Keywords
School Crisis Preparedness, Educational Leadership Training, Simulation-Based Learning, Tabletop Exercises, Crisis Management Competencies, Virtual Simulation in Education
Abstract
School crises have affected educational communities for decades; however, since 1999, their increasing frequency and severity have prompted policymakers, law enforcement, and educational leaders to strengthen crisis-response training and preparedness efforts. Despite these growing demands, limited empirical research examines how educational leadership preparation programs develop future school leaders’ crisis-management competencies. This study investigated future school leaders’ perceptions of their preparedness to respond to a school crisis after participating in two experiential learning activities: a discussion-based tabletop exercise and an operations-based virtual simulation. Participants engaged in both exercises, practicing decision-making, communication, and leadership responses to a series of hypothetical crisis scenarios. Participants completed pre- and post-surveys after each exercise to determine changes in perceived preparedness between the two training modalities as it related to five crisis competencies: analysis, sensemaking, judgment, communication, and emotional intelligence Quantitative data were analyzed using dependent samples t-test to determine changes in perceived preparedness before and after each exercise, as well as differences between the two training modalities. Participants also responded to open-ended items on the survey. Results indicated that participation in both exercises improved participants’ perceived preparedness; however, participants reported significantly higher levels of perceived preparedness following the virtual simulation compared to the tabletop exercise. While the tabletop exercise produced significant gains in overall preparedness, analysis, judgment, and communication, the virtual simulation produced significant improvements across all five crisis competencies and overall preparedness. Analyses of the seven open-ended responses revealed that participants valued increased awareness of crisis procedures, opportunities for applied practice, collaborative engagement, and the realism and emotional impact of the virtual simulation, all of which contributed to a deeper sense of preparedness. Findings from this study contribute to the growing body of literature on crisis-leadership development by illustrating how structured experiential learning activities influence aspiring school leaders’ confidence and perceived readiness to manage school crises. The results offer practical implications for educational leadership preparation programs seeking to integrate crisis-response training that strengthens future leaders’ competencies and enhances school safety preparedness.
Completion Date
2026
Semester
Spring
Committee Chair
William Gordon and Marjorie Ceballos
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
College
College of Community Innovation and Education
Department
Department of Educational Leadership
Format
Document Type
Dissertation
Identifier
DP0053189
Release Date
5-15-2027
STARS Citation
Howard, Jennifer, "A Comparison Of Educational Leadership Students’ Perceptions Of Preparedness To Respond To A School Crisis" (2026). Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026. 85.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/gradstudies_etd_2026/85
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