INFLUENCES ON THE SOCIALIZING EXPERIENCES OF ASPIRING PRINCIPALS Glenda Campbell-Evans W.A. College of Advanced Education,Perth. Pearson Street Doubleview WA 6018 Paul T. Begley Centre for Leadership Development,Toronto. OISE Toronto Canada The study reported in this paper represents the first phase of a broader inquiry into the socializing influences experienced by individuals who decide to pursue a school leadership role. While the data and initial findings reported here are based on the experiences of educators from the Northwest Territories in Canada, parallel studies are currently being conducted in several Canadian provinces by the OISE Centre for Leadership Development and in Western Australia through the Centre for Educational Leadership. The long term goal of this set of studies is to enhance the contribution of socialization experiences to the development of instructional leadership. A substantial body of applied research has accumulated in recent years describing the nature of administrative expertise. Several increasingly well validated conceptual frameworks have also emerged to make sense of this research. Among the most notable are those which focus on the notions of instructional leadership and school improvement (Hall, Rutherford, Hord, & Huling, 1984; Leithwood & Montgomery, 1986; Hallinger & Murphy, 1986; Duke, 1987; Greenfield, 1987). Leithwood, Begley and Cousins (1990) have reviewed and synthesized the findings of such research on the school principalship into a comprehensive description of the nature, causes and consequences of principals' practices. There is an increasingly firm basis from which to identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are of most worth to school. An increasing number of school districts, professional organizations and departments of education have invested heavily in training programmes as the chief means of socializing aspiring school administrators or further developing the skills of incumbents. An excellent example of this trend is the recent adoption of a principal certification programme in the Northwest Territories. This represents a shift away from reliance on the more serendipitous and informal socialization processes typical of the past (Van Maanen, 1976; Schein, 1968; Feldman, 1989), and an increased commitment to planned interventions and mandated preparation experiences. Instructors may or may not be successful in meeting the needs of all candidates by providing training experiences which they perceive as conceptually relevant and still produce high levels of both sponsor and candidate satisfaction. Rather than simply accepting these issues of candidate expectations and readiness as confounding variables which must be controlled for by course instructors, we prefer to view the situation as an invitation to conduct further research into the nature of those factors which influence the socialization of aspiring school administrators. The purpose of the study, therefore, is to discover what factors influence individuals to enroll in formal principal preparation programs and to determine the extent to which a principal certification course influences the development of the candidates' image of the principalship. Framework Our conceptual framework employs four dimensions; internal processes (values, cognitive processes), relationships (with superiors, peers & subordinates), organizational and contextual factors, and image of the role. This is similar in many respects to a five dimension model developed by Leithwood, Steinbach & Begley (1989). Their description of principal socialization includes; relationships with superiors, relationships with peers, district policies and procedures, formal training and outcomes. We recognize personal and professional values as a separate dimension whereas Leithwood et al. classify them as outcomes. We have eliminated the outcomes dimension and have repositioned several sub-dimensions. The context of this inquiry is a principal certification programme developed by the Centre for Leadership Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education under contract with the Northwest Territories Department (NWT) of Education. The general intent is to conduct research on the factors influencing the socialization experiences of approximately one hundred aspiring and incumbent principals prior to and during their participation in a two year principal certification programme. Two general objectives structure the inquiry. The first is to discover what factors influence educators from the Northwest Territories (NWT) to seek the principalship and enroll in formal principal preparation programmes sponsored by the NWT Department of Education. The second general objective, to be addressed in Phase two, is to determine the extent to which the NWT principal certification course influences the development of the candidates' image of the principalship. Phase one of the project addresses primarily the first general objective. The specific research questions are: 1. For what reasons do course candidates decide to pursue the principalship as an educational role? 2. What influences do course candidates report on their decision to enroll in a formal pre-service programme intended to prepare them for a school principal's role? 3. What factors influenced the candidates' decisions to enroll in the Northwest Territories Principal Certification Programme? Data Collection and Analysis Approximately ninety candidates enrolled in two sections of the Northwest Territories Principal Certification Programme 1989-90 constitute the sample for this inquiry. Data collection was conducted in three ways; a pre-course survey, individual candidate interviews conducted by a participant observer, and access to dialogue journals kept by candidates and instructional staff. The questions in the survey were organized in six sections: entry process, career aspirations, goals, image of the principalship, decisionmaking, factors and strategies. Completion of the survey provided information on why candidates were enrolled in the course, what factors influenced their decision, prior leadership experiences and training, their image of an effective principal along several key dimensions (goals, factors, strategies and decision- making), and their expectations for the course. Independent analyses were conducted. One employed a grounded approach where responses from specific survey questions which matched the research questions were used to identify factors or themes. The second analysis involved an application of the dimensions of the conceptual framework a priori. Results and Discussion Findings from the initial data analysis are discussed in sections corresponding to the three research questions. 1. Factors Which Influence Decisions to Pursue the Principalship: Table 1 (see Appendix A) summarizes the explanations provided by 87 course candidates for deciding to pursue a principalship. Ten themes were identified through the grounded analysis of a focussed subset of the survey questions. A subsequent matching of these themes against the profiles generated through data analysis with the four dimensional conceptual framework produced no additional themes. Over 30% of the 87 candidates spoke in terms of "challenge" and/or "interest" as the basis for their decision to pursue the principalship. These three most frequently identified themes were grouped within the Internal Processes dimension. Personal motivations, or inner processes, appear to figure prominently as key influences on decisions to pursue the principalship. Other strongly represented themes were distributed fairly evenly across the four dimensions of the conceptual framework. For example, something less than 25% of the candidates suggested they were influenced by relationships with others (nominated or encouraged by others, and a desire to share and be helpful). A similar number of candidates justified their pursuit of the principalship according to their perceptions of the role; expressed in terms of a belief they could contribute and the extent to which they already possessed the necessary knowledge and skills. It was interesting to note that themes grouped as organizational and contextual influences (such as, career advancement, broader experience, and desire to make a difference) were somewhat less well represented. Organizational arrangements and professional relationships are apparently not the strongest incentives for attracting individuals to consider school leadership roles. 2. Factors Which Influence Decisions to Pursue Principalship Training: Twelve factors were identified as influences on the candidates' decision to pursue training for the principalship. Ten of these factors were identified by the initial analysis of a focussed subset of the survey questions; that is, those relating to entry process and career aspirations. The subsequent analysis using the conceptual framework produced another two factors which cropped up frequently enough to be included on the list; professional development, and personal enrichment. Four factors were very strongly represented; skill development and pursuit of knowledge were identified as the strongest factors. These two factors were cited in 49 and 42 cases respectively; approximately 50% of the 87 respondents. A third strongly represented factor was "step in the career ladder" which was cited as a motivator to pursue training in 30 surveys, or approximately 33% of candidates. The final strongly represented factor, identified by 26 respondents, was "desire to broaden or gain perspective". When the 12 factors were grouped within the four dimensions of the conceptual framework, it became apparent that the factors were heavily clustered in the Internal Processes dimension, and to a lesser extent in two other dimensions, Organizational/Contextual factors and Image of the Role factors. As was the case for factors influencing decisions to pursue the principalship, the Relationships dimension was not a particularly significant category of influence. Only one factor, collegial contact, was identified from 15 surveys and grouped within this dimension. On the other hand, whereas Organizational / Contextual factors were apparently not strong influences on the decision to pursue the principalship, three factors were linked as influences on decisions related to pursuit of training for the principalship. "Step in the career ladder" (30 cases) was a frequently occurring factor within this dimension. Interest in specific "training" (15 cases) were the other two factors within this dimension. Similarly, factors related to the Image of the Role dimension were much more strongly represented as influences on decisions to pursue training than on decisions to pursue the principalship itself. The heavy clustering of factors (5 of 12) within the Internal Processes dimension for decisions to pursue training repeats the pattern established for decisions to pursue the principalship. In both types of decisions, personal motivations figure prominently as influences. Having decided to pursue the principalship, more than half apparently pursue training as a way of moving towards an existing image of the role. In our study, more than 50% of candidates cited skill development as a motivator to the pursuit of training. Nearly a third (26 cases) sought training to broaden their perspective and 19 candidates saw the training as relevant to their present position. 3. Factors Which Influence the Decision to Enroll in the OISE Course: Two factors overwhelmingly dominated candidates' responses on this question. Over 75% of candidates (67 cases) mentioned the receipt of financial support to attend the course as a factor in their decision to enroll in the course. Almost as many (62 cases) cited the availability of the NWT sponsored course as a positive encouragement to enroll. A third highly represented theme (38 cases) was the encouragement of others to enroll in the course. These persons included colleagues, family and friends. Of the remaining 6 themes identified, only 3 were strongly represented in 16 cases each; "certification requirement", "positive support of prior participants", and the negative aspects of "time" away from family and loss of holidays. When the nine factors relating to enrollment in the OISE course were matched against the dimensions of the conceptual framework, an interesting reversal of the pattern set by the findings for the previous two research questions became apparent. Candidate decisions to pursue both the principalship and training were strongly linked to factors clustered within the Internal Processes dimension and, to a lesser extent, the Image of the Role dimension. In contrast, the decisions to enroll in a particular course, developed by OISE and sponsored by the Northwest Territories Department of Education, were apparently largely motivated by factors most appropriately grouped within the Relationships dimension and particularly the Organizational/Contextual factors dimension. From nine factors identified in the analysis, seven were grouped within the Organizational/Contextual factors dimension. The direct sponsorship and implicit endorsement of the course by the NWT Department of Education combined with the financial support provided by Northwest Territories Teachers' Association, in the form of professional development travel funds, were the two factors mentioned most frequently by candidates. Discussion of the findings for the first two research questions suggested that relationships with superordinates, peers and subordinates were not strong influences on decisions to either pursue a principalship or seek training. Such decisions were more apparently influenced by personal motivations. However, our data would suggest that, once a decision to pursue training has been made, the actual choice of training programme can be significantly influenced by others. In the case of the Northwest Territories programme, the steady encouragement provided by regional officials and incumbent principals to their subordinates (especially aboriginal educators who are currently under-represented among school administrator ranks) appears to have had a positive impact. Similarly, the perceived quality of the first cycle of the programme, as reported by the participants, appears to have positively influenced candidates to enroll in succeeding cycles of the programme. One implication may be that a principal pre-service programme, perceived as being of high quality will attract candidates to enroll, but only if they have decided on their own to pursue training; a decision usually based on personal motivations. Conclusion The preliminary results of this study suggest that the socializing factors which most significantly influenced decisions to pursue both the principalship and training were those motivators derived from the individuals' inner processes. For example, many aspirants are apparently drawn to the challenge of the principalship. Others report a thirst for knowledge, a commitment to life-long learning, or a belief they can make a difference. Paradoxically, organizational/contextual factors and relationships with others appear to become important influences only when candidates make the decisions to enroll in a particular principal preparation programme. For example, many incumbent principals who recently completed the first cycle of the Northwest Territories course proved to be highly enthusiastic agents of recruitment for the second cycle of the course. The perception that the course and certification as a principal would soon become a territorial mandate was apparently another influence. Finally, many candidates identified the financial support provided by the teacher federation as a significant influence on their decision to enroll in the principal preparation programme. In addition to encouraging further research on the socialization of aspiring school leaders, our hope is that this research will provide practical information about how programmes for school principals should be designed, implemented and evaluated. Appendix A TABLE 1 Factors Which Influence Decisions to Pursue the Principalship: ------------------------------------------------------------- Factor Frequency (n=87) grounded framework analysis analysis ------------------------------------------------------------- Internal Processes: Challenge 20 30 Interest 17 26 Responsibility 15 17 Relationships: Nominated/Asked/Encouraged 11 14 Desire to Share & Be Helpful 6 19 Organizational/Contextual Career Advancement 7 14 To Gain Broader Experience 7 6 Make a Difference 6 15 Image of the Role: Belief I Can Contribute 12 13 Possess Appropriate Knowledge/Skills 10 16 ------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE 2 Factors Which Influence Decisions to Pursue Training for Principalship: ------------------------------------------------------------- Factor Frequency (n=87) grounded framework analysis analysis ------------------------------------------------------------- Internal Processes: Desire for Knowledge 15 42 Interested 11 15 Curiousity About the Role 2 7 Professional Development - 7 Personal Enrichment - 14 Relationships: Collegial Contact 1 15 Organizational/Contextual: Step in Career Ladder 22 30 Present Role Complements 6 8 Desire for Training 2 15 Image of the Role: Skill Development/New to Principalship 11 49 Broaden or Gain Perspective 5 26 Relevance to Present Job 4 19 -------------------------------------------------------------