A study of teacher perceptions of effective principal behaviors
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Because of the interdependence of principals and teachers, how teachers perceive a principal's leadership abilities is valuable and worthy of investigation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of teachers' perceptions of effective principal leadership. Using a mixed-methods design, this researcher conducted an online survey where participants were asked to rank seven leader behaviors in order from most to least important. Next, participants in a focus group discussed the results of the online survey. Results showed that teachers perceive principals to be most effective who foster a culture of teamwork, foster a community of trust and respect, develop a vision and direction for the school, and honor commitments and promises. Other principal behaviors such as recognizing and rewarding teacher success, being knowledgeable in the field and providing training for faculty, and challenging the status quo were perceived by teachers to be less important for principal effectiveness.