PRACTICES OF GREEK SCHOOL PRINCIPALS FOR IMPROVING SCHOOL CLIMATE AS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY

According to the literature, school climate is perceived as one of the most important factors affecting the effectiveness of school units. School principals play an important role in shaping school climate. With his/her daily communication behaviors and administrative actions, he/she can create a sound climate and a positive learning environment which motivates teachers to work with interest especially on their teaching tasks. This article, based on selected Greek bibliographical references and international literature, presents school climate approaching it as a key communication factor related to a school unit’s management improvement, as it contributes to shaping and improving the framework of interpersonal and collaborative relationships among principals, teachers, students and parents. Within this framework, Greek public school principals use school climate as a communication strategy for achieving management goals. Their situation and practices are revealed in this paper.