Dissertation

Perceived self-efficacy of principals in over- and underperforming schools

The role of a principal in today’s schools includes demanding expectations and requires principals to lead in many different capacities in order to support student achievement. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a principal’s perceived self-efficacy, or the belief in one’s capability to lead, correlates with academic achievement at over- performing and underperforming schools in five key leadership areas—establishing a vision and purpose; transforming school culture and climate; improving instruction; managing people, data, systems, and processes; and building capacity in others. A mixed-methods study was conducted using a survey asking principals in public school districts across the state of California to rate their levels of perceived self-efficacy in the five key areas of leadership. Principals selected for the survey were identified as leading schools that are either over-performing or underperforming when taking into account a composite average on the 2016 SBAC scores for Math and English Language Arts combined and the percentage of free and reduced priced meals with a high percentage of free and reduced-priced meals. The results of the study showed that the principals’ perceived self-efficacy had no significant correlation in four of the five key leadership areas. The key leadership area of improving instruction showed some significant difference in principals’ perceived levels of self-efficacy from principals at over- and underperforming schools. In addition, mastery experience, as a source of self-efficacy, showed some significant difference between principals at over- and underperforming schools. Based on the results of the study, principal training and mentoring programs should focus on supporting principals in the key leadership area of instructional leadership, especially by providing opportunities for mastery experiences in that area of leadership. Future research could further explore the connection between principals’ perceived levels of self-efficacy and instructional leadership to examine areas that may have the greatest impact on both student achievement and improving a principal’s sense of self-efficacy.

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