Abstract:
This qualitative case study investigated the leadership dispositions of middle level leaders in a Catholic Secondary School. It focused on Year Level Coordinators (YLCs), who are part of the middle level leadership team in Secondary Schools in Victoria. As middle level leaders, YLCs are responsible for the physical, emotional and academic wellbeing management of students within their assigned year levels. The study drew on literature to review the leadership dispositions of participants and investigated themes around transformational, transactional and servant leadership. Essentially, the study investigated which type or composite of leadership dispositions fitted well within this selected case study school, located in Melbourne, Victoria. 11 Participants referred to as Year Level Coordinators from one Catholic Secondary School were purposively sampled for this study. A qualitative case study design was used to ensure that this study focused on the leadership disposition of participants from this particular middle level leadership role (YLC), thus giving cross-validation to this study.The major findings of the study established that, these middle level school leaders demonstrated leadership dispositions that were aligned more towards a blend of transformational and servant leadership and to a lesser degree on transactional leadership. One of the main findings of this research study is the importance of the on-going leadership development of the Year Level Coordinators in transformational and servant leadership styles. The findings of this study may assist school principals and those involved in leadership development programs in the professional development of potential and actual Year Level Coordinators. Significance of Study The significance of this study stemmed from the absence of relevant literature on the leadership dispositions of middle level school leaders within Catholic settings. The available literature on leadership mainly focused on principal level or curriculum related leadership positions. Findings from this small-scale case-study will provide future researchers with some insight in this particular area from which future studies can be designed. It also contributes in the provision of understanding the importance of ‘due process’ in the selection and leadership development of suitable candidates into this particular middle level school leadership role. The findings of this study may help inform key decision makers on the choice of the best leadership people for their particular school context. Research Aims and Questions The aim of this phenomenological case study was to find out how Year Level Coordinators in Catholic Secondary Schools make use of transactional, transformational and servant leadership dispositions within their regular leadership roles. The key research questions for this study were: How do Year Level Coordinators use transformational leadership within their leadership roles? How do Year Level Coordinators use transactional leadership within their leadership roles? How do Year Level Coordinators use servant leadership within their leadership roles? Implications of Findings The implications of the findings of this study suggest that, in future leadership recruitment and ongoing professional development of Year Level Coordinators within Catholic school organisations, the emphasis of leadership disposition should be closely aligned with transformational and servant leadership dispositions and less with transactional leadership.