A female in the elementary school principal's office: a beacon for women

The elementary principal is a key person in public schools. Few studies have examined women in this position in depth and detail. This study tells the story of one female elementary principal, Peggy Moles. Using interviews, surveys, observations, contact logs, and reviews of relevant documents, this qualitative study provides a detailed description of her professional life and her personal life as it relates to her job. Data were collected over a two-month period, and analysis was continuous throughout the study. The transcripts, surveys, fieldnotes, and written documents were examined for themes which describe the subject’s professional life and leadership style. Five characteristics of leadership were extracted from the data which describe this principal as a transformational leader: she (1) encourages the participation of others by creating a professional atmosphere and attitude in the school that provide incentive and willingness for the teachers, parents, and community to become involved; (2) shares the decision-making with faculty and parents; (3) enhances the self-worth of others through her acceptance of teachers as individuals who are professionals, but who also have lives away from the school; (4) creates a nourishing environment by being respectful, caring, inviting, friendly, accepting, and supportive; and (5) facilitates the faculty and the parents at her school through professionalism and modeling. The study offers a practical example of transformational leadership. It also provides descriptions of this principal’s leadership to which most males or females should be able to relate. The impressions of those around her are included to render a more vivid description of this female’s leadership and the environment in which she works. The study provides the reader an opportunity to examine the life of one female in school administration and, at the same time, gives the reader a feeling for the subject as an individual. A description of a "day in her life" ties the transformational leadership characteristics to the actual day-to-day events in the principalship of Peggy Moles.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Administration

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Administration

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1996

Author dc:creator

• Waddell, Alice Moore

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Worner, Wayne M.
• Nilos, Jerry

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lee, Elisabeth
• Curcio, Joan L.
• Parson, Stephen R.

• principal
• transformational leadership
• administration

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-06062008-151131

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/37984