Purpose of the Study: You are invited to participate in a research study examining the relationship between secondary school administrators' self-perceived transformational leadership characteristics and their attitudes toward inclusionary practices for students with disabilities. This study is being conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership at Northwest University.
What You Will Be Asked to Do: If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete two brief, validated surveys: the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ-5X Short Form) and the Opinions Relative to Integration/Inclusion scare (ORI). Completion is estimated to take 15-20 minutes.
Voluntary Participation and Right to Withdraw: Your participation is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or withdraw at any time without penalty or consequence. Because responses are anonymous, once submitted individual responses cannot be withdrawn.
Anonymity and Confidentiality: This survey is completely anonymous. No personally identifiable information (name, school, district, or email address) will be collected. Your responses cannot be linked to you in any way. Data will be reported only in aggregate form in the final dissertation and any publications.
Risks and Benefits: This study poses minimal risk. You may experience minor discomfort when reflecting on your professional practices, but no greater risk than you would encounter in your normal professional activities. Direct benefits to participants are limited; however, your participation contributes to research that may improve inclusive education practices and administrator training programs in Washington State. Participants will not receive any compensation, payment, incentive, gift card, or reimbursement for participation in this study.
The risks associated with this study are minimal. Given the nature of the survey, no physical adverse events are anticipated. However, participants may experience minor emotional discomfort when reflecting on their leadership practices, professional experiences, or experiences related to inclusivity. Participants may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or consequence.
In the unlikely event that a participant experiences emotional distress while completing the survey, they may stop participation and access available support resources. Participants may contact their institution’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for support. Additional mental health resources are available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/washington. Participants experiencing a mental health crisis or suicidal thoughts may contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. Participants may also contact NUhope Community Counseling Center at (425) 889-5261 for support.
The researcher and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) may be contacted if a participant has concerns or experiences an adverse event related to the study. Any unexpected adverse events identified during the study will be reported to the IRB in accordance with institutional requirements.
Data Storage: Anonymous survey data will be sorted securely in a password-protected SurveyMonkey account accessible to only the researcher. Data will be retained for a minimum of three years following completion of the study, after which it will be permanently deleted.