Power Sources Used by School Principals: A Mixed-Method Study

This study has been conducted through mixed-method approach to investigate the views of school principals and teachers regarding the power sources preferred by the principals. The study uses sequential explanatory design. First, quantitative data on teachers’ perceptions of power sources is obtained from 320 secondary school teachers. After the analysis of quantitative data, qualitative data is obtained through interviews with six secondary school principals and six teachers in order to provide an in depth analysis of the quantitative data. The analyses of the teachers’ views on power sources demonstrate that school principals use legitimate power, reward power, and expert power at most; they use charismatic power moderately and coercive power at least. The results are consistent with quantitative findings of the research. This study shows that diverse power sources, instead of relying on authority, make a positive impact on teachers’ performance. Therefore, informing school principals about the power sources is vital for an effective administration.