Mexican-American Female Leaders in Public Education: A Regional Study of the Effect of Parenting Behaviors on Motivation and Leadership Style

Women in positions of leadership in education are still underrepresented. Although the majority of classroom teachers continue to be women, in leadership, that is not the case. Specifically, the number of Mexican-American women in educational leadership positions lags behind the number of male counterparts. A qualitative case study was carried out to find how parenting style affected Mexican-American women’s leadership style, how Mexican-American heritage affected Mexican-American women’s self-perceived leadership style, and how parental influence affected Mexican-American women’s desire to lead. The study used a demographic data form, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and a one-on-one interview with Mexican-American women in middle and high school principal and assistant principal positions in two West Texas school districts. The results of the study showed parenting style, especially authoritarian parenting, affected participants’ leadership style; participants’ self-perceived leadership style was influenced by their being Mexican-American and by parental influence; participants’ parents influenced their desire to lead; and Mexican-American women in educational leadership positions in middle and high schools in two West Texas districts espouse Transformational Leadership facets and practice a Transformational Leadership style.