Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

August 1992

Abstract

The problem of this study was to identify the leadership behaviors of principals that affect teacher morale positively and negatively. Elementary schools containing a combination of kindergarten through eighth grade were included in this study. The study was conducted during the spring semester of the 1991-92 school year. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire--Form XII was the instrument used to assess principals' perception of their own leader behavior. The Purdue Teacher Opinionaire was the instrument used to measure teacher morale. After the population was clustered by system, a random sample of 24 schools was used. A total of 433 teachers (83%) returned opinionaires and a total of 24 principals (100%) returned questionnaires. A significant difference was found to exist between the following leader behaviors and teacher morale. The principal's leadership behavior representation revealed a significant relationship with teacher rapport with the principal, teacher salary, and curriculum issues. Tolerance of uncertainty affected teacher morale dimensions, teacher salary, rapport among teachers, community support of education, and community pressures. Leader behavior demand reconciliation revealed a significant relationship with teacher load. Persuasion affected teacher rapport with principal. Initiation of structure also affected rapport among teachers, teacher salary, teacher status, and community support of education. The score for tolerance of freedom indicated a significant relationship with teacher salary, teacher status, community support of education, and school facilities. The dimensions of teacher morale, teacher rapport with principal, rapport among teachers, teacher salary, and school facilities were affected by role assumption. Teachers, likewise, indicated the leader behavior consideration affected community support of education. A significant relationship did exist between production emphasis and rapport among teachers, curriculum issues, and school facilities. Leader behavior predictive accuracy positively affected school facilities and services. Teacher rapport with principal, curriculum issues, and school facilities and services were positively affected by leader behavior integration. Also, superior orientation affected teacher salary and status. Conclusions were based on the findings in this study. It was concluded that total teacher morale was positively related to the principal's leadership in maintaining a closely knit organization and in resolving inter-member conflict. Total teacher morale seemed to be related to the principal's leadership in allowing initiative, decision-making, and action. Other conclusions relating to the individual dimensions of teachers morale and the individual dimensions of leader behavior were drawn.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

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