The elementary principal as instructional leader in an era of reform : reskilling and deskilling and the implications of training for instructional excellence

Effective schools research has strongly indicated that instructional leadership is an important aspect of the principal's role even though research has indicated that principals are more likely to be passively involved m the instructional aspects of the school (Boyd and Crowson, 1981: Dwyer, et al, 1984; Martin and Willower, 1981: Sproull, 1981). Thia focus on instructional leadership has been reinforced by a rash of reform movements from federal and state governments and from local school districts. Within the District participating in thia study, the implementation of the Madeline Hunter Model for Instruction and Instructional Supervision (MIS) had been introduced as an effective and efficient way of improving instruction and developing instructional leadership skills. Efficiency management has been perceived as being achieved through control. Technical controls have been traced to the influences of Fredrick Taylor's scientific management (1947). Reminiscent of the influences of Taylor's search for the "one-beat way" to accomplish a task and Braverman a (1974) analysis of the influential principles of Taylor, application and implementation of MIS with accomoanyinQ rules and regulations apoears to parallel the effective use of controls. Braverman and others have associated these controls with loss of craft and with the process of proletarianization and the tendencies of reskilling, deskilling, and intensification (Apple, 1983: Berber, 1982: Ginsburg and Spatig, 1985; Larson, 1980). In general, the research questions asked how the elementary principals participating in this study had experienced the implementation of the Hunter Model and the ways in which MIS had influenced their work. Qualitative research techniques were selected to answer the research questions. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and district documents. [...]