Term of Award

Fall 2006

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Education Administration (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Committee Chair

Barbara J. Mallory

Committee Member 1

Michael D. Richardson

Committee Member 2

Mary Jackson

Committee Member 3

TC Chan

Abstract

The researcher's purpose in this study was to obtain the perceptions of principals regarding recess in Georgia's elementary schools, their recess practices, their considerations in developing recess, their guidelines of implementing recess, and principal's demographics. The quantitative data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) (1999)-program version 11.0. The researcher developed a Likert-scale survey that was mailed to 500 Georgia elementary principals. Two hundred ten principals completed and returned the questionnaire. In the overarching question, the researcher proposed to examine the perceptions of principals regarding recess in Georgia elementary schools. The following findings support principals' perceived recess positively in Georgia elementary schools with an above average level of agreement. In sub-question 1, seven recess practices used in Georgia elementary schools as perceived by principals were analyzed by the researcher. The researcher's findings revealed that principals had a 62% or higher total percentage of agreement rating. In sub-question 2, the considerations of principals in developing recess time at their school were analyzed by nine recess considerations. The researcher's findings revealed that principals had a 54% or higher total percentage of agreement rating, except consideration 1. In sub-question 3, the principal's guidelines of implementing recess time in Georgia elementary schools were analyzed by six guidelines. The researcher's findings revealed that principals had an 80% or higher total percentage of agreement rating. In sub-question 4, the researcher examined principal's demographics to determine the differences in their perceptions of school recess. In regards to gender, the researcher's findings revealed that there was no significant difference between male and female with general perceptions, practices, or considerations. There was a significant difference in the way male and female looked at guidelines. Female principals had a higher level of agreement with the guidelines. In regards to race, the findings confirmed that there were no significant differences in considerations and implementation. There was a significant difference in principals' general perceptions and practices. Caucasians had a higher level of agreement in principals' general perceptions and practices. No significant difference was found in principals' responses regarding perceptions of recess in level of experience and degree level.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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