Principal-teacher interactions in urban high schools : two case studies /
| Main Author: | |
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1990.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | Educational reform and restructuring efforts over the past several years have directed attention to the leadership of our schools. Issues such as low teacher morale, state-mandated and state-prescribed performance evaluation, shared authority, and site-based management raise important questions about principal-teacher interactions. The effects of these interactions upon the learning climate of our schools are significant, as are the subsequent effects upon teacher-student interactions and learning. Nowhere are these issues more pertinent and ripe for study than in urban high schools, where a student's future success or failure hangs in the balance. In this study, the researcher examined the principal-teacher interactions in two urban high schools, one of which is led by a principal operating according to Model I of the Argyris and Schon Theory of Professional Practice and one by a principal operating according to Model n. Principals in the accessible population were asked to respond to a survey instrument designed to differentiate between leadership styles. Survey results provided the researcher with a working hypothesis about the leadership behaviors of each respondent. Two outliers were chosen for further study. Qualitative methodologies were used to investigate the cultures and professional interactions in the two schools. A case report was written for each school. The two schools were compared. The study found that the Model I leader has alienated his faculty. He is not trusted by his faculty nor does he have their support. The Model II leader has the support and trust of his faculty. Comparison of the results of an administration of the Learning Climate Inventory at each school indicates that the school climate at the Model I school is more closed than at the Model II school. This is seen especially in items directly associated with the principals' leadership. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: Educational administration." |
| Physical Description: | xii, 266 leaves ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |