Teacher and Principal Perceptions of Deliberate Principal Behaviors Related to School Climate

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to gain understanding of the degree to which principal leadership behaviors influenced positive school climate.

METHODOLOGY
Four high schools in the Houston County School District was the setting for this study. The Leadership Practices Inventory (Observer) and the Organizational Climate Descriptors Questionnaire-RS (Kottkamp, Mulhern, and Hoy, 1987) were sent to every teacher at each of the schools (N = 400) and 66 were completed (response rate = 16.5%). A focus group discussion was held with all four principals.

KEY FINDINGS
There was a significant positive correlation between all five leadership practices and the “principal supportive behavior” dimension of the OCDQ-RS. Model and Inspire were significantly correlated with “teacher engaged behavior.” None of the leadership practices were significantly correlated with “teacher frustrated behavior,” “principal directive behavior,” or “intimate teacher behavior.”