THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATION OF HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

AND SCHOOL CLIMATE

IBTESAM HALAWAH, P H . D

United Arab Erirates (UAE)Ajman University of Science & Technology, Abu Dhabi

Effective communication is one critical characteristics of effec-tive and successful school principal. Research on effectiveschools and instructional leadership emphasizes the impact ofprincipal leadership on creating safe and secure leaming envi-ronment and positive nurturing school climate. This paper wasdesigned to study the relationship between effective communi-cation of high school principal's and school climate. Twoinstruments were used to measure school climate and communi-cation effectiveness between principals and teachers. Participantswere 555 students (293 males and 262 females) and 208 teach-ers (107 males and 208 females) from Abu Dhabi District, UAE.Results indicated that school climate is positively associated withprincipal's communication effectiveness. Better climate schoolwas expected in schools where effective communication betweenschool principal and his/her teachers exists. In addition, schoolswere found to be different in their principal's communicationeffectiveness and on their climate especially on Security andMaintenance and Instructional Management. Significant differ-ences were also observed between males and females for theadvantages of female schools on Security and Maintenance, Stu-dent Behavioral Values, Student-Peer Relationships, andInstructional Management. On the other hand, communicationbetween principals and teachers in male schools was more effec-tive than that in female schools.

Introduction nurturing school climate are merely theA key element of an effective school is first steps in a long series of critically high

an effective principal (Whitaker, 1989). expectations effective principals set forAlthough school success is influenced by themselves, as well as the educational com-many people, school principals remain one munities they lead. Most important,of the most important factors in this sue- however, is the love for learning and stu-cess. Research on effective schools, school dents, which is at the heart of everyrestructuring, and instructional leadership successful principal (Cotton, 2004).point to the impact of principal leadership Principals play important role in estab-on student learning and improvement lishing school discipline, both by effective(Hallinger & Heck, 1996). The effect of administration and by personal example,the principal on student leaming cannot be Effective principals are liked and respect-overemphasized. Establishing safe and ed, rather than feared, and communicatesecure learning environment and positive, caring for students as well as willingness

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to impose punishment if necessary(NAESP 1983).

Teachers' satisfaction with school dis-cipline policy is related to their relationshipwith the principal (Duckworth, 1984).Good communication and shared valuesare important elements in this relationship.Student achievement is likely to be great-est where teachers and administrators worktogether (Buffie, 1989). Ideally, a princi-pal should be able to create consensusamong staff on rules and their enforce-ment. The principal must have knowledgeand understanding of effective communi-cation strategies. Creating a collaborativeenvironment and open communication hasbeen described as the single most impor-tant factor for successful schoolimprovement initiatives. Good communi-cators are good listeners. Experts incommunications rate poor listening as thenumber-one problem in human relation-ships. Principals may want to improve theircommunication by improving their listen-ing skills.

School climate affects principal's effec-tiveness. It also interferes with outcomesfor teachers and students. Improvement inschool climate enhances the principal'seffectiveness, teacher's performance, andstudents' achievement and behavior. Thisimprovement, however, only occurs if theprincipal, teachers, and students areempowered. Principals must model behav-iors consistent with the school's vision anddevelop a clear purpose in the school, sothat student achievement can improve.They must identify and implement instruc-tional strategies that will result in achievingthe school's vision and mission (Korir &Karr-Kidwell, 2000).

Schools are multi-faceted organizations.Achieving and sustaining a high quali-tyinstitution within a complex environmentdemands that the principal, as schoolleader, possess a wide range of leadershipcapabilities (Achilles, 1987). Today, effortsare underway to improve the fragmentedapproach to principal preparation. Increas-ingly, people are recognizing that ifeducational leaders are to better serveschools and students in our rapidly chang-ing society, the knowledge, skills, andattitudes they possess must be differentthan those reflected in traditional educa-tional administration curricula. Successfulschool reform cannot take place apart froma better understanding of school leader-ship (Daresh & Bamett, 1993).

Yet, little is known about how princi-pal-teachers good communication canpositively affect school climate. This paperis designed to study the relationshipbetween effective communication highschool principals' and school climate.Research in this area should increase theprincipals' awareness of the need for keep-ing an open climate and goodcommunication with their teachers andstaff.

Review of the LiteratureFor schools to be effective a high level

of satisfaction must exist among all theplayers of the school. Faculty and staffmust have a role in the decision makingprocess in the school. Students mustbelieve in the faculty and feel good aboutwhat the school is doing. No change orimprovement can take place without theteacher. The principal who does not orga-nize and use his/her staff will truly be

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lonely and unsuccessful. These people haveskills and knowledge in specific subjectareas as well as a basic need to be a partof something. It is a mistake when the prin-cipal does not cultivate these individualsto assist in planning (Brown, 1985).

According to Beck and Murphy (1993),"Principals were assumed to be more likebusiness executive, using good manage-ment and social science research to runschools effectively and efficiently." (p. 2).Cordeiro (1994) claims that most researchon the principalship has not captured thethemes which bind successful principalstogether with their schools; however, sheencourages principals to be generalists,developing their abilities to collaborative-ly distribute and coordinate leadershipopportunities. Strengthening aspiring prin-cipals' conflict resolution skills,face-to-face communication skills, as wellas the emotional demands of the princi-palship are key issues in effective andsuccessful school principal (Anderson,1991). A profile of an effective principalcan be created by considering his or herrole in human relations. Effective princi-pals recognize the unique styles and needsof teachers and help them achieve theirown performance goals. They encourageand acknowledge good work by teachers(Murphy, 1983).

Guskey (2003) analyzed 13 of the listsof the characteristics of effective schoolprincipal which was published by the U.S.Department of Education and found thatindividual characteristics vary widely intheir frequency of inclusion in the lists.The most frequently mentioned charac-teristics of effective professionaldevelopment is enhancement of teachers

content and pedagogic knowledge.Research also shows that professionaldevelopment based on higher order think-ing skills within a subject can beparticularly effective (Wenglinsky, 2000).

Stable and supportive administrativeleadership was the "overriding factor"determining whether a discipline programwas effective. Schools that successfullyimplemented a pilot program experienceddistinct improvements in discipline (Got-tfredson & others, 1989). It may not be anoverstatement to suggest that a principal isnot fully equipped if he or she does nothave a deep understanding of human learn-ing. Recent research in cognitive sciencehas produced a wealth of knowledge abouthuman learning. It is crucial that princi-pals know and understand these theories sothat they may serve as a resource in enhanc-ing instructional effectiveness. Principalsalso need to be equipped with the knowl-edge of technology integration in teachingand learning. Principals are looked upon asleaders who will inspire teachers to adoptinnovative pedagogies in the classroom(Mendez-Morse, 1991).

The role of the principal as an instruc-tional leader is outlined by (Brewer &Blase, 2001) as "one that focusing oninstruction; building a community of learn-ers; sharing decision making; supportingongoing professional development for allstaff members; and creating climate ofintegrity, inquiry, and continuous improve-ment." Effective school researchers holdthat a key element of an effective schoolis an effective principal (Whitaker, 1997).There is a relationship between positiveschool climate and increased studentachievement. The principal's performance

Effective Communication .../ 337

influences student achievement, includingcognitive behavior, through the mediatinginfluence of school climate (Korir & Karr-Kidwell, 2000).

The visible principal has the opportu-nity to model his or her beliefs and topromote a positive instructional climate-major leadership behaviors of effectiveprincipals. Principals who create an excit-ing and reinforcing learning environmentwill find that students and teachers willwant to do needs to be done (Krug, 1992).Effective principals engage in efforts tomanage curriculum and instruction, man-aging with a focus on education-relatedrather than administrative-related issues.This can be done by providing the knowl-edge and information, materials andsupplies that support the work of teachersand staff members as they go about accom-plishing the mission of the school. Villa,(1992) concluded that effective principalsalso promote an instructional climate thatstrongly values and reinforces learning andachievement. The school climate is estab-lished as interest, concem, and support forall students. It is most important that prin-cipals articulate goals, timelines, andprocedures to promote change and fostera climate of unity.

The literature reviewed showed thatschools to be effective there must be a highlevel of satisfaction among all the playersof the school. Faculty and staff must havea role in the decision making process of theschool. Students must believe in the fac-ulty and feel good about what the schoolis doing. This study attempted to study therelationship between effective communi-cation of high school principal's and schoolclimate. In addition, this relationship was

compared among schools and betweenmale and female.

Method

InstrumentsTwo instruments were used in this study.

The first was the Evaluation of School Cli-mate (The Evaluation Center, 2005) whichwas designed to assess school climate bysecondary students. The instrument con-sisted of 42 items into 8 categories:Teacher-Student Relations (12 items).Security and Maintenance (5 items), Stu-dent Academic Orientation (4 items).Student Behavioral Values (3 items). Guid-ance (4 items), Students-Peer Relationships(4 items). Instructional Management (7items), and Students Activities (3 items)(See Appendix A). Each item was mea-sured using a Likert scale that ranged from"strongly disagree" (1 point) to "stronglyagree" (5 points). The second instrumentwas designed to measure communicationeffectiveness between school principalsand teachers (Rafferty, 2003). This instru-ment consisted of 16 Liker-type items thatranged from "strongly disagree" (1 point)to "strongly agree" (5 points) (see Appen-dix B). In addition, necessary demographicinformation was collected from partici-pants.

ParticipantsThe study was conducted at Abu Dhabi

District, United Arab Emirates (UAE).There were 23 high schools in Abu DubaiDistrict (11 for males and 12 for females).Six schools were selected randomly (threemales and three females) to participate inthis study. To keep the names of schools

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confidential, the schools were coded asMales 1, Males 2, and Males 3 for maleschools, and Females 1, Females 2, andFemales 3 for female schools. Around 90students from each school participated inthis study by responding to the climateschool survey. The total was 555 students(293 males and 262 females). The averageage of students was 17. 2 years. For thesecond instrument, around 35 teachersfrom each school ofthe six schools with atotal of 208 (107 males and 208 females)participated in this study by responding tothe principal's communication effective-ness survey. The average experience inteaching for these teachers was 15.9 years.

ProcedureReliability ofthe two instruments used

in this study was assessed through calcu-lating both intemal and split-half reliability.For the climate school survey, the intemalreliability for each ofthe seven categoriesin the survey was also calculated. Rela-tionship between school climate andprincipal's effective communication wasassessed by comparing the results of stu-dents' responses on the school climatesurvey with the results of teachers' respons-es on the effective communication surveyon the corresponding school. An analysisof variance (ANOVA) was used to compareschools and an independent t-test was usedto compare male and female schools.

Results and Discussion

Reliability AnalysisThe overall internal reliability of the

school climate survey using Cronbach'salpha was .85, while the Guttman split-

half reliability coefficient was .83. In addi-tion, the intemal reliability of each of theeight categories in the survey was also cal-culated and values ranged from .52 to .81.Considering that reliability is a functionof number of items in an instrument andthat number of items is few in some cate-gories, the school climate survey and itscategories were considered intemally reli-able. As for the effective communicationsurvey, the internal reliability was .94,while the Guttman split-half reliabilitycoefficient was .89.

School Climate and PrincipalCommunication Effectiveness

School climate in each school was mea-sured by averaging student's responses onthe school climate survey. Averages as wellas number of students from each schoolare shown in Table 1. The principal's com-munication effectiveness was assessed byaveraging teacher responses on the effec-tiveness communication survey. Resultsand number of teachers for each school areshown in the same table. All mean valuesfor responses on the school climate sur-vey were little above the theoretical averageof the scale. This indicated that, general-ly, school climate in these schools asassessed by students was of moderate sit-uation or level. Although, there is nocriterion or standard at the country level tocompare with, these results can bee seenas indicators that climate in these schoolsshould be improved. Improving school cli-mate is the responsibility of schoolprincipal, teachers, staff, and others. Animportant role to consider here is that ofprincipals. Principals must model behav-iors consistent with the school's vision and

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Table 1Mean and Standard Deviations of Responses on both Instruments

School

Males 1Males 2Males 3Females IFemales 2Females 3

No.of Studetits

95100981009765

School

Mean

3.003.413.123.543.213.42

Climate

SD

.62

.65,61.51,49.44

No, ofTeachers

294137403724

Principal 'sComtnutiicatioti

Mean

3.824.474.263.973.133.84

SD

.72

.36

.60

.60

.69

.53

develop a clear purpose in their schools. Asfor principal's effectiveness in the studiedschools, most of the mean values were wellabove the theoretical average of the scale.This indicated a high level of effective com-munication between principals andteachers in most of these schools. As notedin the review of the literature, teachers sat-isfaction with school discipline policy isrelated to their relationship with the prin-cipal (Duckworth, 1984). Goodcommunication and shared values areimportant elements in this relationship.

By comparing the mean values of stu-dent's responses with those of teachers ineach school in Table 1, a fixed pattern canbe observed. The high values for schoolclimate were associated with high valuesof principal's communication effective-ness. This pattern was true over the sixschools. This of course is not a cause-effectrelationship, but rather indicates that bet-ter climate school is expected in schoolswhere effective communication betweenschool principals and his/her teachersexists. This result supported what has been

observed in the literature about the impor-tant relationship between effectivecommunication of high school principaland school climate. As noted by Buffie(1989), principals who have knowledgeand understanding of effective communi-cation strategies positively affect on theschool climate. In addition, creating a col-laborative environment and opencommunication has been described as thesingle most important factor for success-ful school improvement initiatives.

Comparing SchoolsTo get more information about the cli-

mate in each school and to compare it withthat of other schools, an analysis of vari-ance (ANOVA) was conducted using theeight categories (subscales) in the schoolclimate survey as the dependent variables.Because there were several comparisonsand to control on Type I error, hypotheseswere statistically tested at .01 level of sig-nificance. Results were summarized inTable 2. Schools were found to be differ-ent on the eight climate categories or

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subscale that make the over all school cli-mate. Although all differences werestatistically significant, F-test values weredifferent among these categories. Thesmallest difference among schools was onGuidance and Student-Peer Relationships.This showed how teaching goes beyondtransmitting knowledge to students. Teach-ers and counselors understand that highschool students are mature so they encour-age them to think about their future andhelp them to plan for future classes andfor future jobs. In addition to that, studentsat this age need to get advice and help fortheir personal problem. High school stu-dents behave in a more mature way andhave a sense of belonging to their school.They respect and care about each other andbecome aware of the important the rela-tionship among them.

The biggest difference among schoolswas on Security and Maintenance andInstructional Management. According to(Murphy, 1983) principals should be sys-tematic about getting around the schooleach day so they had a chance to observehowever briefly, all aspects of the school'sfunctioning. Principals should visit all thedifferent subsettings within their school.This is very important for the principalsbecause it gives them a chance to assesshow well their school is running and go tocatch in the bud any potential problems.Gottfredson (1984) pointed out that care-ful planning and the implementation ofsound programs can lead to safer schools.If principals diagnosis is that the school isunsafe because of a lack of clear rules andfirm rule enforcement, their goal might beto increase safety by making sure the rules

are understood by all and consistently andfairly enforced.

An analysis of variance was used alsoto compare schools on their responses onthe principal's communication survey. Theresult was also significant (F (5, 169) =19.36, P<.001) which indicated thatschools were different in their principal'scommunication effectiveness. All the prin-cipals should understand the role ofeffective communication on their jobs.They also should increases their aware-ness of the need for keeping an openclimate and good communication with theirteachers and staff.

To compare between male and femaleschools on their school climate, an inde-pendent t-test was conducted on each of the8 categories of the school climate survey.Again, to control on Type I error, level ofsignificance was set at .01. The results areshown in Table 2.

Significant differences were observedbetween males and females on Securityand Maintenance, Student Behavioral Val-ues, Student-Peer Relationships, andInstructional Management. In each of thesecategories, school climate in femaleschools was better than that in the maleschools. Although environment is the samefor males and females schools in the UAE,these differences might due to the natureof females either staff or students who liketo keep the school building clean and neat.As for Student Behavior, Student-PeerRelations, and Instructional Management,it is difficult to conclude from the availabledata why there are differences betweenmales and female students on these cate-gories.

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Table 2Comparisons among Schools and between Males and Females

Category (Subscale)Teacher-Student RelationsSecurity and MaintenanceStudent Academic OrientationStudent Behavioral ValuesGuidanceStudent-Peer RelationshipsInstructional ManagementStudent Activities

F-test6.7014.046.285.623.544.0010.754.54

Sig..000.000.000.000.004.001.000.000

T-test0.583.212.553.740.514.124.931.42

Sig..559.001.021.000.608.000.000.157

When comparing between male andfemale schools on the principal commu-nication effectiveness, the overall mean ofmales responses was 4.20 while the over-all females responses was 3.61. Thisdifference was statistically significant (t =5.78, p<.001).This means that communi-cation in male schools is more effectivethan that of females. Andrews (1965) noteda positive correlation between principalpersonality and leadership style and theoverall openness or "closedness" of schoolclimate. That is, open climate schools tend-ed to have confident, cheerful, sociable,and resourceful principals, while princi-pals in closed climate schools tended to beevasive, traditional, worried, and frustrat-ed. Dukess (2001) asserted that principalsmust have sound records of success. Theyneed very strong interpersonal skills; theyshould be good listeners and effective com-municators who can speak the truth.Principals need a variety of supports tohelp them on their way to success. Whilethere is a great deal of professional devel-opment that can be offered to groups andmuch of this is critical to a principal being

able to lead a school there is also somesupport that can best be provided on a one-to-one basis.

There is no question that the job ofschool principal is difficult, multi-faceted,and extremely demanding. Principal alsois key element in creating effective schoolclimate where student learn, improve,grow, and achieve their goals efficiently.Creating a collaborative environment andopen communication is a critical factor forsuccessful school improvement. The resultsof this study emphasis the importance ofeffective communication between princi-pals and teachers in schools. School climatewas found to be positively associated withprincipal's communication effectiveness.Better climate school was expected inschools where effective communicationbetween school principals and his/herteachers exists.

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Appendix ASchool Climate Survey

Teacher-Student Relations1. Students treated individually2. Teachers greet students in the hallway3. Students willing to go to teachers with personal and academic problems4. Teachers give students the grades they deserve5. Teachers in this school like their students6. Teachers help students to be triendly and kind to each other7. Teachers patient when students have trouble learning8. Teachers make extra efforts to help students9. Teachers understand and meet the needs of each student10. Students receive praise more than they are scolded by their teachers11. Teachers are fair to students12. Teachers explain carefully so that students can get their work doneSecurity and Maintenance13. Students usually feel safe in the school building14. Classrooms usually clean and neat15. The school building kept clean and neat16. The school building kept in good repair17. The school grounds neat and attractiveStudent Academic Orientation18. Students in this school understand why they are in school19. Students in this school interested in learning new things20. Students in this school have fun but also work hard on their studies21. Students work hard to complete their school assignmentsStudent Behavioral Values22. If one students makes fun of someone, other students join in23. Students in this school well-behaved even when the teachers are not watching them24. Most students do their work even if the teachers stepped out ofthe classroomGuidance25. Teachers or counselors encourage students to think about their future26. Teachers or counselors help students plan for future classes and for future jobs27. Teachers or counselors help students with personal problems28. Students in this school get help and advice from teachers or counselorsStudent-Peer Relationships29. Students care about each other30. Students respect each other31. Students want to be friends with one another32. Students have a sense of belonging in this schoolInstructional Management33. There is a clear set of rules for students in this school to follow34. Taking attendance and other tasks interfere with classroom teaching35. Teachers spend almost all classroom time in learning activities36. Students in this school usually have assigned school work to do37. Most classroom time spent talking about class work or assignments38. Teachers use class time to help students leam assigned work39. There are a lot of outside interruptions during class timeStudent Activities40. Students able to take part in school activities in which they are interested41. Students be in sports, music, and plays even if they are not very talented42. Students are comfortable staying after school for activities such as sports and music

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Appendix B

High School Principal's Communication Survey

Item1 Your principal makes you feel free to talk with him/her2 Your principal encourages you to let him/her know when things are not going

well on the job3 Your principal makes it easy for you to do your best work4 Your principal encourages you to bring new information to his/her attention, even

when it may be bad news5 Your principal makes you feel that things you tell him/her are really important

6 Your principal listens to you when you tell him/her about things that arebothering you

7 It is safe to say what you are really thinking to your principal8 You can "sound off about job frustration to your principal9 You can tell your principal about the way you feel he/she administers your

department, grade level, school, etc10 You are free to tell your principal that you disagree with him/her.11 You think that your principal believes he/she really understands you.12 Your principal really does understand you13 Your opinions make a difference in the day-to-day decisions that affect your

work14 Your principal lets you participate in the planning of your work15 You believe your views have real influence in your school16 You expect that recommendations you make will be heard and seriously

considered