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Article
Publication date: 10 March 2022

Kristen Justus, Vishal Arghode and David Barker

This study aims to explore the relationship between principals’ performance on the Pennsylvania Framework for Leadership evaluation tool and the corresponding self-reported degree…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the relationship between principals’ performance on the Pennsylvania Framework for Leadership evaluation tool and the corresponding self-reported degree of self-efficacy and growth mindset.

Design/methodology/approach

The data analysis involved linear regression of principal performance on principals’ mindset, moral leadership self-efficacy and instructional self-efficacy scores. Additionally, correlation matrices identified the presence and direction of relationships between self-efficacy levels and the degree of growth mindset reported by principals.

Findings

The results demonstrated a positive association between principals’ instructional self-efficacy reports and their overall performance evaluation. Alternatively, both growth mindset and moral leadership self-efficacy evidenced a negative association. There was no association reflected between growth mindset and either the overall self-efficacy measure or the sub-scale self-efficacy measures. A secondary relationship revealed a negative association between school performance profile and growth mindset. This relationship held true in subsequent regression analyses.

Originality/value

The study adds to the limited research available on examining the relationship between principalsself-efficacy levels and their performance ratings on a common tool.

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 47 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 January 2022

Alexandra Papaioannou, Ioanna Papavassiliou-Alexiou and Sofia Moutiaga

This paper investigates the levels of career resilience and self-efficacy of the principals of primary school units, identifies the relationship between them and determines the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the levels of career resilience and self-efficacy of the principals of primary school units, identifies the relationship between them and determines the effect of the demographic elements of the sample on their career resilience and self-efficacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The convenient sample of this study was 165 principals from public schools across the prefecture of Central Macedonia. A total of 422 questionnaires were mailed to all principals of kindergarten and elementary schools, accompanied by a personal letter to inform them about the procedure and the purpose of the survey. A pilot survey took place to check the adequacy of and get feedback on the questionnaire. The questionnaire used in the study consisted of three parts: The Career Resilience Scale (CRS) by Kodama (2015), the Principal Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES) by Tschannen-Moran and Gareis (2004) and demographic questions.

Findings

The results of the survey showed that principals have high levels of career resilience and very high levels of self-efficacy. There are four factors that form the levels of career resilience: (a) problem-solving skills (b) social skills (c) interest in innovation and (d) optimism for the future. Demographic factors play a role in shaping career resilience as they affect two of the four factors. There are two factors that shape levels of self-efficacy: (a) self-efficiency in administration and (b) self-efficiency in moral leadership. Demographic factors play a role in shaping the factor of self-efficacy that refers to administration. Finally, there was a high positive correlation and a causal relationship between career resilience and self-efficacy.

Research limitations/implications

The convenient sample used in the present study is a limiting factor, as it may not be representative of Greek primary school principals. Also, research is based on self-evaluation questionnaires, which may show a lack of objectivity, as the answers may reflect the personal worldviews of leaders and particular needs of educational institutions (Sarid, 2021). This fact may not allow us to generalize the results.

Practical implications

The present study showed that resilience and self-efficacy have a causal relationship and that one enhances another, making their relation pivotal for a successful educational leadership. Regarding the professional development of school leaders, educational leadership training programs could be designed and offered by the Greek Ministry of Education (Dexter et al., 2020). Coaching programs and practices that help principals develop social skills, coping mechanisms, emotional capacities and confidence in one's knowledge should be widely introduced. Governments have to take the necessary initiative to ensure that, particularly in adverse contexts, education stimulate and nurture resilience and self-efficacy among citizens, by promoting appropriate lifelong learning programs and by ensuring the continuous training of employees (Renko et al., 2020).

Social implications

Career resilience and self-efficacy ensures economic prosperity in times of crisis, globalization and rapid technology development and may be the best way to create strong and successful leaders. Coaching programs and practices that help principals develop social skills, coping mechanisms, emotional capacities and confidence in one's knowledge should be widely introduced. The results of the present research could prove helpful in developing strategic plans, building networks between organizations to improve communication and flow of information, through employee exchange programs.

Originality/value

This research, which combined career resilience and self-efficacy, took place for the first time in Greece. The CRS by Kodama (2015) was also used for the first time in Greek population.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2023

Lore Bellemans, Geert Devos, Melissa Tuytens and Eva Vekeman

Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a…

Abstract

Purpose

Work-related stress is a significant occupational health issue. Stress cannot be viewed separately from the perceptual or interpretive act by the individual. Self-efficacy is a personal characteristic that explains a high proportion of variation in the performance of school principals.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study examines if the COVID-pandemic is related to burnout among school principals. Additionally, the study analyzes if the self-efficacy of school principals plays a mediating role in the impact that the COVID-19 crisis had on their burnout level. To explore this, the authors used survey data of 981 Flemish school principals.

Findings

The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic is related to feelings of burnout among Flemish school principals. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the relationship between the COVID-19 scale and the four core subscales of burnout: exhaustion, mental distance, emotional impairment and cognitive impairment. No mediating effect of self-efficacy was found for the secondary symptoms of burnout, psychological distress and psychosomatic complaints.

Originality/value

This paper emphasizes the importance of school principal's self-efficacy experiences for crisis management. Implications for school leadership training and support are discussed.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 61 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2017

Mehmet Sukru Bellibas and Yan Liu

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which principals’ instructional leadership predicts teacher self-efficacy, in order to identify whether a relationship…

2281

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which principals’ instructional leadership predicts teacher self-efficacy, in order to identify whether a relationship exists between principals’ perceived instructional leadership practices and teachers perceived self-efficacy in classroom management, instruction, and student engagement, while controlling for several principal, teacher, and school characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

The data employed in this study were both teacher- and school-level data sets obtained from the Teaching and Learning International Survey, which was administered by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2013. A two-level mixed model was employed in the analysis of the data by adding adjusted weights at both levels for the complex survey data.

Findings

The results indicated a significant and positive relationship between principals’ perceived instructional leadership practice and teachers’ self-efficacy in all three aspects. Also, gender, experience, tenure status, and formal in-service training of teachers were found to be the key factors that have significant effects on teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions.

Practical implications

Findings suggested that international effort for mandating instructional leadership in schools is a worthwhile strategy, which can help teachers develop a greater sense of ability in classroom management, instruction, and student engagement.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind to examine the relationship between instructional leadership and teachers’ perceived self-efficacy in multiple areas related to teaching.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 55 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 December 2022

Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş

In 2014, Turkish policymakers implemented a policy change in the school inspection system that encouraged school principals to conduct classroom observations and provide feedback…

Abstract

Purpose

In 2014, Turkish policymakers implemented a policy change in the school inspection system that encouraged school principals to conduct classroom observations and provide feedback to teachers as a means to improve teaching. However, the question of whether or to what extent such feedback has an impact on teaching has not previously been researched. The study presented in this article scrutinizes the relationship between classroom observation feedback from principals and teachers’ classroom practices, as well as the mediating role of teachers’ self-efficacy in terms of instructional practices, student engagement and classroom management.

Design/methodology/approach

Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling are employed to examine the relationship among principals’ feedback, teacher self-efficacy and teachers’ instructional practices using data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), compiled by the OECD in 2018.

Findings

These analyses indicate a small but significant direct correlation between principals’ feedback and teachers’ instructional practices, as well as an indirect relationship mediated by teacher self-efficacy in instructional practices.

Research limitations/implications

The findings support the policy shift in Turkey by concluding that classroom observation feedback from principals makes contributions to the improvement of instructional practices.

Originality/value

This study establishes a connection between teachers’ classroom practices and leadership behaviors, which has not been extensively researched in developing nations.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2014

Yael Fisher

The first purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between principal self-efficacy and work experience. The second purpose of this paper is to re-study the…

Abstract

Purpose

The first purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between principal self-efficacy and work experience. The second purpose of this paper is to re-study the structure of a multidimensional and hierarchical Principal Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES).

Design/methodology/approach

PSES was measured using the Brama-Friedman scale (PSES) (Brama and Friedman, 2007). During the 2010 school year, 123 principals participated. Exploration of PSES was based on Facet Theory (Guttman, 1959).

Findings

The findings show that the highest levels of the PSES were found with principals that were at their first year of leading the school. The levels of PSES drop significantly during the second year and up to the fifth year of work experience. The levels of PSES start to rise after the fifth year, and stabilize after ten years. Furthermore, the findings show that PSES is comprised of organizational leadership, educational, and pedagogical leadership and external and communal relations.

Research limitations/implications

The sample was relatively small and mostly from the center school district of Israel. The second limitation was that the sample included only Jewish principals. Since 20 percent of the population in Israel is Arabs, further studies should include all minorities in order to enlighten the issue.

Practical implications

Understanding the relations between PSES levels and work experience could assist policy makers with decisions concerning continuing professional development (in-service training) of principals.

Originality/value

Little is known about the relations between perceived self-efficacy of principals and their work experience.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 August 2014

Denise T. Airola, Ed Bengtson, Deborah A. Davis and Diana K. Peer

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between school principals’ sense of efficacy and their involvement with the Arkansas Leadership Academy's (the Academy…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between school principals’ sense of efficacy and their involvement with the Arkansas Leadership Academy's (the Academy) School Support Program (SSP).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from participating SSP principals to explore differences in mean principal self-efficacy given varied years of participation in SSP. The Principal Self-Efficacy Survey was used to measure the construct of principal self-efficacy of 27 principals participating in the Academy's SSP for low-performing schools.

Findings

The findings suggest that principals of low-performing schools that participated in the Arkansas Leadership Academy's SSP for more years have a stronger sense of leadership efficacy than principals of low-performing schools that are just beginning the SSP. Post hoc qualitative data were collected through a focus group discussion to provide insight regarding actual practices that led to increased perceived self-efficacy as a result of participating in the SSP.

Research limitations/implications

This study is highly contextualized to the principals and school systems participating in the SSP, a limited population due to conditions under which schools qualify to participate in the program.

Practical implications

As schools continue to be identified as needing to improve based on accountability measures, external sources of leadership development for the principals leading these schools should be considered as a possible means for increasing their senses of efficacy, and indirectly supporting the potential for improved school performance.

Social implications

The attributes of highly efficacious principals – self-regulating, confident, and calm in difficult situations – may be more critical to leaders engaged in systemic change in low-performing schools where the challenges may be more complex.

Originality/value

There could be a strong argument that the influence of an outside support program might be one strategy to consider when addressing the improvement of low-performing schools through raising leader efficacy.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 52 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2020

Sedat Gümüş and Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş

There is an extensive body of contemporary educational literature concerning teachers' professional development (PD), but little attention has been paid to the PD of principals

1339

Abstract

Purpose

There is an extensive body of contemporary educational literature concerning teachers' professional development (PD), but little attention has been paid to the PD of principals, despite their vital role in improving student learning outcomes. The available literature on principals' PD deals with content and quality while mostly ignoring whether and how PD activities have an impact on leadership practices. In our study, we wanted to examine the extent to which principals perform learning-centred leadership practices and whether and how their practices are influenced by the PD programmes they have engaged in during the past twelve months.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 130 Turkish principals participated in the study. Using the SEM model, we examined the direct and indirect links between principals' PD and their self-perceived learning-centred leadership practices, with self-efficacy as the mediating variable.

Findings

We found a positive, statistically significant yet weak relationship between principals' PD and their leadership practices, with self-efficacy playing a considerable mediating role.

Originality/value

We argue that traditional types of PD activities can contribute to the leadership practices of principals, at least in countries where school principals are not adequately prepared for principalship positions. We suggest that such activities can contribute by providing newly appointed school principals with certain basic knowledge regarding effective leadership that many principals in developing countries are missing due to the lack of pre-service training. These activities can also strengthen principals' belief in their ability to overcome school problems and improve student learning. This, in turn, could motivate them to focus more on learning-centred leadership practices.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 34 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2017

Prachee Sehgal, Ranjeet Nambudiri and Sushanta Kumar Mishra

Teacher effectiveness has been a matter of concern not only for the parents and students but also for the policy makers, researchers, and educationists. Drawing from the …

4455

Abstract

Purpose

Teacher effectiveness has been a matter of concern not only for the parents and students but also for the policy makers, researchers, and educationists. Drawing from the “self-efficacy” theory (Bandura, 1977), the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between teacher self-efficacy and teacher effectiveness. In addition, it explores the role of collaboration among teachers and principal leadership in explaining the above relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 575 secondary school teachers and 6,020 students representing grade 6-12th from 25 privately owned schools in India. Teacher self-efficacy, collaboration and principal leadership were reported by the teachers whereas effectiveness of each teacher was captured from around ten students each who were taught by the corresponding teacher. Data were analyzed using SEM-PLS.

Findings

Results confirmed a positive association between teacher self-efficacy and the three dimensions of teacher effectiveness, namely, teacher’s delivery of course information, teacher’s role in facilitating teacher-student interactions, and teacher’s role in regulating students’ learning. Results also confirmed that both collaboration and principal leadership are positively related to teacher self-efficacy.

Originality/value

The results of the study indicate that schools need to focus on enhancing self-efficacy of their teachers and give importance to teacher collaboration and principal leadership in order to improve their effectiveness in terms of delivery of instruction, teacher-student interactions, and regulating student learning.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2004

Megan Tschannen‐Moran and Christopher R. Gareis

In this era of accountability and significant school reform, efforts to improve schools increasingly look to the principal to spearhead change efforts at the school level. Good…

3645

Abstract

In this era of accountability and significant school reform, efforts to improve schools increasingly look to the principal to spearhead change efforts at the school level. Good principals are the cornerstones of good schools. Without a principal's leadership efforts to raise student achievement, a school cannot achieve its fundamental academic mission. The principal is seen as a key agent at the school level, initiating change by raising the level of expectations for both teachers and students. One promising, but largely unexplored avenue to understanding principal motivation and behavior is principals' sense of efficacy. Self‐efficacy is a perceived judgment of one's ability to effect change, which may be viewed as a foundational characteristic of an effective school leader. This paper reports on three studies that were conducted in the search for a reasonably valid and reliable measure to capture principals' sense of efficacy.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 42 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 4000