The effects of the administrator's problem-solving facilitator on the objective and subjective ratings of educators.

Abstract

This study was designed to test a method to help current and prospective administrators increase their skills in problem solving and decision-making. Skill areas deemed important for effective problem solving and decision-making as defined by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and other researchers were: problem analysis, judgment, sensitivity, decisiveness, educational values, organizational ability and written communication. The experimental/logic treatment was designed to specifically teach and "coach" skill development using the Collet Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Facilitator (PS/DM Facilitator). The comparison/interpersonal treatment focused on areas not covered by the experimental treatment, such as oral communication and interpersonal skills. Testing and training was provided through the use of in-basket, simulation exercises. An expert NASSP assessor rated all participants on the seven dimensions using pre-designed scoring guides. Subjects included thirteen administrators and six teachers. Although administrators performed better than teachers, the experimental treatment interfered, rather than improved, the overall performance of the participants. Knowledge acquisition theory was used to explain these two aspects of the results. A certain amount of background knowledge specific to a particular field of study is necessary for efficient and effective utilization of complex strategies for problem solving and decision-making. Administrators had more background knowledge available to them and therefore were able to understand and remember more than the teachers. However, even though the administrators did better than the teacher group, they did not excel. Knowledge acquisition theory indicates that incomplete or inaccurate knowledge may work to the detriment of the learning process. In this study, administrators had more background knowledge available to them, but their knowledge may have been incomplete. As they attempted to learn the complexity of the PS/DM Facilitator, they may only have succeeded in mastering pieces of the process and in the end this incomplete knowledge impeded their overall skill development. Future studies will need to develop measurement instruments which assess more carefully each step of the learning process, not just the final skill level. Studies attempting to provide for more specific measurements at intermediate steps are also discussed.