Practicum Experience in Educational Leadership Program: Perspectives of Supervisors, Mentors and Candidates

Year 2009, Volume: 57 Issue: 57, 77 - 108, 01.08.2009

Binbin Jiang Judith Patterson Mary Chandler Tak Cheung Chan

Abstract

An important component of an educational leadership preparation program is the requirement of practicum experiences. The rationale for the practicum requirement is to expose educational leadership program candidates to real-world school leadership experiences. A successful implementation of the practicum experience involves the collaboration among three stakeholders: university professors as supervisors, school administrators as mentors and the program candidates. The stakeholders' perceptions of the quality of the practicum experience are most valuable to continuous improvement of the educational leadership program. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stakeholders' perceived effectiveness of the practicum experience in an educational leadership program in a large public university in the southeastern United States. The findings of this study identified practicum areas that met the educational demands of the program candidates while highlighting practicum areas that needed improvement.

Keywords

Educutinal leadership , leadership preparation program , practicum experience in leadership program

Practicum Experience in Educational Leadership Program: Perspectives of Supervisors, Mentors and Candidates

Abstract

An important component of an educational leadership preparation program is the requirement of practicum experiences. The rationale for the practicum requirement is to expose educational leadership program candidates to real-world school leadership experiences. A successful implementation of the practicum experience involves the collaboration among three stakeholders: university professors as supervisors, school administrators as mentors and the program candidates. The stakeholders’ perceptions of the quality of the practicum experience are most
valuable to continuous improvement of the educational leadership program. The purpose of this study was to investigate the stakeholders’ perceived effectiveness of the practicum experience in an educational leadership program in a large public university in the southeastern United States. The findings of this study identified practicum areas that met the educational demands of the program candidates while highlighting practicum areas that needed improvement. 

Keywords

Educutinal leadership, eadership preparation program, practicum experience in leadership program

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• Dr. Binbin Jiang, Associate Professor, [e-mail]
• Dr. Judith Patterson, Assistant Professor, [e-mail]
• Dr. Mary Chandler, Assistant Professor, [e-mail]
• Dr. Tak Cheung Chan, Professor, [e-mail]
• Department of Educational Leadership
• Kennesaw State University