Abstract
This study seeks to contribute to the literature on instructional and transformational
leadership among urban school principals by investigating the relationship between instructional
and transformational leadership on the one hand, and professional self-efficacy (comprised of
both skills and practices) and professional beliefs and attitudes towards diversity, on the other.
The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-efficacy and beliefs and attitudes
towards diversity predict whether urban school principals exercise instructional and/or
transformational leadership. This study also sought to determine whether ethic/racial differences
occurred among principals exercising instructional and/or transformational leadership. Data was
collected from 139 urban school principals in Southern California who completed an online
survey consisting of queries for demographic information as well as questions from the Principal
Instructional Management Rating Scale, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, the Principal
Self-Efficacy Survey, and the Professional Beliefs About Diversity Scale.
Multiple regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between professional selfefficacy
(skills and practices) and professional beliefs and attitudes towards diversity with the
frequency in which urban school principals engaged in instructional and transformational
leadership practices. The study also found that White urban school principals reported more
frequent use of instructional leadership practices than their African-American counterparts. No
significant ethnic/racial differences among principals occurred in the area of transformational
leadership. Interestingly, the study found that urban charter school principals had a higher level
of professional self-efficacy and positive belief towards diversity than traditional district
principals. Lastly, implications and directions for future research are discussed.