An analysis of the leadership styles of selected elementary principals in magnet and non -magnet schools in a large, urban school district
Abstract
This study was exploratory in nature and tested the theory of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership as perceived by teachers and their principal as successful measures of principal leadership on school climate and student achievement. The threefold purpose of this study was to examine: (1) The leadership style as perceived by the teacher and the principal (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) that describes the school principals in selected elementary magnet and non-magnet schools in the Wake County Public School System. (2) The relationship between the leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) of the school principal and the school's climate in selected elementary magnet and non-magnet schools in the Wake County Public School System. (3) The relationship between the leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire) of the school principal and student achievement in selected elementary magnet and non-magnet schools in the Wake County Public School System. The study was conducted with selected elementary schools in the Wake County Public School System. The sample population consisted of 600 teachers; 1999 North Carolina End-of-Grade Tests scores for 13,266 students in grades three, four, and five; 20 elementary magnet schools; 20 elementary non-magnet schools; and 40 principals in schools categorized as elementary magnet and non-magnet. Three instruments were used to gather data. The first instrument was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form (5X-Short) which was developed by Bass and Avolio (1995). This instrument served as the measure of principal leadership style (transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire). The second instrument that was used in this study is the NASSP School Climate Survey (NASSP, 1987). It served as the measure of school climate. The North Carolina 1999 End-of-Grade Tests percentage scores for reading and mathematics served as the instrument to measure student achievement. Data for the study was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistical analyses (means and standard deviations) and One-Way Analysis of Variance were the statistical procedures used to test and describe the data for the six hypotheses. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant difference between principals' self ratings and teachers' ratings of transactional and laissez-faire leadership styles in magnet schools. There was a significant difference in principals' self ratings and teachers' ratings of transformational leadership styles in magnet schools. In non-magnet schools, there was no significant difference between principals' self ratings and teachers' ratings of transformational and laissez-faire leadership styles. There was a significant difference in principals' self ratings and teachers' ratings of transactional leadership styles. It was also found that there was a significant relationship between the school climate subscale, administration, and laissez-faire leadership in magnet schools. In non-magnet schools no significant relationship existed between the ten subscales of school climate and the three leadership styles (transformation, transactional, or laissez-faire). This study further indicated that no significant relationship existed between student achievement and transformational, transactional, or laissez-faire leadership in elementary magnet and non-magnet schools.
Subject Area
Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Hart, Lois Marie, "An analysis of the leadership styles of selected elementary principals in magnet and non -magnet schools in a large, urban school district" (2001). ETD Collection for Fayetteville State University. AAI3027007.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/dissertations/AAI3027007