Perceived competency disparities between pre-service training and job demands of primary school administrators

The aim of this study is to explore whether school administrators' training has provided necessary knowledge and competency for school management, which allows school administrators to cope with current demands in their profession. This study also examines competency disparities based on a survey. The 44-item, 6-category survey was then distributed to a sample of 1,872 elementary school administrators. These subjects consisted of nationwide elementary school principals, managers and team leaders. A return rate of 43.59% was achieved and 816 valid samples were collected and analyzed. The results indicated a common trend in all 44 items. The findings suggested that: perceptions of competency disparity in the six categories drawn from primary school administrators ranged from the low to the intermediate level. Among the six categories of elementary school administrators' competencies in school innovative management, "mental capability" was most significantly perceived and "professional capability" was least mentioned.