Journal of K-12 Educational Research 41 Empathy The third emerging theme for RQ2 was empathy. Participants reported that TLIM addressed SEL and guided the students to be more empathetic. One participant shared that TLIM aided the students in understanding others. Many participants mentioned that students were not as self-centered since the implementation of TLIM. One participant said, “Classroom community is closer, and they think about how others feel.” Research Question 3 (RQ3): What are the perceptions of teachers in a Leader in Me school about how the program affects the culture of the school? The four main themes reported for RQ3 were positive culture, student leadership, teacher dedication, and additional program rollout. Positive Culture The participants of the current study reported a positive perception of the effects on culture with the implementation of TLIM. Ten participants of the current study stated that Valley Ridge Elementary had a positive culture in large part due to TLIM. Student Leadership A hallmark of TLIM is the growth of student leaders, which is the next emerging theme from the current study. Several participants mentioned how every student in the building was given a job or role that would help build leadership. Teacher Dedication Another theme that supported a strong culture at Valley Ridge was teacher dedication. All 12 participants of the current study mentioned the love and dedication the teachers in the school had for each other and for the students. The participants felt like TLIM had given the school a common vision of student growth and student leadership in which the teachers were able to dedicate themselves. Additional Program Rollout The last theme that emerged from the participant interviews regarding school culture was the additional program rollout. Eleven of the 12 participants felt like Valley Ridge working toward becoming a STEMAcademy in the 2019-2020 school year did not help the culture that was being built through TLIM. One participant said that the STEMAcademy had affected school culture because all the teachers were now overwhelmed with two initiatives. The researcher determined that the STEM program itself was not the issue, but instead, the simultaneous rollout of two separate programs was the issue. Research has shown that teachers are left with an overwhelming feeling of too many initiatives. The concept of school initiative fatigue has been a discussion of educators around the globe (O’Quinn, 2018). It has been observed that often initiatives overlap, leaving educators at a loss for which initiatives to focus on and leaders who see organization completely depleted of focus and energy (O’Quinn, 2018). Figure 2 shows the major themes of the current study. Implications Educators at Valley Ridge Elementary sought to find a way to meet state and local requirements while implementing a program that could potentially meet the unique needs of the 21st-century learners in their classrooms. The implementation of TLIM was their answer to the balance of mandated requirements and the non-academic needs of their students. The findings from the current study uncovered teacher perceptions regarding the implementation of TLIM and its effects on 21st-century skills, SEL, and school culture. Study participants shared their overall positive opinions and perceptions, stating that TLIM did affect these three areas. Conclusions Changing how we educate children today is of utmost importance. The days of desks lined up in rows so that a teacher can stand in front of the class and impart information to their students is no longer a relevant way to prepare students for a future in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. State, district, and even school requirements often force teachers to continue with systems of learning that are not effective. Many teachers would prefer the transformation of their classroom to a more 21st-century environment, but instead find themselves bound to an out-of-date curriculum and assessments that are harmful instead of helpful to students (Wolk, 2017).
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