Effective and Less Effective Schools: Differences in Morale and Leader Behaviors as Revealed by Selected Observations

The purpose of this study was: (a) to determine if a significant difference exists between leadership behavior of principals in effective schools when compared to leadership behavior of principals in less effective schools as perceived by teachers, (b) to determine if a significant difference exists in teacher morale in effective schools when compared to less effective schools, and (c) to determine if a significant difference exists in the comparison of the correlations between leadership behaviors of principals and factors contributing to teacher morale in effective schools when compared to less effective schools. A total of 158 teachers returned completed questionnaires. Leadership behavior of principals and teacher morale were measured by 83 teachers in effective schools and 75 teachers in less effective schools using the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Form XII (LBDQ) and the Purdue Teacher Opinionnaire (PTO). A significant difference was found between effective schools and less effective schools in the leader behavior persuasiveness. Significant differences were also found in the correlations between teacher rapport with principal and initiation of structure and consideration. No significant differences were found in the total mean scores of leader behavior, total mean scores of teacher morale, or the correlation between the total mean scores of leader behavior and teacher morale. No significant differences were found in leader behavior dimensions of representation, demand reconciliation, tolerance of uncertainty, initiation of structure, tolerance of freedom, role assumption, consideration, production emphasis, predictive accuracy, integration, or superior orientation. No significant differences were found in teacher morale dimensions of teacher rapport with principal, satisfaction with teaching, rapport among teachers, teacher salary, teacher load, curriculum issues, teacher status, community support of education, school facilities and services, or community pressures. No significant differences were found in the correlations between teacher rapport with principal and representation, demand reconciliation, tolerance of uncertainty, persuasiveness, tolerance of freedom, role assumption, production emphasis, predictive accuracy, integration, superior orientation; rapport among teachers and demand reconciliation, initiation of structure, role assumption, integration; curriculum issues and tolerance of freedom; teacher status and consideration; or school facilities and services and production emphasis. Recommendations based on the findings were given