A descriptive analysis of teaching principals in small schools in Newfoundland and Labrador

Hunt, Jamie (2000) A descriptive analysis of teaching principals in small schools in Newfoundland and Labrador. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study focussed on full-time teaching principals in small rural schools in Newfoundland and Labrador. For the purpose of this study, a small rural school was considered to be one with an enrolment of less than 100 students and was situated in communities with less than 5000 persons. Specifically, a questionnaire type survey was sent to all principals whose school population included 100 pupils or less. Excluded from this number were 5 principals who were engaged in a qualitative study dealing with a similar topic. -- The purpose of this study was to develop a descriptive profile of teaching principals. Included in this profile were: age, gender, academic qualifications, professional experience in teaching and administration, professional responsibilities and professional aspirations. In addition, participants were asked about their perceptions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of their dual roles and responsibilities. Enclosed in the appendix is a copy of the instrument further detailing the kinds of data the quantitative study was seeking. -- While much of the research on teaching principals has been conducted in the United States and Western Canada, a considerable percentage of the participants in this study both substantiated and refuted the findings in the literature. These include the close school/community relationships, professional camaraderie, and being able to mold (even in a small way) the school's destiny. Participants in this study offered that the prominent reason for accepting the job was because their respective schools required someone who could perform the duties of both teacher and principal, thus teaching skills were maintained and a level of classroom awareness was ensured. Professional advancement and familiarity with the community were two other noteworthy reasons for taking on the dual role.. -- Other salient points that arose from the research include unpreparedness for the position in respect to inexperience and a failure of university programs to address multi-grading as well as the responsibilities of teaching principals in their undergraduate and graduate programs. High levels of frustration were also apparent due to the many demands on the individual and insufficient time to perform them. -- This descriptive profile provides a mere glimpse into the responsibilities encountered by participants; their sources of frustration, their sources of satisfaction, their daily duties as well as their challenges. Little research has been conducted on teaching principals in the Newfoundland and Labrador context; it therefore remains an area worthy of further study. It is hoped that this research will encourage others to continue studying this vast and relatively unexplored territory.

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