Dissertation Prospectus

 

 

Introduction and statements of thesis

Principals are regarded as the key to the implementation of school rules and regulations. They are the sole drivers for effective adherence and achievement of external accountability objectives of the school. They are the ones together with other school members who come up with rules and regulations that guide both teachers and students in the institution. Other things that high school principals do include overseeing school administration, curriculum, programs, and resources. Further, they communicate the school goals, vision, and needs of teachers, parents, and the community at large. They also establish academic and behavioral standards for students and administer students' discipline, and ensuring compliance with all laws. This is the reason why principal’s leadership has received a lot of attention from all over the world. Principal’s leadership styles are critical in understanding schools’ performance and anything concerning the school management.

Methods and approach

Research design

The research design refers to the process of coming up with an empirical test that is going to support the claim stated (Snyder, 2019). This research will use the ex post facto design, which is a research study where the variables or data that already exist have almost the probability of one that they have been occurring under noninterference by the researcher. The only reason why this method will be applied is that principals’ leadership styles were already applied in high schools and the students' entrance scores to colleges and universities were already there. Final scores for high school students will be there as well. Therefore, there will be no need of going to the field and collect data again.

Target population

According to the Ministry of education, the State of Missouri had over two hundred universities and over five hundred colleges. The number of high schools was thirty thousand two hundred and two with the total number of teachers and lecturers was more than five hundred thousand.

Sample size and sampling procedures

Sampling is the method of selecting a sub-group from the total possible accessible population of your interest so that it can act as the representative of the total population (Snyder, 2019). The research will be done on this sample but the results will be about the whole population. The research will use the probability method of simple random sampling to draw its sample from the population discussed above. One hundred and fifty universities and three hundred colleges will be randomly chosen to represent the rest. The same method will be used to choose the number of high schools that will act as the sample and a total number of two thousand will be chosen by the method of simple random sampling. The strata will include 50 public universities and 100 private universities. All principals together with their staff will be used in the study. About 50 percent of the total high school staff will be included in the research. 

Research instruments

The research will use a different number of research instruments. Though some instruments will be used often compared to the other. These instruments are the principals’ questionnaires, teachers’ questionnaires, students’ questionnaires. A questionnaire is a written set of questions where the subject or respondent responds to it in writing (Snyder, 2019). Usually, questionnaires are one of the cheapest means of data collection in a research or study. It is also easy to administer in case of a large population hence the most convenient tool for collecting information from a large data set as the case of this research (Romero, 2018). Other instruments that will be the interviews. This method is efficient and reliable since it has higher chances of getting authentic answers. Though in case of sensitivity of the information needed, this method becomes unreliable since many people do not like disclosing their confidential information (Romero, 2018). The three questionnaires will have part A and part B. Part A will have contained details about demographic variables while part B will gather a bit of aspect concerning leadership skills. 

Instrument’s validity 

Validity is the degree to which results and findings that were obtained from a research or a study represent the real-life situation being investigated. The research will use data validity scales in these questionnaires to access whether the data obtained is valid or not. We will hire a panel of experts to further investigate whether the results obtained is valid and accept the logical nature or not.

Instrumental reliability

Reliability refers to how consistent the data is to the test (Snyder, 2019). One of the methods that will be used to establish the reliability of the study is piloting. A pilot study, which will consist of three schools will be conducted and then use the method of test-retest, which is giving the respondents the same questionnaire several times to see whether the respondent will give the same responses as the first one and vice versa. The results will be 0.97, 0.94, and 0.96 reliability coefficients for students, teachers, and other staff and principals respectively. With these levels of significance, we will conclude that the instruments as reliable.

Annotated bibliography

• Research Article Analysis – 1
  • What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Berth’s (2002) study was meant to examine how the social and cultural practices of an area can make the principals change some of the rules and regulations guiding the school. He defined school culture as complex norms and behaviors that can change the minds of many people. The leadership of principals in schools therefore greatly depends on the social lives of the people around them.

• What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their questions?

Berth’s (2002) research is a study that used a case study to analyze the previous effects of the cultural practices on the principals in making decisions and running the school. Several data points were plotted in graphs to show whether the effects are linear. Some of the methods used include:

1. Reading and analyzing the already existing materials about the research
2. Collection of data using the questionnaires and interviews
3. Observing the cultural practices in different communities
4. Reading scholarly works that were published concerning culture and community leadership
   • What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

Berth’s (2002) study came up with many negative findings of culture in the principal’s decision-making. The findings were clearly explained in the chapter of the research. Some of the findings are as shown below:

1. Cultural activities affect the decisions of principals in many schools
2. The effects were 95 percent negative to the management.
3. It further indicated that there is a need of doing away with all the cultural practices affecting principals’ decisions.
4. Cultural practices not only affect decisions of principles but also decisions of other institutions.
5. The cultural practice lowers the academic excellence of the students since the rules that the principal will come up with will favor the culture but not academic-wise.
6. Due to the low academic grades, colleges admission is also low

• Research Article Analysis – 2
  • What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

The purpose of this Patton’s (2015) qualitative study is to explore the leadership behaviors of system leaders and best practices of high school counselors in highly effective school districts that prepare students for college and career readiness. The following two research questions guided his study:

1. What are the leadership behaviors of system leaders that have enabled high school counselors to be effective in supporting college and career readiness for all students?
2. What are the best practices of high school counselors that support and promote college and career readiness for all students?
   • What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

A qualitative, multiple case study research design and methodology were utilized by the researcher to identify the leadership behaviors of system leaders and best practices of high school counselors in four, highly effective upstate New York school districts. Face-to-face interviews with the superintendent of schools, the high school principals, and high school counselors were conducted in each school district.

• What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

1. All the superintendents were supported by the district administration
2. Students were likely to graduate from high schools and join the local colleges.
3. School counselors are in the position to have a very positive impact on all students’ college and career development.

3.0. Research Article Analysis -3

• What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Aduma’s (2012) study examined leadership practices in low-performing and high-performing schools. The following research questions guided the study:

1. Is there any significant difference between the leadership practices of low-performing and high-performing schools and principals?
2. Is there any significant difference between “modeling the way” and the leadership practice of low-performing and high-performing school principals?
3. Is there any significant difference between “modeling the way” and the leadership practice of low-performing and high-performing school principals?

3.2 What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

Aduma (2012) conducted his study to determine if principal leadership practices based on teacher perceptions differed in low-performing versus high-performing schools in two school districts in Southeastern State. Kouzes’s and Posner’s (2003) Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) instrument was used to measure the five leadership practices. This quantitative study incorporated survey data to determine if teachers’ perceptions of principals’ leadership practices varied depending on whether the teachers were in a low-performing or high-performing school. The quantitative research approach was appropriate because the data from the LPI were transformed into numeric measures, which were then used in statistical tests to answer the research questions.

• What were the findings of the research project?

1. Indicated teacher perceptions toward principal leadership practices did influence teaching methodology
2. The two-sided dependent t-test was statistically in the way principals and corresponding teachers perceived leadership practices for low-performing high school principals.
3. The two-sided dependent t-test was not statistically significant in the way and corresponding teachers perceived leadership practices for high-performing high school principals.
4. Teacher perceptions toward principal leadership practices did influence teaching methodology

4.0. Research Article Analysis – 4

• What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Mann’s (2020) study was designed to examine how the leadership of principals in schools with high student academic growth aligns with transformational and instructional leadership theory. She explored the experience of principals and teachers as they sought to improve student learning, relating their experiences to the constructs of transformational and instructional leadership. The two questions that guided her study were as follows;

1. How do teachers in a high-performing school view the principal’s leadership style with regard to transformational and instructional leadership theories?
2. How does the principal’s leadership style impact teacher attitudes and job performance?
   • What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

Mann’s (2020) research is a qualitative study that used a case study as the approach. A qualitative case study was selected by her as the design because the focus of this investigation occurred in the natural setting of a school community. In this research study, several data points were utilized. To select the school of interest, she reviewed student achievement data in the form of state assessment results over time.

• What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

I was not able to clearly identify findings in Mann’s (2020) study. Interview responses presented as study findings. The first research question investigated how teachers in a high-performing school view the principal’s leadership style with regard to transformational and instructional leadership theories. Through analysis of the review of evaluation documents and interviews with the principal and four teachers, she identified aspects of the principal’s leadership that align with both transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985) and instructional leadership theory (Hallinger, 2005)

5.0. Research Article Analysis – 5

5.1. What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Beteille’s (2009) talks about the effectiveness of principal’s decisions in recruiting teachers, the development of infrastructure of the school, and the leadership qualities that can make the teachers remain or retain in the same institution for a long period. The study tried to explain the principal’s leadership qualities as said about and the effects on students’ performance and college admission. The research questions include:

1. Is there a significant effect between the principal’s ability to retain teachers to the academic achievement of children?
2. Is there any relationship between the teachers’ principals they employ and the academic achievement of students in the school?
3. Does the infrastructure of the school affect the academic achievements of students?

4. Is there any significant difference in the way principals and corresponding teachers perceive leadership and teaching practices for high-performing school principals?

5. Is there a relationship between poor performance and the principal’s leadership skills?

5.2. What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

Beteille’s (2009) conducted different methods of data collection, recording, analyzing, presenting, and analyzing of the data. The majority of data in this research was qualitative data. Therefore, very few statistical methods were deployed in the process. The use of a t-test was one of the statistical methods used to analyze the data. The study included 100 high schools and 50 colleges and universities in which more than 20000 students and learners were chosen randomly as a sample. More than 2000 teachers, lecturers, and other subordinate staffs were also in the study. The general ways used are:

1. Comparing principals’ leadership qualities between performing schools and those nonperforming schools.
2. Comparing results of infrastructure development between performing and non-performing schools in the state.
3. Comparing and contrasting how teachers among schools do teach.
4. Data were collected concerning schools that hire new teachers almost every year and those schools that retain their teachers for a longer period and analyzed to determine if there is any effect of this activity.
5. The leadership styles were measured using the Leadership practices inventory and questionnaires were also deployed to the students to establish the same.

5.3. What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

Beteille’s (2009) responded to the above research questions and indicated the following findings:

1. There are no significant differences in leadership styles between performing schools and non-performing schools.
2. Indicated that there is a difference in performance between the most developed schools compared to the village schools. He further urged that the level of infrastructure is directly proportional to the academic performance and college admission of students.
3. Schools that retain teachers for a longer period perform better than those schools that frequently change teachers.
4. Teachers’ methods of teaching do not have a considerable effect.
5. Leadership styles of principals greatly determine the final performance of students and finally their college admission.

6.0. Research Article Analysis – 6

6.1. What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Blasé (2019) study was designed to establish the characteristics of instructional leadership styles of principals of different schools. Since instructional leadership is one of the main aspects of leadership quality a leader must have, it tries to explain how these leadership qualities of a principal may affect the final scores of the students. Instructional leadership can be how principals teach, how they relate with teachers and students, and how they carry out the supervision of the day-to-day activities of the schools. The main reasons that made Blasé come up with this project were:

1. How do the teachers in high schools that perform very well in academics and those that do not perform well view or rate the leadership of the principal?
2. Are there differences between leadership styles in performing and nonperforming schools?
3. How do the principals’ instructional leadership skills impact the students and teachers?
   • What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

Blasé (2019) is a quantitative study. It used a case study approach to come up with the findings, and therefore, conclusions. Since this problem was locally in its occurrence, a lot of data points were used in the process of data collection up to the final step of data interpretation. The study was taken in the local schools in the state of Missouri. More than 5000 schools comprising of high schools boarding, day, girls’ and boys’ schools were chosen in which more than 750,000 participants including learners and teachers were used. Some of the things that the study use include:

1. Administering questionnaires to principals, teachers, and students
2. Using surveys to survey principals’ leadership practices
3. Analyzing the number of a teacher who recently joined the schools and who left the school
4. Analyzing results for the last 3 years
5. Using the leadership evaluation tool to evaluate principals’ leadership skills.

What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

After completing the study, Blasé came up with the findings of the project. The finding proves that leadership qualities greatly affect the performance of children in our schools. Some of the findings are:

1. 95 percent of the teachers in high schools that perform very well in academic view the principal leadership skills are the very factor of their performance.
2. 99 percent of teachers in schools that do not perform well attributes the principal’s leadership to the final scores that students get.
3. 94 percent of Principals in performing high schools have better leadership styles compared to 30 percent of principals in the poor performing schools.
4. Schools that have Principals who are friendly to both teachers and students are performing better than those with harsh principals. 

 Research Article Analysis – 7

• What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Garcia’s (2012) is a research that tries to examine the discrepancies in the principals’ effectiveness, which can be well-described as the implications of principal leadership that all leaders including principals must possess. It explains how principals’ leadership affects teachers. Some of the questions that Garcia want to answer include:

1. Is there a relationship between principals’ – teachers’ relationship and the academic achievements of the student?
2. What does the effect of a bad relationship between teachers and principals on the academic achievement of the students?

What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

This is also a qualitative study. It used a lot of methods to establish the problem. One of the methods is the case study. Normal means of data collection and analysis were used. Garcia deployed questionnaires in 4000 schools, which include a total number of 63,657 teachers and principals. The questionnaires were filled concerning the sections available. Teachers were told to rate their relationship with the principal.

• What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

Garcia’s research identified the came up with the following findings.

1. Poor relationship between teachers and principle negatively affects the academic achievement of the students.
2. Poor relationship between teachers and principals lead to a corresponding poor relationship between teachers and students.

• Research Article Analysis – 8
  • What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Cotton’s (2003) study about principals and student achievement. It is trying to establish the relationship between principals’ performance to the academic achievement of the students. It shows how the relationship between hardworking principals and their corresponding school performance. The hypothesis of this study is stated as below:

            Null hypothesis- There is no linear relationship between students’ and principles’ performances.

            The Alternative hypothesis- There is a linear relationship between students’ and principals’ performances.

• What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

Cotton’s (2003) is a statistical study that involves statistical testing of a hypothesis. 400 high schools were chosen randomly using the probability-based method of simple random sampling. A total of 25678 samples were drawn from the 400 high schools including students, teachers, principals, and other non-teaching staff members. The data were analyzed using R software to come up with the mean rate of the respondents who supported and those who did not support the claim. T-test was further used to check the possibility of rejecting the null hypothesis. It was seen that the t calculated was greater than the t tabulated to mean that we reject the null hypothesis and conclude that indeed there is a linear relationship between students and principals’ performances.

8.3What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

Since this is hypothesis testing, there was only one finding. The finding was in support of the alternative hypothesis, which states that there is a linear relationship between students and principals’ performances. Apart from this, Cotton came up with the following:

1. There is a great correlation between teachers and principals relationship in the academic achievement of the students
2. The poor relationships lead to poor academic scores.

• Research Article Analysis – 9
  • What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Covey (2008) shows how the principals’ leadership skills of personal effects can be learned and taught to the children or learners to transform their academic goals. It further explains that how these principals can run the school in a way that will affect the students positively towards their goals. Some of the questions here include:

1. Do principals’ management skills affect the students’ academic goals?
2. Do the distinct rules that principals come up with affect the students?
3. What is the relationship between effective rules to the students’ performance?

9.2 What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

A qualitative and quantitative, multiple case study research designs and methodology were deployed. The researcher used other methods also to identify the leadership behaviors of system leaders such as the principals of a school and best practices of high school counselors in 100, high schools in the state of Missouri. These schools consisted of 25 boarding schools, 60 mixed schools, and 20 girls’ schools. Face-to-face interviews with the superintendent of schools, the high school principals, and high school counselors were conducted in each school district.

9.3 What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

Covey (2008) came up with the following findings.

1. Principals’ management skills greatly affect the academic performance of the students.
2. Tight rules lead to higher performance.
3. Students are performing poorly if the leadership skills of the principals are poor

• Research Article Analysis - 10
  • What were the research questions, hypothesis or reason the authors cited for the research project?

Goree’s (2013) the research was based on the issues created by low numbers of college-ready, low-SES students. His study was exploratory and the research questions focused on what the expert principals believed to influence the college readiness of low-SES students. The research questions investigated are:

1. What programs does your school have that increase the number of college-ready low-SES students? Why?
2. What characteristics does your school have that increase the number of college-ready low-SES students? Why?
3. What practices does your school have that increase the number of college-ready low-SES students? Why?

10.2. What was the methodology used by the authors to answer their question?

The Delphi research methodology was utilized by Goree (2013) to explore principals’ perceptions. The Delphi is a method for creating a group communication process that effectively allows a group of experts to communicate about a complex topic. The qualitative portion of this study focused on identifying what practices, characteristics, programs, or other factors the selected principals feel influence college readiness for low-SES students

• What were the findings of the research project? Did they answer their research question?

The Delphi study identified 13 items that expert principals felt would influence college readiness for low-SES students in small Texas high schools. The analysis of the data provided insight into the characteristics, practices, programs, and other factors that have an influence on producing low-SES students who are college-ready. The research questions in this study explored items that expert principals reached a consensus on. So, findings answered research questions.

 

 

 

References

Aduma, H. O. (2012). The impact of high school principals' leadership practices on students' academic achievement (Order No. 3570200). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1372006131). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fimpact-high-school-principals-leadership%2Fdocview%2F1372006131%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8363

Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York, NY: The Free Press. Goree, T. L., Jr. (2013). Exploring principals' perceptions of characteristics, practices, and programs that influence college readiness for low socioeconomic students in smaller texas high schools: A Delphi study (Order No. 3596774). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1449841532). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fexploring-principals-perceptions-characteristics%2Fdocview%2F1449841532%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8363

Covey, S. R. (2017). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. Retrieved: https://lib.hpu.edu.vn/handle/123456789/24121

García-Faroldi, L. (2017). Attitudes towards childcare and social practices: Discrepancy between attitudesand employment trajectories of mothers in Spain (1994–2012). International Review of Sociology, 27(3), 457-474: Retrieved: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03906701.2017.13781

Gunawan, I. (2017). Instructional Leadership Profile of Junior High School’s Principal (A Case Study of Junior High School in Malang). International Research-Based Education Journal, 1(1). Retrieved: http://journal2.um.ac.id/index.php/irbej/article/view/897

Hallinger, P. (2005). Instructional leadership and the school principal: A passing fancy that refuses to fade away. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 4(3), 221-239 https://doi.org/10.1080/15700760500244793

Huggins, K. S., Klar, H. W., Hammonds, H. L., & Buskey, F. C. (2017). Developing Leadership Capacity in Others: An Examination of High School Principals' Personal Capacities for Fostering Leadership. International Journal of Education Policy and Leadership, 12(1), n1. Retrieved: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1138597

Manns, B. K. (2020). Principal leadership and student academic achievement (Order No. 28156367). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2462177276). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fprincipal-leadership-student-academic-achievement%2Fdocview%2F2462177276%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8363

Patton, M. N. (2015). Exploring the leadership behaviors of system leaders and best practices of high school counselors that prepare all students for college and career readiness (Order No. 10009842). Available from ProQuest Central; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1765388244). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.library.astate.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fdissertations-theses%2Fexploring-leadership-behaviors-system-leaders%2Fdocview%2F1765388244%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D8363

Romero, C., & Krichesky, G. (2018). Interactive leadership in turbulent school climates. An exploratory study of high school principals from the City of Buenos Aires. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 46(2), 339-354. Retrieved: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1741143217720456

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. Retrieved: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296319304564