Planning and Delivering Instruction with Increasing Class Sizes in Educational Administration Program Coursework - Modeling Leadership Skills for New Professors Transitioning from K–12 Administration

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by moss~

Instructional strategies for Educational Administration graduate coursework must address growing class sizes and expanded advising responsibilities in California. For new professors, particularly those transitioning from K–12 administration, the work emphasizes venue adjustments, meticulous planning, technology use, distributed leadership, and alternative grading and assessment systems. It also recommends adult-learning-aligned practices such as peer reviews, flexible participation formats, guest presenters, and performance agreements that leverage large-class resources while modeling leadership for future school leaders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

Planning and Delivering Instruction with Increasing Class Sizes

Adult Instruction and New-Professor Leadership Modeling

Transitioning from K–12 Administration to University Scholarship

Planning Under Larger Student-to-Professor Ratios

Planning and Delivering Instruction with Increasing Class Sizes in Educational Administration Program Coursework: Modeling Leadership Skills for New Professors Transitioning from K–12 Administration Gary Stebbins San Jose State University Increased class sizes and advising responsibilities are the new realities in California’s graduate programs of Educational Administration. In order to effectively meet new challenges, professors must make adjustments in venue, plan meticulously, utilize technology, distribute leadership, and implement alternative grading systems. This is a particular challenge to new professors, many who are former K–12 public school administrators. Adult instructional practices such as peer reviews, working meals, continuous movement and breaks, guest presenters, and alternative assignments must be implemented. Finally, alternative grading and assessment practices such as student/professor performance agreements can leverage a large class human resource component. By modeling effective leadership with large classes while utilizing sound principles of adult learning, professors can effectively impart the skills and dispositions vital for new school leaders in the current educational environment. Making the Shift from School Administration to University Instruction and Scholarship Many of the current professors in educational administration programs have transitioned from K–12 administrative roles and positions. This can be a real challenge as they must make adjustments from their previous role as practitioner/administrator to that ofa scholar (Coleman, et al, 2006) . For many, this is a career change much later in their professional journey (Bora, 2001) . They must shift from their experiences of pedagogy or the art of the teaching of children (often teacher-centered), to andragogy (learner-centered) or the art of helping adults learn (Knowles, 1984) . The adult graduate students who come into educational administration classes, bring with them a wide-ranging amount of school-related experiences and dispositions. The qualities of these adult students are much different than those of the K–12 learners in the previous school systems in which many professors spent their formative years. Rachel (2002) offered criteria for effective CAPEA Education Leadership and Administration, Vol. 21—2009 46 ©2010 DEStech Publications, Inc. Planning and Delivering Instruction with Increasing Class Sizes 47 andragogy that will be reflected in this author’s methods and examples. These include but are not limited to voluntary participation and internal motivation, performance evaluations, learner satisfaction, and learning environments that are psychologically and physically comfortable. Christian (1982) found that learners who scored low on pedagogy and high on andragogy wanted to direct their own learning but needed support. Finally, as adult learners, graduate students in educational administration programs need to know why they are learning the content before they learn it. As such, former practitioner/administrators who understand and have experience in school systems can be very effective if they can adapt from the instruction of children to the instruction of adults while at the same time transitioning into the role of a scholar in higher education systems (Bain, 2004) . What follows are a set of ideas based upon these principles. Planning and Delivering Instruction with Increasing Class Sizes in Educational Administration Program Coursework: Modeling Leadership Skills for New Professors Transitioning from K–12 Administration One thing all educators can agree upon is that effective leadership is absolutely essential for school improvement. At the same time, it is no secret that the instructional landscape related to graduate programs in educational administration and school leadership preparation is undergoing much needed change. Pressure for school reforms and the implications for a newtype of instr

FAQs

Why are increasing class sizes a major challenge in Educational Administration graduate programs?

In California’s programs, advising demands and course-section pressures raise student-to-professor ratios, requiring professors to redesign instruction and support for larger groups.

What adjustments should new professors make when transitioning from K–12 administration to university instruction?

They must shift from practitioner roles to scholarly academic roles and move from pedagogy (teaching children) to andragogy (helping adults learn).

Which adult-instruction practices are recommended for effective instruction with large classes?

The text highlights peer reviews, working meals, continuous movement and breaks, guest presenters, and alternative assignments, aligned with adult learning principles.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by moss~