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Worldwide, school principals, especially those in secondary schools, have felt increased pressure in their roles as many countries press for higher levels of student attainment. At the same time, education reforms and, in many systems, increased delegation to school leaders, have greatly increased principals' responsibilities and made the job much more complicated. Given their strategic importance, it is not surprising that the role of principals has attracted great attention since the 1990s. The central focus of this thesis was an investigation and analysis of the impact of recent education reforms on the role of secondary school principals in China. At the time of writing no clear picture of the expectations placed on principals in China exists, though there is no doubt that these expectation are greatly increased. The aim of the study was to investigate principals' own views of their role, their main activities and priorities, and the main influences on these. Consideration was also given to the major challenge or problems confronting school principals, and to identify similarities and differences between the principals' roles and attitudes in China and in the West. Naturalistic qualitative methods were used to investigate the experiences of 28 school leaders regarding how their role has developed in China during this period of major education reforms. Semi-structured interviews and shadowing these principals as they went about their work were the main methods of data collection drawn on in this study. Further information was extracted from documents about training policies and programmes accessible via official websites. Thematic analysis of the interview data was conducted, to identify key themes and issues. The analysis suggests that school principals encounter new challenges as 'curriculum leaders', in developing with their staff new pedagogies that shift the balance away from 'teaching' onto 'learning', and in dealing with the expectation of multiple stakeholders. It also emerged that the principals felt that they did not have sufficient autonomy to lead their schools as they would wish, which restricted curriculum development. Regarding the key findings, the main worry of the principals was with poor student attainment. Under the 'high-stakes' testing system, invisible pressure is exerted on the school for improving test results. The quality of education has never been subject to so much scrutiny from such a wide range of stakeholders, including parents, the community, and employers. As a result, the role of principals has become more complicated, and they are under increasing pressure from higher expectations amongst those both in and outside of the school. Leadership development has been embraced as an important factor in meeting those expectations. However, the thesis argues that there is not sufficient training provided for principals to develop their skills to meet these expectations.

The purpose of study was to examine similarities and differences in experiences between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills. This was an in-depth study with participants working in the same district and matched with descriptors such as age, similar position, and time served. Therefore the statement of the problem for the present study is what similarities and differences in experiences exist between male and female high school principals and district administrators in addition to similarities and differences in leadership style and skills. Two male high school principals, one female high school principal, and one female district supervisor participated. Only top-level administrative positions were considered. The participants were interviewed and asked to take a survey on their leadership skills and their leadership style. All of the participants had experience as high school teachers with varying levels of teaching experience. There was a fairly small range of assistant principal experience. The participants reported having people who had been an influence in their decision to become administrators and someone who had mentored them. Barriers did not seem present in obtaining positions for either the male or female participants. Barriers that were listed involved issues that arose in their job such as implementing multiple new programs.

This was a two-phase study designed to identify intuitive principals and then to determine if there were common elements of their decision making. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was used to identify intuitive principals, and then a sampling of these principals were interviewed. The results showed that the principals with the highest preference scores for intuition differed from the principals with lower preference scores in that they came from supportive environments, were more conscious of using and developing their intuition, drew from experience but combined that with a future orientation, and were more comfortable with risk-taking and change. Recommendations included the suggestion that inservice and preparation programs should include the identification of intuitive thinkers and an environment conducive to the development of intuition.

In an era of accountability and high standards for public schools, some African American principals decided to work in predominantly white schools. Their experiences were challenging because they were racial newcomers in schools with students different from their own race. In this case study, 12 African-American principals and assistant principals in one Midwestern state described their experiences working in schools with fewer than 20 percent African-American students. In semi-structured interviews, participants discussed motivations, perceptions, and experiences serving as principals in predominantly white schools. Three primary research questions were investigated: How do African-American principals in predominantly white schools describe their daily work? Why do African-American principals continue to work in predominantly white schools? What opportunities and impediments have African-American principals in predominantly white schools encountered in their career advancement? Although principals have similar motivations and experiences working in public schools, African-American principals tend to have distinct experiences and motivations while working in predominantly white schools. Some participants in this study relied on guidance from their faith. Other principals relied on their professional training and experience to overcome challenges when they relocated to work in predominantly white schools. All African-American principals in this study had made a choice to work in predominantly white schools and had continued to lead on their own terms. Three themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews. First, African-American principals relied on their spirituality for guidance to buoy or buffer them psychologically in their daily work. Secondly, some believed that they were constantly scrutinized by colleagues and superiors. Race played an important part in their perception of feeling scrutinized, yet they felt scrutiny was sometimes self-imposed and affected their interactions with their white colleagues. Third, these African-American principals made a conscious effort to serve as role models for all students, but especially the few African-American students and faculty they led. In addition, these principals recognized that they served as racial bridge builders between the majority and minority cultures of the school. As school leaders and role models, the principals felt uniquely complicated tensions that were embedded in race and self-imposed perceptions about their daily work. All findings have contributed to the limited research on African-American principals in predominantly white schools and the reasons they continue to lead their schools.

This study focused on leadership and its correlates. Theory and research both point to the centrality of the principal's leadership role in school effectiveness. Yet, few studies of school leadership actually examine relationships among leadership variables. This study examined, from the perspective of high school teachers, three leadership correlates: principal vision, environmental robustness and teacher autonomy. Principal vision was conceptualized as the capacity of the principal to see the difference between what is and what might be, thus enabling others to accept and act on the possibilities of what might be. Environmental robustness was defined as the perceived dramatic content of the school structure. Teacher autonomy was referred to as the extent to which teachers perceived they were able to maintain professional discretion and independence in their classrooms. It is believed that these variables do not stand alone but are interwoven in the leadership discussion. Principal vision is only as powerful a concept as the context in which it is shared (environmental robustness) and the receptivity and willingness to respond to it by the followers (teacher sense of autonomy). This study examined the collective perspective that high school teachers have regarding these three variables. Data were collected from 1338 high school teachers in 34 public high schools in Oregon. The school was the statistical unit of analysis. Mean scores were calculated for each of the three variables and subscales within each variable. Data were statistically analyzed using the Pearson product moment correlation and ANOVA. The study hypothesized a significant positive relationship between principal vision and environmental robustness; principal vision and teacher autonomy; environmental robustness and teacher autonomy. Using the Pearson product moment correlation as the statistical test, positive relationships were observed for all three of the hypotheses. The strongest of the relationships was found between principal vision and environmental robustness. Although not as strong, a significant positive relationship was also found between environmental robustness and teacher autonomy. While principal vision and teacher autonomy demonstrated the weakest correlation, there were several significant relationships among the vision and autonomy subscales. This study found stronger correlations among the three variables at the high school than were found in an earlier study at the elementary level and explores reasons for those differences. This study also investigated relationships among the theoretical variables and several contextual variables including demographic and school improvement indicators. After data were collected and analyzed, several principals of participating schools were interviewed regarding visionary attributes of their leadership roles in their schools. These interviews provided a broader perspective in understanding and interpreting the findings. This study concluded by considering implications of the relationships among these three variables and their impact in creating and sustaining effective instructional leadership. Of significant interest were the implications for the hiring processes for high school principals.

Many school administrators begin their careers in educational administration as assistant principals. The literature on assistant principals contributes very little to an understanding of the perspectives that assistant principals develop during their organizational socialization experiences and of the conditions and processes that influence the development of these socialization outcomes. The purpose of this study was to develop a theoretical understanding of the perspectives that emerge from assistant principals' organizational socialization experiences. Symbolic interactionism established the theoretical and methodological foundation for this study. The sensitizing concepts of perspective (Becker, Geer, Hughes, & Strauss, 1961), situational adjustment (Becker, 1964), and organizational boundary passages (Schein, 1971; Van Maanen & Schein, 1979) provided the analytic framework. The Glaser and Strauss (1967) constant comparison model guided the process of collecting and analyzing data. Six assistant principals with experience from three months to three years were interviewed. The study resulted in a grounded theory that describes the perspectives that the assistant principals developed and explains the processes and conditions that influenced the development of these organizational socialization outcomes. The results of this study suggest that assistant principals develop a common set of perspectives in response to a common set of problematic situations. These perspectives include: "it takes time to learn," working for the principal, working with other assistant principals, doing tasks, working effectively with teachers, and an integrated perspective. Assistant principals appear to develop these perspectives using a situational adjustment process that includes assessing the requirements of problematic situations, experimenting with ideas and actions to determine how to behave, and choosing strategies that enable them to respond successfully to the situational requirements. The requirement to pass through the functional, hierarchical, and inclusionary boundary passages appears to be the most important organizational factor influencing the development of administrative perspectives. The quality of assistant principals' preparation experiences, their styles and longevity as teachers, and their motivation appear to be the most important individual factors influencing the development of administrative perspectives. Teachers appear to be the most powerful socializing agents. The assistant principal's role may provide essential preparation for a principal's role and may have the potential for developing leadership.

The effective schools research has repeatedly concluded that effective schools are characterized by effective administrators. The desire, then, of local school boards to improve administrator performance has emerged, based upon the assumption that as building principal performance improves, so does teacher performance, and ultimately, student performance. Merit pay has received a great deal of attention in education recently as a means to motivate administrators towards improved performance. Merit pay is supported by the "physical-economic" school of thought which believes that individuals are "economically motivated". In contrast, the "work itself" or "job satisfaction" school of thought believes that individuals are best motivated by factors which affect job meaningfulness. Merit pay is viewed as a "hygiene" factor which may decrease job "dissatisfaction" but does not necessarily result in increased motivation. This dissertation compared the "physical-economic" concept of altered compensation rates or merit pay, to the "job satisfaction" or "work itself" concept of increased job meaningfulness as a means to motivate principals towards improved performance. When given a list of incentives, principals were asked to choose between merit pay and other type incentives. Of the 312 principals surveyed, 244 responded for a 78% return rate with the following results: 28% preference for merit pay at the 5% level; 47% preference for merit pay at the 10% level; 63% preference for merit pay at the 15% level; and, 68% preference at the 20% level. Frequencies tallied and percents derived indicated a consistent preference for merit pay at the 15% and 20% levels irrespective of demographics. These results would seem to indicate that "work meaningfulness" incentives are desirable to principals, but when paired against ever increasing levels of "potential monetary compensation", they lose their attractiveness. Even though merit pay received a popular response from the principals surveyed at the higher levels offered, merit pay's track record is so poor as to suggest that better measurement methods need to be devised before such a program is initiated. According to the literature reviewed, it is doubtful that such an objective and equitable means of measurement is feasible without interfering in a principal's daily routine, thus reducing the principal's effectiveness.

Although the assistant principalship has been an important part of American secondary schools for over thirty years, the educational establishment has yet to arrive at a formal definition of the assistant principal's role in that institution. Researchers have tended to find the assistant in a role defined by procedures. At the same time, they have called for a new definition of the assistant based on policy-making activities. This outcome has had several important consequences, not the least of which has been failure to provide formal guidelines for training assistants in their role and preparing them for future administrative assignments. This study has investigated the relationship between fourteen areas of responsibility connected with secondary school administration and the role of the assistant principal in meeting these responsibilities. Unlike previous studies, it has emphasized, not the areas themselves, but the perceptions of principals and assistants who rated the value of each area as a training ground for the principalship. By classifying the areas perceived to be most valuable for training, the study contributes to the emerging definition of the assistant principalship. Also, by explaining the relationship between the administrators' backgrounds and their influence on the ratings given, this study has attempted to account for the factors that affected the respondents' perceptions. The study was organized around three research questions: (1) Do principals and assistant principals differ in the extent to which they perceive the assistant principalship as an adequate training ground for the principalship? (2) What factors affect the perceptions of assistant principals? (3) What factors influence the perceptions of principals? In order to address these questions, secondary school administrators who were members of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) were surveyed. They rated fourteen areas of responsibility for their training value and for the extent to which assignments to the areas were made on the basis of gender stereotyping. In addition, the areas to which the respondents were currently assigned were reported. The respondents also supplied background information concerning the years of experience in their current position and size of the administrative staff of which they were a part. Of the 454 members surveyed, 373 returned completed questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 71%. Assistant principals comprised 57% of the sample, while principals comprised 43%. Females comprised 16% of the sample and males 84%. Major findings suggest that while principals and assistants differed in the amount of value they awarded each area of responsibility they consistently identified the same areas as valuable. Assistants' perceptions were found to be influenced by staff size and gender. Principals' perceptions were related to their length of tenure as assistant principals, how long they had been principals, number of assistant principals they supervised, and gender. These findings have implications for the future definition of the assistant principalship and improved training for assistants because they showed that principals believed in the value of the assistant principalship as a training ground. Thus, they also suggested the feasibility of combining the leadership of the principal and the concept of teamwork in both the definition and training of Assistant.

Thesis (M.A) (Education)--University of Limpopo,2006 / The democratically elected government of South African produced probably the best constitution in the world. The introduction of the new South African national curriculum, curriculum 2005, in 1997 was accompanied by high expectations for both educational and social transformation. Curriculum 2005is probably the most significant curriculum reform in South African education of the last century. Deliberately intended to simultaneously overturn the legacy of apartheid education. It was an innovation both bold and revolutionary in the magnitude of conception. (Review committee on c2005, 2000:09) Eight years later, however, it is recognized that many of these goals were undermined by a flawed implementation processes. Implementations in schools failed due to a series of factors. This study focused purely on inadequate training and development of principals to manage curriculum change. Managing curriculum change within schools involves the entire staffs who negotiate in conceptual framework that guide curriculum programs. Principals need to understand curriculum development in order to manage curriculum change effort during the complex process of transformation in our country. Principals must inspire confidence and trust among educators for successful curriculum change. If there is no substantive change in the content with direct classroom instruction, what is the purpose of changing the curriculum? Change in society is occurring. The responsibility to address the needs created by change lies at the door of principals who must effectively mange curriculum in schools. The result of this study clearly indicates that intention to manage curriculum effectively could offer significant improvement in the successful implementation of curriculum change efforts. / Not listed