Multilevel exploratory factor analysis: illustrating its surplus value

This paper illustrates the surplus value of multilevel exploratory factor analysis in
educational effectiveness research. Educational researchers often use measures for
process variables at the class or school level to explain differences in student
outcomes. Recently, van de Vijver and Poortinga (2002) have developed a
procedure for multilevel exploratory factor analysis which can be extremely useful
in this kind of application. Their procedure, which is based on the ‘‘multilevel
confirmatory factor analysis’’ framework of Muthe´n (1994), is demonstrated by
means of constructing measures for school process variables based on teacher
data. Every step of the procedure is nicely illustrated and commented on using
these data. Furthermore, the meaning of the findings and challenges when using
multilevel exploratory factor analysis are emphasized.

Keywords: multilevel exploratory factor analysis; school process variables;
educational effectiveness research

How Principals and Peers Influence Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of principal leadership and peer teacher influence on teachers’ instructional practice and student learning. Using teacher survey and student achievement data from a mid-sized urban southeastern school district in the United States in 2006-2007, the study employs multilevel structural equation modeling to examine the structural relationships between student learning and theorized dimensions of principal leadership,teacher peer influence, and change in teachers’ instructional practice. The findings confirm previous empirical work and provide new contributions to research on the chain of hypothesized relationships between leadership practice and student learning. Both principal leadership and teacher peer influence were significantly associated with teachers’ instructional practices and English language arts (ELA) student learning. A major contribution of this research is the strong and significant indirect relationships which mediate education leadership and student learning. The results indicate the importance of principals work for student learning because of their indirect influence on teachers’ practices through the fostering of collaboration and communication around instruction.

Keywords

leadership impacts, distributed leadership, instructional improvement, student learning, multilevel structural modeling

1University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Corresponding Author:

Jonathan Supovitz, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, 3700 Walnut

Street #404, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Email: jons@gse.upenn.edu

 

Educational Administration Quarterly

文章來源：http://eaq.sagepub.com/
How Principals and Peers
Influence Teaching and
Learning
Jonathan Supovitz,1 Philip Sirinides,1
and Henry May1
Abstract
This paper examines the effects of principal leadership and peer teacher
influence on teachers’ instructional practice and student learning. Using teacher
survey and student achievement data from a mid-sized urban southeastern
school district in the United States in 2006-2007, the study employs
multilevel structural equation modeling to examine the structural relationships
between student learning and theorized dimensions of principal leadership,
teacher peer influence, and change in teachers’ instructional practice. The findings
confirm previous empirical work and provide new contributions to research
on the chain of hypothesized relationships between leadership practice and
student learning. Both principal leadership and teacher peer influence were
significantly associated with teachers’ instructional practices and English language
arts (ELA) student learning. A major contribution of this research is the strong
and significant indirect relationships which mediate education leadership and
student learning. The results indicate the importance of principals work for
student learning because of their indirect influence on teachers’ practices
through the fostering of collaboration and communication around instruction.
Keywords
leadership impacts, distributed leadership, instructional improvement, student
learning, multilevel structural modeling
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1University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Corresponding Author:
Jonathan Supovitz, University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Education, 3700 Walnut
Street #404, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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