Influence of Collective Impact on Leaders of STEM Educational Ecosystems

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how STEM professionals described the influence of collective impact conditions on their educational ecosystems for high school students in the US. The framework was collective impact as supported by transformational leadership theory. The research was guided by five research questions: How do STEM professionals who lead an educational ecosystems involving high school students describe the influence of (a) a common agenda, (b) shared measurement, (c) mutually reinforcing activities, (d) continuous communication, and (e) backbone support on their initiatives? The sample included 22 US STEM leaders. The adult participants led STEM initiatives with at least three organizations and had worked in a STEM field for at least five years. Fourteen participants took part in interviews and eight participated in two focus groups (i.e., four in each). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicated the most established practices were having a common agenda, implementing mutually reinforcing activities, and developing continuous communication. Most participants were seeking guidance to develop shared measurement and secure backbone support. Participants understood the need to collect data to determine their ecosystems' outcomes but struggled to do so. Hiring staff was dependent on the ecosystem's backbone support, and participants were seeking the funding streams and support to grow and sustain their ecosystems. This study added to the academic research on collective impact and demonstrated that such an initiative aligns well with the practices needed to lead a STEM educational ecosystem. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]