Award Date

5-15-2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education

First Committee Member

Megan Griffard

Second Committee Member

Miguel Gonzales

Third Committee Member

Chelsie Hawkinson

Fourth Committee Member

Joseph Morgan

Number of Pages

147

Abstract

Women remain underrepresented in the superintendency despite comprising the majority of the educational workforce. This qualitative study examined how women superintendents access and sustain the role. Grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) and using portraiture, the study explored how self-efficacy and contextual conditions shape leadership trajectories. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed by adopting narrative coding and cross-case portraits. The cultivation of self-efficacy, the accessibility of opportunities through connections, and the management of systemic obstacles influence trajectories. Sustainable leadership was strengthened by adaptive capacity and extensive professional networks. This study promotes an asset-based perspective and emphasizes the necessity of deliberately designing systems that enhance access and support women in the superintendency.

Keywords

leadership; portraiture; SCCT; superintendency; superintendents; women

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Leadership

File Format

PDF

File Size

1142 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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