Teachers’ Perceptions of Principal Leadership Practices in Middle Tennessee Schools

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the connection between principal leadership practices and the perceptions of how teachers reported the practices that influence teaching and learning. The interview method was used to collect the data for this study. The TELL TN survey is currently used to collect data in public schools throughout the state of Tennessee. This survey is used to obtain data on different aspects of education including school leadership. The TELL TN survey informed my interview questions in order to gain more in-depth data and to gain a greater understanding of the results. Teachers from different Middle Tennessee schools and who serve different grade levels were interviewed. These interviews were focused on leadership practices of school principals and what they perceived to aid in their teaching and therefore aid in student learning. The overarching themes that were uncovered included support, autonomy, and sincerity