Research has shown that various leadership styles have different impacts on leader outcomes such as satisfaction, extra effort, and effectiveness. Specifically, researchers have found that transformational leadership positively impacts follower perceptions of satisfaction, extra effort, and leader effectiveness (Avolio, Bass, & lung, 1995; Philbin, 1997; Yammarino, Spangler, & Bass, 1993). However, research has shown that not all leaders display transformational leadership. In fact, Eagly, Karau, & lohnson (1992) and their colleagues have shown transformational leadership in education to be linked to the extent to which male and female principals carry out their gender roles - referring to role congruity. Currently, not much is known empirically about the relationship between the role of the elementary school principal leadership and gender roles and its combined effects on teachers' perceived satisfaction, perceived effectiveness of their principals, and their assessment of extra effort put forth towards their job. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between leadership style (transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire) and psychological gender role group (masculine, feminine, undifferentiated, androgynous) of elementary school principals. Exploration of this topic filled a void in empirical investigations of the psychological gender perspective of school leadership. Multivariate Analysis of Variance techniques were used to examine the relationships between and among principal psychological gender role, biological gender, principal effectiveness, teacher satisfaction, and teacher extra effort. Additionally, canonical correlation was used to examine the relationship between leadership factor variable set and psychological gender role variable set. Results detected one relationship exists between psychological gender role and leadership behavior variable sets. Specifically, findings suggest femininity, masculinity, idealized influence attribute, idealized influence behavior, inspiration-motivation, intellection stimulation, individual consideration, contingent reward, and laissez-faire provide the best linear combinations of Pearson correlations between the leadership behavior and psychological gender role variable sets. In addition, results indicated statistically significant differences in perceived principal effectiveness, teacher perceived satisfaction, and teacher extra effort based on teacher perceived level of principal psychological gender. Teachers who perceived their principals as androgynous and feminine reported higher levels of extra effort, satisfaction, and principal effectiveness. Leadership behavior did not appear to have a significant influence on extra effort, satisfaction, and principal effectiveness. Additionally, the interaction effect between perceived principal psychological gender role group and principal biological gender was not statistically significant.

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).

Abstract: This study examined the relationship between principals' leadership behaviors and the level of shared decision making in the areas of Policy, Curriculum and Instruction, and Planning in selected Northeast Mississippi schools. This study researched leadership behaviors as they relate to shared decision making with the assumption that shared decision making is an essential element of a successful school culture. The relationship between leadership behaviors and shared decision making holds significance for those who seek to move school reform and renewal forward at the state, regional, and national levels. Thirteen schools were selected to participate in this study. A total of 386 teachers participated in the survey. The teachers were surveyed using two different instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory [LPI] (Kouzes and Posner, 1997) and the Shared Education Decisions Survey-Revised [SEDS-R] (Ferrara, 1994) were the two instruments that were used to measure the teachers' perceptions of shared decision making behaviors exhibited by their individual principal. The five leadership practices measured by the LPI "Challenging the Process", "Inspiring a Shared Vision", "Enabling others to Act", "Encouraging the Heart", and "Modeling the Way" were correlated with the three areas of the SEDS-R "Planning", "Curriculum and Instruction", and "Policy". The findings were presented and analyzed to test each of the five research questions. Detailed statistics were used to present profiles of the participants of the study. The sample consisted of 386 participants representing an 80.4% return rate. Pearson product-moment correlations were produced to analyze the relationships between the leadership behaviors of principals in selected Northeast Mississippi schools as perceived by teachers. A total of fifteen significant relationships were identified; however, the strength of the relationships range from low to moderate positive relationships as defined by Hinkle, Wiersma, and Jurs (2003). This demonstrated a low to moderate relationship between teachers' perceptions of the principals' leadership behaviors and the level of shared decision making in the schools.

This quantitative study addressed the idea that a middle school principal could possibly impact teacher effectiveness in the classroom through the relationship of the teacher- perceived leadership style of the principal to teacher job satisfaction and efficacy. The sample consisted of 142 certified teachers from 8 public middle schools in an East Tennessee school district. Teachers completed the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, (Bass & Avolio, 2004) and the Job Satisfaction Survey, (Spector, 1994). Findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership did not have a statistically significant relationship to teacher job satisfaction. A new insight from this study suggests that principals should find ways to lead beyond teacher perceptions to address the needs of teachers in order to promote and encourage higher levels of teacher job satisfaction. Furthermore, findings from this study suggest that the middle school teachers' perceptions of their principal's leadership style had a statistically significant relationship to teacher efficacy. Findings from the exploratory question at the end of the surveys further validated this study by indicating teachers perceived their need for principal leadership to help them become more effective in the classroom by incorporating elements of both transformational and transactional leadership. This research may assist in developing leadership style training for principals desiring to indirectly influence academic achievement by influencing teacher job satisfaction and efficacy within their schools.

Teacher demographics of gender, age, years as a teacher, years at current school, and level of school (elementary, middle, high) were examined in relation to perceived leadership style and school status. Multiple regression analysis found that only years at current school that was significant in how they perceived their principal's transformational or passive avoidant leadership style. No demographic variables were significant for transactional style or school status. Overall, teachers were satisfied with the principal's leadership style and effectiveness. Teachers most often cited school culture as having an influence on student achievement in both improving and non-improving schools. Limitations of the study included self-reported teacher perceptions of principal leadership style from 16 schools in one school district which limits generalizability; no controls for teacher classroom performance and no verification of respondents actually observing principal behaviors; time of year survey was given; and, the use of one instrument to measure leadership style may not reflect the actual leadership style of the principal.