four Quadrants of the Meaning of Quality 172
Figure 4. Dimensions of Quality Experience in Each Quadrant of the Meaning
of Quality 176
Figure 5. The Meta-Normal Dimensions of the Meaning of Quality 177
Figure 6. Explanatory Framework of the Meaning of Educational Quality 182
Figure 7. Transformational Quality (TQ) Theory 182
Figure 8. Transformational Quality (TQ) Theory: Complete Model 191
Figure 9. Quality Badge 196
Figure 10. The Way TQ Works in Communication 212

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Acknowledgements
I thank my father and mother, William and Jean Barry, for their love, sacrifice,
and support. Deep gratitude goes to Liam and Jessica Barry, my two wonderful
children. I thank them for their love and unwavering belief in their father, their sacrifice,
and their inspiration. I love you, Liam and Jessica! Thanks to my brother Greg and
sister-in-law Lynn for their moral support and cheerleading.
Thanks to the inspiring teachers and school leaders I have had the opportunity
work with and learn from in my career, most notably, Ed Duclos, Phil Harak, Joe
Morris, Frank Rizzuto, Jack Longo, Deb Field, Bud Stone, and Liz Rafalowsky. To
Margie Smith for her inspiring dedication to improving the lives of students and helping
me succeed as a high school leader. I am thankful for Laura Hayes, whose dedication
for improving the lives of students and colleagues inspired me to seek ways
continuously to meet the needs of other people more effectively. I thank Coach Jude
Kelly and my high school teacher Mrs Ward for ingraining in me the desire to seek
excellence in all that I do.
For my friends Patty Prentice St. Pierre, Bent and Angela Kjolby, Tom and
Ellen Salisbury, and Sara Hunniford and their positive energy, I am so grateful. Thanks
to my former supervisors Liz Atkins and Frank Ledwith for their sacrifice of valuable
time and support of my work when things looked bleak. Special acknowledgement goes
to Jack Whitehead, Heather Lawrence, and Janine Zappolla for their positive influence
on my life. Thank you to Robert Pirsig, who sparked my fascination and passion to
understand the meaning of quality
Particular thanks to my Margo Marvin, who demonstrated to me the power of
resiliency and the true beauty of life-affirming leadership. Special thanks to Maria-
Teresa Gomez, my partner, for inspiring me to seek beauty, laughter, and love every day
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and for her selfless support to help me achieve success. Maria, your love and care
inspire me. You are an amazing, intelligent, and beautiful woman. And to my
supervisors Sue Wallace and Stevie Vanhegan, thank you for your care, selfless hard
work, guidance and inspiration, and for the difference you made in my life. My
appreciation for your support and help is ineffable.
Lastly, my thanks to the music of the Dave Matthews Band, Crosby, Stills,
Nash, and Young, Ben Harper, Martin Sexton, The Doors, Michael Franti, Jason Mraz,
Coldplay, and Brett Dennen for keeping me awake and inspiring to keep working into
the wee hours of the morning on my thesis.
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Abstract
Infectious pessimism, widespread apathy, and volatile relationships: these
describe the high school culture I unwittingly adopted as a first-time principal at
Potsdam High School in a rural suburban town in New England. I conducted a three-
year intensive self-study and participatory action research project to challenge the status
quo definition of educational quality in American public high school as a statistical tool
of ranking, separating students, and compliance. I sought through co-investigation with
beneficiaries and stakeholders of public high school a life-affirming, need-fulfilling and
performance-enhancing meaning of quality to challenge the status quo Based on action
research, I created a new meta-model of the meaning of quality to guide my leadership
called Transformational Quality Theory (TQT). The thesis describes how using TQT
theory influenced my improvement as a school leader and educational theorist, the
learning and transformation of other people, and the impact it had on improving the
academic and social milieu of an impoverished American high school.
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