Instructional leadership in relation to classroom environment, student enrollment, removal, and completion within LDS released-time seminaries

Purpose. This study collected data that was used to determine whether principals\u27 instructional leadership behaviors that researchers have determined to affect the teachers and students in the public school system can also be applied to the seminaries in the Church Educational System. It was hypothesized that where high incidents of instructional leadership behaviors were found in the seminary principal, teachers will perceive a more positive classroom environment, and more students will enroll, a lower percentage of students will be removed, and a higher percentage of students will complete the school year. Methodology. The research was descriptive and comparative. The study examined the relationships among three different variables: (1) The perceived behaviors of the principals were measured by administering the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale, (2) The teachers\u27 perceptions of the classroom environment were measured by administering the Classroom Environment Scale, (3) The enrollment totals, removal rates, and the completion rates were obtained from each seminary. Findings. This study concluded that the principals\u27 instructional leadership behaviors that were identified in the public school system to significantly relate to a positive classroom environment and higher student outcomes did not relate significantly with seminaries in the Church Educational System. Of the 412 correlations produced by the analysis, only 26 were found to have coefficients $\ge$.30. Of the 120 possible independent variables that were regressed, only 17 significantly predicted the three dependent variables at the.10 alpha level. Each time the principals or the teachers perceived a leadership behavior it had a negative impact on the teachers\u27 perception of friendship, innovation, and student involvement the classroom. Recommendations. Additional research could be conducted to determine: (1) Why each time the teachers or the principals perceived an instructional leadership behavior it had a negative impact on the teachers\u27 perceptions of the classroom environment, (2) Whether new instruments that better reflect the uniqueness of the seminary classroom could determine any principals\u27 behaviors that relate to teacher and student success measures, (3) What variables affect the seminary students\u27 propensity to enroll, remain, and complete a full year of seminary more than the behaviors of one principal