Exploratory study of adult cognitive development and resource loss and gain

Abstract

This qualitative study explored adult cognitive development and resource loss and gain with elementary teachers and principals. Grounded in Drago-Severson’s Ways of Knowing and the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the research examined how teachers and principals from varying levels of adult cognitive development perceived teacher resource loss and gain. A descriptive qualitative design was employed, using semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals currently employed in elementary schools in Kansas. Data was thematically analyzed, with attention to patterns shaped by participants’ Ways of Knowing. This study found that teachers’ Ways of Knowing influenced the way they viewed work stress in relation to resource loss and gain support and influenced how principals chose to provide support to their teachers. Another important finding was the misalignment that occurred when teachers’ Ways of Knowing did not align with their principals’ way of providing support. When this occurred, teachers’ stress increased and their capacity to do their jobs began to deplete. Conversely, teachers felt supported when their principals provided them with support that aligned with their cognitive development. This study emphasized the COR theory assumption that resources are deeply personal and vary in production and value among different individuals. Each participants Way of Knowing was clearly exemplified in the way they experienced stress and support in the workplace.