Publication Date
Fall 12-2025
Advisor(s) - Committee Chair
Monica Galloway Burke
Degree Program
Educational Leadership Doctoral Program
Degree Type
Doctor of Education
Abstract
The problems and mechanisms of gaslighting in the K–12 academic setting parallel those in other professional contexts. The gaslighting phenomenon threatens the optimal performance organizations, although little research exists within the context of K–12 public education that addresses perceptions of gaslighting. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to investigate the perceptions of gaslighting among employees within a K–12 educational setting and to explore its potential impact. This study relied on data collected from interview participants (N=16) via Zoom and components of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) to better understand the phenomenon of gaslighting in the context of K–12 education. Through phenomenological and thematic analysis, this study explored the psychological impact, workplace power dynamics, and professional consequences of gaslighting, revealing how age, gender, and years of professional experience shape these perceptions. Findings of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of how K–12 employees experience and perceive gaslighting in educational settings.
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Recommended Citation
Williams, Landon, "The Perceived Effects of Gaslighting in K-12 Public Schools: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis" (2025). Dissertations. Paper 235.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/235