The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceptions of academic deans and department chairpersons regarding the leadership behavior of deans; and, to determine the relationship between perceived leadership behavior of deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons in the public institutions of higher education. The study involved a random sample of 50 academic deans and 285 department chairpersons at public universities in Tennessee. Testing of five null hypotheses was based upon responses of 42 academic deans (84%) and 173 department chairpersons (60%). The Leadership behavior of academic deans was measured by the Leadership Practices Inventory (Kouzes & Posner, 1987). The job satisfaction of department chairpersons was determined through the Index of Job Satisfaction. A combination of means difference tests and correlational methods was used to answer questions concerning the relationship between leadership behavior of academic deans and job satisfaction of department chairpersons. Of the five null hypotheses tested, two were found to be significant at the level of.05. The conclusions drawn from the rejected hypotheses were: There was a significant difference between deans and department chairpersons in the perception of leadership behavior of deans. The overall mean score of LPI-Self was significantly higher than that of LPI-Other. The deans perceived their leadership behavior, as described in LPI, to be more effective than did department chairpersons. In addition, there was a significant relationship between the leadership behavior of deans perceived by department chairpersons and their job satisfaction. The more effective the department chairpersons perceived the deans' leadership behavior to be, the more they were satisfied with their jobs. Finally, the total number of years in the department chairpersons' position had a significant impact on how they perceived deans' leadership behavior. Department chairpersons in the position for a total of less than a year perceived deans' leader behavior as more effective than those who had been in the position for 7-9 years.

The concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) provides a framework for understanding the professional demands of secondary-school teachers in facilitating student learning. Teachers develop their PCK both formally in preservice and inservice education and informally with their colleagues. Teacher leaders, such as the secondary-school department chairs, can work with colleagues to promote professional growth. The purpose of this study was to understand how secondary-school department chairs understood PCK and perceived their role in promoting the PCK growth of their department colleagues. A qualitative research design using in-depth, semi-structured interviews involved 15 participants from one school district in the southeast of the U.S. Data analysis used Eisner’s (1998) four-part approach to criticism—description, interpretation, evaluation, and thematics—as the overall framework, with Hatch’s (2002) typological analysis facilitating the description and interpretation phases. The two dimensions of description and interpretation occurred simultaneously, with six typologies organizing the discussion; how participants understood and defined PCK; knowledge of context within PCK; participants’ understanding of the importance of content knowledge; growth of the teacher; development of PCK in professional learning communities; and department chair leadership in developing PCK. The evaluation dimension revealed that these chairs did indeed work with their colleagues in developing PCK that, in turn, facilitated student learning. Three major themes based on the data were developed: experienced teachers in leadership positions possess key elements of PCK; department chairs can lead as teachers; and teacher leaders bring their tacit PCK into the explicit. Implications for leadership include the need for district and school-based administrators to support the role that department chairpersons play in the professional growth of their colleagues, to provide developmental opportunities for teachers designed to focus on PCK and how PCK furthers student learning and to take advantage of the leadership offered by department chairs in promoting teachers’ professional growth. Further study might examine how department chairs work directly with their colleagues to develop PCK, how such development of PCK operates in contexts with different demographics than those of the present study, and how department chairs at different points in their careers assist their colleagues in their PCK growth.