A Comparison of the Perceptions of Superintendants and Elementary Principals Concerning Collective Bargaining in Iowa

Abstract

The problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of Iowa superintendents and elementary principals concerning the effect of ten years of collective bargaining on the educational process and human interaction within the educational setting. Procedure. A questionnaire for collecting demographic information and attitudinal responses was collected from responding administrators throughout Iowa. The information was analyzed for a significant difference of perceptions of the two groups of administrators with respect to the impact of collective bargaining on the educational process. The statistical t-test was used to test each of the five hypotheses. Findings, An analysis of the data gathered indicated that participation in the collective bargaining process affects, directly or indirectly, the entire administrative team. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the perceptions of superintendents and elementary principals regarding the effects of collective bargaining on the educational process and human interaction. Conclusions. Human interaction is an area of concern that is being addressed to improve communication skills among professionals in education. Collective bargaining is viewed as a tool by which administrators are involved in shared decision making. Negotiation is an expression of one strategy to achieve professional goals. Recommendations. Further research is strongly recommended. More research is warranted to find out as much as possible about the perceptions of administrators concerning the implementation of the negotiated agreement.