THE IMPACT OF LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE GENERAL WELL-BEING OF SECONDARY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS (GRADES 6 – 12)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Porter, Halee N., The Impact of Leadership Responsibilities and Accountability on the General Well-Being of Secondary School Administrators in Middle and High Schools (Grades 6 – 12). Doctor of Education (Executive Educational Leadership), May 2021, Houston Baptist University, Houston, Texas. Secondary school administrators are prone to experience stressors that stem from role conflict, accountability standards, student and parental relationships, staff development, and managerial issues. Through the research foundations of McGrath (Stress Cycle), Gmelch (Administrator Stress Cycle), Allison (Coping Preference Scale) and Maslach’s Burnout Inventory, assumptions were made that administrators are potentially at risk of burnout, which could have a deterrent effect on the administrator’s well-being. The setting for the study took place in a large urban school district in the southern region of Texas that hosted approximately 80 Middle and High Schools. Secondary school administrators who held the job titles of Principal, Assistant Principal, and Dean of Instruction were purposely chosen as the sample for this study. Through quantitative analyses, data was collected using a cross-sectional survey that was delivered through electronic mail to the study participants. The survey consisted of a 59-question component comprised of Gmelch and Swent’s Administrative Stress Index and Allison’s Coping Preference Scale. An additional questionnaire consisted of six demographic questions that followed the survey instrument. The study instrument was delivered to 199 potential participants with 149 returned. Of the 149 returned surveys, 77 completed surveys were used for the purpose of data collection. Results of the study indicated that Administrative Constraints, pertaining to state and federal compliance, was considered the most frequented stressor. Responses to the open-ended response question of the Administrative Stress Index revealed that administrators felt that handling school personnel concerns was their greatest work-related stressor. The Coping Preference Scale Factor that referred to Setting Realistic Perspective was the most used coping strategy amongst study participants. Upon running an Independent samples t-test model for stress perceptions, results indicated that there was no significant difference between male and female perceptions of stress. A One-way ANOVA model was used to measure means between age groups to indicate if stress was perceived more in one age group than another. An analysis of the results showed that age had a significant impact on the perception of stress. An Independent-samples t-test model was conducted to measure mean samples of coping mechanisms utilized by both male and female participants. There was no significant difference in coping strategies utilized by male and female study participants. Through a Multiple Regression model, stress and coping presents a significant correlational relationship in that coping strategies are needed to manage stress. KEY WORDS: Stress, burnout, well-being, secondary school, administrators, principal, assistant principal, dean of instruction, coping, high school, middle school, grades 6 – 12