A Case Study of the Leadership Styles a Highly Effective Principal Employed To Cultivate Teacher Collective Efficacy

Abstract

Have you ever wondered how to maintain and foster teacher collective efficacy despite the increasing federal and state accountability demands? This case study identifies key transformational leadership characteristics to build positive, healthy relationships with staff members to create an organization of teacher collective efficacy. A principal was selected to be observed and interviewed by means of identifying how the principal continues success of an origination despite accountability demands. The case study aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) How does a principal within a highly efficient organization, with high teacher collective efficacy, display characteristics of transformational, transactional, and instructional leadership styles? and (2) What are the relationships between the principal’s identified leadership styles and the perceived teacher collective efficacy of a diverse group of teaching faculty? Teacher collective efficacy has the highest effect size on student accountability than any other factor in education. Leadership styles of transformational, transactional, and instructional are deemed as the three leadership styles in having the greatest impact on school reform. Research of one elementary principal and six teachers and the display of leadership characteristics that foster teacher collective efficacy through the cultivation of relationships is investigated and identified. Interviews, observations, and prolonged engagement of these characteristics were investigated and triangulated as a way to develop a principal profile. Transformational leadership was the main style in creating relationships that fostered teacher collective efficacy. This principal profile will assist district leaders in the selection of future principals and aid current principals as a way of self-reflection in reforming their campus towards fostering teacher collective efficacy.