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).

This dissertation, "Principal's Leadership Style, Teachers' Morale and School Effectiveness: Perceptions of Teachers in Aided Secondary Schools" by Chi-kin, Michael, Leung, 梁志堅, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3195655 Subjects: High schools - China - Hong Kong - Administration High school principals - China - Hong Kong High schools - China - Hong Kong - Evaluation Teacher morale - China - Hong Kong Secondary school principals Secondary schools - Administration Teacher morale Social surveys - Secondary school teachers

Classroom teachers continue to be an integral component to the success of any school and to the success of its students. Numerous studies indicate that the morale level of teachers can have an impact on their effectiveness in the classroom. Furthermore, the leadership of the school principal can shape the culture of any school and thus have a direct impact on teacher morale. This study sought to determine if a relationship exists between self-reported morale of school teachers and perceived leadership style of high school principals. Additionally, the study attempted to determine if a relationship exists between self-reported morale of school teachers and perceived leadership style of school principals with regard to the teacher’s experience level. The study was framed by Maslow’s theory of human motivation, which describes a hierarchy of needs where ones most basic needs must be met before moving on to the next level of needs. The research hypotheses were evaluated using a standard multiple linear regression analysis. Results of the study suggest that there is no significant, predictive relationship between teacher morale and a linear combination of principal leadership style and years of experience in education. Recommendations for future research include replication studies using a larger sample population, different educational settings, or a qualitative approach.

This guide to the 21 leadership responsibilities that influence student achievement will help school leaders focus on changes that really make a difference.