An analysis of enabling school structure: Theoretical, empirical, and research considerations

Abstract

The construct of enabling school structure is empirically analyzed in this qualitative study of high schools. First, the theoretical underpinning of enabling school structure is developed. Then, six high schools, which were determined to have enabling structures in a large quantitative study of Ohio schools, were analyzed in depth using semi‐structured interviewing techniques. The inquiry fleshes out the specifics of the performance of principals and teachers in such organizations and describes the dynamics of enabling school structures in terms of their formalization, centralization, and functioning. Finally, the research demonstrates a natural and symbiotic relation between quantitative and qualitative approaches to the study of schools.

Citation

Sinden, J.E., Hoy, W.K. and Sweetland, S.R. (2004), "An analysis of enabling school structure: Theoretical, empirical, and research considerations", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 462-478. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230410544071