Development and Validation of the School Leader Empowering Behaviours (SLEB) Scale
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Development and Validation of the School Leader Empowering Behaviours (SLEB) Scale Ai Noi Lee • Youyan Nie
Ó De La Salle University 2012
Abstract Despite a growing interest in using empowerment as a leadership strategy to enhance teachers’ work motivation to play a more central role in educational change, there is still limited research on how leaders in school organisations empower teachers. One possible reason might be due to the lack of relevant measures for assessing empowering behaviours of leaders in the educational contexts. This study developed and validated the School Leader Empowering Behaviours (SLEB) scale in the Singapore educational context. A convenience sample of 304 teachers from the Singapore schools participated in the study. The sample was randomly split into two subsamples, Sample 1 (N = 142) and Sample 2 (N = 162). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted in Sample 1 to determine the number of factors and select the items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in Sample 2 for cross-validation to confirm the factorial structure of the scale and examine the model-data fit. Results from both EFA and CFA provided support for a seven-factor SLEB scale as well as a higher order factor structure. Each sub-scale of the SLEB showed good internal consistency reliability and predictive validity. The potential uses of the SLEB scale were also discussed. Keywords Scale development and validation Factor analysis Psychological empowerment School Leader Empowering Behaviours Singapore context
A. N. Lee (&) Y. Nie Psychological Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction In the past three decades, waves of educational reforms have been observed in many educational systems worldwide (e.g. Cheng 2009; Hargreaves 1994; Heck and Hallinger 1999; Somech 2002). Although the pace and progress of educational reforms vary among countries, some of the major common trends which include a move towards decentralisation, school-based management, a greater emphasis on teacher empowerment and sustained school effectiveness have been observed (e.g. Fullan 2006; Geijsel et al. 2003; Ng 2008; Reyes 1989; Somech 2005; Wan 2005). In parallel with these evolving trends, advocates see an imperative need to redefine the roles of school leaders and teachers to meet the new needs and challenges in education (e.g. Hargreaves 1994; Somech 2005; Wan 2005). Particularly, there is a general recognition that teachers’ voice, ideas and commitment are key to the success of school reforms (e.g. Fullan 2006; Short and Greer 1997; Short and Rinehart 1992; Somech 2005; Yin et al. 2011; Yu et al. 2002). As a result, there is also a parallel need for a more empowering form of school leadership, in contrast with the traditional top-down, authoritative form of school leadership, to effectively empower teachers to take a more active and leading role in the school improvement process (e.g. Muijs and Harris 2003, Short a
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