| Much research has focused on the educational goals for students for the year 2000. Numerous studies have been conducted on the progress made toward these goals. However, few studies have specifically focused on the skills needed by principals to enable them to be successful as leaders who assist students in achieving the outlined, anticipated educational goals. The objective of this study was to examine elementary school principals' perceptions regarding the acquisition of those administrative skills needed for both present and future administrators. Therefore, in this investigation, answers to the following questions were sought: (1) To what extent would the variables gender, ethnicity, age and years of experience affect elementary school principals perceptions regarding the administrative behavior aspect of administrative skills? (2) To what extent would the variables gender, ethnicity, age and years of experience affect elementary school principals perceptions regarding the schoolwide vision aspect of administrative skills? (3) To what extent world the variables gender, ethnicity, age, and years of experience affect elementary school principals perceptions regarding the philosophical orientation aspect of administrative skills? and (4) To what extent would the variables gender, ethnicity, age, and years of experience affect elementary school principals perception regarding the knowledge base aspect of administrative skills?;A 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 Factorial Design was used in this investigation. The 589 elementary school principals from the southeastern region of Texas formed the population for the investigation. Cluster sampling and stratified sampling procedure were utilized to obtain the sample of 176 participants. The Administrative Skills Questionnaire, designed by the researcher, was the primary instrument used in the study. The Four-Way Analysis of Variance was used to analyze the data. All hypothesis formulated were tested at the.05 level or better.;Data analysis found that the variables gender, age, ethnicity, and years of experience collectively did not produce a significant effect on the perceptions of elementary school principals toward the acquisition of administrative behavior, schoolwide vision, philosophical orientation, and knowledge base. The variables gender and ethnicity; age and years of experience: and age, ethnicity, and years of experience combined did not produce a significant effect on the administrative behavior, schoolwide vision, philosophical orientation, and knowledge base aspects of administrative skills. |
