Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between the perceived leadership style of preschool directors and the perceived job satisfaction of preschool teachers at selected accredited private Christian early education sites in Southern California. Methodology. This explanatory study used a correlational method for quantitative research. 88 early education teachers, from six accredited private Christian early education sites in southern California, participated in this study. Two surveys were utilized to obtain data, the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Observer Form, to assess the frequency of administrator behaviors; and the Purdue Teacher Opinionaire (PTO) to evaluate teacher job satisfaction. Numerical data from each survey was analyzed to determine mean values. Values were calculated with one another, using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation, to determine the existence of relationships. Findings. This study determined, from the numerical data collected and analyzed, that behaviors which Enable Others to Act are mostly frequently observed by participants. Leadership behaviors that Encourage the Heart are the least frequently observed behaviors, according to participants. In evaluation of teacher job satisfaction, the three areas with the highest mean scores were Rapport among Other Teachers, Rapport with Administrator, and Community Support of Education. Areas with lowest mean values in job satisfaction among participants were Teacher Workload, Teacher Salary, and Community Pressures. Relationships were identified between Enable Others to Act and all areas of job satisfaction, to varying degrees. Teacher Salary had few significant correlations with any of the LPI behaviors. Conclusions. Behaviors elicited by administrators can impact a teacher's overall job satisfaction. Correlations found in this study, between areas of leadership behaviors and teacher job satisfaction, indicate which behaviors impact specific areas of job satisfaction. Recommendations. Further research that incorporates the perceptions of the administrator would provide information regarding the gap between perceived leadership behaviors from the teacher and the leader. Additional studies should include a larger sample size that extends beyond private Christian sites and into public and Headstart centers. Programs designed to develop early education leadership should incorporate the findings to better prepare leaders in effective behaviors for teacher job satisfaction. Further disaggregation of data by specific demographics would also allow for deeper understanding of optimal leadership behaviors in a variety of situations or scenarios.