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研究生: 蘇玫蕊
Marie Ann Scott
論文名稱: An Analysis of Leadership Styles and Practices among Secondary School Principals in Belize
An Analysis of Leadership Styles and Practices among Secondary School Principals in Belize
指導教授: 蔡錫濤
Tsai, Shir-Tau
學位類別: 碩士
Master
系所名稱: 國際人力資源發展研究所
Graduate Institute of International Human Resource Developmemt
論文出版年: 2007
畢業學年度: 95
語文別: 英文
論文頁數: 113
英文關鍵詞: secondary school principals, transformational leadership style, transactional leadership style, aissez-faire leadership style, eadership practicel, demographic data
論文種類: 學術論文
相關次數: 點閱:161下載:9
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  • Belize is a young and vibrant nation as such the population is rapidly expanding so more and more schools are opening each year. Thus, there are recently greater demands for principals in the school system. As a consequence, the Ministry of Education and the School Boards need to equip the schools with leaders who are effective, efficient, responsible, and trustworthy. Hence, this study examined the preferential leadership practice and influential factors that have contributed to the leadership style among secondary school principals in Belize based on transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire theories. Data were collected using mixed research methods. The Quantitative instrument for data gathering of leadership style preferences was the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ FORM 5X) developed and tested by Brass and Aviolo (1996) which were tested against the demographic data employed in the study. The Qualitative data were gathered using semi-structured interview, observation and documentation. The population size was 47 secondary school principals in Belize; the response rate for the quantitative analysis was 70.2% of the targeted population. For the in-depth study, eight principals were purposefully selected by experts, based on outstanding Caribbean Examination Center (CXC) performance, for further analysis of the practices and influential factors associated with the leadership style of the principals employed during the 2006 school year, in the secondary school system. The findings showed that transformational leadership style was the preferred leadership style practiced among secondary school principals. The demographic data tested in the study including gender were not statistically significant to transformational leadership style, which was the dominantly practiced leadership style. In the in-depth study the factors that had the highest rating were family background and formal education system, whilst self discipline, experience and mentorship were secondary factors identified amongst the principals. It is important to note that the findings were limited to the secondary school systems in Belize and cannot be generalized to other leaders in education. However, the information can be used as a meaningful basis for reference and guidance. The study offers recommendations to policy makers and professionals in the field of education, so that they can use the data as a benchmark to cultivate strong leaders and develop programs to continue to empower leaders within the school systems. Finally, the study makes suggestions for future research in the area of leadership in Belize’s educational context.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….. I Table of Contents…………………………………………………………………… III List of Tables……………………………………………………………………….. VI List of Figures………………………………………………………………………. VIII CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……………………………….………………… 1 Background of the Study………………..…………………….….…………….. 1 Statement of the Problem……………………………….….….……..…………. 2 Purposes of the Study …………………………….…………………….…….... 2 Research Questions and Hypotheses…………………………………..….…….. 3 Quantitative section research questions and hypotheses.........…………… 3 Qualitative section research questions………...…………………………. 6 Significance of the Study…………………………..……………………..…….. 6 Delimitations and Limitations…………………………………………...……… 7 Definitions of Terms…………………………………………………...……..… 7 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………... 9 Geographic Location of Belize…..………………………….….………………. 9 Educational Reform from 1950 to the Present…………………..……………… 10 Ministry’s intervention to improve the education sector in Belize.....…… 12 Access now to secondary schools…………………………………..……. 13 Historical Perspective of Leadership..………..………………………………… 15 The ideal leadership……………….…………………….……………….. 15 Evolution of Leadership Theories………………………………………………. 16 Great man theory……………………………………………..…………… 16 Trait theory…….…………………………………………………………. 17 Behavior theory…..………………………………..……………………… 19 Situational leadership theory…………………………………………..….. 20 Contingency theory….……………………………………………….…… 21 The Effects of Formal System of Leadership in Education ………….………… 22 The Impact of Gender on the Practices of Leadership in Education……...…….. 23 Transformational, Transactional and Laissez Faire leadership Style...…………. 24 Transformational leadership style……..……………...…………………... 25 Transactional leadership style …….…………………………………..….. 27 Laissez-faire leadership style …..……………………………………….... 27 Full-range leadership model…….……………….. ………….………..…. 28 CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGICAL DESIGN………………….…………… 30 Research Framework…………….…….………………………………………... 30 Research Methods…………………….………………………….…….…..…… 31 Validity and Reliability …………………….…………………..…………….… 32 Data Analysis……………………………………..………………………….…. 34 Research Procedure………………..………………….………………………… 37 Population and Sampling …..…………………...…………..………………….. 40 Instrumentation……………………………………………………..……….….. 42 CHAPTER IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION………………………………..… 43 Quantitative Data Results …………………………………………………….… 43 Results of hypothesis 1…………………………………….…………… 44 Results of hypothesis 2…………………………………………………. 45 Results of hypothesis 3…………………………………………………. 46 Results of hypothesis 4…………………………………………………. 46 Results of hypothesis 5…………………………………………………. 47 Results of hypothesis 6…………………………………………………. 48 Results of hypothesis 7…………………………………………………. 49 Results of hypothesis 8…………………………………………………. 51 Results of hypothesis 9…………………………………………………. 51 Results of hypothesis 10…………………………………..……………. 52 Results of hypothesis 11…………………………………..……………. 53 Discussion of hypothesis 1-11 ………………………………………… 54 Qualitative Data Results ………………………………………………… 55 Principal A data findings ……………………………………………… 55 Principal B data findings ……………………………………………… 57 Principal C data findings ……………………………………………….. 61 Principal D data findings ……………………………………………….. 64 Principal E data findings ……………………………………………….. 67 Principal F data findings ……………………………………………….. 69 Principal G data findings ………………………………………………. 73 Principal H data findings ………………………………………………. 77 Summary of the qualitative results………….………………………….. 81 Discussion of the Results integrated from the Mixed Method Approach…..….. 90 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION…….………….. 93 Conclusion of Research Questions……………………..………………………. 93 Suggestions and Recommendations………………….………………………… 97 Recommendations for policy makers in the education system in Belize…………………………………………………………………... 97 Recommendations for researchers ………………………………..…… 99 Recommendations for administrative leaders (principals)…………….. 100 REFERENCE …………………………………………………………………….. 103 APPENDIX A: Letter to Experts…………………………..…...……………..…… 106 APPENDIX B: Letter Requesting Participants for the questionnaire …………….. 107 APPENDIX C: Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire Leader form (5X-Short)….. 108 APPENDIX D: Letter to Participants in the In-depth Study……………………… 111 APPENDIX E: Semi-Structured Questionnaire…………………………………… 112 LIST OF TABLES 2.1 The distribution of secondary principal schools in Belize ……………………….. 14 2.2 The trait and skills of trait theory………………………………………………... 18 2.3 The leadership styles used in the study & related characteristics..……..………… 25 3.1 Coding system used in SPSS quantitative data analysis …………………………. 34 3.2 Demographic data of principals in the used in the in-depth study ………………. 41 4.1 Descriptive analysis of transformational, transactional & laissez-faire leadership styles……………….……………………………………………...….. 44 4.2 ANOVA results against leadership style ……..………………………………….. 45 4.3 t-Test for nationality against transformational leadership style …………..……… 45 4.4 t-Test for gender against transformational leadership style ……………….…...… 46 4.5 Descriptive data for age of secondary school principals’ in Belize …...…………. 47 4.6 ANOVA for age of secondary school principals against transformational leadership style….……………………………………………… 47 4.7 Descriptive data for marital status of secondary school principals in Belize…….. 48 4.8 One-way ANOVA for marital status against transformational leadership style….. 48 4.9 Descriptive data of education level of secondary school principals in Belize….… 49 4.10 One-way ANOVA for education level against transformational leadership style……..………….……………………………………………….... 49 4.11 Descriptive data for years of experience of secondary school principals in Belize………………..………………..…………………….………………… 50 4.12 One-way ANOVA for principal years of experience against transformational leadership style ……………..………………………………… 50 4.13 t-Test for type of school management against transformational leadership style….………………………………………………………..……... 51 4.14 Descriptive data for school size of secondary school in Belize…………...…….. 52 4.15 One-way ANOVA for school size against transformational leadership style….... 52 4.16 Descriptive data for ethnic groups of secondary school principals in Belize……………………………………………………………………….… 53 4.17 One-way ANOVA for ethnic group against transformational leadership style…. 53 4.18 t-Tests for religious affiliation against transformational leadership style……….. 54 4.19 Principal A interview data………………………………………………………. 56 4.20 Principal B interview data………………………………………………………. 58 4.21 Principal C interview data………………………………………………………. 61 4.22 Principal D interview data………………………………………………………. 65 4.23 Principal E interview data……....………………………………………………. 68 4.24 Principal F interview data………………………………………………………. 70 4.25 Principal G interview data………………………………………………………. 74 4.26 Principal H interview data………………………………………………………. 77 4.27 Summary of themes and practices among secondary school principals ………. 81 LIST OF FIGURES 2.2 Optimal profile of full range leadership style model……………………………... 29 3.1 Framework of the study…………………………………………………………... 30 3.2 Constant comparative method of data analysis…………………………………... 37 3.3 The mixed research method of the study process………………………………. 39

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