Practicing Elementary School Principals’ Perceptions of How University Principal Preparation Programs Prepared Them for Instructional Leadership

Abstract

Leading schools today is very stressful. Principals are expected to be instructional leaders who are responsible for improving student achievement and enhancing teachers’ instructional capacities. They have to perform a number of instructional practices, such as, to: develop and share a clear vision for school improvement; lead discussions with teachers on instruction; assist teachers in analyzing student achievement data to identify and address students’ needs; encourage collaboration among teachers on instruction; increase parents’ and community engagement in students’ learning; and create a positive climate for their schools. For principals to play these roles, they need to receive an appropriate university principalship preparation prior to holding any administrative positions at schools.

In this mixed method dissertation study, I employed the three-journal-article format, to investigate the perceptions of practicing elementary school principals in Texas related to how the university principal preparation programs (UPPPs) they attended prepared them for instructional leadership at their schools. To this end, in the first journal article, I developed and validated a survey instrument to assess principals’ perceptions of how their UPPPs prepared them to enhance teachers’ instructional capacities. In the second journal article, I used the quantitative data collected and validated by the survey instrument to conduct a statistical analysis utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM) on STAT 17 Software. I examined the direct and indirect effects of principals’ perceptions of their UPPPs on enhancing teachers’ instructional capacities. In the third journal article, I employed a qualitative research approach with a collective case study to understand the perceptions of six principals leading Title I elementary schools related to how their UPPPs prepared them to improve student achievement in their high-needs schools.

Findings from the first journal article indicated that the survey instrument is a reliable tool for data collection. Additionally, findings from the second and the third journal articles revealed that the principals in the study perceived their UPPPs as it fell short in preparing them appropriately on instructional leadership related to enhancing teachers’ instructional capacities and improving student achievement.