Education Students' Perceptions of School Administrators

Abstract

As specialization has increasingly become a central characteristic of our society, the competition for talent among various professions and occupations has been intensified. Those closely associated with educational administration are highly conscious of the need to attract able and imaginative people to the profession. Under the leadership of such groups as the American Association of School Administrators, the National Conference of Professors of Educational Administration, and the University Council for Educational Administration, extensive efforts to upgrade educational administration have been under way for some time. Public school administrators are generally selected from those who are or have been classroom teachers. While the desirability of this practice can be debated, it appears unlikely that it will change to an appreciable extent in the near future. Many factors undoubtedly influence the receptivity of teachers and prospective teachers to educational administration as a career goal. The perceptions of school administrators held by prospective teachers may be especially pertinent. Research on this matter might also furnish useful data on related problem areas such as those involving socialization into the profession and teacher-administrator relations. This study reports on education students' perceptions of public school administrators.