The effect of the knowledge and application of Signature Strengths on the perception of self-efficacy of educational administrators: Identifying hopefulness on the island of leadership

The present research focused on personal and professional efficacy of educational administrators serving in urban school districts in Southern California. The literature review demonstrates there is a lack of studies investigating educational issues as they pertain to the leadership cadre, the educational administrator and especially studies that quantify the relationship of strengths-based leadership in education. Of the 110 volunteers who began the study by taking the pre-Efficacy and Strengths Perceptions Survey; 60 participants then completed the StrengthsFinder 2.0 online inventory; 82 participants completed the post-survey. The theoretical framework for the study is based on Strengths-Based Psychology, aspects of Positive Psychology, and the Social Learning Theory. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between the knowledge and application of Signature Strengths and the perception of self-efficacy of educational administrators. The study examined relationships of dominant Signature Themes to levels of administrative assignments as well as examined the extent to which educational leaders fit into Activity Groupings based on characteristics of educational leadership. Three specific questions are addressed based on the consideration of the effects of signature strengths on self-efficacy: (1) Would knowledge and application of signature strengths significantly increase the level of self-efficacy of educational administrators? (2) Are there any different patterns of strengths-based themes among the five assessed levels of educational administrators? (3) Are there different levels of perceptual change, after strengths treatment, of educational administrators based on gender, age, current administrative assignment, or years of service? In a mixed method examination, an ANOVA statistical analysis and qualitative methods were employed to analyze the data attained from the online surveys. The study failed to reject the null hypotheses for questions 1 and 3; question 2 was assessed using qualitative methods that identify patterns that point to some differences in strengths themes in relation to administrative levels and administrative duties. Study group means indicated the group receiving treatments and interventions experienced positive effects. Under analysis, trends of strengths applications to practical duties suggest that the researcher developed Activity Groupings contain specific strengths themes to support the administrators in the global tasks of the positions they hold.