A NARRATIVE INQUIRY INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACADEMY:

The research in this thesis focuses on the experience of one administrator and two teachers in a magnet program with a global studies theme. The research methodology is narrative inquiry and strives to make meaning from the participants experiences in the program and in their classrooms. This experience is collected from storytelling, interviews, and journal writing over the course of a year. The focus of the research is the lived experience of the co-researchers and the “lessons learned” during the development and implementation of a new global studies program and the “re-development” of the same program in a three year window. Attention is paid to multiple stories within the storied flow of the co-researchers and the organizational narrative. The primary researcher is embedded in the research field, and addresses the special challenges of magnet program leadership. Four qualities of narrative inquiry are pursued, they are: (1)research on the boundaries of formalistic research (2) narrative truth (3) knowing through relationship (4) research in the storied midst. Reflection on the magnet school landscape, and the relational connections that affect perceptions of the magnet program both in the school and the broader community is the final piece of this research.Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies, Department o