"High School Administrative Staff Experiences During the COVID-19 Pande" by Woodrow Goss

Date of Conferral

1-27-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Matthew Howren

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted administrative staff members throughout the school system in Texas. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of high school administrative staff members who participated in the transition from a traditional high school education delivery environment to an online, distance-based education delivery environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-determination theory was the theoretical foundation for this study and guided the research question and data analysis. The research design was a basic qualitative design using a generic qualitative approach. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 10 participants from a pool of high school educators who worked in the state of Texas. There were four findings for this study: (a) pedagogy and technological challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) motivation challenges and self-determination concerns, (c) work-life balance challenges and self-care concerns, and (d) moral courage commitment. Based on the study results, the recommendation is to conduct further research on curriculum and instruction protocols for distance-based operations and managing the aftermath of school shutdowns post COVID-19 from the school district leadership perspective. Insights from this study may lead to new programs on expectations for staff members during a school lockdown, working from-home operations during crises, and other programs of support for high school administrative staff members. Implementing changes throughout school districts that would combat the challenges faced by high school administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic could impact how education is being delivered while promoting positive social change globally.

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