Dissertations / Theses: 'School principals'

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Smith, James David. "Urban school principal leadership preparation [electronic resources] perspective of urban school principals /." Diss., Connect to online resource - MSU authorized users, 2008.

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Gonzalez, Deborah Renée. "Matters of perception : understanding and defining large district support for comprehensive high school principals /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/7901.

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Shaver, Randall R. "The impact of the principal socialization experience on the professional lives of selected Wobegone county schools principals." Greensboro, N.C. : University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. http://libres.uncg.edu/edocs/etd/1482Shaver/umi-uncg-1482.pdf.

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Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Feb. 29, 2008). Directed by Ulrich C. Reitzug; submitted to the School of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-293).

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Pearch, William Jack Laymon Ronald L. "Elementary school principal responsibilities as perceived by school board presidents, superintendents, and principals." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 1987. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p8806864.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1987.
Title from title page screen, viewed August 29, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Ronald L. Laymon (chair), Robert L. Arnold, Richard L. Berg, Ronald S. Halinski, Larry D. Kennedy. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 95-102) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Lin, Yu-Hsin. "Principal hiring practices: stories the principals tell." Diss., University of Iowa, 2013. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4677.

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In an era in which school principals' jobs are much more complex and demanding than they were a few decades ago, the increasing challenges of the position have affected principal recruitment and selection efforts by school districts nationwide. Moreover, the rapidly increasing rate of principal retirements has exacerbated the problem of a shortage of qualified candidates for principal positions. As a result, it is important to explore current principals' perspectives on how best to attract and retain qualified prospective applicants during the hiring process. In this case study, 16 principals and associate principals from both public and independent schools in three states described their experiences, their reasons for applying for a principalship, their perspectives on the application process. They also gave advice and recommendations for both administrators of hiring processes and for future applicants. One-on-one qualitative interviews with a pre-established interview protocol were conducted as the sole data collection method. Three primary research questions were investigated: How do school principals perceive the existing principal recruitment processes? How do school principals perceive the processes used by the school districts to select them? To what extent do job descriptions, as currently written, systematically cover the realities of the duties of incumbent principals? From analysis of the interviews, the researcher chose to focus on four main topics that emerged from principals' perspectives on the hiring process: (a) the decision to pursue a principalship and searching for openings, (b) going through the process, (c) personal reactions to the process, and (d) recommendations. These topics were compared and contrasted with relevant research reported in the literature to generate the following four major results of the present study. First, standardized and structured interviews not only helped decision making but also won applicants' trust. Second, hiring processes were generally similar to what previous research suggested. Third, deficiencies in hiring processes that were first identified a number of years ago continue to persist. Finally, whether applicant pools are shrinking appeared to be an open question. These findings contribute to the very limited research that has thus far examined principal hiring practices from the perspectives of school principals, and have allowed suggestions to be made for possible areas of improvement in principal hiring processes.

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Larry, Karen Bitonti. "Principal perceptions of the relationship between professional development designs and the qualities, proficiencies, and leadership skills required of West Virginia principals." Huntington, WV : [Marshall University Libraries], 2006. http://www.marshall.edu/etd/descript.asp?ref=664.

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Bertl, Mary F. "A Study of the Job Satisfaction of Female Principals and Vice-Principals in Texas Public Schools." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1986. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330717/.

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This study is designed to determine the degree to which female principals and vice-principals in Texas derive job satisfaction from their work and to identify those factors, both negative and positive, which affect the job satisfaction of these principals and vice-principals. A single questionnaire was used to collect the data for this study. Usable questionnaires were returned by 331 vice-principals and 504 principals. These represented 336 school districts throughout the state. Respondents were compared as to their view of their overall job satisfaction, the importance assigned to intrinsic and extrinsic job facets, their satisfaction with intrinsic and extrinsic job facets, and the differences in facet satisfaction connected with various personal characteristics.

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Barnett, Alan M., University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, and School of Education. "The Impact of transformational leadership style of the school principal on school learning environments and selected teacher outcomes." THESIS_CA_EDU_Barnett_A.xml, 2005. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/476.

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Much of the recent literature on effective schools has intuitively connected the leadership role of the school principal , and school learning environment, to the achievement of organisational outcomes such as those related to teacher performance. Transformational leadership theory has cast these relations in a new perspective, where advocates have claimed that transformational leaders are more able to manipulate environmental contexts so as to achieve their organisational objectives compared to transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles. This study examines the effects of different types of secondary principals’ leadership behaviours on aspects of a school’s learning environment, and selected teacher outcomes. A synergy was achieved by undertaking two studies drawing upon a multi-method approach. Results are significant for those who exercise leadership authority in schools, and are contrary to the findings suggested by transformational leadership literature. Practitioners will welcome the opportunity to tailor leadership behaviours to achieve specific school learning environment and teacher outcome objectives, while those involved in principal training will recognise the potency of the behavioural aspects of the transformational and transactional paradigms
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Hanks, Jennifer A., and n/a. "School based management: the Principals' perspective." University of Canberra. Education, 1993. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060207.133742.

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This study details the background to the establishment of Parish School Boards in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and reports and analyses the perceptions of all ACT Catholic, systemic, primary school Principals who operated with a Parish School Board in 1993. The movement towards Parish School Boards finds its genesis in the Second Vatican Council where the Church was invited to collaborate in decision-making based on the belief that all the faithful have gifts, knowledge and a share of the wisdom to bring to the building of the Church. The nature and structure of Catholic education was seen as a suitable vehicle for encouraging communities to engage in shared decision-making and in participatory democracy under the Church model of subsidiarity, collegiality and collaboration. The introduction of Parish School Boards into the Archdiocese can be seen as the implementation of a radical change to the educational mission of the Church and the educational leadership of the faith community. Reflecting 'new management theory' in both the secular and Church worlds, a key stakeholder is the school Principal whose role and relationships change as he or she learns to work within a team, sharing leadership. This study examines the responses of nineteen Principals who were interviewed by the researcher in order to determine how they work with a Parish School Board and what effects the board has on their work. Research studies in the area of School-Based Management and Shared Decision-Making have informed the review, and the Principals' responses from this study have been analysed in the light of secular and Church literature on leadership, devolution and change. The respondents of this study, the school Principals, report the benefits of collegiality and collaboration but their unresolved tensions relate to work overload, lack of clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the various local level decision-making groups, increased administrative complexity, community demand for ever widening consultation and the challenge of consensus decision-making. All Principals report an urgent need for professional development for themselves and for the system to provide a more explicit focus on parish and community formation with the commitment of the necessary resources to sustain this radical change.

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Maziejka, Stanley W. "Future system leadership." Connect to resource online, 2009. http://library2.sage.edu/archive/thesis/ED/2009maziejka_s.pdf.

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Thesis (E.Ed.)--The Sage Colleges, 2009.
"A Doctoral Research Project presented to Associate Professor Daniel Alemu, Doctoral Research Committee Chair, School of Education, Sage Graduate School." Suggested keywords: superintendent shortage; job satisfaction; leadership capacity; pathways to leadership; knowledge of superintendency; mentoring. Includes bibliographical references: (p. 67-71).

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Jennings, Gilbert P. (Gilbert Paul). "Perceptions of the Public School Elementary Principal's Role as Perceived by Elementary Public School Principals, Public School Board Members and Business Representatives." Thesis, North Texas State University, 1987. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330782/.

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This study was conducted to gauge the perceptions of various groups regarding the elementary principal1s role in the public schools. The hypotheses for the study were the following. 1. There will be no significant difference between the role perception ratings given by the elementary school principal and the business representative regarding their perception of the role of the elementary principal. 2. There will be no significant difference between the role perception ratings given by elementary principals and public school board members regarding their perception of the role of the elementary principal. 3. There will be no significant difference between the role perception ratings given by business representatives and public school board members regarding their perception of the role of the elementary principal. 4. There will be no significant difference between the role perception ratings of elementary principals, business representatives, and public school board members regarding their perception of the role of the elementary principal relative to the age of the respondent, the sex of the respondent, number of years in present position, number of years residing in district, and educational level of the respondent. 5. There will be no significant difference among the role perception ratings of elementary principals regarding their perception of their role relative to sex of the respondent, number of years in the present school district, and number of years as an elementary principal.

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Lloyd, Elizabeth W. "Factors influencing promotion from assistant principal to principal and assistant principal experiences helpful to new principals." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40056.

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This study analyzes the factors that influence promotion from assistant principal to principal and examines experiences that principals new to their position considered helpful to them from their assistant principalship. The participants in the study were new secondary principals in Virginia in 1992-93. A review of the literature revealed a need to examine promotion factors that are pivotal in selecting one principal candidate over another. The study method consisted of the development of a survey instrument based on the information found through the literature review, principal center criteria and results of an earlier independent study by the researcher questioning administrators regarding their work. The data collected by the survey was analyzed using descriptive statistical procedures.
Ed. D.

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Harris, Kelly Dion. "A utilization-focused evaluation of the job-embedded component of the collaborataive principal preparation program." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/4342.

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Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (April 25, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

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Brabrand, Scott Sorensen. "Virginia Principals and School Law." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27548.

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This study sought to determine Virginia Public School principals' knowledge of school law as it related to the type, length/quantity, and recency of law preparation they received. Other variables measured included how their level of knowledge was associated with their length of administrative experience and with their description of the school community in which they worked.An on-line survey instrument was designed to collect demographic and professional information and to test knowledge of court cases and federal and state statutes. Three hundred and twelve principals completed the survey, representing all grade levels and all regions in the State of Virginia. The principals' knowledge of school law was measured by a forty item true-false test that addressed four key areas of school law selected by a panel of experts: student issues, teacher/administrator issues, tort liability, and church/state relations.The data were analyzed using analysis of variance and post hoc tests. The findings of this study indicated a significant difference of the means, ά =.05, between the principals' knowledge of school law in the category of tort liability and the recency of legal preparation. Principals who received their legal preparation over 10 years ago scored significantly lower on the tort section of the test than those who received their legal preparation only 5-10 years ago. Findings also indicated that principals across all categories of school law displayed only a fair knowledge of school law, earning a mean score of 29.359 out of 40 or 73.3%. The principals' weakest area of school law was in the category of church/state relations. These findings would provide valuable information for the design of principal preparation programs. They would also encourage state educational policymakers and local school divisions to strengthen the professional development of principals on legal matters.
Ed. D.

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Perkins, Arland Early. "School Principals’ Sources of Knowledge." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/2353.

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The purpose of this study was to determine what sources of professional knowledge are available to principals in 1 rural East Tennessee school district. Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an understanding of what sources of knowledge are used by school principals in 1 rural East Tennessee school district and the barriers they face to using knowledge sources. This study questioned whether these resources are adequate for, accessible to, and used by school principals. In this study I examined principals’ perceptions of the need for a district-led mentoring program. The study first consisted of a preliminary data collection procedure. Ten of the school district’s principals completed a demographic questionnaire and list of survey questions developed from the 4 research questions and elements of the literature review. These data were reviewed by the researcher in order to categorize the respondents’ responses into meaningful demographic data. The final data collection procedure involved 6 principals chosen to complete face-to-face interviews consisting of open-ended questions developed from an initial interview protocol. Results indicated the principals’ examples of seeking knowledge and information from data sources, collegial professionalism, readings of research and literature, and professional development. The principals presented evidence that they embrace teaching and learning within their roles as school principals. The 2 areas on which the principals focused their concerns were time and the current state department educational reforms. The principals provided recommendations for a future district-wide principal mentoring program.

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Roach, Jeffrey A. "Principal involvement in teacher selection : practices and attitudes among elementary school principals." Virtual Press, 1997. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1063421.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which elementary principals are involved in teacher selection and to determine the opinions of principals on : (a) procedures used in the selection process, (b) current status of their involvement, (c) who establishes teacher selection processes, (d) involvement of teachers in teacher selection, (e) their current level of preparation to effectively select teachers, and (f) the role of decentralized governance in teacher selection.The study sought to determine if principal involvement in teacher selection was governed by policy or superintendent regulations. Also, the study sought to determine if there was variance in teacher selection practices within a school district and possible reasons for such variance. Finally, the study sought to determine if any of three demographic variables (school district regional classification, school district enrolment, and governance structure) influenced principal involvement in teacher selection.Data were collected from 188 randomnly selected elementary principals in Indiana via a survey containing 28 items divided into 4 categories. Data were analyzed using an analysis of variance, and research decisions were based on the .05 level of significance.In general, the level of involvement of Indiana elementary principals in teacher selection is relatively high. Demographic variables incorporated in this study appeared to have little effect on principal's involvement. There were three exceptions. Where variance of practice occurred within a district, significance was found in paper screening of candidates, interviewing of candidates, and making recommendations for employment. Principals' involvement in teacher selection was not affected by regional classification, enrollment of the school district, engagement in decentralized governance, existence of regulations, or established board policy on teacher selection.Findings in this study suggested that principals were highly involved in many aspects of teacher selection with one exception, writing of the job vacancy announcement. It was also found that there was a majority of schools that did not have existing school councils. Principals believed that their involvement in teacher selection was important, yet their training in this area appeared to be limited.Based on the outcomes, recommendations for further study included assessing teacher selection practices at sites where school councils exist, examining discrepancies between perceived selfconfidence and formal training, and evaluating the role of the principal in writing job vacancy announcements.
Department of Educational Leadership

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Unruh, Anne Louise. "The Readiness of Middle School Assistant Principals to Become Principals." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/28058.

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The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences, educational and job related, that middle school assistant principals have received to prepare, and to become principals. In order to explore and describe those experiences provided by the middle school principals a phenomenological research design was used for this study. Those participants who were interviewed work in middle schools within Region V of the Virginia School University Partnership. This research project included two steps in data collection. The first step required the assistant principals to examine the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC), and indicate whether they had experienced those functions under each standard in one or more of three areas: principal preparation, job responsibility, and district professional development. The second parts of the study involved follow up interview questions for each in the participants. The findings of the study discuss that the standards are addressed and also how the assistant principals feel about their preparation and school district professional development.
Ed. D.

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Rowles, Frank. "Job satisfaction and stress among Missouri public school superintendents." Diss., Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10355/5935.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 7, 2008) Includes bibliographical references.

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Lucas, Stephen Earl. "Transformational leadership : principals, leadership teams, and school culture /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2001. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3013000.

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Ho, Yue-tim. "The perceptions of school effectiveness by a sample of Hong Kong school principals." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 1987. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/HKUTO/record/B38627218.

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Hannah, Herschel A. Lugg Elizabeth T. "Principal leadership and its impact on academic outcomes as perceived by teachers and principals in urban schools." Normal, Ill. : Illinois State University, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p3128276.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2004.
Title from title page screen, viewed Jan. 6, 2005. Dissertation Committee: Elizabeth T. Lugg (chair), Amelia D. Adkins, Barbara S. Heyl, George Padavil. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 185-192) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Hurley, Cynthia Tallis. "Middle School Principals' Responses to Bullying: Comparing School Bullying Incidents and Their Perceived Seriousness." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/242400.

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Research on principals' perceptions and responses to school bullying is scarce. This study investigated the perceptions of seven middle school principals and their responses to six hypothetical vignettes depicting incidents of physical, verbal, or relational bullying. During interviews, respondents were asked to rate the seriousness of each incident and describe how they would respond. Respondents rated all the incidents, regardless of the form of bullying, as moderately serious, serious, or very serious. When asked to describe how they would respond to incidents, all responded they would take action (e.g., consequences for the instigator, interventions to change the behavior of the instigator, support for the target). State statute on bullying, school anti-bullying policies, past experience with bullying, and a belief that students deserve to feel safe were key to guiding their responses. The principals recognized that bullying occurred on their campuses but indicated that incidents were minimized as a result of their strong school anti-bullying polices and a belief that no form of bullying was to be tolerated on their campuses.

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De, Jesus Cristina Gililland. "Principal induction and training within conversion charter schools." Diss., Restricted to subscribing institutions, 2009. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1930906681&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=1564&RQT=309&VName=PQD.

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Chartchai, Pookayaporn Azinger Albert T. "The difference between perceptions of principals and teachers concerning leadership behaviors of private vocational principals in Thailand." Normal, Ill. Illinois State University, 2002. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/ilstu/fullcit?p3064522.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2002.
Parts of Appendices in English and Thai. Title from title page screen, viewed March 2, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Albert T. Azinger (chair), Kenneth H. Strand, Rodney P. Riegle, Mohamed A. Nur-Awaleh. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-124) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Smith, Michael Paul Lyman Linda L. Gardner Dianne C. "Principals as role makers a study of Illinois principals' perceptions of instructional leadership /." Normal, Ill. : Illinois State University, 2007. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1417805781&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1206022281&clientId=43838.

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Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 2007.
Dissertation Committee: Linda Lyman, Dianne Gardner (co-chairs), W. Paul Vogt, Joseph Pacha. Title from title page screen, viewed on March 20, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 185-194) and abstract. Also available in print.

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McDaniel, Tammie R. "The perceived preparedness levels of middle school teachers, assistant principals, and principals to respond to an act of violence on campus /." La Verne, Calif. : University of La Verne, 2003. http://0-wwwlib.umi.com.garfield.ulv.edu/dissertations/fullcit/3073179.

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Nye, Gary D. Adkison Judith Ann. "Principals' leadership beliefs." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2008. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-9747.

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Lawler, Nancy L. "The examination of the Missouri Leadership Academy and principal leadership effectiveness /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2003. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p3091942.

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Chau, Suet-fong. "A study on contemporary principal competencies : what principals need to know : as perceived by secondary school teachers /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B25751967.

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Bagi, Stephen. "Journeys into Principalship: The Experiences of Beginning Principals of Independent Schools." Thesis, Griffith University, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367490.

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Although beginning principals of independent schools enter a role that is widely regarded as increasingly challenging and possibly deleterious to their well being, there has been very little research conducted to examine their transition into this role. This study examined the experiences of beginning principals in Australia to identify the most effective components of their preparation, the factors which helped them to transition into the role, the greatest challenges they faced and the rewarding aspects of the role. Through this understanding, it is hoped that beginning principals can be further assisted in their preparation and transition into the role. The main recommendations coming out of this study were: for future research to identify and find ways to reduce the specific drivers of work intensification for independent school principals; a greater emphasis on the school board’s support for the beginning principal; and, the development of specific training and coaching processes to help beginning principals develop greater resilience.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Education and Professional Studies.
Arts, Education and Law
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Thomas, David William. "Selection and evaluation of school principals." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1997. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp04/nq23077.pdf.

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Wang, Jing. "Training primary school principals in China." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.509096.

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Robinson, Courtney Brooke. "Instructional leadership for high school principals." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=3708304.

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Instructional leadership for high school principals is becoming more important as principals are being held increasingly accountable for student achievement results. Principals are next to teachers in impacting learning in the classroom. The problem for high school principals is that they do not feel prepared to be instructional leaders for their school. There are many tasks a principal must handle throughout the day and these tasks take time away from principals acting as the instructional leader for their school. Principals are also not always supported in their development as an instructional leader. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how high school principals have developed into instructional leaders, the obstacles they encountered during this process and their perceptions of the types of external support they received in instructional leadership. The participants in the study included six high school principals from four different school districts. The principals had all been on the job for at least one year. Interview and document data were collected and analyzed for common themes. The findings of the study suggested that when principals receive external support in instructional leadership, there are indications that they begin to develop in this area. District support, mentoring and coaching, team support and reading with purpose were important in the development of the principals. The findings also suggested two obstacles, time and people, for principals as they lead their schools in instruction. Finally, the study’s findings indicated the principals who receive support had positive views of that support. Based on the results of the study, recommendations were made for providing a strong system of support for high school principals in the area of instructional leadership.

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Bruintjies, Brent Peter Francois. "Coping strategies of new school principals." Thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11838/1868.

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Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Magister of Technologiae: Educationis In the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2007
Currently any Post Level One Educator in South Africa may be appointed to the position of School Principal with only the basic qualification, i.e. matric and a three-year teaching diploma (REQV 13). As per the Educators Employment Act (1998), the minimum teaching experience required for a principalship range from 3-7 years depending on the grading of the school (P1- 4 for primary schools and S1 -4 for secondary schools). According to these stipulations, a qualification in management or another form of validation to ensure that candidates have the ability to cope with the demands of the management of a school is not a requirement. The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges experienced and coping strategies new school managers (school principals) employ to manage their institutions. It also addresses the common challenges and obstacles faced by new school managers. The study was conducted in the Western Cape using a mixed method qualitative approach to investigate the research questions. After the development of the data collecting instruments, data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. The questionnaires were sent to thirty school managers in primary and secondary schools in the seven Education Management Development Centres. The data collected was used to ascertain what the challenges are school manager's face. Subsequently five new school managers were interviewed to find what coping strategies they use. A second set of questionnaires were sent to 100 new school principals to ascertain the challenges experienced and coping strategies employed. The research reveals the following aspects: (1) there is a lack of support from the Western Cape Education Department for new school principals; (2) research respondents identified a need for mentoring to assist them to cope; (3) there is a need for a management qualification to help principals to manage their schools as educators are only trained to become classroom teachers; ( 4) the Western Cape Education Department need to consult with schools regarding, among others, schools' year programs as this clash with dates of departmental programmes.

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Mabusela, Mapula Rebecca. "How women principals negotiate school culture." Pretoria : [s.n.], 2010. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-04062010-142407.

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Olsen, Dorian Dawn. "Homegrown rural school leaders." Diss., University of Iowa, 2017. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/5587.

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Background: Research on rural educational leadership is often overlooked in educational research, specifically within the context of homegrown leaders, or leaders who have been lifelong residents in the districts where they were students, teachers, and now lead as principal. Rural districts face many challenges that differ from urban districts. Looking at how these homegrown leaders use transformational leadership to overcome these challenges can assist principal preparation programs in preparing administrators to lead in rural districts as well as policymakers as they look at policies and funding that impact rural districts. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to address the following research questions: 1) How do these participants identify themselves as educational leaders? 2) How do these rural principals, identified as transformational leaders, use transformational leadership to contend with challenges unique to rural districts? 3) Do the principals’ prior experience and personal history within a school district influence transformational leadership practices, such as building trust, maintaining a positive school culture, and enacting change? If so, how? Setting: Research for this study took place in two rural school districts in neighboring Midwestern states. The communities the participants in this study reside in are over 100 miles apart, yet both the school districts and towns share similar characteristics. These districts are housed in farming communities with a population between 1,500 and 1,800 residents. The demographics of both districts are very similar consisting of over 97% white students, with the town’s population matching that of the school. The similarities are also present in the physical description of the school sites and collaboration with neighboring districts. Both of these districts consist of one large building housing all students, and superintendent on the same campus, and share resources such as staff, transportation, and athletic and academic programs with neighboring districts. Participants: The two school principals in this study were chosen due to similar characteristics of being homegrown leaders who both reside in similar rural districts and communities in neighboring states. In addition to having similar contexts, the participants in this study share many similarities as well. Both are male and have lived in the district where they were former students, teachers, and coaches prior to becoming the school principal. In addition, both of the principals in this study were chosen via convenience sampling due to prior experience of the researcher within both of these communities and their qualifications of being homegrown leaders. Research Design: This is a qualitative case study analyzing two cases with two participants. Data Collection and Analysis: Data collected for this qualitative case study include multiple interviews with both participants; observations in school and community events; observations at staff, parent, and student meetings; district handbooks and information collected from the district website and state reporting agencies, including demographics, free and reduced lunch status, number of staff, per pupil funding, assessment scores, and school improvement plans. Open and axial coding is used to analyze data. Member checks, triangulation of data, memos, and peer review are used to help ensure validity. Findings: The findings of this study reveal that being a rural, homegrown, transformational leader is a strength to overcome rural challenges. These principals’ prior history and relationships within the district and community, as well as the deep understanding and background knowledge they have of the values and culture of the district and community, allow them an easier time building and maintaining trust and relationships, creating a positive school culture, and enacting change. Additionally, their understanding of the challenges of rural districts based on their prior knowledge as a student and teacher have given them foresight to help them better understand and manage the challenges they encounter specific to rural districts. Conclusions: This study demonstrates how transformational leadership assists rural principals in managing challenges specific to rural districts. Additionally, it adds to the literature addressing the challenges rural districts encounter from first hand experiences of two principals who have lived in their respective districts their whole lives. This study provides insight to principal preparation programs, especially those training principals in states with a high percentage of rural districts, regarding how transformational leadership can assist rural principals in managing the challenges they will encounter in a rural district. This study is also beneficial to rural superintendents as they look to hire new principals.

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O'Mahony, Gary Raymond McColl, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Learning the role: Through the eyes of beginning principals." Deakin University. School of Scientific and Developmental Studies, 2002. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20051017.120428.

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This study examines how first year principals learn their roles and provides the picture through their eyes. As there is no formal preparation requirement to become a principal in Victorian government schools, new principals must seek out and direct their own learning for the role. The study describes the informal and formal sources of learning that are sought by beginning principals to help them learn about their new role. The focus is on identifying what sources of learning were used through different phases of the study and how some became more critical than others in shaping and developing the role of a principal in the school. This thesis is a story of continuous professional socialization and learning of a group of seven beginning principals using case studies and interviews over four phases of learning in their first year in the role as they proceed from appointment, entry, establishment through to consolidation of the role. The process of socialization underpins the study and is conceived as a process of learning in which the participants actively direct and participate in their own socialization. However, greater emphasis is placed on the developing nature and reliance on learning in role development. Previous studies of professional socialization of beginning principals have identified licensure programs as significant in the preparation and ongoing development process, whereas this is not the case in Victoria where no such requirements exist. This study adds to existing studies through the finding that there are similarities in the stages of professional socialization process in the Australian context, but also explores new aspects about professional learning by identifying various phases and sources of learning for Victorian principals. These ranged from dependence upon an apprenticeship arrangement, through self-directed task learning, to that of becoming an independent learner within a professional community of equals. Some of the themes identified and explored in this study included examining phases of learning, sources of learning, and their effect on role development. The study was initially based on identifying and exploring some of the key issues and the significance of learning experiences suggested by the beginning principals rather than researching predetermined hypotheses. This grounded and qualitative approach involved data collection over four different time phases in the first year in the role and allowed flexibility in the construction of case studies and the cumulative development of data through the study. The greater part of the data were collected through interviews in each of the four phases of the study along with the collection of survey data for comparison and contrast in the first and final study phases. The research raises many issues that can serve as a basis for further exploration of the complexity of the role of learning within professional socialization for beginning principals. As well, it suggests a number of implications for the organization of professional learning and socialization in beginning principal socialization for the first year in the role.

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Montreuil, Richard. "High school sports: The perspectives of the school principals." Thesis, University of Ottawa (Canada), 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/27537.

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The Canadian School Sport Federation, responsible for interscholastic sport, provides a mission to extend physical and athletic development, as well as, moral and social development (Canadian School Sport Federation, n.d.). To reach this mission, participation is needed not only by the coaches, who's role is central to the athletes experience (Roy, Trudel, & Lemyre, 2001), but also the school principals. As part of a research program examining the practice of interscholastic sports, we conducted interviews with 11 school principals and documented 'who' are the high school principals i.e. documented their past experiences and their role and perspective regarding high school sports. The main results showed that (a) most school principals had experience in sport as an athlete or a coach, (b) being a physical education teacher often led to the position of school principal, (c) the principals were conscious of the importance of school sports, and (d) they preferred to select coaches from within their school. Keywords: school sport/interscholastic sports, school principal

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Sparks, Julie. "School principals perceptions of walking and bicycling to school." Cincinnati, Ohio University of Cincinnati, 2007. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ucin1175261982.

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Rose, Caitlin Joanna. "Perceptions of School Principals on the School Counselor Role." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/88384.

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Throughout the past century, many changes in the conceptualization of the school counselor have occurred. Although most states endorse a national model developed through the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), not all school and district personnel have changed their views of the school counselor role to the most current conceptualization. The focus of this study was to gather current information on principal perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate school counselor activities based on the ASCA model. Differences were examined in principal perceptions at the elementary and secondary levels, and between appropriate and inappropriate activities to see if principals ranked appropriate activities more highly. Differences were also examined in schools with Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation and schools without RAMP designation. Results showed differences in perception between elementary and secondary principals, with secondary principals rating all counseling activities significantly higher than elementary school principals, although there were similarities in ratings between groups. Appropriate activities were rated significantly higher than inappropriate activities by principals overall as well as the elementary principal group and secondary principal group. There were no significant differences overall in RAMP versus non-RAMP school principal perceptions. Discussion includes reviewing specific activities where perceptions differed; how these results fit with previous research; and implications for policy and practice, future research, and higher education.
Doctor of Philosophy
Throughout the past century, many changes in the conceptualization of the role of the school counselor have occurred. Although most states endorse a national model developed through the American School Counseling Association (ASCA), not all school and district personnel have changed their views of the school counselor role to the most current conceptualization. The focus of this study was to gather current information on principal perceptions of appropriate and inappropriate school counselor activities based on the ASCA model. Differences were examined in principal perceptions at the elementary and secondary levels, and between appropriate and inappropriate activities to see if principals ranked appropriate activities more highly. Differences were also examined in schools with Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designation and schools without RAMP designation. Results showed differences in perception between elementary and secondary principals, with secondary principals rating all counseling activities significantly higher than elementary school principals, although there were similarities in ratings between groups. Appropriate activities were rated significantly higher than inappropriate activities by principals overall as well as the elementary principal group and secondary principal group. There were no significant differences overall in RAMP versus non-RAMP school principal perceptions. Discussion includes reviewing specific activities where perceptions differed; how these results fit with previous research; and implications for policy and practice, future research, and higher education.

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SPARKS, JULIE. "SCHOOL PRINCIPALS' PERCEPTIONS OF WALKING AND BICYCLING TO SCHOOL." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1175261982.

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Meigs, Patrick 1967. "A novice principal in a high performing elementary school : reflections on practice." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/10733.

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xii, 149 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries under the call numbers: KNIGHT LB2831.93.O7 M45 2008
Principals of schools have a unique set of responsibilities that range from the transactional to the transformational. Principals are expected to set a clear vision for the school community, support teachers in their work, while at the same time being responsible for all the details that allow a school to function smoothly. Thus, the first year of a novice principalship is a complex challenge. The first year in a high performing school carries with it an added set of challenges that a novice principal must come to understand and navigate. First-year principals work to not only gain understanding of their role in the school community, but also to develop a personal leadership style that supports teachers, children, parents and the larger community. It is through their experiences and reflections that novice principals begin to develop their unique voice as a leader. These experiences lay the foundation for their coming years in the principal's office.
Committee in Charge: Dr. Diane Dunlap, Chair; Dr. Gerald Tindal; Dr. Philip McCullu;m Dr. Jean Stockard, Outside Member

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Kiley, Wendi J. "The Impact of Principal Mentoring Programs on the Moral Judgment of School Principals." Thesis, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10268470.

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This research addresses moral decision making and the experience of public school principals. It also explores the possible influence mentoring has on principals’ abilities to confront complex decisions when clear ethical choices do not exist. This study incorporates a survey methodology, exploring the relationship between principal mentoring programs and schemas of morality in principals’ decision making. I used the Defining Issues Test-2 (Bebeau & Thoma, 2003; Rest & Narvaez, 1998) as the quantitative measurement tool to assess moral reasoning in this study. The survey also included questions about mentoring experiences and principal demographics. The DIT-2 uses the following three moral schemas that Rest (1973) identified: Personal Interest Schema, Maintaining Norms Schema, and Postconventional Schema. Rest based the three schemas on Kohlberg’s (1958) moral development theory, which provides a framework for understanding various levels of moral judgment. The first part of my research involves determining the moral schemas principals use when making moral judgments. Principals in various studies have not only identified a need to improve moral judgment, but also areas of improvement that would most benefit them (Dempster and Berry, 2003; Drago-Severson, 2012; Henry, 2010). As a result, the second part of my research explores how principal mentoring programs with an ethics component impact moral judgment in principals.

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Chun, Wai-tak Theresa. "The role of leadership from the learning organization perspective : a case study /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1996. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B17596105.

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Lau, Nim-yan Rita. "Factors supporting principals and vice-principals in managing under-performing teachers in local secondary schools." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 1999. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B21190835.

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Motsohi, Peggy Nomsa. "Executive coaching for school principals : a qualitative evaluation study of an executive coaching programme for school principals." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/20755.

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Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Purpose: The study was a qualitative evaluation on the impact of executive coaching as an intervention in improving the leadership capabilities of school principals. It was a pilot study of underperforming schools selected by the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) project. The coaching intervention provided for one-on-one coaching for school principals and team coaching. The target group was thirty school principals, selected from underperforming primary and secondary schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The GDE determined that school leaders and their teams, besides being confronted with many challenges of overcrowding and poor infrastructure, lack leadership capability and this negatively affects the quality of teaching and management of the schools. Compared to other leadership coaching interventions in schools in South Africa, this coaching intervention included team coaching (the management teams were coached with their principals), making it a unique feature of this coaching intervention. Design/methodology/approach: The evaluation study used qualitative methodology with an empirical design; based on an interpretative and inductive approach. The research focused on behavioural change, level three of Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model (1959). The participants’ reactions to the coaching intervention were also sought (level one of Kirkpatrick’ evaluation model). The sample used came from thirty underperforming schools identified by GDE using specific criteria. The main sample consisted of four principals from schools allocated to the researcher who was also one of the coaches. A supplementary sample of two principals from the same cohort was selected, but the researcher did not coach these. Landelahni Leadership Development Company (LLD), the contracted consultant for the project, selected the coaches. The data collected were 360-degree feedback, field notes from the coach and semi-structured interviews. The three data types were used to triangulate for control of error, as the researcher was an insider. Findings: The main findings demonstrated a positive impact of the executive coaching on the leadership capability of the school principals. The three sources of data in sample X (principals coached by the researcher) are complementary and indicated a positive behavioural shift and change in all four principals, confirmed by sample A (the principals not coached by the researcher), also indicating a positive behavioural shift in the interview data. The positive behavioural change addressed level three of Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model (1959). Overall, the coaching intervention raised awareness and behavioural change relating to management such as increased delegation and working more with their teams. Participants’ responses were positive with all six principals and teams recommended the continuation of the intervention and rollout to other schools. However, the findings indicate the principals still need to make more changes in their leadership approach. The key areas of concern are teaching deliverables and the facilitation of team dynamics; for example, conflict management. v The extent of the behavioural change was limited by the short duration of the coaching intervention. Research limitations: The key limitation is the fact that the researcher was the coach for this coaching intervention and an insider researcher. As typical of qualitative research, the sample was small and therefore the findings are not generalisable, but may be useful in similar contexts. Future research considerations: For future research, doing such a coaching evaluation study, a design, which enables evaluation of the impact on the learners’ outcomes, should be adopted. Contribution of the study: The study adds to the body of qualitative evaluation and empirical research in the coaching profession of which there are a limited number of studies. The findings may also provide strategic input for the GDE’s decision on whether to rollout the coaching intervention to other schools.

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Wood, Nicole R. Lyman Linda L. "Principals under age 30 factors affecting the first year experience /." Normal, Ill. : Illinois State University, 2006. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1251859851&SrchMode=1&sid=4&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1179157608&clientId=43838.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2006.
Title from title page screen, viewed on May 14, 2007. Dissertation Committee: Linda Lyman (chair), Beth Hatt-Echeverria, Joe Pacha, Nancy Sherman. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 148-154) and abstract. Also available in print.

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Davison, Liam G. "Lay principals under contract: 'Going Down for the Good Turf': An exploration of the perceptions of selected secondary lay principals in relation to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their role." Thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2006. https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/download/2dfacd8f2ac0a198ec44f954171140fc6961e0f2463fe0cf77d07783ab44732f/730352/64839_downloaded_stream_64.pdf.

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The purpose of this research study was to consider the understanding and experience of a selected number of lay principals of diocesan secondary Catholic schools in Victoria as to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their leadership role and to identify what supported them in the discharge of their responsibilities in these domains of their leadership.

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Newman, Mairette T., and n/a. "Practitioners' Meanings of School Leadership: Case Studies of Jamaican High School Principals." Griffith University. School of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040910.144727.

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Guided by the symbolic interaction premise that meaning is found in the interaction of individuals with their world, this study set out to describe and analyse how selected high school principals in Jamaica understand and practise school leadership by exploring how they view their circumstances, and how their meanings of leadership are modified by the contexts of their work. To gain insight into how Jamaican principals conceptualise and experience leadership the study adopted a qualitative, collective case-study design. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to select four exemplary high school principals such that gender, school location and organization were varied. Data were sourced from semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation sessions and integrative diagrams as well as from school, principal and official Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture documents. Within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted using grounded theory modes of analysis, specifically the systematic processes referred to as open and axial coding. Findings from the within-case analysis are presented as four individual cases that communicate the salient features of each principal's leadership and context. In the first case entitled Mother of the Poor, the principal defines school leadership as the pursuit of excellence within a framework of valuing and caring for students. The principal at the centre of the second case, The Reculturing Principal, portrays leadership as transforming school culture so that it is receptive to change and committed to growth and improvement. The principal featured in the third case understands leadership as a response to students' social problems, diminished self-concept and dysfunctional community relationships - hence the title The Principal as Social Architect. The final case presents The Community Principal who conceptualizes leadership in terms of building caring, co-operative relationships among all involved in the schooling process with a view to developing community connectedness. Findings from the cross-case analysis are presented as two broad themes that characterize the principals' conceptualization and interpretation of school leadership. The first theme - 'Leadership as values-driven' - identified care and respect, social justice and excellence as the common values that defined the principals' leadership, permeating their interactions and informing their decisions. The second theme - 'Leadership as responding to and acting on context' - revealed that dynamics related to personal, school-community and policy contexts also entered into and interacted with their understandings of leadership. While all four principals in this study were guided and informed by common values, they applied them to their leadership in individual ways, modifying their approaches and emphases in response to a range of contextual elements that were both dynamic and unique. Generally, the principals conceptualized leadership as a moral undertaking, and values together with context emerged as powerful influences on how they defined, interpreted and enacted school leadership. Findings from this study contribute to local knowledge about principals and school leadership. Currently, perspectives on what constitutes school leadership depend on frameworks developed for other environments even though the extent to which these are applicable to a Caribbean context is unknown. Furthermore, in the context of recent shifts in policy, it is important to understand what and how principals think about leadership. In this respect, the findings may serve as a guide for future decisions about leadership training and professional development for principals and aspiring principals.

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Newman, Mairette T. "Practitioners' Meanings of School Leadership: Case Studies of Jamaican High School Principals." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366988.

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Guided by the symbolic interaction premise that meaning is found in the interaction of individuals with their world, this study set out to describe and analyse how selected high school principals in Jamaica understand and practise school leadership by exploring how they view their circumstances, and how their meanings of leadership are modified by the contexts of their work. To gain insight into how Jamaican principals conceptualise and experience leadership the study adopted a qualitative, collective case-study design. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to select four exemplary high school principals such that gender, school location and organization were varied. Data were sourced from semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation sessions and integrative diagrams as well as from school, principal and official Ministry of Education, Youth and Culture documents. Within-case and cross-case analyses were conducted using grounded theory modes of analysis, specifically the systematic processes referred to as open and axial coding. Findings from the within-case analysis are presented as four individual cases that communicate the salient features of each principal's leadership and context. In the first case entitled Mother of the Poor, the principal defines school leadership as the pursuit of excellence within a framework of valuing and caring for students. The principal at the centre of the second case, The Reculturing Principal, portrays leadership as transforming school culture so that it is receptive to change and committed to growth and improvement. The principal featured in the third case understands leadership as a response to students' social problems, diminished self-concept and dysfunctional community relationships - hence the title The Principal as Social Architect. The final case presents The Community Principal who conceptualizes leadership in terms of building caring, co-operative relationships among all involved in the schooling process with a view to developing community connectedness. Findings from the cross-case analysis are presented as two broad themes that characterize the principals' conceptualization and interpretation of school leadership. The first theme - 'Leadership as values-driven' - identified care and respect, social justice and excellence as the common values that defined the principals' leadership, permeating their interactions and informing their decisions. The second theme - 'Leadership as responding to and acting on context' - revealed that dynamics related to personal, school-community and policy contexts also entered into and interacted with their understandings of leadership. While all four principals in this study were guided and informed by common values, they applied them to their leadership in individual ways, modifying their approaches and emphases in response to a range of contextual elements that were both dynamic and unique. Generally, the principals conceptualized leadership as a moral undertaking, and values together with context emerged as powerful influences on how they defined, interpreted and enacted school leadership. Findings from this study contribute to local knowledge about principals and school leadership. Currently, perspectives on what constitutes school leadership depend on frameworks developed for other environments even though the extent to which these are applicable to a Caribbean context is unknown. Furthermore, in the context of recent shifts in policy, it is important to understand what and how principals think about leadership. In this respect, the findings may serve as a guide for future decisions about leadership training and professional development for principals and aspiring principals.
Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Doctor of Education (EdD)
School of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'School principals'

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