COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Pamela T. Barber-Freeman

TITLE: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PRINCIPALS MOTIVATIONAL BEHAVIOR IN HIGH PERFORMING HIGH SCHOOLS IN AN URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

ABSTRACT:Effective leadership strengthens an organization’s capacity to face any issue, such as building a competitive academic edge, fostering ethical behavior, and managing a varied workforce honestly and efficiently (Sun et al., 2017). Therefore, principals must adopt leadership styles that improve an institution’s atmosphere while fulfilling a nation’s educational mandates. Principal leadership style is a significant factor influencing student achievement. The problem this study addresses is limited qualitative research exploring the differences in perceptions of principals and teachers regarding the effectiveness of principals’ leadership styles on teachers’ instructional modalities and student achievement, especially in urban K-12 schools. The purpose of this study was to examine how the impact of principals’ leadership styles is perceived by principals and teachers serving in the same school. Using rational behavioral theory as a conceptual framework, the study further examined, from both principals’ and teachers’ perspectives, how a principal’s leadership impacts teachers’ instructional style and methods and student achievement. Six principals and twenty-one teachers from high-performing schools in Texas were administered a qualitative survey with open-ended questions about their principals’ leadership styles. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data, and comparisons were made between principals’ intended leadership styles and practices and teachers’ interpretations of those leadership practices. The study findings showed that teachers could generally identify their principals’ transformational leadership practices as intended by the principals. Some participants highlighted ineffective leadership stemming from communication challenges. Recommendations for principals to enhance their leadership styles were provided, highlighting important mechanisms for enhancing communication with teachers.

 

Zoom Meeting:

https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/9534550886?pwd=dC9MWmM5eTllOHZWMm9zdEhPVmZLQT09

Meeting ID: 953 455 0886

Passcode: Freewoman