Second language program administrators: Critically-oriented values and practices

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dc.contributor.advisorCrookes, Graham V.
dc.contributor.authorHolden, Daniel
dc.contributor.departmentSecond Language Studies
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-27T22:21:28Z
dc.date.available2025-06-27T22:21:28Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.degreePh.D.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/111056
dc.subjectEnglish as a second language
dc.subjectEducational administration
dc.subjectEducational leadership
dc.subjectcritical administration
dc.subjectcritical applied linguistics
dc.subjectcritical language pedagogy
dc.subjectcritical language teaching
dc.subjectsocial justice
dc.titleSecond language program administrators: Critically-oriented values and practices
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractThis dissertation investigates how second language program administrators (SLPAs) conceptualize and enact critically-oriented values—democracy, action-orientation, and critical dialogue—within their institutional roles. Drawing on Critical Pedagogy (Freire, 1973, 1974) and extended through Critical Language Pedagogy (Crookes & Abednia, 2021), the study explores how administrators navigate institutional constraints such as financial pressures, political resistance, and bureaucratic demands (Eaton, 2013; Panferov, 2012), while striving to maintain their stated values within their programs. Using a multi-method qualitative approach—including surveys, semi-structured interviews, and limited observations—the study gathers perspectives from SLPAs working across O‘ahu (Hawai‘i) and the U.S. continent. Participants come from a range of institutional contexts, including university-affiliated programs, private language schools, and charter schools. Analytical methods include grounded theory-informed coding (Hadley, 2017) and hierarchical cluster analysis, which was used to identify three typologies of administrative orientation: Cautious Advocates, Strategic Reformers, and Open Advocates. Findings indicate that while administrators express strong commitments to democratic governance, action-oriented problem-solving, and fostering critical dialogue, these values are frequently influenced by systemic challenges, such as resource constraints, institutional norms, and the pressure for compliance with standardized procedures (Begley, 2000; Eaton, 2013; Osborn, 2006). The study highlights how critical orientation is not a fixed identity but a set of practices shaped by context. This research contributes to the field by offering a comparative framework for understanding how administrators’ critical values are enabled or constrained by institutional context. It underscores the need for professional development models that prepare SLPAs to navigate complex educational environments while promoting socially responsive and equity-oriented language education.
dcterms.extent243 pages
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.publisherUniversity of Hawai'i at Manoa
dcterms.rightsAll UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.typeText
local.identifier.alturihttps://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32042673

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Ph.D. - Second Language Studies