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This article reports findings from an investigation of the personality traits and resilience of a sample of preschool principals in Greece. It parallels an earlier investigation of primary school principals and compares the findings. As before, the investigation was designed to search for relationships between respondents’ personality characteristics and resilience strengths, and also for differences associated with sex, age, and years of service in the principalship. Once again, the “Big-Five Inventory” and the “Leadership Resilience Profile” were used. These outcomes, together with the demographics of the sample, suggested that Greek preschool principals may have unique dispositions, and therefore, may have unique professional-development needs and leadership preferences.

A quantitative survey was used to gather the data from a sample of 100 pre school teachers. The “Big Five Inventory” and the “Leadership Resilience Profile” were the instruments used.

It was found that the sample’s personality characteristics and resilience strengths differed somewhat from norms reported in the literature. Furthermore, the findings concerning relationships between resilience and personality did not align clearly with other researchers’ findings.

Resilience and personality characteristics as determinants of successful school leadership.

The purpose of this paper is to report findings from an investigation of Greek principals’ attitudes and perceptions concerning parental involvement in schools – research prompted by the belief that the information will be useful in attempts to make Greek schools more effective.

The participants of the study were secondary school principals and vice principals from one Prefecture in Central Greece. The questionnaire used elicited information about the participants’ demographics, the main features of the schools they were serving in, and their views concerning existing and preferred school-family partnerships.

The principals in the investigation seemed to be not only in favor of parental participation, but also saw a need to increase it. In general, then, the findings support others’ reports that parents’ participation in schools – in this instance secondary schools – tends to be less than satisfactory.

In Greece, the issue of parental involvement in schools has not received adequate attention until recently. The latest school reforms emphasize the notion of parental involvement as a significant factor for the effectiveness of the Greek schools.