Learning Activity 6.2

I would give the article on servant leadership in secondary schools a two in sampling strategy, a one in sample size, and a three in every other category.

I’m not sure the sampling strategy was justified because I believe all interview and survey results can be skewed depending on the mood the subjects are in. If someone is having a bad day or suffering from depression, they may have put answers that reflect their emotions instead of reality. I have no suggestions on how to bypass this. However, it is something I have always found problematic in many studies.

Concerning the sample size was much too little. In the journal article that I used for unit five used almost six hundred teachers over a broad range of schools (Cerit, 2009, pg. 602). For this article, it seems only a handful of students were interviewed in one school in Hong Kong. This does not adequately reflect how secondary students perceive servant leadership. If the article had included more people over a larger area, it would have been much more conclusive. Instead, because they used only a few students from one school, they are only getting one perspective.

Ethical qualitative data was gathered using standard procedures and high-quality instruments. There was no indication of students being pressured into answers. In fact, the interviewers were chosen due to their close relationship with the students to put them at ease and avoid answers that were given merely to please. This also allowed for students to treat the interview more as a conversation with a personal undertone. They gave responses through their personal experience and viewpoints. Once the discussion began probing questions were asked to make the subjects think critically. Afterwards, the recordings taken during the session were played back to promote accuracy and keep a solid record.

Sources:

Chan, K. W. C, & So, G. B. K. (2017). Cultivating servant leaders in secondary schooling. Servant Leadership: Theory and Practice, 4(1), 12-31. Retrieved from http://www.sltpjournal.org/uploads/2/6/3/9/26394582/03chan_so_vol_4_issue_1.pdf

Cerit, Y. (2009). The effects of servant leadership behaviours of school principals on teachers’ job satisfaction. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 37(5), 600-623.