| dc.description.abstract | Since the early 1990’s funding K-12 public education in Oklahoma has faced trials and tribulations. The purpose of this study was to understand, through the lens of Social Cognitive
Career Theory (SCCT), factors that elected educators have experienced that have influenced
their ability and their motivation to affect increased funding for education in the State of
Oklahoma. The epistemological perspective that guided this study was constructivism.
This study is a qualitative case study so its purpose was to understand factors that influence
legislator decision-making and how those decisions and behaviors align with their stated goals
for funding education. A case study was appropriate for this research because it allowed for this
specific issue to be studied in its context. This study is important for two reasons: the small
amount of research in this particular area and the long-standing problem with educational
funding in Oklahoma. The population for this study was Oklahoma Legislators who serve
on the House and Senate Common Education Committees which is comprised of a total of
twenty-eight individuals. Surveys, interviews, and observations were used in this study to investigate the legislators’ decision-making processes. The research focused on decisions made by politicians who were once educators, elected to office in 2018 or afterwards, and who are now serving on the committee(s) which make the proposals concerning education. Given the small number of potential participants (11 members) in the population, all members were emailed the survey. My sample was those who chose to participate. Those who wished to participate in the interview were allowed to do so by contacting the researcher. A qualitative research commands the use of abundant data resources so observations, surveys, and interviews were administered to investigate the legislators’ decision-making processes. Coding was used to analyze the data because it explained phenomena that unexpectedly appeared while conducting observations, surveys, and interviews. The SCCT considered how self-efficacy, outcomes, and goals impacted educational funding since 2018. Results of this study showed understanding in relation to the many decisions taken to fund K-12 public education. | |
