The problem of this research study was to ascertain the answer to the following question: What are the degrees of divergence or congruence between the perceptions of the instructional leadership behavior of the elementary school principal as held by elementary school principals and elementary school teachers in school divisions which have varying contractual arrangements.

The Instructional Leadership Behavior Questionnaire (ILBQ), designed by the researcher, was used to measure certain instructional leadership behaviors of elementary school principals. Elementary school principals' self-opinions, as well as the opinions of their full-time teaching faculty were obtained on 76 items contained in two equal parts (actual behavior and ideal behavior) of the instrument.

Statistical significant differences were noted through the Two-Way ANOVA procedure when the combined perceptions of the elementary school principals and elementary school teachers in school divisions with collective negotiated master contracts were compared with the combined perceptions of elementary school principals and elementary school teachers in school divisions with no contractual arrangements. Each of the twelve subtests (six for actual behavior and six for ideal behavior) registered a statistical significant difference (p < .05) for this main effect. Further analysis of this main effect by employing the independent t-test on the cell means indicated that statistical significant differences were apparent on each of the twelve subtests among the two teacher groups. It was then concluded that the main effect's statistical significant differences were attributed to the statistical significant differences among the teacher groups. Therefore, based upon the research, the data was not such to reject ten of the twelve sub-hypotheses. The null hypothesis put forth in this study that no significant differences exist in the perceptions held by elementary school principals governed by collective negotiated master contracts, elementary school principals governed by no contractual arrangements, elementary school teachers governed by collective negotiated master contracts, and elementary school teachers governed by no contractual arrangements with respect to the instructional leadership behavior of the elementary school principal, therefore, was rejected in part. The research findings indicate that behavior definitions that were perhaps different under collective negotiated arrangements might lead to the inference that the contractual arrangement does serve as a variable in defining the behavior of the elementary school principal.

Conclusions based on the results of the study, recommendations for further study and the implications of the study are also included.