DOI: 10.12973/eujem.8.3.151">
 

Ethical leadership for online special education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective analysis & construct validation of a new measure

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Department/School

Special Education and Communication Sciences and Disorders

Publication Title

European Journal of Educational Management

Abstract

This study proposes that special education teachers’ perceptions of psychological empowerment serve as a meaningful indicator of school administrators’ ethical leadership. The Perceptions of Ethical Leadership for Special Education (PELSE) survey instrument was developed to assess this construct, incorporating validated measures of procedural justice and psychological empowerment. Employing a quantitative observational methodology, the study examined responses from 488 special education teachers assigned to online teaching at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal consistency reliability for the PELSE was confirmed (α = .76). Findings are interpreted through a retrospective lens, highlighting how ethical leadership was perceived during a period when the U.S. Department of Education reinforced the mandate for continued compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. The study presents the PELSE as a replicable tool with relevance for pre-service leadership preparation, in-service administrator reflection, and future empirical inquiry into ethical leadership within special education contexts.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, ethical leadership, special education.

Comments

J. M. Palladino is a faculty member in EMU's Department of Special Education, and Communication Sciences and Disorders.

*O. Chandler is an EMU graduate student.

Link to Published Version

DOI: 10.12973/eujem.8.3.151

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