A study of the current professional problems of elementary school principals in Newfoundland and Labrador as perceived by teachers, principals and supervisors : implications for inservice education

• Main Author: Ivany, Cyril John
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1975
• Subjects: Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/7351/; https://research.library.mun.ca/7351/1/Ivany_CyrilJohn.pdf; https://research.library.mun.ca/7351/3/Ivany_CyrilJohn.pdf

The influential position of the principal in the teaching-learning process has been well established. Today's elementary principal, moreover, performs his administrative functions amidst a rapidly changing school setting. Preparatory programs alone are, it has been suggested, unable to equip the elementary principal to adequately meet his new responsibilities and the mantle of modern leadership. It has therefore been recommended that principals be provided the opportunity to avail of a continuous inservice education program designed to facilitate the challenge of their position. -- The objective of this study was to try and determine the current professional problems of elementary principals in the province. The present status of the elementary principal further suggested that the inservice education views of elementary principals and their professional associates, teachers and supervisors, be solicited. Consequently, elementary principals, their teachers, and supervisors with whom principals work, were requested to rate commonly performed functions of the principal on a four point scale ranging in level of difficulty from none to extreme. A 'not applicable' option was included to provide a profile of those duties which were either not at all or in limited numbers a part of the administrative responsibilities of principals in the province. Further analysis sought to assess the relationship between the respondents' ratings and the following personal and professional variables: school size, sex, principal's age, administrative experience, teaching experience, professional preparation, and grade taught. Inservice education considerations concentrated on ascertaining the approach and direction toward which respondents felt proposed inservice education programs should proceed. -- Although no strikingly perceptual patterns of agreement were observed among all three groups of respondents, analysis revealed that Supervision of Instruction functions were widely considered as being the most difficult tasks for the ...