Perceptions of Principal Leadership Behaviors in Massachusetts in the Era of Education Reform

Abstract

Perspectives of principal leadership behavior contribute to how principals and other school leaders understand the role of the principal in an era of significant educational reforms. A Q methodology was used with 30 principals, assistant principals, and other educational administrators working in a variety of roles and different types of districts to ascertain how the perceptions of the school leaders align with reform mandates. Data analysis identified one component that accounted for 41% of the variance observed in the ways that these administrators sorted 21 statements about principal leadership behavior. The quantitative analysis was completed as the first stage of the data analysis; the qualitative data were analyzed to triangulate and cross-check the results of the Q sort. The level of agreement among the participants demonstrates a shared understanding of the role of the principal and suggests that principal leadership aligns with the models of site-based management and instructional leadership that support educational reform.