Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Administrative and Instructional Leadership
First Advisor
Jenny Yang
Second Advisor
Stephen Kotok
Third Advisor
Anthony J. Annunziato
Abstract
This quantitative correlational study addressed the relationship between K–12 school administrators’ adaptive leadership behaviors and their self-efficacy for crisis management. Guided by Ronald Heifetz’s adaptive leadership theory and Albert Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, the study was an exploration of how adaptability, prior professional experience, and crisis-specific training influence administrators’ confidence in leading through emergencies. Participants included 51 practicing administrators from public schools, mostly located on Long Island, New York, who completed two validated instruments: the Adaptive Leadership Behavior Scale, which is an adaptation from Shams et. al, and the School Administrator Preparedness and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, which is an adaptation of April Minor’s School Psychologist Preparedness and Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using correlation, linear regression, two-way analysis of variance, and multivariate analysis of variance procedures in IBM’s Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (v. 29.0). Results revealed a significant positive relationship between adaptive leadership behavior and self-efficacy for crisis management, F(1, 49) = 20.59, p < .001, R² = .296, indicating that adaptive leadership explained nearly one-third of the variance in crisis self-efficacy. Administrators who completed crisis-management training reported significantly higher self-efficacy, whereas adaptive-leadership training alone and prior noneducational career experience were not significant predictors. The study contributes empirical evidence to the emerging field of crisis leadership in education, emphasizing that adaptability and confidence are mutually reinforcing competencies essential for sustaining safe and resilient school communities. Implications include integrating adaptive leadership development, experiential crisis training, and reflective practice into administrator preparation and professional learning programs. Keywords: Adaptive Leadership, crisis leadership, self-efficacy, crisis management, school administrators, crisis preparedness, K–12 education
Recommended Citation
Sheehan, Meg Anne, "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN K–12 SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS’ ADAPTIVE LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS AND SELF-EFFICACY FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 1053.
https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/1053