Principal Decision-Making and Perception of Fine Arts Programing in Curricular Design

Author

Osvaldo Altamirano, Abilene Christian UniversityFollow

Campus Location

Dallas Campus (Online)

Date of Award

9-2022

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7254-4088

Document Type

Dissertation

Department

Organizational Leadership

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Committee Chair or Primary Advisor

Linnea Rademaker

Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor

Jamie Petrilla

Third Committee Member or Committee Reader

Mark Weatherly

Abstract

This qualitative study included an exploration of the concept of perception affecting decision- making in curriculum design and the support of school administrators toward fine art programs in West Texas School Regions 18 and 19. Research shows that the fine arts provide students the social and creative skills to become productive citizens. However, research shows that in the current realm of urban and rural public school curricula, the fine arts exist at either a limited capacity or are nonexistent. This dissertation included an attempt to answer how a school leader's fine arts perception affects a principal's ability to support, build, and sustain fine arts programs through four research questions: (a) What experiences have West Texas public school principals had with the visual and performing arts? (b) How do West Texas public school principals perceive their role in fine arts education? (c) How do West Texas public school principals perceive the meaning of the phrase "supporting the fine arts" as it applies to their schools? (d) What are the shared values among West Texas public school principals regarding the fine arts? This qualitative multiple case study included the use of semistructured interviews to collect data from principals. These participants were current principals in their schools in West Texas. Each participant received an email inviting them to complete a questionnaire for qualification and an email to schedule their interview; in vivo coding of transcripts made from video recording the interviews allowed for analysis. The results showed that principals' experiences with the fine arts as children subconsciously affected the importance and support of fine arts in their school curricula. The overall purpose of this study was to equip school principals with the knowledge needed to support existing fine art programs and provide implementation methods to higher education institutions regarding the inclusion of the arts in principal training programs.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Altamirano, Osvaldo, "Principal Decision-Making and Perception of Fine Arts Programing in Curricular Design" (2022). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 510.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/510