The relationship of principal leadership style and student achievement in low socio -economic schools

Beth Huffman Niedermeyer, Purdue University

Abstract

In order to assist school districts in addressing national and state level mandates imperative for school improvement, this study examined whether a specific leadership style is more conducive to improving student achievement in high poverty schools than another. A second focus was to determine if there is a relationship between leadership styles and teacher satisfaction, willingness to give extra effort, and teacher perception of principal effectiveness. This study was conducted in Indiana elementary schools with grade configurations of kindergarten through grade five. One hundred and six schools were selected based on their school's test results on Indiana's annual achievement test and the school's poverty rate. Each school's principal was contacted to seek support for participation in the study. Follow-up phone calls were made to each school asking if they had received the surveys and if they had any questions. Data were gathered from teachers via voluntary completion of the Bass and Avolio's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Form 5X ( Short Form). The data were analyzed using T-test, Spearman Rank Correlation, and the Kruskal-Wallis statistical analysis test. No relationship was found between leadership styles and improved student achievement. It was concluded however, that transformational leadership was related to increased teacher satisfaction, a greater perception of principal effectiveness, and an increased willingness on the part of teachers to give extra effort. Thirteen questions and hypotheses were explored comparing leadership styles in high and low achieving with high poverty schools and led to the following conclusions. Transformational leadership is practiced by principals in elementary schools of both high achieving and low achieving school and was found to be the most common leadership style. While transformational leadership did not have an impact on student achievement it improved teacher satisfaction, effectiveness, and the willingness for teachers to provide extra effort for the principal in both high and low achieving schools. This study found support for the use of the transformational leadership model in elementary schools to increase teacher satisfaction, effectiveness, and extra effort. In terms of improving student achievement, it appeared from this research that transactional leadership made a difference in student learning as measured by a standardized test in elementary schools with a high poverty rate.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

McInerney, Purdue University.

Subject Area

School administration|Elementary education

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