Principal Decision-making Research

The study of principals' decision-making is a question of practical significance and one of great theoretical value, which, with the development of scientized and school-based education management, has been put forward during the course of the democratization and legalization of education.Although the decision-making of principals belongs to the basic level, compared to other decision-making activities in education management in our country, it is of course the top-level activity in a concrete school unit. Its content and influence relate to all the fields of school management and it runs through the whole managerial process. The essential difference of the decision-making of principals from that of managers in companies lies in the fact that it is part of educational decision-making and its essential difference from that of other educators lies in the fact that the decision is made by principals. The role that principals play in principals' decision-making has no substitute.This essay consists of introductory remarks, conclusive part and six detailed chapters. In brief, it is composed of the following four parts:The first part includes the introductory remarks and the first chapter, in which the connotation, functions and significance of principals' decision-making are discussed. In this part the author also argues the necessity of the research into the decision-making of principals, makes a systematic exposition of its bases: the basis of policies, laws and regulations, the basis of education objects and management objects, the basis of schooling situation and the basis of scientific managerial theories and makes profound research into its basic principles: efficiency, practicality, humanity and value ethics and so on.The second part covers the second and the third chapters, in which the author states the general process and tactics of the decision-making and analyzes the main factors that influence principals' decision-making so as to pursue the best way of scientizing principals' decision-making. In this part, the author argues that educational concepts are the core of principals' decision-making, saying that principals must have a clear picture of the general educational concepts, including student-based management, school-based management, prospering the school by means of scientific research, and the buildup of the characteristic campus culture.The third part includes the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth chapters, in which the author studies and analyzes the functions and tactics of principals' decision-making in the making of development plans, construction of a high-quality staff and practical school-based management.The fourth part is the conclusive part, in which the author analyzes the new situation that principals face in decision-making and thus makes it clear what principals should focus on in decision-making in the future, that is, the scientization, democratization, legalization and flexibility of principals' decision-making.