Teachers\u27 perceptions of middle school principals\u27 effectiveness in performing instructional leadership duties in Hamilton County Schools

This research project explores teachers\u27 perceptions of middle school principals in performing instructional leadership duties in Hamilton County Schools. These duties and functions were explored in the literature by examining the history of leadership and how it has evolved in order to gain a better understanding of instructional leadership. The background of this study begins with the philosophy of Thomas Carlyle in 1840 and journeys chronologically to Michael Fullan in 1997. The purpose of this study was threefold: to report the percentage of middle school teachers that perceived middle school principals in Hamilton County School System were performing the duties of instructional leadership as indicated in the literature; to report teachers\u27 perceptions of middle school principals performing these duties or functions effectively; and to report the difference in teacher perceptions\u27 of middle school principals performing each of the six duties and functions of instructional leadership when compared by sex, ethnicity, level of education, grade level position, and years of experience. The population of this study consisted of all middle school teachers in the Hamilton County School System. The actual population of 409 middle school teachers in Hamilton County was categorized as follows: 310 core teachers, 47 vocational education teachers, 68 exceptional education teachers, 14 guidance counselors, and 12 Librarians. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis One-Way Analysis and the Tukey Method post hoc Multiple-Comparison test. The.05 level of confidence was used for significant differences. This study resulted in the following findings: First, a vast majority of teachers reported that Hamilton County Middle School principals were performing the five duties or functions of instructional leadership. Second, a majority of the teachers reported that principals were performing the five duties of instructional leadership effectively. Third, the findings also revealed that duties or functions of instructional leadership are strongly related to the frequency of contact about instruction which the principal is involved with teachers