This research investigated the factors that impact on the career decisions of teachers in government primary and secondary schools in the state of Victoria, Australia. In particular, this research examined the factors that influence teachers in choosing to apply for principal class positions and the factors that influence other teachers to decide not to apply for such positions. Data were collected from current principals, assistant principals, classroom teachers with leadership responsibilities, and classroom teachers with no additional leadership responsibilities. Within the teacher and assistant principal groups, data were also sought from those who were aspiring to principal roles and those who were not aspiring to such roles. The purpose of the research was to understand the factors that influenced teachers (including those in leadership roles) in their decision making to apply, or not to apply for principal class leadership roles. / The research methodology included both qualitative and quantitative data sources. The survey was the initial data source. Its design and construction was based on a conceptual framework developed by the researcher. This framework emerged from a review of literature relating to aspirations, work motivation, and career decision making. The results of the survey were used to inform the construction of a series of nine focus groups. There were four focus groups comprising primary teachers, leading teachers, assistant principals, and principals and four focus groups comprising secondary teachers, leading teachers, assistant principals, and principals. The ninth focus group included teachers thirty years of age or younger. The focus group interviews were used to confirm and clarify themes and patterns raised by the survey data and inform aspects of the conceptual framework that were not included in the survey. / Teachers’ career decisions and leadership aspirations are influenced by many factors. This study has revealed a number of factors that develop and support principal class and principal level leadership aspirations. These include increased opportunities within the principal role for individual growth and self actualisation; teachers with leadership aspirations seek jobs that provide a personal challenge. Those who have an appreciation of the balance between job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction inherent in the principal role are more likely to aspire to the role than those who only perceive the role to be demanding, stressful and time-consuming. Principals and assistant principals identified the outcomes of the work of a principal as strong incentives to promote. Teachers and assistant principals are more likely to aspire to and subsequently apply for principal positions if the strong link between the principal role and the learning environment is made explicit. Strategic succession planning at an organisational and school level would enhance leadership aspiration and increase application rates. This may include schools providing teachers with more opportunities for acting in leadership roles providing increased opportunities for part-time and shared leadership roles. / The study also revealed a number of factors that inhibit principal class and principal level leadership aspirations. Paradoxically, while the nature of the work is one of the sources of satisfaction for principals and an incentive to promote to principal, aspects of the nature of the work are simultaneously strong sources of dissatisfaction and disincentives to promote. The interpersonal relations, particularly with teachers and parents provide enormous challenges and frustration. Personal factors such as time required by the job, the perceived stress level of the job, and effect on family, are strong disincentives to promote, particularly for women. Many teachers believe that the current role expectations of principals would not allow them to balance the demands of their personal life and their work life; the administrative demands and community expectations of the role are, in particular, seen as too demanding. A major inhibiting factor for teachers’ leadership aspirations is their lack of an understanding of the high levels of job satisfaction that balance the stresses of the principal role. Until the job satisfaction of principals becomes as explicit as their job dissatisfaction, few teachers will aspire to this role. It was also found that lack of succession planning at an organisational and school level inhibits teachers’ principal class leadership aspirations. The research identified the policy, planning and research implications that arise from the findings.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/245367 |
| Creators | Lacey, Kathryn Anne |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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