EMERGING FROM A GLOBAL PANDEMIC: A CASE STUDY OF HOW SCHOOL LEADERS MOTIVATED AND RE-ENGAGED MINORITY STUDENT POPULATIONS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL
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2023-05
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This study looked at multiple factors that have contributed to the achievement gap between Hispanic students and other peers, as well as the impact that the global pandemic, school closures, and the return to school had on learners at the secondary level. The study also drew extensively on self-determination and expectancy-value theories as a contemporary view of what motivates and engages students in their learning process (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Wigfield et al., 2000). This case study combined both qualitative and quantitative measures to provide more comprehensive data to better understand educational leaders’ beliefs on students’ motivation and engagement and how educational leaders are fostering these environments to motivate and engage Hispanic students and improve students’ outcomes.
Ten school leaders, individuals who have significant influence over school-wide programs and policies, were selected from a large urban, comprehensive high school with a Hispanic student population approaching 95%. The following themes emerged from data and interviews with school leaders: connection/relatedness; relevance; aspirations/future; adaptability/flexibility; and shared responsibility. School leaders are driven by the beliefs that Hispanic students are capable learners when content is highly relevant. They also believe in building authentic relationships as critical gateways to improved outcomes and that students’ motivation is malleable and responds to change. School leaders also expressed the need to embrace change, act upon it, and equip others to share in the leadership and responsibility of the tasks at hand. Lastly, school leaders reinforce that student choice and flexibility, intentional connections, paired with relevance, and a focus on the future are the catalyst for creating environments that support students’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
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