In the past, South Africa had a structure that dealt separately with matters relating to curriculum development and the problems of management and control determined from the hierarchical authority. Since 1994, the curriculum reform and the various transformational needs and because of experiences of global change demands as well as the various nationalist priorities, principals have adopted instructional leadership and principalship as leading learners, critical reflection and understanding that circumstances determine leadership or better management. In this context, principals initiated what has proved to be the determinants of the principal‟s role, problematic perspective and orientation. The study was qualitative in nature and interviews were used as the main source of data collection. Ten principals of primary, middle and secondary schools were interviewed using open ended questions. It was important to interact with the interviewees to facilitate a more probing investigation that not only broadened knowledge and fostered understanding, but also provided the interviewees with freedom to talk about anything they felt like, as long as it was within the framework or research questions., secondly, it allowed for critical reflection on the dominant discourse and also gave a voice to the dominated discourse. To arrive at the findings, data was analysed and interpreted using analysis strategies applicable to qualitative designs. These strategies of analysis allowed the researcher to look at the text and interviewees‟ practices. The following findings emerged from the data analysis: The findings from the principals were that there is integrated circumstance which makes it impossible to achieve success and the process of development was always constrained by severe time pressures. Since the principals‟ involvement in curriculum reform is a good sign of positive change in educators and school community‟s thinking, conduct, feelings and behaviour in their daily way of living. Principals have changed their leadership or management of democratic and collaborative participation to include parents, educators, learners and external stakeholders in curriculum reform. The interviews from the principals indicated that undemocratic procedures and social disorder no longer exist within the school, but it is visible within the district and the hierarchy. While this is the case, it is also clear that the primary and secondary respondents view this differently. The primary school principal, generates ample possibilities and opportunities for curriculum reform and the desired nation building. On the other hand, the secondary school principal is pressurized, sometimes undemocratically by the hierarchy to achieve beyond expectation in national examinations. But all are in agreement that they provide useful knowledge to ascertain whether curriculum reform can be a tool driving social cohesion and provide self-renewal in the condition of practice. They also facilitate changes in the lives of community members such as educators, learners‟ parents and all stakeholders by teaching and carrying out actual practice. I have taken care not to generalize from the findings, since this was never the intention of the study. I nevertheless drew the conclusion that problems and challenges faced by the principals determine and define their role. There will never be any absence of external demands. In fact principals in their schools must continue to monitor conceptually complex tasks and accumulate evidence of different levels of complexity of their roles. From the findings the study recommends that principal should control the determinants of their roles, they should standardise and supervise the quality of the learning programme. This is to allow principals to include the needs of the communities which vary from area to area. This way development of learner-centred strategies are encouraged. The control by the hierarchy would extinguish community-initiative in service delivery. Political control seems to be slowly coming back to schools through quality monitoring. Furthermore, suggestions for the Department of Education to understand the different pressure points principal experience imposed by the district and the circuit to principals to follow incompatible activities and forcing schools to pursue incompatible goals. / PhD (Education Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

當我們的資料變數很多時，我們通常會使用主成分 或因子來降低資料變數； 在選取主成分與因子時，我們通常會以特徵值來做選擇， 然而變異數大(亦即特徵值大)的主成分或因子雖然解釋了大部分變異， 但卻不一定保留了最多後續要分析的資訊， 例如利用由特徵值所選取出來最好的主成分或因子 來當做區別資料之變數，所得結果不一定理想。 在此我們假設資料是來自於兩個多維常態母體， 我們將分別利用由Mardia等人 (1979) 和Chang (1983) 所提出的兩種方法 來選取出具區別能力的主成分，將其區別結果與由特徵值所選取出最好的主成分 之區別結果作一比較；並且將此二方法應用在選取因子上。 同時我們也證明Mardia等人 (1979) 和Chang (1983)的方法對於 主成分及因子(利用主成分方法轉換)有相同的選取順序。 本文更進一步地將Mardia等人 所提出之方法運用至三群資料上，探討當資料來自於三個 多維常態母體時，我們該如何利用此方法來選取具區別能力之變數。 / Principal component analysis or factor analysis are often used to reduce the dimensionality of the original variables. However, the principal component or factor, which has larger variance (i.e eigenvalue) explaining larger proportion of total sample variance, may not retain the most information for other analyses later. For example, using the first few principal components or factors having the largest corresponding eigenvalues as discriminant variables, the discriminant result may not be good or even appropriate. \hspace{2.05em}We first discuss two methods, given by Mardia et al. (1979) and Chang (1983) for choosing discriminant variables when data are randomly obtained from a mixture of two multivariate normal distributions. We then use the discriminant result (or classification error rates) to compare these two methods and the traditional method of using the principal components, which have the larger corresponding eigenvalues, as discriminant variables. We also prove that the both the two methods have the same selection order on principal components and factor (obtained by the principal component method). Furthermore, we use the method of Mardia et al. to select appropriate discriminators when data is from three populations.

The focus of this study was to investigate the attitude of teachers toward female administrators and the differences in male and female teachers' perceptions of their effectiveness. The study also investigated the influence of demographic characteristics (age, education, experience, sex) on teachers' attitudes and perceptions of effectiveness and the correlation between attitudes and perceived effectiveness. The population of this study consisted of teachers from a large urban school system in northwestern Georgia. The study looked at forty randomly chosen elementary schools, half headed by female administrators and half by males. Eight hundred twenty seven teachers participated. The instruments used to gather data were the Women As School District Administrators: A Measure of Attitudes Toward Women In Administrative Positions (WASDA), used to assess attitudes toward women as administrators, and the Profile for Assessment of Leadership (PAL), used to assess administrators' competencies. A personal Data Sheet was used to collect demographic data. This study utilized the descriptive survey method. With the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), a Factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences between male and female teachers on their attitudes toward female administrators as well as on their perceived effectiveness of male and female administrators. A Pearson's correlation was used to assess the relationship between teachers' demographic characteristics and their attitudes toward female administrators. This statistical technique was also used to measure the strength of association between attitudes and perceived effectiveness. Correlations between gender and attitude were statistically significant for Factors 2 (stereotypic barriers) and 3 (stereotypic traits) on the WASDA. The results of the PAL indicated that male principals were perceived to be significantly more competent in (1) supervision and evaluation and (2) protecting time on task. The perceived difference between male and female administrators on these two factors were about 8 and 6 percentage points respectively. Implications and findings were discussed and recommendations were presented.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of Texas principals as to the degree to which their local school districts are meeting their ongoing professional development need. The study was conducted to analyze and describe the survey and interview responses of Texas principals as to their perceptions of the degree to which their local school districts provide learning experiences aligned with their needs. Texas principals’ perceptions regarding the characteristics of important and meaningful professional learning experiences were explored. The study included an analysis of the extent to which Texas principals perceive that the learning opportunities they are provided adequately meet those needs. Additionally, various factors influencing principals and their perceptions were examined. These factors included type of school, school setting, school system size, characteristics of students, and characteristics of the principals. The perceptions of school district staff development administrators were analyzed regarding topic importance, topic provision by the local district, and the usefulness of those topics. Finally, the perceptions of the principals and the staff development administrators were compared. Thirteen school districts participated in this study. Of the 273 principals surveyed, 155 completed the survey, yielding a return rate of 56.8%. One campus principal from each of the 13 districts was interviewed. Additionally, 13 district staff development administrators were surveyed and interviewed. Data analysis produced several findings. First, as a whole, principals rated the importance of each of the 22 proposed professional development topics at or above the important level. However, the degree to which local school districts provided training on those topics varied according to the size of the district and the setting of the campus. Second, the relationship between the professional development provided and the quality, or usefulness, of that school district’s training was considered strong for several of the 22 topics. Finally, principals and staff development administrators agreed on several characteristics of successful professional development efforts. This study’s findings offer implications for campus principals and school districts striving to meet the individual, campus, and district needs for professional development.

Thesis advisor: Vincent Cho / This case study of a public school district in the Northeast United States explores the leadership practices of elementary and middle school counseling staff and principals in supporting SEL, using a distributed leadership framework (Spillane, 2006). Data sources included 24 interviews with administrators, guidance counselors and social workers and document review. Findings indicate counseling staff support students and staff in a variety of ways through both formal and informal leadership practices. Principals support SEL by establishing SEL programs or strategies to match the needs of their student population. Two different models were found for how guidance counselor and social worker responsibilities are structured. The most common model, in six of the nine schools, is a tiered model where guidance counselors work with the majority of students on academic support/monitoring and delivering SEL lessons. Social workers focus on smaller numbers of students with more intensive needs. The second but less common model, in three of the nine schools, does not differentiate the roles of social workers and guidance counselors and instead assigns responsibilities by grade level. Concerns with this second model were raised by some administrators and several counselors. The quality of peer and administrator relationships was reported to be supportive and collaborative in the schools with differentiated roles. In the non-differentiated schools, it varied, and was related to shifting staff, a misunderstanding of the role differences, and challenges in developing collaborative relationships. Recommendations include assessing support structures to ensure the model adequately supports the SEL needs of the school. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Teachers are leaving the education profession at alarming rates and the attrition of teachers has become a serious issue for many schools and districts around the country. The purpose of this study was to investigate the retention and attrition patterns in one elementary school through the lens of micropolitical theory; in particular, principal decision-making processes, leadership activities, and the relationship between principal and teachers were studied. This qualitative, single case exploration included classroom observations, document analysis, and focus group and individual interviews with one principal, seven novice teachers, and one lead mentor. The data was analyzed using categorical aggregation and a constant comparative analysis. Study findings provided evidence that a negative micropolitical state was present at the school under study, including an absence of shared values and goals, lack of positive interpersonal relations, and lack of collegiality, all of which served to discourage the growth of novice teachers as developing professionals. Teacher perceptions revealed that they were less than satisfied with their chosen profession, particularly lacking contentment with the principal leadership.

Begreppet ansvarsredovisning har många olika meningar, och har fått en allt större betydelse för företagens kommunikation. Samhället ställer krav på organisationernas och företagens etik, sociala ansvar och miljöansvar enligt litteraturen. Trots dessa krav är företagens och organisationernas ansvarsredovisning till stor del frivillig. Den lågkonjunktur som råder i Sverige och i övriga världen kan också antas ha påverkat kraven på företagen, att ta ett större samhälligt ansvar. Allmänheten ställer också större krav på att informationen redovisas på ett korrekt sätt, och att informationen är tillförlitlig. Syftet med denna uppsats är att utifrån studiens frågor beskriva innebörden av begreppet ansvarsredovisning. Resultatet visar att ansvar har en teknisk innebörd som kräver tekniska färdigheter och kommunikation, men har även en social dimension som blir allt viktigare. Hur kan ansvarsredovisning beskrivas i ett organisatoriskt sammanhang, samt den tekniska dimensionen av ansvarsredovisningen? Vi har studerat organisationen ur ett organisatoriskt perspektiv. Studiens resultat karakteriseras genom två olika former, den sociala och den tekniska. Studien är baserad på det induktiva perspektivet. Undersökningsstrategin är deskriptiv och explorativ. Vi använder en multipel teoretisk referensram för att berika analysen av insamlade materialet. Tillämpning av multipla teorier resulterade i en i en klar koppling mellan teori och praktik. Företag och organisationer vill framstå i ”god dager” i media som en ansvarsfull enhet.Ansvarsredovisning balanserar förhållandet mellan intressenters krav och företagens och organisationernas ansvar.Ansvarsredovisningens betydelse ökar stadigt, trots att lagkravet för ansvarsredovisning är minimalt. Vi tror att ansvarsredovisningen har kommit för att stanna.

A Study on the Relationship between the Professional Leadership of Principal and the School Effectiveness in Primary School Abstract The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of professional leadership of primary school principal as well as analyze their impact on the school effectiveness.So that educational entity, primary school principals and teachers can enhance the school performance and effectiveness.First of all, based on theoretical literature and empirical research on related subjects, an assessment tool is developed:Questionnaire-¡§The relationships between professional leadership of principals and school effectiveness in primary school¡¨ and content validity is constructed by professionals. Pilot test is conducted at Stage 2 to construct the reliability and validity of questionnaire via statistical measurements such as item analysis and factor analysis. In the questionnaire, regarding the Item ¡§Leadership of principal¡¨, the overall Cronbach £\ value obtained is .9655, the total explained variances are 70.549%¡Fregarding the Item ¡§School Effectiveness¡¨, the overall Cronbach £\ value is .9584, the total explained variances are 70.549%. Then, formal test is proceeded on education staff members at Stage 3.Among a total of 705 copies of questionnaire being issued, 668 copies are collected, the usability is 94.8%.Descriptive statistics,variances analysis, product-moment correlation, Stepwise regression analysis are applied for statistics and analysis of assumptions proposed in this study. We come to the following conclusions based on the results of statistics and analysis: 1. The results of overall sampling has a positive recognition on the relationship of professional leadership of principal and effectiveness of school management. 2. The higher the professional leadership principal exerts, the higher the school effectiveness would be achieved.The effectiveness of school administration can be promoted and enhanced through the professional leadership of the principal in primary school. 3. Educators, who are aged and appointed principal, have a more positive viewpoint towards the ¡§Professional development¡¨ and ¡§Administrative leadership¡¨ of principal. 4. Educators, who are aged, graduated from graduate school and assumed the principal of a school sized from 25 to 48 classes, have a better recognition on the ¡§Learning performance¡¨ of school effectiveness. 5. There are close relationships between the professional leadership of principal and the school effectiveness, i.e. the better the principal exercises the professional leadership, the better the school effectiveness is. 6. The school effectiveness can be effectively predicted through the professional leadership of principal.Among them, the teaching leadership is most predicable. Based on the above conclusions, the writer would propose concrete recommendations on administrative entity of education, primary principal, school and follow-up researches to be referred as a basis to promote the school effectiveness.

This research framework stems from the basic principles of the administrative law, the administrative organization, the administrative limits of authority, the administrative relief and the administrative supervision. This five-fold framework analyzes the research of the school principals and the school principal system of rules in the Mainland China region. The main range and viewpoints of this research was set up by the¡§ People¡¦s Republic of China Educational Law¡¨ in 1995. The author hopes to give a good development orientation for Taiwan¡¦s school principal rules in the future by researching Mainland China¡¦s educational law. There are eight chapters in this thesis, arranged as follows: Chapter 1: a foreword; Chapter 2: a summary for the school principal system of rules in the Mainland China region; Chapter 3: to expound on the administrative organization of the school principal system of rules; Chapter 4: to expound on the administrative limits of authority of the school principal system of rules; Chapter 5: to expound on the administrative relief of the school principal system of rules; Chapter 6: to expound on the administrative supervision of the school principal system of rules; Chapter 7: a review and advice for the school principal system of rules; Chapter 8: a conclusion and an important discovery.

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