Date of Award

Summer 8-1-1999

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Todd Whitaker

Second Advisor

Rebecca W. Libler

Third Advisor

Dale Vindley

Abstract

Purposes of the Study. The purposes of this mixedmethodology study were to: (1) quantitatively analyze the relationship between school culture and principal effectiveness and; (2) qualitatively investigate the differences between the manner in which principals of schools with more positive cultures and principals of schools with more negative cultures (a) lead and conduct school operations, (b) communicate with stakeholders, and (c) foster relationships. Procedures. Two hundred sixty-one public elementary schools in Illinois and Indiana were included in the original cluster sample. Staff perception of school culture and principal effectiveness was gathered through two different surveys that were distributed to teachers at each of the schools. Interviews were conducted with staff members and principals of four schools with more positive cultures and four schools with more negative cultures in order to identify differences in the manner in which these principals lead and conduct school operations, communicate with stakeholders, and foster relationships. iv Findings. Statistical analysis of the data included descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation, independent two-tailed t-tests, and Stepwise regression. Significant correlational relationships were found between school culture and principal effectiveness. Significant differences were found between principal effectiveness in schools with more positive cultures and in schools with more negative cultures. Additionally, there are specific leadership behaviors which best predict a positive school culture. Finally, important differences were found in principal leadership behaviors between schools with more positive cultures and schools with more negative cultures. These findings showed principals of schools with more positive cultures to be more visible to stakeholders, better communicators, more organized, and more cognizant of their position as role models to staff and students than were principals of schools with more negative cultures. Additionally, the principals of schools with more positive cultures took greater pride in the appearance and daily operation of their school buildings.

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