Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Ryan A. Donlan

Abstract

Women in K–12 education find themselves in the majority in the classroom but in the minority in administration positions. Social conditioning has led many to believe that men's characteristics more naturally align with strong leadership. Because of this discrepancy, women find the need to act in an inauthentic way to be perceived as more confident and capable leaders. Code-switching is defined as a transactional social tool utilized in instances of an imbalance of power and in the development of relations and practices that help members of a subordinate group cope with or resist the condition of subordination (Heller, 2020). This study focused on gender-based code-switching among female administrators in the education field. A review of the literature identified eight categories of gender-based code-switching. Then, following the administration of a survey of building and district leaders, the categories were factor-analyzed into six distinct groups. The analysis revealed that many female administrators code-switch regardless of race/ethnicity, age, years as an administrator, or whether they work at the building or district level. The more they code-switch, the less psychological safety they have. This inability to be authentic at work has considerable implications, including work satisfaction, increased stress, and a detriment to personal health. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted to examine the extent to which age, race/ethnicity, years as an administrator, and current role predicted code-switching group membership (low, moderate, high). Results indicated that older age and being White significantly increased the odds of belonging to the high code‐switching group. While a perfect model for predicting code-switching was not developed through the study, with additional surveys, a model may likely be created during future research. To combat code-switching in the workplace, mentor programs specific to women can be created, and senior leaders can ensure office practices are not geared solely toward men. Female leaders can work to bring the next generation of women up alongside them and ensure they understand how code-switching can influence their long-term career satisfaction. More importantly, women must continue to change the definition of a strong leader to ensure that the natural characteristics women bring to the workplace are valued and celebrated.

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