Date of Award

5-2005

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Program

Educational Administration

Department

Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundations

Major Professor

Kirby, Peggy; Oescher, Jeffrey

Second Advisor

Reidlinger, Brian

Third Advisor

Haydel, Juanita

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between principals' spiritual attitudes and transformational leaders and investigated if the combination of spirituality and demographic variables, such as gender, predicted transformational leadership. It was important to conduct this study utilizing the framework of transformational leadership since it has been identified as an effective type of leadership in educational settings (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1998; Ogawa & Hart, 1985). Piedmont's (1999) Spiritual Transcendence Scale was the instrument used to measure the participants' spiritual perspective and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire measured the type of leadership of each principal. The sample that was used in this study was 105 principals from Jefferson, Terrebone, and Plaquemines Parish School Systems in Southeastern Louisiana, in addition to principals involved in the School Leadership Center of Greater New Orleans. This correlational research design utilizing surveys was conducted via mail. The study determined that there is a relationship between transformational leadership, spiritual transcendence, and gender This study supports the position that there is a significant relationship between the predictor variable of principals' spirituality, as defined by the Spiritual Transcendence Scale, and transformational leadership, as defined on the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Additional findings showed gender as another predictor of transformational leadership, and further implications suggest that principals' sense of prayer fulfillment in their lives can also be a predictor of transformational leadership. These findings present major implications for leaders in education, education policy makers, and researchers and support the need for spirituality to be taught in the educating of future principals.

Rights

The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.

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