Attitudes of Principals in Iowa Public Schools Regarding the Desirability/Feasibility of Using Quality Circles Procedures with Professional Staff Members

Abstract

The problem. Educators and laymen alike have expressed concerns regarding what appears to be deteriorating services of the public school system. Attention has focused upon the premise that educators are not operating in such a manner as to promote productive quality work. Representatives of business and industry recommend that educators incorporate the concept of Quality Circles in the professional setting. For Quality Circles to be successful in the school setting, it is important that building principals as educational leaders be supportive of the program. The purpose of this study was to determine how principals in Iowa public schools viewed the desirability/feasibility of using the six Quality Circles procedures with professional staff members to improve productivity and quality of work. Procedure. One hundred eight building principals from public schools were selected for participation in the study. This selection was achieved through a stratified random sampling segregating districts by size and level. Findings. The study yielded the following findings: (1) Elementary, middle school and high school principals from both small and large districts predominately viewed the six Quality Circles procedures individually and in total as desirable and feasible to use with professional staff members to improve productivity and quality of work. (2) Seventy percent of the principals from elementary, middle school and high schools agreed with the desirability/feasibility of using the six Quality Circles procedures individually or as a group with professional staff members to improve productivity and quality of work. Conclusions. Quality Circles procedures involve staff members in a six-step concept of shared responsibility/decision-making experiences in the work place. Principals from public schools in Iowa regardless of administrative responsibility or school size view Quality Circles procedures singularly or as a group as desirable and feasible to use with professional staff members to improve productivity and quality of work.