Congratulations to Dan Kelley who on Thursday, August 21, 2025, successfully defended his dissertation proposal. The title of Dan’s dissertation is, "BEYOND THE ALGORITHM: HOW SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN NEW ENGLAND MAKE SENSE OF GENERATIVE AI IN THEIR LEADERSHIP PRACTICE."
Overview of the Problem: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping how people work and learn, yet research on its impact in schools has focused largely on classroom instruction. Far less is known about how school leaders, particularly principals, interpret, adopt, and integrate AI into their leadership work. As principals are expected to guide innovation while maintaining ethical, human-centered practices, understanding their sensemaking around AI has become an urgent gap in the literature.
Research Purpose: Grounded in Weick’s sensemaking theory and an interpretive qualitative framework, this study seeks to explore how public secondary school principals in New England make sense of generative AI in their leadership practices. The study examines how principals’ identities, experiences, organizational contexts, and professional relationships influence their perceptions, adoption, and integration of AI.
Research Design: An interpretive qualitative research design guides the study, emphasizing meaning-making in uncertain and evolving contexts.
Sample: A purposeful sample of 20 public secondary school principals from across New England.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data will be collected through semi structured interviews, supported by field notes and analytic memos. Inductive thematic analysis will identify emerging patterns, which will then be interpreted through the lens of sensemaking theory. This approach will surface both opportunities and challenges principals face as they navigate AI’s role in school leadership.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR:
Dr. Martin Fitzgerald
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Dr. Robert Feirsen
Dr. Jennifer Harriton-Wilson
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The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville, offered in partnership with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, utilizes a forward-thinking approach to educational leadership that is ideal for practicing and aspiring leaders in any educational context. It is designed to support the goals of educational professionals who seek to develop their leadership skills for career advancement or current job enhancement.
