- The data were rigorously scored and prepared (3/3) – Cerit provides a clear explanation of the scoring process and results of the questionnaire. The servant leadership scale (OLA), developed by Laub in 1999, was used in this research. It is a measurement scale that uses six factors of servant leadership. Respondents were required to respond to questions using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). (Cerit, Y. 2009, P 608). Plano-Clark and Creswell suggest that clear and consistent manners should be used to score the data. (Plano-Clark and Creswell, 2015, P 278). The scale used is clearly described and it is consistent. The author also clearly explains how the data was prepared.
- Good descriptive analyses were conducted (2/3) – The author outlines the correlation matrix, the standard deviation, standardized regression coefficients (β ), and variance inflation factors (VIF). The tables provide information on the central tendency as well as the mean. The tables were somewhat confusing to interpret as not all of the statistical variables used align with the statistical variables in Plano-Clark and Creswell. For a person with no statistics courses in their background, it is difficult to understand what each variable represents.
- Good hypothesis testing procedures were used (1/3) – Upon my review of the article, I cannot see that a null hypothesis is stated. Cerit states an alternative hypothesis.The author does provide Cronbach’s alpha coefficient but does not provide the alpha level. The researcher did collect, analyze and interpret the data that was collected in the questionnaire.
- The results are comprehensive (2/3) – The study refers to number of years of teaching experience, gender and level of education however they only do this to clarify that the selection of teachers is random. They do not report the results based on these different variables. Cerit does comment on the reliability of the OLA. “The OLA is a reliable instrument for measuring servant leadership. The internal consistency of the survey instrument was reliable at an acceptable level.” (Cerit Y., 2009, P 609-610).
- The results include sufficient information (2/3) – The author provides tables and figures. As previously stated, I personally found the tables somewhat difficult to interpret as not all of the variables align with Plano-Clark and Creswells variables. Cerit does provide a p value and did provide a clear determination that significant results were found. (Plano-Clark and Creswell, 2015, P 279).
- The data analysis represents a good process (3/3) – SPSS was used for the data analysis (Cerit Y., 2009, P 610). The analysis provided an explanation with the correlation between variables. The analysis was deductive, linear and objective.
- The results provide a good explanation of the study’s purpose (3/3) – “The results of this study revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between servant leadership behaviours of principals and teachers’ job satisfaction, and that servant leadership behaviours of principals had a significant effect on job satisfaction.” (Cerit, Y., 2009, P 613). Cerit provides the reader with a clear understanding of the results and purpose of the study.
References
Cerit, Y. (2009). The Effects of Servant Leadership Behaviours of School Principals on Teachers’ Job Satisfaction. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 37(5), 600. doi:10.1177/1741143209339650
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 5th Edition. [Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/#/books/9780133570847/
Plano-Clark, V., Creswell, J. (2015). Understanding research: A consumer’s guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.