Summary
The purpose of using autoethnography was to investigate my feelings and emotions in the lead up and journey to senior leadership. I have used a narrative form of writing to attempt to instill validity to the reader as I lead up to a position of leadership and accountability for the education of children. As a researcher practitioner I have employed action research during periods of interventions as I employ a living theory approach looking for ways to improve my practice. At all times in this study whatever the method used, I have focused on the following three research questions to guide my study: –
1 In what ways did self and identity change during the journey?
2 What dilemmas and feelings did I experience as a result of developing as a head teacher?
3 How do I explain and understand this journey? Can this help others?
Researcher Perspectives
I considered myself fortunate to have been in the position to blend my professional work with my research study. However, this…
Interesting that this was when I became involved in improving my practice through a living theory and also when I began to have a need to be more precise about what I had accomplished through the discourse of a narrative.
PART TWO – Four episodes of leadership
I maintain that my leadership journey and interrogation of my emerging identity can be divided into two: –
1. Episodes 1 & 2 – unconscious leadership emergence
2. Episodes 2 & 3 – conscious leadership identification
Part two is arranged and includes two chapters. Chapter four tells my story covering episodes 1&2 as I develop my identity as a leader. This was not a conscious development but a development I acknowledge through this reflective study. During Chapter five I am conscious of my identity as a…