Research Paper
Does principal’s leadership style indirect influence students’ success in elementary schools?
Introduction
The leadership style of school’s principals in U.S. elementary schools plays an indirect role in the academic success of students when is implicit a transformational approach in the principal’s behavior. I mentioned indirect impact, because the truly direct impact is toward the teachers, which, as a transitivity effect, impact as well the academic achievement of their students. The purpose of this paper is analyze the impact of transformational principals in teacher’s commitment and job satisfaction, and in consequence, their effect in the student’s success.
According to Owens and Valesky (2015), educational leadership is a dynamic process of constant, ongoing, and development changes. Leaders are compelled to continually evolve in their leadership style. In our ever-changing world, they must be open for the adaptive evolution of the humankind. In order to get involve in the dynamic process of change and development, educational leaders should be attentive to the new research and studies, which reveals relevant information regarding the evolution of organizational behavior. Additionally, they should take into consideration the impact of worldwide changes in the society in which the school is submerged. Leadership in ours times is a matter of challenges and adaptabilities, with the implicit skills of nimbleness and flexibility.
Open Systems in Schools
According to former Indiana state superintendent of schools Dr. Suellen Reed, “We know from our research that there’s no turnaround school without a turnaround principal” (as cited in Gammil, 2007, para. 2), further supporting the fact that “school leaders have an essential role in cultivating a positive school culture in public schools” (Peterson and Deal, 2002, p.30). However, it is imperative to improve our understanding as to how principal leadership impacts the school culture in high poverty schools to ensure that all children receive a quality education, regardless of zip code, in an environment conducive to learning. The six measured factors are as follows:
Being a leader is not considered a job or position. Becoming a leader is not a talent, job or position. Although, leadership can be rewarding and difficult at the same time. In today’s society, “the kind of leadership necessary to move social movements forward is very different from the type of leadership required in a military setting, especially on the battlefield. A more sharpened focus on leadership processes versus individual leader traits and behaviors deepens our understanding of the complexities and interactive nature of leadership” (Komives, Lucas and McMahon 2013, 46). My goal is to understand how to face the complexities in life as a leader to communities, universities, organizations, the workplace and the world. As a leader,
The researchers reviewed related educational peer-reviewed literature, as it pertained to their study. They reviewed literature topics related to transformational leadership, best practices of educational leadership, strategies for improved school culture, and leadership styles and its impact on teacher morale. The researchers identify in their review of the literature characteristics of “true” transformational leadership to include a leader’s ability to “lead by example and have the ability to articulate goals of the organization which
The study sample were 141 middle level principals from Western Pennsylvania who worked with grades fourth through ninth, specifically targeting 8th graders. The principals represented urban, suburban and rural school districts in Western Pennsylvania.
Palmer Lake Elementary School refers to a public elementary school located in Brooklyn Park. The school has 678 students with majority being Whites and non-Hispanics. The teachers; population is between 40 and 50 teachers: 6 speech teacher, two reading teacher, 3 gym physical, two music teachers, 28 for regular classes, one media. Accordingly, the ratio of students to teachers is approximately 15:1. Each class has varying number of students ranging from 19 to 28 students. Approximately 54 percent of the students are male and 46 percent are female. The percentage of students eligible for subsidized lunch is 65. This essay examines the leadership skills and styles of Dr. Tim Brown after an interview in his office. Dr. Tim is the principal of Palmer Lake Elementary School and plays the following roles. First, he shapes the vision of academic success and instructional competence for all students and teachers respectively. Second, he plays the role of creating a climate and environment that is hospitable for learning. Third, he cultivates leadership in other teachers. Fourth, he is answerable to external stakeholders such as parents and state education authorities concerning the school’s performances and use of resources. Effective educational leadership is a continuous process that involves self-examination, learning from others, collaboration and sustainable use of resources to accomplish the goals and
Educational leadership involves implementing changes which can be difficult when those one leads are resistant. Overcoming that resistance to bring about change creates benefits for students and the entire school community; unfortunately, there is no universal way to avoid resistance to change from all involved (Marion & Gonzales, 2014, p. 197). Further research could be done within an individual school
Number of studies have asserted that teaching experience of principal positively associates with his/her instructional leadership (Eberts & Stone, 1988; Glasman, 1984; Hallinger, 1983; Leithwood et al., 1990). Studies have identified personal values of principal to indirectly shape his/her attention to varying aspects of educational programs (Barth, 1980, 1990; Cuban, 1988; Glasman, 1984; Leithwood et al., 1990, 1992). “Research on effects of principal leadership on student learning draws its conceptual lineage more directly from research on school effectiveness and school improvement.” (Hallinger, Bickman and Davis,
Similar to other leadership settings, educational leadership has a reliance on individual traits such as respect, trustworthiness, and fairness. Similarly, skills are essential since they determine the effectiveness of headship. Cooperation of staff members requires leaders to have strong awareness and understanding of their complex organizational environment. Concurrently, choice of management style is essential while focusing on maximum effectiveness of educational leadership. Lastly, as postulated, educational leadership is a great influencer towards students
The complexity of demands facing school leaders is a function of serving many constituencies and stakeholders, each having a variety of needs. Navigating complex educational contexts presents significant opportunities and challenges for school principals. The purpose of this study is establishing developing leaders with the abilities as transformational leaders, and tapping into principal efficacy as insightful elements of leadership development. Researchers question how Canada’s Outstanding Principal’s (COP) program strengthens the relationship between transformational leadership and principal efficacy.
This study seeks to examine a principal leadership style and its effects on teacher job
Every person who enters the field of education has both the opportunity and an obligation to be a leader (Dufour, Marzano, 2011). Leadership defined by Owen (2002) is, “A journey of discovery. It is the expression of a person at his or her best whose aim is to transform something for the better and to develop this potential in others. It is not a solitary pursuit but one that harnesses the energy of those around you. Leadership is a process in which leaders and followers engage to achieve mutual goals. Prentice (2004) defines leadership as the accomplishment of a goal through the direction of human assistants. A great leader is one who can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of circumstances.
... the success record in education is still. not encouraging; in fact, the way most
From the interviews conducted it was revealed that the principal plays an integral role in the academic success in students as he or she sets the tone in the school which
Leadership is often times confused with management, but they are in fact two separate and equally important aspects of successful organizations (Kotter, 2001). Leadership applies “power to influence the thoughts and actions of other people” (Zaleznik, 1992, p.2), while management is more concerned with handling problems as they arise (Kotter, 2001). Kotter (2001) and Zaleznik (1992) both discuss how leaders may be developed in different settings. The school district I work in practices growing leaders. Employees are identified for their leadership qualities and then the school district assists them with acquiring their administration degrees. Finally, they are transitioned from the classroom to administrative positions within the district
According to the authors of this article (Donaldson, Marnik, Mackenzie, & Ackerman, 2009), principals need to concentrate on the development of skills and behaviors in order to be successful in motivating, leading, and changing the direction of a school. The successful principal understands that there exists a fine balance of caring for others and the need to accomplish specific tasks (Donaldson, Marnik, Mackenzie, & Ackerman, 2009).