Abstract:
A linear scale eliciting teacher ratings of their principal's leadership behaviour was administered to 389 teachers in 48 primary and seven high schools in the Canning Education District of Western Australia. Eleven variables were measured. Data were first analysed using the Rasch Rating Scale Model to ensure the scale complied with the requirements for objective measurement. This analysis also produced item difficulty locations which were interpreted as evidence of common and uncommon principal behaviours as observed by teachers. Next, latent variable path analysis using LISREL structural equation modelling was applied to test for dependencies between the eleven variables. This process led to confirmation of a structural model comprising higher order and lower order principal leadership variables.