WHAT THE BEST LEADERSHIP EDUCATORS DO: A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Methods Study of Instructional and Assessment Strategy Use in Leadership Education

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods sequential explanatory study was to identify the best pedagogical practices of leadership educators by obtaining quantitative data from surveying 836 leadership educators about their instructional and assessment strategy choices and then following up with qualitative interviews of 13 leadership educators recommended as “exemplary” by their peers to explore those results in more depth. In the first, quantitative phase, discussion-based pedagogies, case studies, and group projects/presentations were found to be the most frequently used instructional and assessment strategies. In the qualitative follow up phase, rich data related to specific pedagogical groups and five themes related to participants’ pedagogical choices emerged. The quantitative and qualitative findings from the two phases are integrated and discussed with reference to prior research and implications and recommendations are provided