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The purpose of this research is to examine the perceptions of graduates from an educational administration program in terms of its effectiveness and impact on their lives and careers.

The perceptions of 23 graduates of a Master's degree program in educational administration in a developing university were examined in terms of personal satisfaction, content, and impact. A qualitative analysis approach was used to interpret the data generated by a four‐part questionnaire distributed to the first three graduating cohorts in educational administration.

Personal satisfaction was shown to be more related to interpersonal interaction than academic content of the program of study. The findings also showed that criticism of educational administration preparation programs in newly emerging systems is similar to the criticism levied at similar programs in the west four decades ago. The findings are discussed within their relevance to the construction of a global theory of educational administration preparation programs.

Although the circumstances under which this study was conducted (popular uprising, military violence, etc.) posed limitations on the rigor of its design (e.g. sample size, return rate of questionnaires), it, none the less, offers a significant contribution to the construction of administrative training theory.

This study bears significant ramifications and limitations to the construction of the theory of preparing educational administrators in newly emerging systems.

The purpose of this research study was to examine the role perceptions of superintendents and their supervisors in Palestine regarding the roles and training needs of superintendents. It was part of a larger study conducted by the Department of Administration and Educational Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University.

A grounded theory approach was used in this study. Data were collected by interviewing 16 superintendents and four general directors using guided qualitative interviews, in addition to examining Ministry of Education documents and archival data.

The grounded theory approach analysis revealed that superintendents and general directors held variant perceptions regarding the roles and training needs of superintendents. Most superintendents felt they were ill prepared for the job and had to rely on the Ministry of Education for support and direction. They perceived their role as a combination of educational managers and educational leaders. Their supervisors, however, perceived them as keepers of the status quo. The findings showed that superintendents in countries similar to Palestine (newly emerging) appear to experience problems similar to their counterparts in other transitional societies.

The findings of this research are important to new educational systems. It shows clearly the difficulties experienced by superintendents in a newly emerging system. Furthermore, superintendents in such systems may require training needs different than their counterparts in developed systems. The findings are discussed in terms of their relevancy and contributions to educational leadership theory.