Leadership for changing: Principals’ responses to the school autonomy reform in China

This study tries to examine the effects of principal leadership on organizational outcomes under the context of the school autonomy reform in China. More specifically, this study attempts to answer two questions: 1) what are the effects of leadership on school organizational outcomes, including school climates, teachers job satisfaction and organizational commitment, under the context of this reform? 2) How principals with different levels of leadership perceive and practice differently in responding the reform? The data was collected in 26 senior secondary schools in China through a mixed methods approach. First, a path model was established to explore the relationship among all research variables based on the data collected from a teacher questionnaire (N = 528). Structural equation modeling approach was used to test the model using R software. Second, we deployed teachers’ group interview and principal interview in four schools. The interview transcripts were organized by Nvivo 9 and analyzed by within-and cross-case analysis methods. The results demonstrated the tremendous influences of principal leadership on organizational outcomes. The principals with strong leadership tended to express a stronger need for autonomy, fostered organizational development by encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation and setting up supportive evaluation system. In contrast, principals with relatively weak leadership were ill-prepared for the reform, presenting a weaker need for autonomy. Teachers in these schools also reported a negative attitude towards the reform. Tentative policy suggestions were offered to improve principal leadership in view of its importance for organizational outcomes in the autonomy reform.This study tries to examine the effects of principal leadership on organizational outcomes under the context of the school autonomy reform in China. More specifically, this study attempts to answer two questions: 1) what are the effects of leadership on school organizational outcomes, including school climates, teachers job satisfaction and organizational commitment, under the context of this reform? 2) How principals with different levels of leadership perceive and practice differently in responding the reform? The data was collected in 26 senior secondary schools in China through a mixed methods approach. First, a path model was established to explore the relationship among all research variables based on the data collected from a teacher questionnaire (N = 528). Structural equation modeling approach was used to test the model using R software. Second, we deployed teachers’ group interview and principal interview in four schools. The interview transcripts were organized by Nvivo 9 and analyzed by within-and cross-case analysis methods. The results demonstrated the tremendous influences of principal leadership on organizational outcomes. The principals with strong leadership tended to express a stronger need for autonomy, fostered organizational development by encouraging interdisciplinary cooperation and setting up supportive evaluation system. In contrast, principals with relatively weak leadership were ill-prepared for the reform, presenting a weaker need for autonomy. Teachers in these schools also reported a negative attitude towards the reform. Tentative policy suggestions were offered to improve principal leadership in view of its importance for organizational outcomes in the autonomy reform.C