Abstract
Principals have a crucial role to play in the formation of an effective and efficient school. It is extremely important that the school administrators have the leading features in order to achieve such a significant role. A school administrator with leadership characteristics may affect teachers to spend voluntary efforts to achieve the school's development and objectives. From this point of view, it can be said that leadership behaviors of principals might have an effect on both commitment to organization and trust to organization. Purpose of this research is to determine if there is a significant difference between commitment level of preschool teachers to their schools and organizational trust levels according to teachers' opinions regarding leadership practices of their principals.
Method: Participants of the research includes 158 preschool teachers working in city center and districts of 254 preschool teachers working in Burdur. In research a questionnaire was used as data collection tool. At first part personal information about preschool teachers were asked. In data collection tool there are three scales. In research firstly organizational trust of preschool teachers at school will be measured with “Organizational Trust Scale” of Daboval, Comish, Swindle and Gaster (1994). The said scale was adapted into Turkish by Kamer (2001) and used. Polat (2007) tested validity and reliability of the scale again. Teachers' opinions about leadership practices of principals at preschool institutions and primary schools will be gathered with Leadership Practices Inventory developed by Kouzes and Posner (2003). Scale was adapted into Turkish by Yavuz (2010). In order to rate organizational commitment level of preschool teachers at schools Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Meyer and Allen (1997) was used. Validity and reliability of this scale which was developed to apply generally in all organizations in measuring organizational commitment of teachers to their schools were examined by Yalçın (2009).
Data to be acquired was analyzed through SPSS 15.0 (Statistical Packages for The Social Sciences) computer program. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and MANOVA.
Results: According to the findings, there is a significant difference in teachers' evaluations regarding leadership practices of principals about organizational trust and organizational commitment of preschool teachers (Wilks' Lambda= 0.677, F(4-269)=15.920, p<.05, Æž2=0.17). When Æž2 value of leadership practices of principal is examined, it is seen that effects of leadership practices on organizational trust and commitment are high. When organizational trust and commitment variables are examined individually, it is seen that there is significant difference in organizational trust of teachers according to the teachers evaluations about leadership practices of principals (F(2-149)=29.095, Æž2=0.28, p<.01). Also it is seen that commitment grades of teachers differ greatly according to teachers evaluations about leadership practices of principals (F(2-149)=16.741, Æž2=0.18, p<.01).
Conclusion: It was found that teachers' organizational trust and commitments show a significant difference according to evaluation of teachers about leadership practices of principals. As seen leadership behaviors of directors directly affect positive interaction required for teachers' showing trust and commitment to their school. As a conclusion, it is obvious that leadership behaviors of principals at preschool institutions change organizational trust and commitments of teachers in a positive way. Thus it can be suggested that principals carry out studies to enhance organizational trust and commitment besides leadership skills and should be trained accordingly.