PLANNING EDUCATIONAL POLICY - TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES - Abstract and Introduction

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines teacher perceptions of principals’ transformational leadership skills across school level and setting in Israel and the United States. It draws on responses from 615 Israeli teachers and 514 American teachers (n=1,129) to compare how teachers rate transformational leadership. Results show Israeli teachers perceive significantly higher transformational leadership, especially in relation to school level. Cultural perceptions of power distance, individualism, and masculinity are proposed to explain differences, informing policy and comparative research that consider culture and standardized testing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Educational planning and its policy role

School leadership and reform movements

International context and comparative practice

PLANNING EDUCATIONAL POLICY: TEACHER PERCEPTIONS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN ISRAEL AND THE UNITED STATES PETER R. LITCHKA ORLY SHAPIRA-LISHCHINSKY ABSTRACT Nations throughout the world continue to examine how to improve their system of education in terms of improving student achievement, so that each student has the opportunity to be a productive and successful member of the global society. For this to occur, each school must be successful in the development of high quality teaching and learning. School leadership is a critical component, since the principal has tremendous influence in transforming the culture by influencing, inspiring, challenging, and motivating teachers to continuously grow and improve. The goal of this study was to examine the teacher perceptions of the transformational leadership skills of school principals, according to the teachers’school level and setting, in both Israel and the United States. The study includes 615 Israeli teachers and 514 American teachers (n= 1,129). Results indicate that Israel teachers perceive transformational leadership of their principals significantly higher than teachers in the United States, particularly with the relationship between the level of the school and the transformational abilities of the principal. The findings may be explained by different culture perceptions of power distance, individualism, and masculinity. The results may help to plan policy in support of transformational leadership in terms comparative studies need to take into consideration the differences in culture as well as current policy regarding the degree of standardized testing, and its impact on how a principal leads the school. INTRODUCTION Planning is unavoidable process for linking organizational goals and outcomes with organizational means. Classical management theory construes planning as an executive function, reserved primarily for those upper-level managers with the most complete view of the organization as a whole. In school districts, planning has typically been viewed as a function of the up-level of educational administration (Howley et al., 2007) . Leadership continues to be a focus of researchers and policy-makers in the quest to understand how schools throughout the world can become more effective and successful in terms of the quality of both teaching and student learning (Hallinger, 2001; Marzano, et al, 2005;) . This focus is the result of the dramatic increase in reform movements within the educational systems found in nations around the world (Bell, Bolam, & Cubillo, 2003; Muijs, 2007) . Subsequently, a convergence of scholarship and interest has developed that seeks to transform structures, roles, and the core of effective school leadership, including but not limited to preparation for aspiring school leaders as well as continuous professional development and learning for current school leaders (Johnson, Moller, Jacobson & Wong, 2008; Whitaker, 2002; Zagorsek, Jaklic & Stough, 2004; ) . Planning in the educational environment is often thought of in terms of strategic planning, school improvement planning, planning for teacher professional development, curriculum planning, and related practices. In terms of planning for the support for aspiring and Educational Planning 45 Vol. 23, No. 2 current school leaders is, more times than no, viewed as a secondary not primary focus for policymakers (Grogan & Andrews, 2002; Su, Gamage, & Mininberg, 2003) . This has occurred, despite the strong suggestion that school leaders, second only to teachers, have a significant impact on improving student achievement (Marzano, et al, 2005) . While teachers may impact individual and small groups of students (including class of students), the overall success of all students in a school can be the result of the leadership provided by the school principal. Effective principals focus their leadership and managerial efforts to support both teacher effectiveness

FAQs

What does the study investigate about school leadership?

It investigates teachers’ perceptions of principals’ transformational leadership skills, considering differences by school level and setting in Israel and the United States.

How do Israeli and American teachers’ perceptions differ?

Israel teachers rate their principals’ transformational leadership significantly higher than teachers in the United States, particularly regarding how school level relates to perceived transformational abilities.

What factors does the study suggest to explain the cross-country differences?

The findings are explained through different cultural perceptions of power distance, individualism, and masculinity, alongside attention to how standardized testing influences leadership.

Oct 15, 2026

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