Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects as seen by elementary principals of collective bargaining on the role of the elementary school principal, in California, in the areas of educational program, personnel and management. Methodology. The method used in this study was descriptive with a questionnaire survey utilized to obtain data. The participants were selected through a random sampling procedure utilizing all public elementary school principals in the state of California as the population. Participants were asked to respond to a series of 30 statements having to do with their role in the educational program, personnel, and management. They indicated whether their role had: "remained the same," "increased" or "decreased" as a result of collective bargaining. The response categories of "increased" and "decreased" were combined and classified as "change" and the response category of "remained the same" as "no change." The major null hypotheses tested were: (1) There will be no significant differences between the observed responses and chance responses of elementary principals' perceptions of the change in their role in the educational program as a result of collective bargaining; (2) There will be no significant differences between the observed responses and chance responses of elementary principals' perceptions of the change in their role in personnel as a result of collective bargaining; (3) There will be no significant differences between the observed responses and chance responses of elementary principals' perceptions of the change in their role in management as a result of collective bargaining. The statistical treatment of chi square was used to determine significance at the .05 level. Results. Based on the data in this study, the first and third hypotheses were rejected. The second hypothesis was accepted. The author concluded that: (1) Elementary school principals generally were in agreement that their role has remained the same in the educational program and management as a result of collective bargaining, (2) Elementary school principals were not in agreement as to the effects of collective bargaining on their role in personnel. A nearly equal number of respondents in the personnel domain reported "change" as contrasted to "no change" in their role as a result of collective bargaining. The data for personnel revealed the greatest change in role for the elementary school principal as a result of collective bargaining; (3) For those elementary school principals reporting a change in their role, there was agreement that the change was in the "increase in role" direction. This was true for all three areas studied; (4) The effects of collective bargaining on the role of the elementary school principal were viewed similarly by respondents representing the demographic of: sex, years of experience as an elementary school principal, number of elementary schools in the district, elementary or unified district, and chronological age.