Capital Improvements to Principal Leadership

Abstract

This individual case study is part of a larger group study examining how principals benefit from and shape professional capital to improve schools. Principals play a critical role in supporting student learning, while also structuring the culture of the school and mediating external demands. Despite the importance of the school principal, principal dissatisfaction is high and retention rates are low. The job of the principal is intensifying in terms of its complexity and volume of responsibilities. While extant research on teacher social networks makes a strong connection to perceptions of self-efficacy, little research exists regarding principals. This qualitative case study explored how district leaders in one Massachusetts school district focused on principal retention and whether their actions influenced a principal's feelings of self-efficacy. This study is part of a larger study that investigated how principals benefit from and shape professional capital to improve schools. Data were gathered from fourteen semi-structured interviews with district level leaders and principals. Data supported the literature that relationships based in work and friendship with district leaders and colleagues positively influenced principal feelings of self-efficacy. Recommendations include examining the impact of top-down district reforms on principal persistence and innovation. Further investigation needs to be done examining the influence of relationships on specific antecedents of principal self-efficacy.