Doctor of Education (Educational Leadership), Youngstown State University, 2022, Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Staff meetings are a regular occurrence in schools, yet both teachers and principals typically report dissatisfaction with these meetings. Teacher dissatisfaction with staff meetings can be influenced by how content they are with their own level of silence. Previous research tended to focus on the negative aspects of silence during meetings. However, silence behaviors should be viewed on a continuum from negative to positive, depending on the context. Silence is detrimental to group functioning when it is a result of oppression, fear of negative consequences, or a lack of engagement. Silence is a positive behavior when it leads to reflective thinking, respectful communication, and active listening behaviors. This study used Q-methodology, which is a mixed-methods research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods to examine individuals' subjective experiences around one topic. Teachers fell into three distinct groups related to their perspectives on silence during staff meetings: Get the Party Started, I Don't Care Anymore, and Don't Stop Believin'. The meeting format and how the principal facilitates the meeting seems to have a more pronounced influence on teacher silence behaviors, teacher attitudes towards staff meetings, and their own silence levels; the leadership style was less impactful. Teachers report increased satisfaction when the principal intentionally designs and facilitates relevant and impactful staff meetings where group norms are followed. The proposed iceberg model of teacher silence can be used to assist principals with assessing teacher silence in their own school buildings.

Committee: Karen Larwin Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sherri Harper Woods DM (Committee Member); Patrick O'Leary Ph.D. (Committee Member); Patrick Spearman Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Communication; Education; Educational Leadership; Educational Psychology; Educational Sociology; Organizational Behavior; School Administration; Teacher Education