Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Dissertation (UNI Access Only)

Abstract

The gender gap in the superintendent role continues to plague the educational system across the nation. Female school teachers drastically outnumber female superintendents, which limits the number of women superintendents who are available to serve as mentors. Female superintendents are needed to bring balance and diversity to educational leadership teams. Until women can access superintendent positions in an equitable manner, this gender imbalance will continue. The purpose of this study was to explore current Iowa women superintendents' perceptions and experiences with seeking and operating in the superintendency, and understand their perceptions on the strengths and weaknesses of the mentoring support available for new superintendents. The findings confirm that participants in this study had similar experiences with seeking and operating in the superintendent role, and share common views on the mentoring support provided to female superintendents. The four themes identified in this study include: (a) the push to advance, (b) navigating the challenges of being a female superintendent, (c) the gender gap creates feelings of isolation, (d) intentional formal and informal mentoring is essential. Learning about the experiences and perceptions of current female superintendents can help to increase longevity in the position by removing identified barriers and eliminating some of the challenges that were brought to light. This study fills a research gap specific to the underrepresentation of female superintendents in Iowa.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Psychology, Foundations, and Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Matt Townsley

Date Original

5-2025

Object Description

1 PDF (x, 124 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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