Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Leadership Studies

Department

Leadership Studies

Committee Chair

Jones, Roger E.

Committee Member

Selden, Sally C.

Committee Member

Walker, John C.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between principal leadership behaviors and the level of teacher motivation in a specific region of Virginia, within school divisions that have at least one elementary school designated as a focus school. This study will examine whether the relationship between leadership and motivation differs in elementary schools classified as focus, in-improvement and those with no designation as defined by the flexibility waiver received by Virginia Department of Education. Of particular interest are the specific principal behaviors within each leadership style that support increased levels of motivation in elementary teachers. This study was relevant because there were increased accountability measures pertaining to student achievement for public schools due to the federal mandates from No Child Left Behind Legislation (2002), and the revised ESEA waiver (2012). This study found that teachers’ perceptions of principals’ transformational behaviors were more correlated to the level of their motivation than the self-reported behaviors by principals. This study also found that the principals employed in focus schools were more likely to report increased transformational behaviors than their counterparts at in-improvement and no designation schools.

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