A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN CBSE AFFILIATED SCHOOLS OF JAMMU CITY

Abstract

Much research on the perceptions of school environment in recent decades reveals that the principal’s effect on the school environment is significant. This study of school environment compared teachers’ perceptions of principals’ interpersonal behaviour. The purpose of this study was to assess the principal-teacher interactions in CBSE schools at the primary, middle and secondary level in selected schools of Jammu city. The Principal Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ) was developed based on the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI), which was first devised in the Netherlands to assess the eight facets of interpersonal behaviour, such as Leadership and Understanding. The Principal Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ) (Kremer-Hayon and Wubbels, 1993 was used in this study. A sample of 60 teachers including both male and female teachers was collected from 3 primary, middle and secondary schools of Jammu city. The reliability and the validity results shows that PIQ is a reliable and valid instrument for studying the principal-teacher interactions. Data analysis reveals that usually the teachers see their principal as understanding. Teachers have rated their Principals in terms of having directive behaviour, encouraging behaviour, understanding behaviour, giving independence to teachers, uncertain behaviour, disapproving behaviour, aggressive behaviour and having strict/inflexible behaviour. Results shows that there are significant gender differences between male and female teachers in their interaction with the school Principal. Significant differences have also been observed between the perceptions of various schools on all the PIQ scales. With regards to the level of appointment of teachers, it has been observed that there is a significant difference between primary, middle and secondary level teachers in their perceptions about their principal. This shows that the teachers perceive their principal interpersonal behaviour in a positive and significant manner. The results obtained from the study credibly bring out the value of the Principal-Teacher Interactions at the primary, middle and secondary levels.