Date of Award

5-12-2026

Access Restriction

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate in Education

Department

Education

School or College

School of Education

First Advisor

Manuel Ponce

Second Advisor

Kyo Yamishiro

Third Advisor

Marta Vilalta Clomer

Abstract

Limited research exists on how principal leadership has shaped teacher empowerment and collective efficacy in public schools implementing the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP; International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2020a).This qualitative study was grounded in culturally responsive leadership (CRL; Khalifa et al., 2016) and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory (Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995; Northouse, 2022) as interpretive lenses and examined a leadership problem of practice at Hiller School, a diverse, high-needs public K–8 campus serving students in Grades 6–8. The study centered on how leaders foster teacher agency, identity development, relational trust, and intentional co-leadership during the early stages of IB MYP candidacy and authorization. Data sources included leadership field notes, leadership memos, and in-depth interviews with eight middle-grade educators, including one education specialist and the IB MYP coordinator. Findings revealed meaningful IB MYP implementation grew through protected autonomy, relational safety, reciprocal leadership partnership, and teachers’ shared belief in their collective capacity to shape instruction. Teachers consistently emphasized that trust, shared ownership, and leadership partnership—not procedural mandate—sustained the most authentic engagement, inquiry, and student belonging. Implications highlight the necessity of time, role investment, and organizational support to sustain teacher-led, equity-centered IB MYP reform and meaningful school transformation.

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