a w a R D - W I N N I N G D I S S E R tat I O N :
Photo Credit : Shuana Niessen
On April 1 , 2014 , Dr . Darryl Hunter successfully defended his PhD thesis , entitled , “ About Average : A Pragmatic Inquiry into School Principals ’ Meanings for a Statistical Concept in Instructional Leadership .” While researching , he was awarded several scholarships and fellowships : University of Regina Graduate Scholarships , Dean ’ s Scholarship Program , SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship , Killam Trust Pre-doctoral Fellowship , Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship , Jack and John Spencer Middleton Scholarship , League of Saskatchewan Educational Administrators , Directors and Superintendents Award . Since finishing his dissertation he has been awarded the University of Regina President ’ s Award , the Thomas B . Greenfield Award , and the Governor General ’ s Academic Gold Medal . Dr . Hunter is now serving as an Assistant professor in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta .
An Interview with Dr . Darryl Hunter 1 . Briefly summarize the topic of your research :
I am interested in the manifold ways that school principals-administrators ( and adults in general ) interpret numeric information in their quotidian practices . My mixed methods dissertation revolved around the ways that Saskatchewan school administrators construe the " average " in the phrase " average student achievement " ---the average as both a quality and a quantity .
2 . What circumstances / situation led you to research the topic of your dissertation ?
Research topics are often inspired by direct experiences which point out the absence / inadequacy of existing theory . From my experience working with educators and policy makers as a civil servant over many years , it was plain to me that mathematics pedagogy and statistical textbooks and cognitive science could not explain the ways that welleducated , conscientious leaders actually reason and behave with numbers in the workplace . Moreover , I was dissatisfied with a massive research literature that makes sweeping , omnibus claims about " data use ", without looking in micro detail at the preliminary reading processes with numbers .
3 . How has your research enhanced your professional life ?
My dissertation has led me to approach questions of instructional leadership , both by school administrators and by teachers , in very different
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