Teachers’ and School Leaders’ Perspectives of the Role of School Principal in Initiating School Improvement: Case of a Lebanese Public School

Abstract

This study examined the perspectives of the school leaders and teachers about the role of the school principal in initiation school improvement in a Lebanese public school. The study had a three-fold purpose: (1) to identify the perspectives of school leaders (including principal) and teachers regarding the principal’s role in initiating school improvement; (2) to examine these perspectives through comparing them with the literature on initiating effective school improvement; and (3) to identify challenges faced during change initiation and strategies followed by school principal to mitigate the challenges. This study follows a qualitative research design that is grounded in an interpretivist philosophical position. It uses a case study approach and grounded theory methodology for collecting and analyzing data. A number of data collection tools were used including individual interviews, focus group interviews, school documents and field work journal. Data was coded and analyzed using the constant comparative approach. The findings of the study revealed that the school principal maintains a centralized authority of decision making related to the initiation of school improvement. Results also revealed that the principal, in light of the sustained political work context of Lebanese school principals, was in continuous need to establish networks with social and political entities and governing bodies in the external environment to secure the resources and support needed for initiation. Process for building an action plan for improvement during initiation was also found. Besides, a number of challenges were found to impede the initiation of change including the engagement of senior teachers, teachers’ turnover, time constraints, lack of funding, bureaucratic limitations and sociopolitical interferences. Strategies to curb down the internal challenge of resistance and other strategies of buffering to mitigate socio-political interferences were also revealed. Finally, the examination of the role of the public school principal in initiating change as perceived by school leaders and teachers culminated in the development of a model for change initiation in Lebanese public schools.