The role of the principal in establishing and further developing an independent Christian or Islamic school in Australia

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify the role of the principal in establishing and further developing a Christian or Islamic school in Australia, and to determine whether or not the role is important to that establishment and further development. Principals in newly established Christian and Islamic schools were studied as these schools have shown the greatest increase within the period of investigation between the years 1997 to 2004. Since this period these schools have continued to grow. The numbers of these schools in Australia in 2009 are 132 Christian and 31 Islamic schools (Independent Schooling in Australia, Snapshot, 2009). The research used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A questionnaire was devised and administered (with a Likert scale and open-ended question types) as the first phase of the investigation. The questionnaire results were analysed through the use of the SPSS (data analysis) program. The questionnaire aimed to identify the role of the principal in establishing and further developing an independent Christian or Islamic school in Australia; what elements influenced the establishment and further development of the school; and also to identify, which schools and principals were to be selected for the second phase of the research, the interviews. Eight schools (that were established from 1997 onwards) were selected for further investigation. Six Christian and two Islamic schools were selected. Three people from each school were interviewed through telephone interviews: the principal, a board member and a teacher or an executive member of the teaching staff. The third phase of the research was a content analysis of documents. Documents from the eight schools involved in phase two of the study were collected and analysed by focusing on the research sub-questions and whether information from the documents correlated with the information gained from the questionnaire and the interview responses, to achieve triangulation of the data gathered. The documents analysed included those on schools' website, newsletters, handbooks, annual reports and any other documents which could be gained from the schools. The major findings from the research indicated that the role of the principal in establishing and further developing a Christian or an Islamic school is very important. The research also identified that the principal's role in these phases of the school is affected by internal and external elements. Further, the role of the principal can be defined by the interrelationship amongst internal and external elements, is where the principal may act as a gatekeeper between these elements, and where the role may be affected by a school's individual context. The main internal element was found to be the principal, who has several responsibilities which are unique to Christian and Islamic school principals. These unique responsibilities include: finding a site for the school by carrying out an initial demographic study; ensuring that the registration process of the school is completed; ensuring that appropriate teachers are employed who will be strong founding teachers supporting the ethos and vision of the school; and ensuring that all the school policies are developed in alignment with the ethos (religious and cultural values) of the school to achieve the vision of the school. To undertake these above stated responsibilities, the principal has to possess particular qualities. The most important quality the principals of these schools possess is their religious beliefs, following and practising the same religion as the school's parental body or the founding body. The other important quality the principals of these schools must possess is to be visionary with the ability of creating amongst staff, the parents and the wider community a common vision to establish the Christian or Islamic school. For the further development of a Christian or Islamic school, the principal

Date of Award	2009
Original language	English