Examines principals' and teachers' perceptions of principals' leadership behaviors and whether leadership behaviors impact student learning viewed through the lens of transformational leadership. Analyzes using mixed methods seven elementary schools in a medium size district in the central region of North Carolina. Addresses the factors that challenge principals as they provide leadership in their schools. Includes principal interviews and focus groups as qualitative data.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and examine the perceptions of the leadership behaviors of elementary school principals based on previous experience from teachers and principals. The Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1031 (80th Texas Legislature, 2007) and House Bill Three (HB 3, 81st Texas Legislature, 2009) to support elementary schools in strengthening educational structures and strategies for increasing principal engagement. Senate Bill 1031 and House Bill Three combined to form the House Bill Three Transition Plan that served as a new vision for education for Texas children. There is a leading absence of knowledge and emphasis placed on the perceptions within this initiative of the House Bill Three Transition Plan concerning the unrecognized cognizance of the leadership behaviors of elementary school principals from the primary aspect of Texas schoolteachers, principals, and administrators. The results indicated the perceptions of the leadership behaviors of elementary school principals established charisma, fostered student-to-teacher allegiance, promoted teacher-to-principal loyalty, and efficacy in the principals' position.

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership behavior and how these perceptions relate to their job satisfaction. Perceptions were measured by the Leadership Behavior Instrument and the Job Satisfaction Survey. The respondents for the surveys worked in Southeast Tennessee and Northeast Mississippi. This study was guided by the following four questions: 1: How do elementary teachers perceive the leadership behavior of principals in the domains of human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict; 2) To what extent to elementary teachers express satisfaction with their jobs in the domains of supervision, contingent rewards, operating procedures, coworkers, nature of work, and communication; 3) What is the relationship between elementary teachers' perceptions of their leaders' leadership behaviors in the domains of human relations, trust/decision making, instructional leadership, control, and conflict and their overall job satisfaction; and 4) Are there differences in the extent of the relationship between teachers' perceptions of their leaders' leadership behaviors in the five domains, and their overall job satisfaction by variables such as level of education, amount of time at current school, and years of teaching experience? The results of this study indicated that there is a strong correlation between teachers' perceptions of leadership behavior and their job satisfaction. The results of this study did not find a significant correlation between job satisfaction and level of education, amount of time at current school, and years of teaching experience.

This quantitative case study examined teacher perceptions within one rural, public East Tennessee school district of principal leadership styles based upon Kouzes and Posner's five domains: challenge the process, enable others to act, encourage the heart, inspire a shared vision, and model the way to determine if a dominate domain existed within teacher perception of the principal's leadership style. Principals who understand the effectiveness and impact that different leadership styles have upon the school environment, specifically teacher perceptions, generally identify with a particular style allowing the creation of a positive educational environment (Rowland, 2008). Teacher understanding of principals' leadership styles increased self-awareness and job satisfaction the teacher achieved. Effectively decreasing the chances of teacher burnout and job-related stress (Meador, 2016).