Understanding humility as it is practiced in educational leadership: A multiple case study

The study focused on developing a framework on understanding the concept of humility as it is practiced in educational leadership. The purpose of this study was to deepen, enrich and understand the concept of humility as it is practiced in educational leadership. This study employed the qualitative research design using the building theory method from case studies espoused by Eisenhardt (1989) and open coding techniques by Strauss, Corbin, & Corin (2000a). The cases were determined through a nomination process using a \u27humility checklist\u27 which was developed from literature in the early conceptualization of the notion of humility and the practice of humility in educational leadership. After the selection of the cases, qualitative data collection methods such as face-to-face interviews, observation, archival data and other literary sources were employed to gather surfacing thoughts and ideas of respondents. Then, the analysis of data was performed using within case, cross case, and open coding techniques to facilitate better theory construction and to strengthen the grounding of the emerging theory. Subsequently, a framework on understanding the practice of humility in educational leadership was established (see Figure 8). Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn: a. The framework on understanding humility as it is practiced in educational leadership represents a profound complementarity and interconnectedness between the personal traits and professional qualities expressed in six behaviors. b. The six fundamental behaviors are: spirituality, self-awareness, lifelong learning, person-oriented, dispensable mindset, and primacy of organization. These behaviors contribute to the practice of humility in educational leadership, which leads to organizational effectiveness. c. Lastly, the concept of hubris is a subtle perversion that may destroy the practice of humility in educational leadership, which can have negative impact towards organizational effectiveness. However, excessive arrogance or pride may be prevented by the leaders’ personal values such as stewardship, self-acceptance, learning disposition, people centered, detachment, and selfless character. The study recommends the following as a further deepening into the understanding of humility as it is practiced in educational leadership. a. A case study method on the practice of humility in leadership among state schools and non-sectarian educational institutions. b. A phenomenological study on the deeper meaning of the practice of humility in leadership from the perspectives of middle managers and supervisors in educational institutions