The congruence between the values of the principal and the values espoused in the mission of a Quaker school.

摘要

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how a non-Quaker principal of a Quaker School promoted the values of the school, evaluate how the espoused values of the mission of the school are similar to the values held by the principal, and assess what evidence there was that the principal used value modeling behavior to influence school culture.;The study was conducted in a preschool through twelfth grade Quaker school. The values that this school purported to promote were studied. The data were qualitative and consisted of summaries of interviews, field notes taken while observing the principal, and a review of school documents which this administrator wrote. This was a case study for the purpose of looking at the congruence between the principal's values and the values of the school as espoused in the mission statement and in the history of Quaker education, and evaluating an administrator's influence on the formation of values in the context of the whole school environment.;An understanding of the congruence between an administrator's values and the values delineated in a school's mission and the role an administrator plays in students' value formation may be advantageous to school leaders who wish to foster the formation of values in students.;It was found that a specific set of values enumerated in the school's mission statement were repeated and modeled by teachers, staff, and the principal. The program at the school combines inquiry, reasoning, reflection, and discussion with community service so that students also learn through their own experiences.;Because the principal's values were similar to the school's, he was able to promote them consistently, thus demonstrating how important it is for the school and its leader to have similar values.