In every New Zealand school the principal is ultimately responsible for the quality and effectiveness of the multiple and interconnected dimensions of educational leadership and management (MoE, 2008a, p. 10).
5.1 Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to report the findings of the research. The data identify how principals of urban schools perceived themselves as learners over time. Three data phases were used: email survey, focus group interviews and four embedded case study interviews. The findings are analysed to consider the barriers principals face as learners, their learning challenges and the learning they deem meaningful to their school leadership.
The chapter begins by reporting the findings from the email survey. The survey data, linked with the Ministry of Education statistical data (November 2007) situates this as a case study of metropolitan principals. Anonymous data broadly determines the demographic and preferred methods of leaders’
Page | 154 learning. This was the initial iteration of a three-phase process. Methodologically the survey provided a large set of previously unavailable data.
The second iteration exploring the case used a focus group interview. Semi-structured interviews enabled sufficient flexibility for each group to explore a range of planned and spontaneous topics. The views of fifteen principals have been analysed according to their career stage either early or
experienced (terms identified through the literature as pre- and post-five years in the role).
The final component of this chapter is the findings of four individual principals’ learning journeys. The four participants, through unstructured interviews, described how they learned their crafts of
principalship. Individuals expressed their beliefs around principals’ needs early on in their careers and the motivators to learn as they became more experienced. As the third iteration or final set of data in the triangulation, the individual cases confirmed and expanded on themes from the focus groups.
It is accepted methodologically that there needs to be sufficient data to provide insight into the participant’s learning experiences. Principals had much to say about their own context, their own learning, and their perceptions of future learning needs. This chapter provides insight into their lived realities.
Current data signals to New Zealand’s policy makers and academics the need to consider carefully the principals’ voice in New Zealand’s educational leadership future. Outside researchers and
consideration of international trends provides direction to New Zealand; although practitioner experience is of equal importance. Stewart (2004) strongly supports principals having a say in what is done to them.
5.2 The email survey
An email survey (Appendix 3, p.306) was successfully sent to 404 Metropolitan Primary Principals’ Association database members in April 2008. The database included full primary schools,
Page | 155 contributing schools, intermediate schools, and Kura. It did not include the intermediate
departments of high schools or middle schools. The MoE database provides names, addresses, school size (U rating) and deciles (socio-economic ranking) of primary schools in all regions. This survey provided information that could not be ascertained through other means, such as:
x principals’ years of service
x the number of principal positions held, and
x Principal’s preferred professional learning at their different stages of principalship.
The responses provided a base of information for analysis. Examined responses revealed aspects in need of further investigation through interview. For example, respondents commented on appraisal and rural advisors being meaningful in their learning. As this was an area only once encountered in the literature, it was a subject to probe further.
Questionnaires were returned over a two-week period, one hundred and eighty-nine out of four hundred and four questionnaires received. This equated to a 48.5% return rate of primary schools surveyed in the urban region. Sixty-seven percent of survey respondents were in their first or second principal positions with the majority of returns from experienced principals. Figures 6 to 11(pp156- 160) represent the range of schools and experience levels of the respondents.
5.2.1 Time served as a principal
The first graph, Figure six, identifies that 68% of responding principals had been in their job for more than 7 years. The New Zealand government career web page (New Zealand careers, 2009) described the average age of a principal as 55 years, with most retiring at 58 years. Brooking (2008) identifies 40 to 49 years old Europeans with a teaching degree as the largest group currently being appointed to principalship.
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Figure 6: Years’ service as a principal
The graph confirms that the respondent percentages of principals have 11 years or more in the role and as such would be deemed experienced transformative leaders.
5.2.2 Number of positions held over time
The data identified 47% of principals were in their first principalship. What cannot be ascertained is the length of time some principals spent in their first school. The question was posed to consider if changing schools was a reasonably common occurrence. In this case, 53% of the surveyed principals had made at least one change.
The data sources in Figures 6 and 7 suggest that the longer the service, potentially the more schools in which principalship was held. A question this generated for focus groups was “What motivates changing schools and what does a change in context do for leadership?”
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 16% 19% 13% 52% % s e r v i c e