Virtual K-12 leadership: a postmodern paradigm

This phenomenological, mixed-method study compared and contrasted virtual K-
12 school leadership with traditional face-to-face leadership. All 106 participants served
for a minimum of two years in each setting. The study was conducted in two phases in
order to reveal consensus and dissensus points of view. Conceptually, a postmodern
framework was used to deliberately create spaces for new leadership ideas to emerge
through surveys and interviews. The data included teachers and leaders from charter,
district, and state virtual K-12 schools. Phase one of the study used a modified Delphi
methodology, consisting of an Internet-based survey and semantic differential survey.
The second phase was a round of interviews, seeking similarities and differences between leadership in the two domains. Using the lens of postmodernism, the nuances of difference arising from contextual factors were examined, along with the often-unheard voices of dissensus within the ranks of virtual K-12 leaders and teachers. Among the major findings, the study revealed no significant differences in
leadership between traditional and virtual K-12 leaders. A new paradigm of “leadership
by design” was uncovered as one possible means of innovating through virtual K-12
leadership.