CHAPTER 4: PHASE ONE – SURVEY DATA RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
4.7 SURVEY ANALYSIS: OPEN-ENDED RESPONSES
4.7.3 Willingness to Apply
4.7.3.1.3 System-Based Administrators
The system-based administrators also identified a number of influences that would impact their decision to apply for school principal positions within Adventist Schools in Australia. Discussion of the influences under the substantive themes identified by ASA employees in Table 4. 24 for the system-based administrators is found below.
4.7.3.1.3.1 Internal Driver: Challenge
For these system-based administrators, a sense of the challenge of school leadership existed which influenced their decision to apply for school leadership positions, but not to the same extent as their classroom teacher and school-based administrator colleagues. Comments such as “Building school culture”, “Learning, and therefore opportunities for professional growth”, “Enjoy driving the whole program” and “Strategically directing school future direction” still identify that a sense of challenge exists that does influence the decision to apply for school leadership positions.
4.7.3.1.3.2 Internal Driver: Make a Difference
For system-based administrators, a significant influence in their decision to apply for school leadership positions would be the positive difference they believe they could make in these roles. Comments such as “Wishing to make a quality Educational difference”, “Change agent”, “Possible impact/positive outcome for students and community”, “If I felt I could make a difference that added to the value of the school community”, “Opportunity to build a top-quality school through building a positive school culture”, and “Ability to make a difference in the lives of students” all indicate the belief that having the opportunity to positively make a difference in the school and its community influence their decision to apply for school principal positions. It is worth noting that for the system-based administrator hierarchical level, this was the most often cited influence on the decision to apply for school leadership positions.
4.7.3.1.3.3 Worldview Factor: Spiritual/Calling
For these system-based administrators, a spiritual/calling dimension is clearly a significant influence on the decision to apply for school leadership positions. Second in frequency of mention only to the opportunity to make a difference, the
spiritual/calling component resonated strongly with this hierarchical level. Comments such as “A call for the role”, “Adding Adventist Christian faith in the community to connect students, families and staff to Christ”, “Sharing the love of Jesus to the students and families”, “Opportunity to promote authentic Christianity”, and “Feeling convicted that this is where God wants me to serve” all illustrate that a significant spiritual component influences the decision of these system-based administrators to apply for school leadership positions.
4.7.3.1.3.4 Potential Willingness Factor: Professional Support
System-based administrators acknowledged that professional support elements would likely impact on their decision to apply for school-leadership positions. Opportunities for further study were identified, as well as the need to review the support given to new leaders. Additionally, these system-based administrators felt that clarifying routes to leadership would influence the decision to apply for school leadership, with comments such as “…pathways need to be really clear” and “I’d like to see us map out some potential routes to leadership within our system” indicative of this view. System-based administrators also expressed a desire to have a formalised, guided program for new principals as a support structure.
4.7.3.1.3.5 Potential Willingness Factor: System Support
Similar to professional support, these system-based administrators made no direct reference to the need for a supportive education system structure, or support needed by other system personnel. There was a desire expressed for a culture of
“collegiality”, and being “part of a team” was mentioned, which implies a supportive environment, at least at the school level, but references were not given which indicated that a supportive education system at all administrative levels would influence the decision to apply for school leadership positions.
4.7.3.1.3.6 Potential Willingness Factor: System Staffing
The system-based administrators made numerous mentions of the desire to see acting positions made use of within the ASA education system. This was seen as something which may provide opportunities for developing leaders, and also to evidence leader readiness. While the challenges of staffing such acting positions was noted, these administrators were able to articulate the benefits of having acting positions included on personal service records. Additionally, it was perceived that implementing an appraisal system on a national level, would help to assist system staffing, and could be used to help identify, and again evidence leader readiness. Again, the challenges of this were noted, with system-based administrators identifying that with ASA having no real governance, rolling out such an appraisal system on a national level would be difficult.
A view was also presented by these administrators that there was often a lack of awareness of leadership positions that were vacant. There was some skepticism about the number of ASA employees who knew to look on the ASA website for positions available; this may need to be more widely communicated.
4.7.3.1.3.7 Potential Willingness Factor: Remuneration
While remuneration appeared to be a significant influence on the decision to apply for school leadership roles by the classroom teacher and school-based administrator hierarchical levels, it was far less of influence for system-based administrators. Only one reference was made to remuneration – “Pay increase” – suggesting remuneration is not considered by this hierarchical level to be a significant influence on their
decision to apply for school leadership positions.