Effect of teacher administrator leadership style on student anxiety disorder

Problem Statement
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2019), more than 30% of adolescents have an anxiety disorder, 8.3% of which can be classified as “severe” with corresponding impairments in social or academic functioning (p. 1). However, educators and education administrators lack the resources or tools with which to respond and help students with anxiety disorders (Bhatia & Goval, 2018). Existing leadership models in education need to be revised to include diagnostic and observational tools, and evidence-based practice interventions embedded into appropriate pedagogical and managerial strategies.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research will be to fill the gap in the literature on education leadership and its specific impact on helping students with anxiety disorder, and also to provide educators with evidence-based options for training teachers and administrators to implement specific interventions and assessments to improve measurable student social and academic performance outcomes.
Research Questions
· Does transformational leadership styles among teachers and educators increase student awareness of and access to resources for addressing or mitigating the effects of anxiety disorder?
· How can administrators incorporate cost-effective training programs for educators to increase awareness of anxiety disorders among students?
· What leadership styles in education are more conducive to the educational environment and organizational culture most supportive of students with anxiety disorder?
Gap In Literature
Literature on the impact of educational leadership on student achievement reveals moderate positive correlations between distributive and transformational leadership and high student achievement outcomes (Karada?,, Bekta?,, Ço?altay, et al., 2015). While an abundance of literature describes evidence-based practices for psychologists, psychiatrists and healthcare workers, educators lack guidance for how to work best with students with anxiety disorders (Rogers & Dunsmuir, 2013).
Items on Instruments
The instrument items will include survey questions designed for educators, counselors, and administrators.
References
Bhatia, M.S. & Goval, A. (2018). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: Need for early detection. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine 64(2): 75-76.
Karada?, E., Bekta?, F., Ço?altay, N., et al. (2015). The effect of educational leadership on students’ achievement: a meta-analysis study. Asia Pacific Education Review 16(1): 79-93.
National Institute of Mental Health (2019). Any anxiety disorder. Retrieved from: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder.shtml
Rogers, A. & Dunsmuir, S. (2013). A controlled evaluation of the ‘FRIENDS for Life’ emotional resiliency programme on overall anxiety levels, anxiety subtype levels and school adjustment. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 20(1): 13-19.