http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3 http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-2.xsd
Perceptions of African-American principals' leadership in successful urban schools by teachers of color and European-American teachers
This qualitative study examined 15 teachers of color and 15 European-American teachers' perceptions of their African-American principals' leadership in successful urban schools. The study explored how the principals' image, relationship development, and teaming efforts may be affected by these perceptions in an ethnically diverse environment. From this exploration, the researcher arrived at four major conclusions from the participants' responses. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher's interviews allowed the teachers to describe their experiences and interactions with their principals in a southwest urban school district. Data were collected through multiple interviews, observations, a questionnaire, the researcher's reflective notes, and artifacts at seven schools. The findings of the study were classified into three themes according to Chemers' integrative leadership model. The image management theme examined the principals' legitimacy, trustworthiness, and credibility. The second theme of relationship development probed the principals' motivation efforts, evaluation fairness, followers' comfort level, and validation of followers. The last theme, team coordination and deployment, investigated the principals' use of organizational structure, teaming efforts, and leadership perspective to accomplish goals. The study revealed that the teachers of color perceived that their principals were credible leaders based on their position in the organization, establishment of relationships because of their ethnic kinship, and promotion of teaming to achieve the school's goals. On the other hand, the European-American teachers perceived their principals were legitimate leaders based on their leadership characteristics, access to their principals, and creation of teams to meet both group and individual needs. The African-American principals perceived that they were credible based on their intellectual abilities, efforts to establish interpersonal relationships, and creation of community environment. The study also revealed that African-American principals faced challenges in their leadership role and must be flexible as the teaching workforce becomes more European-American. Despite challenges faced by African-American principals in diverse environments and perceptions of their leadership, knowledge of these perceptions will provide them with information for training, purposeful interactions, and collaboration. In addition, the power of this knowledge can lead to better recruitment of teachers and leaders of color, efforts to establish an organizational diversity plan, and a community of collaboration.
"Major Subject: Educational Administration".
Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-131).