Principals’ Managerial Roles in Pontian District, Johor, Malaysia

摘要

The responsibilities of a principal include those of a manager and of an instructional leader. The ability to balance managerial and leadership roles significantly affects quality management practices. The following research examines the three main roles played by a principal in managing a school. The roles are based on Mintzberg’s (197 3 ) managerial role model and Mansor’s (2006) principals’ managerial role model. They are interpersonal, informational, and decisional. The research is quantitative and employs a survey method involving 66 principals in Pontian district, Johor, Malaysia. The findings show that the level of practice in all three managerial roles is very high. Inferential analysis reveals that there is no significant difference in roles played by the principals in terms of gender, school categories, or length of service. The findings raise important issues that warrant immediate action by educational policymakers, such as the need to develop more relevant standards that prioriti z e interpersonal, informational, and decisional roles over non-related tasks .