Published on August 21, 2018 by Sara Roman  
SERA Conference

Orlean Beeson School of Education Department of Educational Leadership faculty members Peggy Connell, Jodi Newton and Les Ennis have been selected to present original research at the Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) 43rd Annual Conference in November. The peer reviewed, international conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

The topic of discussion at this year’s SERA Conference is ”Critical understanding of education systems: what matters internationally?” Connell, Newton and Ennis were selected for their exploration of teachers’ perceptions of principal leadership styles and the difference in the resulting teacher satisfaction.

Research findings revealed a significant difference between teachers’ job satisfaction and their principals’ leadership style. The faculty members believe this research will provide an opportunity for principal preparation programs across the globe to incorporate principal leadership style as it relates to teacher satisfaction and retention.

“Quality leadership is based on experience and knowledge and quality leaders are ‘tuned in’ to their impact on others,” said Bonnie Rabe, Orlean Beeson School of Education interim dean. Rabe believes that this research is of great value to leaders as they define their preferred style. She hopes that the research will drive further investigation into other implications.

“Since teacher job satisfaction is often correlated with performance, it makes us wonder if a positive correlation between leadership style and teacher satisfaction also infers improved performance,” said Rabe.

Connell, Newton and Ennis are hopeful for future opportunities to present this research and plan to submit for publication after the SERA conference.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.