Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-109). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University

M.Ed. / The school should guide pupils in such a way that, in time, they came to understand the meaningfullness of attending school. The activities offered by the school should be positively experienced by the pupils for this greatly adds to the contentment of children. This study has a dual purpose: * an examination of situations which are meaningfully experienced by pupils, * the laying down of guidelines for the creation of such situations. A literature study was especially employed as method for obtaining information. An empirical study, limited in extent, was also undertaken. This included five questions asked of forty nine pupils to ascertain their experiences and expectancies surrounding the school. It can be stated as an educational requirement that the attending of school should promise to be a meaningful experience to all pupils. This demand necessitates deep understanding of the child and his particular expectancy of the school. The principal, as executive of the school, has the responsibility of creating a living space at school within which each pupil can attain optimum development. To succeed in this, the principal depends on his own abilities and talents, as well as on the teachers, parents and pupils. Each school has its own particular character. As a school climate, school spirit and school traditions develop at a school, so each school's own particular culture evolves. The principal plays a prominent role in the creation of a school's particular culture. His initiative, guidance and creative powers can result in the creation of a meaningful school culture which will create a longing for the school long after pupils have left it. The principal should organise activities in all areas of the school in such a way that, by their contribution, the participants are afforded the opportunity of optimum development. There are schools where such an enrichment program results in tremendous joy for the pupils. To achieve this, one requires creative thoughts and one must be prepared to accept the challenge of establishing something special for all pupils.

M.Ed. (Education Management Training) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore the challenges faced by female secondary school principals when discharging their duties. This study was done because it was not a normal practice before 1994 to have a female person as the head of a learning institution. This was specifically linked to the implementation of equity as enshrined and entrenched in the constitution no.108, of 1996 of the Republic of South Africa. It is almost 18 years since the proclamation of equity in the constitution; it was therefore of great importance to evaluate the ground covered in terms of implementation of this equity. The equity mentioned in Chapter 2, section 9 of the constitution resulted in the formulation of the Employment Equity Act no.55 of 1998 as amended. The implementation of the Employment Equity Act no.55 of 1998 was expected to have an impact on the way the female school secondary principals were received by the community. Currently all departments are compelled to employ women in managerial positions and this receives opposition in some sectors of the population. This study was conducted in Qumbu education district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It focused on secondary school principals. The study used a quantitative research design to elicit data from the respondents. Data were collected from 46 participants through the use of a questionnaire. 32 questionnaires were returned and the data were processed. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in the analysis of the data. The findings of the study revealed several challenges confronting female secondary school principals both in the workplace and at home. In the workplace, on one hand, female principals are faced with insubordination from male educators; poor parental involvement and cultural stereotypes; and on the other hand, at home, they were confronted by minimal support from their partners/ spouses. In the light of the findings, the researcher recommended that the Department of Basic Education organize capacity-building workshops to develop leadership skills; replacement strategies for ageing principals; women‟s conferences to advocate women‟s rights; and programmes for female principals and their husbands, called Men As Partners (MAP). The study succeeded in portraying a picture of what is presently taking place in secondary schools that are headed by female principals. Some of the limitations encountered by the researcher during the study included the reluctance of the participants to take part in the research, the non-accessibility of schools in deep rural areas, the return rate of completed questionnaires; and the obtaining of permission to undertake the study.

[No abstract available] / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

This study was undertaken as an attempt to provide an empirical evaluation of the positions of the principal and vice-principal in order to provide some basis for recommendations as to necessary changes in the duties of the positions, and suggestions as to factors to be considered in promotions to these administrative positions. So that the data would not be biased by limited samples, all principals and vice-principals in all B.C. school were surveyed, with the exception of those in schools having an enrolment of less than 150 pupils. Thus, it is thought that the 500 principals and 242 vice-principals included in this study, may be considered to represent the actual administrative population of B.C. schools. In order to facilitate the collection of data, a questionnaire was used, consisting of 60 items selected in part from previous studies and with other items specially devised to seek information pertinent to the present day educational system of British Columbia. The final analysis of the data involved comparisons between the gross groupings of elementary and secondary school. These were in turn subdivided into 3 school sizes based on number of classrooms, and 4 sizes of community based on the general population. From these comparisons it was possible to isolate the major trends concerning the different characteristics of the positions of the principal and vice-principal. Several trends were noted from the analysis of the data, and a number of expectations were confirmed. Differences were noted between the principals and vice-principals with respect to their ages, experience, training and duties. Also, differences were noted between the administrators of the secondary and elementary schools, and between the administrators of the larger schools and communities also with respect to their ages, training and experience. It was also noted that principals and vice-principals are experiencing difficulty in devoting their time to the more important duties because of overcrowding in the schools, and because of lack of clerical assistance. Suggestions have been made regarding certain specific problems which would seem to require further investigation. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

This study sought to compare procedures used by school districts in the selection of elementary school principals. Twenty-one criteria deemed relevant to school district selection procedures were developed after an extensive review of the pertinent literature. Each criterion was placed in one of four categories. These were: recruitment and screening; recommendations, ratings, and personal-history blanks; paper and pencil tests; and interviews. A comparison was then made between these criteria and the actual practice of selecting principals-in four urban school districts of British Columbia. In order to make the comparison.it was necessary to determine as completely, as possible the selection procedures used in the districts under investigation. The required data was gathered by interviewing the school superintendents concerned. An interview form was devised for this purpose and contained questions, requiring short, precise responses, together with questions requiring an expression of opinion or an explanation of practice. Two interviews, the first quite brief and the second considerably longer, were held with the superintendent of each district. The interviewer assured the superintendents that their desire for anonymity would be fully respected. It was then necessary to compare the procedures for selecting elementary school principals in each district as indicated by the data collected, with the criteria already established. This comparison was facilitated by devising an appropriate rating scale. Using this scale it was possible to increase the reliability of the rating assigned to each district's procedures in respect of each criterion. Four general conclusions were advanced on the basis of the data considered and the specific conclusions reached. Firstly, procedures for selecting elementary school principals differed considerably between school districts. Secondly, all selection procedures examined were characterized by a high degree of subjectivity: no evidence was found of the use of objective measures of the competencies of candidates other than in length and type of professional experience and in academic qualifications. Thirdly, there seemed to have been very little attempt to define the competencies required in the principalship. Finally, after an intensive examination of the data it was concluded that considerable differences existed between selection procedures in the four urban school districts and criteria developed from the relevant literature. On the basis of the study and its conclusions, seven recommendations for improving school district practice in selecting elementary school principals were advanced. These were as follows: school districts should attempt to define the capabilities that they expect in elementary school principals; school districts should examine and., where possible, improve the selection techniques that they now use; school districts should attempt to reduce subjectivity in evaluating candidates; school districts should experiment with different selection procedures than they presently use; school districts should consider carefully the possibility of including an objective measure in the selection process school districts should scrutinize the effects of lay choice of professional personnel; school districts should view selection as a continuous process rather than as a problem that arises from time to time. / Education, Faculty of / Graduate

The problem for this study may be expressed as a question: What qualifications do boards of trustees in small elementary school districts of San Joaquin County, not employing a superintendent, consider most important when selecting a principal?

Many times the operation of our public schools is referred to as school business. No doubt it is a business, big business. The amount of money involved indicates that. In Florida, with a relatively liberal educational support system, about one-fifth of all state funds are spent on schools. The schools are more than a business involving dollars and cents. They involve a product of human lives, human lives that the schools endeavor to make more useful citizens for the good of themselves as well as their fellowmen. In the sense that schools do deal with a rather intangible product, the exact value in return for the dollars spent may be impossible to determine. However, there are undoubtedly practices that are for the best interest of the schools that deserve attention from the standpoint of financial management. / Typescript. / "July, 1951." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Eugene S. Lawler, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-66).