Crossing the Line: A Qualitative Study of Administrative Interns’ Experiences

Written by Underhill, Ellerby, & Greaves, M. (October 2011). Principal Preparation; Internships

Summary

Internships serve as the bridge that spans the divide between being a teacher and an administrator. Most research on internships has emphasized the technical aspect of this experience, such as benefits and limitations of internships. The overall impact an internship experience has on an intern has been studied less extensively. This research study probes interns’ beliefs, assumptions, and perceptions about administrative or leadership positions to determine how these change as a result of the internship experience. Researchers analyzed sections of interns’ monthly journals, which had been submitted six times during their two-semester internship. Four major themes emerged from the content analysis of interns’ journals: Vision for the Internship/Career, Communication, Relationship with Faculty, and Relationship with Administration. A major finding was the strength and pervasiveness of the negative tone. The researchers were surprised how often the interns described an oppositional culture. One implication is to improve training in communication, organizational theory, and implementation of change/improvement processes for administrative interns. Today’s environment of accountability places significant demands on novice administrators, which should compel us to strengthen the internship experience.