Kim Jamison: Bridging Preparation and Practice

Kimberly Jamison, assistant professor of educational administration at UNCW’s Watson College of Education and coordinator of the Master of School Administration program, focuses her research on how preparation translates into practice in educational leadership. A presenter at WCE’s recent Research Speaks Conference, Jamison’s work is also regularly highlighted in Watson’s Research Newsletter.

“The foundation of my research examines the intersection of preparation and practice through mentoring and internship experiences for preservice and practicing PK-12 educational leaders,” Jamison shared. She and her colleagues also developed the Educational Leadership Mentoring Framework (ELMF), which is now used by principal preparation programs across the United States to help prepare future administrators to lead schools and districts.

Other current studies she is conducting  look at both ends of the PK-12 administrator preparation and practice spectrum — from first-time selection of new administrators to principal passion and retention.

Her commitment to mentoring doctoral students also led to her research examining how faculty members are prepared to serve as dissertation chairs and the factors contributing to high attrition rates in doctoral programs.

“Over the past 10 years, I have gained great fulfillment from supporting and mentoring doctoral students as emerging scholars, but while serving as a dissertation chair is often an expectation of faculty, training and support for this role are rarely provided, if at all,” she said. “At the same time, attrition rates for doctoral students in non-STEM fields across the U.S. have hovered around 50% for several decades.”

Through this research, Jamison gathered perspectives from experienced dissertation chairs across non-STEM fields at 12 of the 15 highest-ranked institutions across the country. Findings identified mentoring strategies and faculty mindsets that may help reduce attrition rates and better support doctoral candidates through the dissertation process to degree completion. Publications from this work are forthcoming.

Two additional studies examine how leadership preparation translates into first-time PK-12 administrator selection, as well as workforce conditions and managerial practices that may affect passion and persistence in the principalship.

“A looming issue in educational leadership is the growing attrition rate of principals leaving the position after three to five years, along with a shortage of qualified applicants to fill those roles,” Jamison said. “This has implications not only for how faculty prepare future leaders, but also for how school districts might rethink workforce conditions, managerial practices or systems to improve principal retention.”

Jamison recently completed a study exploring the knowledge, skills and dispositions that principals and district-level human resource administrators seek in first-time assistant principal candidates. Dr. Helen Gross ’14 Ed.D., award-winning principal of Swansboro High School in Onslow County, served as a research assistant on the project. Together, they have presented their findings at the University Council for Educational Administration and the Eastern Educational Research Association, and are scheduled to present at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting in April. Publications are in progress.

A separate forthcoming publication focuses on principalship longevity. For that study, Jamison recruited principals nationwide who remain in their roles despite increasing stress and pressures. Using the dualistic model of passion as a framework, her research identified patterns of harmonious and obsessive passion and their implications for leadership preparation programs and district-level support systems. Jamison has presented this work at UCEA and EERA and will also present these findings at AERA in April.

Jamison joined the UNCW faculty in 2024. She began her career as an elementary and secondary teacher and an English as a second language specialist. She has also served as an instructional coach, an elementary school principal, and a central office administrator in school districts in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. She earned her Ed.D. from George Washington University, where she most recently served as an assistant professor and program director of educational leadership and administration.

“Research is a true passion of mine,” Jamison said. “I enjoy every part of it — from formulating questions, to investigating, to sharing findings that impact practice and deepen our understanding of how to better prepare educational leaders. I’m excited to continue my journey as a researcher here at Watson.”

About WCE’s Educational Administration Programs

The Watson College of Education offers a Master of School Administration for aspiring principals with three or more years of teaching experience, as well as an add-on licensure program for those who already hold a master’s degree. A doctorate in educational leadership is also offered for current administrators and leaders seeking advanced leadership roles in K-12 schools and districts.

For more information, visit the Educational Administration website.