Using a Case Study to Develop the Transformational Teaching Theory

Leadership educators teach Transformational Leadership Theory in their classrooms, but could transformational theory be used as a pedagogical model to deepen students' understanding of leadership? This article presents Erin Gruwell, a first-year teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Bea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of leadership education Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 50 - 59
Main Author Boyd, Barry L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Association of Leadership Educators 2009
Subjects
Authors
Case Studies
High School Students
Intellectual Development
Juvenile Gangs
Leadership Training
Learning Processes
Outcomes of Education
Secondary School Teachers
Student Motivation
Teaching Methods
Transformative Learning
Writing Instruction
California (Long Beach)
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ISSN1552-9045
1552-9045

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Summary:Leadership educators teach Transformational Leadership Theory in their classrooms, but could transformational theory be used as a pedagogical model to deepen students' understanding of leadership? This article presents Erin Gruwell, a first-year teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach and subject of the 2006 movie "The Freedom Writers," as a case study where an educator practiced the components of transformational leadership in the classroom to transform students' lives. Gruwell used idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individual consideration to transform a classroom of gang members into a community of scholars and authors. Following the case examples, leadership educators are provided examples of how to incorporate the four components of transformational leadership in their instructional methods. The purpose is to not only demonstrate the theory in action, but to deepen students' learning of leadership theory.
ISSN:1552-9045
1552-9045