Date

4-2017

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Chair

Edward Moore

Keywords

Leadership Dimensions, Leadership Styles, School Climate, Teacher Leaders, Teacher Leadership, Transformational Leadership Theory

Disciplines

Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Leadership | Other Educational Administration and Supervision

Abstract

Leaders exist at many levels. Within the educational arena, studies have shown the correlation of leadership styles among principals and the school culture (Pepper & Thomas, 2002; Perspective, 2012; Williams, 2009). This study attempted to extend Bass’s Transformational Leadership Theory (1985) and Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Theory (1976) through examining leadership dimensions among teacher team leaders - and their influence on school climate. Using a predictive correlational research design, the current study sought to investigate relationships between leadership dimensions of teacher leaders and elementary school climates. Two different groups of teachers from a school district in the northern metro area in Atlanta participated in two different surveys. Teacher team leaders from ten elementary schools were surveyed using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire to determine their leadership dimensions, or refined constructs of each leadership style. Subsequently, all other teachers working with the identified team leaders were surveyed using the Organizational Climate Description for Elementary Schools. A multiple regression analysis was used and indicated that there is a significant relationship between the two constructs – teacher leadership dimensions and elementary school climate – in the area of Disengaged Teacher Behavior and Teacher Openness Index. There were no significant relationships found between teacher team leaders’ leadership dimensions and elementary school climate in the areas of Collegial Teacher Behavior or Intimate Teacher Behavior. Discussion of the results and implications for future research were made.

Download

Share

COinS