Quantitative analysis of the relationship between factors of servant leadership, school culture and academic achievement in ten Missouri middle-level schools

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] The purpose of the study was to explore and analyze the relationships among the factors of servant leadership, school culture, and student achievement in Missouri public middle-level schools. The method of analysis was quantitative with survey data being used to determine if any relationships exist between factors of servant leadership, school culture and student achievement data from the 2014 Missouri Assessment Program tests in Mathematics and Communication Arts. A total of 119 teachers from 10 middle-level schools in Missouri comprised the population of the study. Data from the two surveys as well as student achievement data were aggregated at the school level and analyzed using Pearson product-moment coefficient correlations and multiple regression analysis to determine the relationships. The results suggest that principal servant leadership behaviors have statistically significant influence on the factors of school culture. The study also found that while controlling for enrollment and free and reduced lunch that free and reduced lunch statistically and significantly influenced student achievement. Explanatory models were designed from the findings to illustrate the relationships between servant leadership, school culture, and student achievement.