Methodological Issues Related to Causal Studies of Leadership

Abstract

This article explores different understandings of causality and their implications for the study of educational leadership. The article first details differences among three broad methodological traditions in educational research (the quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches), especially with regard to causal explanations. This is followed by a presentation of different methodological approaches for assessing the impact of educational leadership on school outcomes, drawing specifically from school effectiveness research. Five propositions regarding causality issues in studies of educational leadership are presented and then assessed. The article concludes with a brief description of specific educational leadership research studies that were guided by the pragmatic, mixed methods approach advocated throughout this text.