Whose Perception of Principal Instructional Leadership? Principal-Teacher Perceptual (Dis)agreement and Its Influence on Teacher Collaboration

• In Event: Defining and Assessing the Impact of Instructional Leadership

Abstract

This study examines the possibility that principal-teacher perceptual disagreement regarding the principal’s instructional leadership performance may impede progress toward a school organizational condition conducive to collaborative teacher interactions. Based on extensive data from about eight thousand middle school teachers in Australia, Malaysia, and South Korea, a series of hierarchical linear modeling analyses was conducted. The results give credence to the possibility that the degree to which a principal’s self-evaluation of her/his instructional leadership diverges from the teachers’ perception of the leadership is likely to negatively influence the teachers’ engagement in collaborative activities and collegial interactions. This sheds light on the need for giving close analytic attention to principal-teacher perceptual agreement as it may constitute an important aspect of school capacity.

Authors

• Joo-Ho Park, Hanyang University

• Seung-Hwan Ham, Hanyang University