Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of principals’ philosophical mindedness-experience-instruction on their philosophical mindedness and, in turn, on their school’s climate. Our population under study includes Mashhad industrial girls’ schools’ principals (N=40); our sampling unit consists of 12 principals what has selected non probability. In this semi-experimental research, we used two groups (experimental group, control group). Each group consists of 6 principals. The principals of experimental and control group were equalized in respect of managing education rate and social and political area. In this research, we used Halpin & Craft’s questionnaire for measuring a school’s climate and a philosophical mindedness questionnaire for measuring philosophical mindedness. At first, we measured schools’ climate, then a philosophical mindedness instruction course was held for 20 hours over 3 weeks (twice a week). Every day, two dimensions of 12 philosophical mindedness dimensions were taught by lecturing, questioning and answering; then principals practiced in groups and applied these dimensions about one of schools’ problems that they had. Also, throughout the research, we had private instruction sessions (for 12 hours) to have a frequent instruction and we got in touch with principals. At the end of the educational year, we measured the schools’ climate again and compared it with the last results. It must be remembered before and after philosophical mindedness instruction to principals, they completed the philosophical mindedness questionnaire. The results of this research show that philosophical mindedness instruction to principals expands and widens their philosophical mindedness. By considering countless variables that interfere in schools’ climate, 7 hypotheses of this research about the impact of principals’ philosophical mindedness instruction on teacher’s spirit, their intimacy, principals’ opposition, consideration, aloofness, trust and production emphasis didn’t show significant change; therefore they weren’t proved. Only one hypothesis was confirmed - that philosophical mindedness instruction to principals increases their engagement and interest.