A Qualitative Study: Forensics Coaches’ Perceptions of Administrators’ Leadership Styles and the Impact Within Their Professional Learning Communities

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive study was to explore class 5/A-6/A forensics coaches\u27 perceptions of administrators\u27 leadership styles and their impact on their professional learning communities in northeast Texas. This study was conducted through open-ended, semi-structured interviews to explore forensics coaches\u27 perceptions of administrators\u27 leadership styles and the impact within their professional learning communities. The problem that drove this study was that within schools where there may be only 1 or possibly 2 highly qualified teachers hired to teach non-core subjects, the opportunity for discourse regarding student learning, shared work-related problems, student achievement, challenges, and best practices are limited. Forensics coaches work behind closed doors, rarely collaborating with colleagues about ways to enhance coaching and teaching practices improving student success. The sample population was high school forensics coaches in Texas with 3 or more years of coaching experience in class 5/A-6/A university scholastic league. The findings indicated a preference for off-site professional learning environments, as well as a desire for administrators to apply multiple styles of leadership depending on the context. The results suggested that administrators consider implementing various modes of leadership styles within their leadership practices focused on forensics coaches\u27 professional development and strategies of leadership to provide adequate provisions to improve forensics coaches\u27 job performance. Keywords: forensics coaches, full-range leadership model, transformationa