This study set out to investigate and analyze teachers' expectations for the head teachers' role performance and their perceptions of appointment qualifications of head teachers in secondary school according to school-based management, as well as to s...
This study set out to investigate and analyze teachers' expectations for the head teachers' role performance and their perceptions of appointment qualifications of head teachers in secondary school according to school-based management, as well as to search for the efficient operational plans of the head teachers system according to school-based management.
For those purposes, the following research questions were set:
1. What are the perceptions of middle school teachers regarding the legitimacy of establishing school-based management?
2. What are the expectation levels of teachers for school autonomy, professionalism, and accountability according to school-based management?
3. What are the perceptions of teachers regarding the roles of head teachers according to school-based management? Is there any difference according to whether the school has a head teacher or not?
4. What are the perceptions of teachers regarding a need to reinforce the qualifications of head teachers in order to increase the efficiency of school-based management? Is there any difference according to whether the school has a head teacher or not?
Employed in the study to explore those research
questions was the questionnaire method. Based on the analysis results of the previous studies on school-based management and the role performance of head teachers in secondary school, the investigator developed a questionnaire in consultation with her advisor. The questionnaire was then distributed to 580 teachers in public middle schools. Of 448 questionnaires that were returned(return rate: 77.2%), total 444 were put to statistical treatment.
Gathered data were put to frequency analysis in each area with the SPSS 12.0 program to understand the general characteristics of the respondents. In addition, t-test was carried out to compare differences in perceptions between common teachers and head teachers, and cross-tabulation was performed to see if there was any significant difference between the groups.
The analysis results and research findings can be summarized as follows:
First, 60% of the respondents said "Yes" to the question, "Do you think school-based management should be settled down no matter what?" which indicates that the perception of school-based management has been spreading among teachers. However, the general teachers still had no high perceptions of the legitimacy of school-based management and were significantly different from the head teachers in that regard. That is, the head teachers perceived the legitimacy of school-based management more than the common teachers.
Secondly, a majority of the middle school teachers in the Gyeonggi Province pointed teachers themselves as the operational subjects of school-based management, which reflects that teachers regard themselves as the subjects of educational activities and believe that the responsibility of leading changes and growth in school falls upon them.
Based on those perceptions, the investigator examined curriculums, school affairs management, faculty personnel, autonomy in school finance, professionalism, and changes to the expectation level of accountability fulfillment after the establishment of school-based management. The results show that there was a high increase in all of the areas with especially high expectations for autonomy in school finance and accountability fulfillment in each area.
Thirdly, the most important role required from head teachers according to school-based management was overall supervision of the departments, which was followed by lesson and education activities, gathering of opinions, delivery of instructions, motivation and encouragement, promotion of practical affairs, performance of administrative affairs, consultation and guidance, encouragement of learning and evaluation in the order. Importance was placed on liaison, harmony among the personnel, and participation in school management.
Finally, the ways head teachers were appointed were more or less the same in most schools. While 63.8% of the respondents cited the ability to proceed with business as the first criterion to be considered when appointing a head teacher, 76.7% said that in-service training for head teachers in each function was necessary as part of the institutional supports to reinforce their qualifications.
In addition, 53.1% of the respondents answered that it was "necessary" to introduce a qualification system for head teachers, which reflects the increase of positive opinions about the introduction of such a system. The teachers then answered in-service training in functions related to duties(30.5%) and experiences in areas related to duties(47.1%) as the conditions that should be first considered when introducing a qualification system for head teachers, thus demanding professionalism required to proceed with business in practice.
Based on the discussions, the study proposed the following suggestions for the efficient operation of the head teachers system:
First, the head teachers should no longer have instability with their position and limitations with their job performance in order to increase the efficiency of school-based management. The system also needs rearrangement including reinforcement of their qualifications so that they can have their professionalism recognized and their status as the middle management respected. Of course, there is a misunderstanding that contradictions exist between autonomy of school management and reinforcement of bureaucratic organizational system. However, the study argues that professionalism in school affairs other than lectures on the part of head teachers is no longer in the dimension of individual self-study but has become a requirement for their qualifications. The study thus claims its significance in its efforts to search for institutional supports for them. There is an apparent need to pay close attention to the needs of the new system given that the themes of today's school innovation are the reinforcement of school autonomy and the increased efficiency through reorganization of school organization.
Secondly, the educational support agencies should devise a guideline for standardized duties of head teachers, offer in-service training for each of their functions, and help them with the smooth progress of business around the school.
Thirdly, school headmasters should take into account the opinions of vice-principals and the personnel committee as well as individual head teachers' professionalism, hopes, specialties, and job capacity in the appointment process so that there will be no suspicion or conflict with the appointment decision.
Fourthly, administrative and financial supports should be offered to reduce the excessive workload of head teachers. Unnecessary administrative procedures and account books should be cut down, their right to arbitrary decisions should be expanded, and their burden with excessive workload should be reduced by considering their lesson hours so that they can devote their time to only necessary duties.
Fifthly, the professionalism of head teachers comes from constant pursuit of study. Head teachers are required to increase their professionalism in their duties, organize and operate a curriculum fit for the students, and become experts in teaching and learning techniques with which to teach the students in class.
Sixth, the teachers should do their best to increase their professional abilities for their tasks based on their perceptions of the reinforcement of head teacher qualifications.
Finally, the study examined a need for the reinforcement of head teacher qualification in certain areas of Gyeonggi Province. Future study should thus expand the scope of subjects and conduct more in-depth research to provide specific discussions about how to reinforce the head teachers' qualifications for higher efficiency in school education.