In the Department of Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy, I teach a wide range of courses and seminars at the graduate level, such as reform implementation and sustainability/educational change, leadership development, learning organizations, work relations, systems thinking for educational leadership, organizational theory, learning from success as leverage for school change, and creativity in educational administration. At the undergraduate level, I teach an introduction to research methods course focusing on philosophy and quantitative and qualitative research (including action research), as well as courses on organizational and leadership theories. In my teaching, I create scaffolding to provide opportunities for students to systematically link theory and practice. For example, I developed a unique work relations graduate course in a full online format to enable students to interact with peers in order to solve complex educational problems based on access to empirical research, theoretical readings, and authentic vignettes of school leaders’ problems on the ground. This online interactive environment thus models for preservice principals the experience of a professional learning community.
Student evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive. I received high mean student ratings consistently over the years. In two recent academic years, I received the highest mean scores for excellent teaching of all the faculty in the School of Education, achieving a mean score of 4.6 out of 5 in the 2011-2012 year and 4.79 out of 5 in the 2012-2013 year. In the last two academic years (2015-2016 and 2016-2017) I was nominated for the University’s best lecturer award. Moreover, as a Guest International Professor, the full online course I taught in the Graduate School of Education at Michigan State University in the summer of 2009 was rated by students as superior (exceptionally good).
I also advise graduate students from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds in their research theses and dissertations. Numerous graduate students completed their theses and dissertations under my mentoring. Articles deriving from most of theses/dissertations have been published in leading peer-reviewed leadership journals. Most of Ph.D. students have received distinguished scholarship awards. To empower a new generation of educational leaders, I ensure that doctoral students’ research is supported by the research grants I receive.
Teaching Interests:
- Leadership and Leadership Development
- Organizational Theory and Practice/Innovative School Organization
- Research Methods
- System Thinking Leadership
- Organizational Learning & Professional Learning Community
- Team Building & Collaborate Decision Making
- Learning from Success
- Reform Implementation and Sustainability/Educational Change Processes