South Dakota School Principals' Preferred Leadership Styles for Leading Change to Face Poverty and Discrimination

Abstract

This quantitative research study identified perceptions regarding leadership styles of a sample of high school, middle school, and elementary school principals serving in South Dakota public and tribal/BIE (Bureau of Indian Education) schools in 2011. From 152 public school districts and 20 tribal/BIE schools, a sample of 148 school principals was randomly selected and invited to participate on the online survey. A total of 55 principals (37.2% response rate) completed the online survey. Many respondents (58.2%) had multiple roles in principalships and/or the school superintendency. The study asked principals their preference regarding leadership styles for leading change and facing student issues related to poverty and discrimination. Leadership style included transformational, transactional, laissez-faire, democratic, and autocratic types. Leadership styles preferred to face potential issues related to poverty and discrimination included transformational leadership and democratic types. Respondents did not prefer laissez-faire and autocratic styles. School principals in South Dakota administer students from diverse family backgrounds, gender, race, religious affiliation, and disability. Potential issues school principals encounter most frequently in problem solving with students related to socio-economic status, followed by race, and with religion as rated lowest. The preferences of school principals for transformational and democratic leadership styles were correlated, as were laissez-faire and autocratic styles. Although school principals have the capacity to bring changes in schools they still face some challenges including issues of discrimination related to socio-economic status of students. Problems principals faced included inappropriate student behaviors, student apathy, inadequate school funding, and parental apathy to be involved in the school--issues variously related potentially to poverty and discrimination. Study of transformational and democratic leadership theory is needed to encourage South Dakota principals to face difficult issues of poverty and discrimination. Graduate licensure programs and in-service education programs are needed to keep educational leaders informed about the existence and effect of discrimination related to socio-economic status. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone [phone]. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]