Teacher Perceptions of African-American Principal Leadership

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of African- American principals' leadership and the extent to which those perceptions varied according to their race, gender, years of teaching experience, and years working with the principal. The results of this exploratory study are intended to enhance the empirical data reflecting the leadership characteristics of the African-American principal and to contribute to the research on leadership in general. The participants in this study consisted of 32 African-American principals and 164 teachers in schools representing 12 states during the 2004-2005 school year. Each teacher participant completed either an electronic or paper version of the Leadership and Management of Schools Survey Instrument (LMSS) which addressed the leadership and management traits of the principal and the demographic data on the teachers. The findings indicated that African-American principals are perceived as using high levels of transformational and transactional leadership. Additionally, results indicated that race influences the leadership credibility of the African-American principal. There did not appear to be a significant relationship between teachers' perceptions and gender of a teacher, gender of the principal, or both, and no relationship was found between the years of teachers' experience and their perceptions of the African- American principals. However, teachers' perceptions of African- American principals' leadership and management qualities increased positively with the number of years of experience working with the principal. Indications from these findings can be useful to universities, colleges, and school districts in making informed decisions concerning the training, recruitment, and placement of African-American principals.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

Year

2005

Author dc:creator

• Brown, Darlene

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kirby, Peggy
• Riedlinger, Brian
• Oescher, Jeffrey

• Critical Race Theory
• Transformational leadership
• Factors that Influence Leadership Credibility
• Effects of race on teachers' perceptions
• Effects of gender on teachers' perceptions
• Effects of teachers' years of experience on teachers

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/256

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.uno.edu:td-1289