The research outlined in this thesis explores the issue of the
effective principal through the perceptions of a sample of senior
primary aged school students. The study originated due to a concern
that too much of the current literature concerning effective schools
and effective principals relies on the views of significant adults.
Given that students are the focus of the school's and principal's
energy it is difficult to understand why their views have not been
sought more frequently. This study was initiated and conducted in an
effort to determine what is was that students expected of the
effective principal.
The research is based on content analysis of the written responses
from a sample of one hundred and ninety five senior primary aged
school students aged between ten and twelve years from an
education district in an education region of the New South Wales
Public School System and in addition one to one interviews with a
group of thirty students. The analysis resulted in the development of
two sets of descriptors. One set of descriptors outline the fourteen
most significant Behaviour Descriptors of the effective principal as
perceived by the senior primary aged students surveyed while the
other set outlines the eleven most significant Quality Descriptors of
the effective principal.
These two sets of descriptors of the effective principal have much
support in the effective schools research. One area notably different
however is the emphasis given by the students to the need for the
principal to develop positive, warm and caring relationships with
each student in the school. Although students were realistic in their
understanding of what this implied they were adamant and
consistent in their desire for such a relationship in order that the
principal be deemed effective.
The results of the study provide specific, clear, unambiguous
descriptions of behaviours and qualities expected of the effective
principal by the students surveyed. The descriptors are presented in
a manner useful to practitioners.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218852 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Corish, Sylvia, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Sylvia Corish |
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