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A Social Constructivist Grounded Theory of School Principal Legal Learning
A Social Constructivist Grounded Theory of School Principal Legal Learning
research-article2020
JRLXXX10.1177/1942775120902191Journal of Research on Leadership EducationSchneider
Original Research
Journal of Research on
A Social Constructivist
Leadership Education
1–17
© The University Council for
Grounded Theory of School Educational Administration 2020
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Principal Legal Learning sagepub.com/journals-permissions
DOI: 10.1177/1942775120902191
https://doi.org/10.1177/1942775120902191
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Tracey L. Schneider1
Abstract
This article presents a social constructivist grounded theory of school principal legal
learning. The author analyzed 10 interviews with K-12 school principals and 10 school
law faculty documents to investigate how principals develop the knowledge and
skills to address legal issues in schools. Two themes emerged. The first theme was
source of legal learning, with categories that included theoretical legal learning and
practical/reality-based learning. The second theme was supports for legal learning,
with categories that included supports of school law faculty, attorneys, policies,
building level–specific content, professional development, and a combined practice of
reflection to develop a common-sense approach.
Keywords
adult learning theory, principal, social constructivist grounded theory, school law
The K-12 school principal has a dynamic and complicated role, created in part by
the interplay of numerous laws governing schools. Principals are expected to
address legal issues in the school context, requiring that school leaders possess a
foundational knowledge of law, the ability to apply such knowledge in the practice
of school leadership, and even the ability to weave legal requirements into their
own leadership framework (Doctor, 2013; Shariff, 2004). In fact, knowledge of the
law, application of the law, and the ability to interpret legal standards for the com-
munity exist within the current widely accepted standards for school leaders
(National Policy Board for Educational Administration, 2015). The potential
1
Stockton University, Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Corresponding Author:
Tracey L. Schneider, Stockton University, 3711 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401, USA.
Email: Tracey.Schneider@stockton.edu
2 Journal of Research on Leadership Education 00(0)
Research Purpose
It is time to answer the K-12 principal’s call for the tools necessary to help avoid costly
legal mistakes. The first step is to better understand the process of school principal
legal learning and the purpose of this research is to take that first step. The unique
nature of legal learning requires recognition of how learning is experienced by the
principal and intentionally developed by school law faculty. This research applies a
social constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2014) methodology within the frame-
work of Adult Learning Theory (McGrath, 2009), to develop a theory of school prin-
cipal legal learning that is grounded in the voices and experiences of both principals
and school law faculty. The application of this methodology allowed the researcher to
answer the following questions: How do K-12 school principals experience legal
learning? and How do K-12 school principals develop the requisite knowledge and
skills to address legal issues in schools?
Schneider 3
Method
The social constructivist grounded theory approach allowed for the research to be
loosely situated in an existing theoretical framework while allowing the researchers
and participants to co-construct reality, shaped by participants’ experiences. The
subjective participant experiences generated the data, but the researcher negotiated
the meaning of those experiences to more deeply understand the principal legal
learning process and to generate a theory of that process (Charmaz, 2014; Creswell
& Poth, 2018). This approach allowed the researcher to recognize prior professional
experience as an education law attorney, and how this background impacted the
interpretation of data.
Participants
School principal participants were sampled using two-part sampling strategy of initial
purposeful and snowball sampling followed by theoretical sampling, consistent with
4 Journal of Research on Leadership Education 00(0)
grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2014; Creswell & Poth, 2018). This process
yielded a sample of 10 principal participants and 10 sets of school law faculty docu-
ments. Principal participants spanned four different building levels: primary, elemen-
tary, middle, and high school, and two different states: Virginia and North Carolina.
Data Collection
The primary source of data collection methods included participant interviews.
Interviews were structured to gather a broad range of issues associated with principal
legal learning. Each interview consistent of the following semi-structured interview
questions, in addition to demographic and snowball sampling questions: (a) In what
ways have you learned about school law? (b) When do you first remember learning
about school law? (c) What do you remember learning about school law? (d) In what
ways do legal issues come up in your work, if at all? (e) How do you prepare to address
legal issues that you may face in your school? (f) What do you feel about the adequacy
of your preparation to address school law issues? and (g) Can you describe a school
law issue you addressed recently in your position and how you came to learn the infor-
mation that helped you address that issue?
The secondary source of data was the document review of school law faculty syl-
labi and course activities. These documents served as an additional source of objec-
tive information as part of theoretical sampling (Charmaz, 2014), a source of context
for interview data (Newman, 2013), and to ensure richness of perspectives. The
inclusion of school law faculty via syllabi and course activities provided the peda-
gogical perspective on principal legal learning. Ultimately, connecting the faculty
pedagogical perspective as well as the principal perspective has the potential to lead
to the establishment of a more coherent principal learning system (Brown et al.,
2014). School law faculty documents were identified and collected from the princi-
pal interview participants as well as an internet search for publicly available school
law course documents.
into a theory (Charmaz, 2014; Creswell & Poth, 2018). To ensure trustworthiness as
the theory emerged, the researcher generated reflexive memos to recognize and bias,
created a space where the participants told their own story in their own words, utilized
multiple data sources, and solicited thick and rich descriptions.
Category: Learning legal theory through textbooks. The sole source of learning about
legal theory was textbook learning. Each principal identified having taken one school
law course with a significant component of textbook learning. Overwhelmingly,
6 Journal of Research on Leadership Education 00(0)
principals identified the value of textbook learning as providing the history of the law
and understanding the theoretical “why” laws exist. Principal U defined this as “where
we are and why we are” for school law issues. Participant R spoke of the necessity of
understanding the legal theories behind the “landmark cases” and how they may shape
schools today.
Despite the acknowledgment of the textbook as a source of understanding the
“where” and “why,” the learning legal theory through textbooks showed varying lev-
els of value provided by this source of learning for principals in the reality of day-to-
day practice. Each principal spoke about the textbook and its relevance. Several
proudly noted or pointed to the textbook’s presence on the office shelf during the
interview. Some recalled the value of theoretical textbook learning in practice. In par-
ticular, Participant Q found the theoretical textbook learning valuable to understand-
ing how to interpret legal documents and legalese.
The presence of the textbook and the recollection of the value of theoretical text-
book learning did not, however, equate to current, practical use. Participant S noted
that the books were left on the shelf from a former principal and referred to the text-
book at “merely words on paper.” Likewise, Participant Q described the text as “just a
giant book of cases.” Participant R said the textbook was present but not used, at least
not at this point in the principal’s career. Participant R’s comment presents an interest-
ing insight into the progression of legal learning. The textbook may have been used
early in Participant R’s career to show knowledge and power but later in a principal’s
career, common sense and reality take the place of the textbook.
The variation in principal feelings toward the value of learning legal theory did not
change the fact that each principal specifically noted a disconnect between learning
the theory of law from applying those theories in the daily practice of addressing
school law issues. Participant T noted that “studying case law and living it are very
different.” Further, whether overtly or interpreted through language choice, every
principal confirmed how Participant Z initially described theoretical textbook learn-
ing, as more passive “knowledge acquisition” at a static point in time as opposed to
active, dynamic, continuous legal learning.
This idea of theoretical textbook learning as mere knowledge acquisition was
underscored in the school law faculty syllabi review. Syllabus A refers to the section
on textbooks as “knowledge base.” A Syllabus B learning objective was “students will
become familiar with. . .” and, likewise, a Syllabus C learning objective used the ter-
minology to “inform” students. This suggests that direct objectives or goals of school
law coursework are textbook knowledge or one-way foundational knowledge acquisi-
tion. School law faculty action reinforces the principal’s voice, that theoretical text-
book learning is about passively acquiring knowledge rather than ensuring active
learning. However, principals seemed to describe this in a negative way and school
law faculty maintain it as an intentional course objective.
Subcategory: Learning through teaching others. The process of principal legal learn-
ing culminates with principals reaching the next level of learning through teaching
others. It is surprising that principal legal learning includes learning through teaching
others, given that legal instruction typically comes from an authority with formalized
legal training, which principals do not have. Yet, principal participants spoke of learn-
ing about legal issues so that they would be able to convey the issues to third parties.
Principals routinely identified third parties as belonging to two groups: staff mem-
bers and parents. Participant X most directly spoke to this issue and having to interpret
legal ideas and legal concepts to teachers because teachers have not had any founda-
tional school law courses. Participant T expressed the importance of developing an
accurate understanding of legal issues such that they could convey those issues for
10 Journal of Research on Leadership Education 00(0)
staff members and help them to place legal knowledge in the classroom context.
Participant T further explained that this would make staff members “more likely to
take ownership” of legal issues. Participant X also talked about interpreting law as a
form of external communication and public relations with parents. Participant X
explained that this most frequently occurs when the principal must share a standard or
explain legalese. Participant Y spoke of needing to have a thorough understanding of
the legal issues not only to be able to explain the issues to parents but also to “facilitate
a shared understanding.” Principal T illustrated the complexity of instructing parents
on legal issues, indicating that parents have asked whether the principal is an attorney
when the principal was trying to explain the legal guidelines and the school’s practice
related to custody. When challenged in this manner, a principal must have developed
the right depth of principal legal knowledge.
It was clear from the syllabi, that school law faculty are privy to the idea that
principals need to reach that level of transformative learning. Every syllabus
reviewed had a presentation component where future principals were required to
instruct fellow students and teach their legal learning to others, presumably to reach
that level of transformation.
This element of the principal legal learning process, though unexpected, is directly
connected to adult learning theory and the point at which adult learning reaches the
next level of transformative learning. The transformation occurs when the learner is
cognitively aware of their learning and can analyze, evaluate, and create knowledge to
transfer learning to others (Desimone, 2009; Ylimaki, 2014).
Category: School law faculty support. Principal participants spoke of the school law
faculty as having significant credibility as a source of accurate legal information. Prin-
cipals indicated that the school law faculty, in conjunction with the course materials,
provide principals with knowledge about what can and cannot be done without room
for interpretation. Participants Z, Y, X, and V all spoke of the value of the school law
faculty and the textbook that continues to be present on their office shelf for continued
learning support.
Schneider 11
Category: Policy support. Every participant, unprompted, mentioned some form of pol-
icy and procedure, sometimes in the form of a code of conduct, used in practice to
support principal legal learning. However, variation emerged as to whether policies
were seen as black-and-white or gray and as to how policies were used as part of legal
learning.
The black-and-white dimension of policies emerged most frequently within the
code of conduct when principal participants use policies to identify legal provisions as
references and definitions. Every participant has discussed the inclusion of law explicit
in school policy and noted these documents as the first line of information for address-
ing a legal issue that arose in the school. Or as Participant X explained, policy is
something to “fall back on” and to help address the “run-of-the-mill” situations. More
explicitly, Participant Y discussed the idea of policies as “tightly written” boundaries.
Likewise, Participant W and Participant V both spoke of using the code of conduct to
instruct parents, in particular using definitions and code provisions as a point of refer-
ence (even literally pointing to it). To that end, written policies are seen as less likely
to be challenged and are a form of implementing structured due process that ensures
fairness and equity for all.
Conversely, the gray area dimension of policy is in how it is utilized and inter-
preted. Participants R and S did not see policy as a support for legal decision-making.
Participant R uses policy as merely a source of authority to show to others. Similarly,
Participant S identified the law being equated with policy that can provide a source of
12 Journal of Research on Leadership Education 00(0)
first guidance but noted that policy is written broadly with room for interpretation and
decision-making at different levels. It is within that gray area of decision-making at
different levels that principals can and should apply their own educational philoso-
phies to address a legal situation.
Category: Building level–specific content support. First emerging within the discussion of
professional development, overwhelmingly, principals are learning legal information
that is not specific to their context, specifically, their building level. Every principal
participant noted that when they do encounter legal information, it is never building
level–specific. Principals identified the content areas specific to their building level
where useful legal information can be tailored to context and facilitates legal learning.
For primary/elementary building levels, those areas include custody, discipline,
teacher-administrator rights and responsibilities, special education, allergies, or extra-
curricular activities, and mental health. For middle school and high school building
levels, those areas include substance abuse, discipline, Title IX, and social media.
The syllabus review confirmed the experiences of the principal participants. Each
syllabus clearly identified content areas that would be covered in the course. Those
areas are consistently broad and consistently absent of any connection to building
level needs in practice.
Category: Applying common sense with reflection for support. A final area that emerged
as a source of support for principal legal learning is a principal’s ability to apply com-
mon sense and reflective practice. Almost every principal participant specifically used
the term “common sense” when speaking about addressing legal issues. Most notably,
Participant R spoke directly to this issue, stating that where the gray area exists, com-
mon sense needs to be applied to take appropriate action without overreaching.
To facilitate the development of common sense to address legal issues, principal
participants spoke of engaging in reflective practice. Participant Z and Participant Y
both discussed the idea of “hindsight” or “reflective practice.” When principals can
Schneider 13
analyze and reflect upon their actions, whether successful action or mistake, principals
learn how to better address the legal issue moving forward and deepen their legal
learning. Furthermore, Participants R, S, and T, all spoke about taking additional steps
toward legal learning to avoid “negative reflection.” Much of this reflective practice
occurs within the professional network.
The theory of principal legal learning is illustrated in visual form in Figure 1.
Limitations
This study was limited by the potential for participants to feel pressured or influenced
by the researcher’s background as an attorney. Given this prior experience as an educa-
tion attorney, there is a potential for participants to feel like the researcher was judging
or evaluating their knowledge of school law. To compensate, the researcher was trans-
parent about this professional background and assured participants that the purpose of
the research was to understand the legal learning process and not to judge principal
actions. This served to lessen any intimidation and interaction power differences
(Charmaz, 2014).
own practice. Principals have expressed desire for knowledge and skills to address
legal issues in schools (Hess & Kelly, 2003; Shariff, 2004). This research presents two
key implications for principals who desire to develop legal knowledge and skills and
deepen legal learning: get exposure to scenarios in practice until legal decision-making
becomes instinctual by cultivating professional networks and gain access to a wide
variety of supports that use the black-and-white to practice reflection to the point at
which learning becomes transformative.
Principal participants emphasized that learning occurs in practice after exposure to
actual legal scenarios. While it is most beneficial to personally experience the legal
scenarios, it is certainly not advisable to create legal issues in schools merely for the
benefit of principal legal learning. Instead, principals continually express the benefit
of exposure to scenarios, from any source. Although principals found the most value
in their own experiences, they did not entirely discount the benefit of course content
and textbook scenarios. The course content and textbook scenarios provide the foun-
dational knowledge. Principals can actively recall and build upon that foundational
knowledge by intentionally revisiting scenarios in practice. One valuable way of
building upon that foundational knowledge is through professional networks where
scenarios are discussed with trusted colleagues, mentors, and supervisors.
These networks and the intentional and active discussion of scenarios can and
should occur both formally and informally. In the formal setting, though principal
participants have not had regular, job-embedded legal professional development, they
desire for such formal learning opportunities. Principals can and should solicit oppor-
tunities that are current, are not presented in legal jargon, are chunked and tailored to
building-level content, are timely with school planning, provide consistency in what to
do and what not to do, and facilitate collaboration and communication through “hands-
on” activities. These formal sources of learning should be supplemented with the
informal discussions within the professional network. It is within the ongoing activi-
ties and informal discussions of scenarios that deep legal learning becomes instinctual
legal decision-making.
Principal participants identified a wide variety of supports that are not sources of
legal learning but can serve to facilitate legal learning. However, the breadth of those
supports seems to be underutilized. It is clear that school policy can provide clear
black-and-white legal decision-making guidelines. Moreover, policies were often
cited as a mechanism for principals learning by teaching others about school law
issues, both teachers and parents. Furthermore, principal participants indicate that pro-
fessional development, when done right, can also be a source of current, credible,
explanation of what to do and what not to do. Again, this is a source of black-and-
white that principals can use to navigate legal issues and translate those legal issues to
teachers and parents. Principals must recognize the existence of these supports, request
these supports, and utilize these supports until legal learning reaches that instinctual,
common sense, level of transformative learning.
School law faculty need to continually develop valuable and meaningful school law
programming. There is national principal shortage that some attribute to the weakness
of principal preparation and development (Gates et al., 2014). In this new era of school
Schneider 15
autonomy, accountability (Gates et al., 2014; Himmetoglu et al., 2017), and the rush to
legally challenge issues previously discussed (Petty, 2016), there is corresponding
need to understand how principals develop knowledge and skills to address legal
issues in schools. This research can help to refine current methods of principal school
law instruction and programming. Over time, this may help to attract and retain quality
principals to the profession and reduce legal fees.
One way to refine current coursework is to incorporate more real-life scenarios
from practicing principals. A second way to refine current coursework is to recognize
and emphasize building-level content differences. While principals need to be pre-
pared to practice at any level, it is beneficial for principals to be aware of building-
level legal issue differences so that they may draw upon that knowledge in practice. A
third way to refine current coursework is to begin to facilitate a professional network
for principals entering practice. School law faculty can and should consider pairing
practicing principals with principals in preparation specifically to discuss legal issues.
Doing so would facilitate all three recommendations for refined coursework. It would
give the practicing principals the opportunity to discuss real scenarios, ideally based
on intended building-level practice, and would initiate a trusting collegial relationship
to provide the foundation for a strong professional network.
It should be recognized that the syllabi indicate that school law faculty are trying to
incorporate these elements into current coursework activities consistent with current
knowledge of adult learning theory. The syllabi demonstrate how school law faculty
are seeking to facilitate self-directed learning through student/school administrator
choice of learning activities. The syllabi also demonstrate that school law faculty
incorporate scenarios and activities establishing current connections to practice and
ensuring learning is grounded in practical experience. Finally, syllabi have elements of
small group work and/or collaboration. It is not entirely clear whether this is intended
to initiate the development of a professional network. However, this research illus-
trates that even if school law faculty are intending to facilitate adult learning theory
tenets in school law coursework, principals are not understanding the purpose of learn-
ing activities or need a modified learning approach, specific for the unique intricacies
of legal learning.
the relationship of the school attorney and school principals who need legal advice to
navigate legal issues is warranted.
Professional development is an underutilized source of principal legal learning.
Professional development that is provided is internal and arranged by supervisors. In
some instances, the professional development is tailored to the needs of the district,
whereas in others it is not. In many instances the professional development is in
response to a significant legal case or law that would directly impact the district or
school. In all cases, the professional development is described as district-wide, not
school-specific. Additional research to identify the most effective elements of legal
professional development is warranted.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of
this article.
ORCID iD
Tracey L. Schneider https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8718-2200
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Author Biography
Tracey L. Schneider is an assistant professor at Stockton University. She received her PhD
from the College of William & Mary in Education Policy, Planning & Leadership (where much
of this research was conducted) and her JD from the University of Richmond School of Law.
Her research integrates issues related to education law and policy and specifically practical
implications for educational leaders.