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Vasileios Tsiantos, Democritus University of Thrace, GreeceArgiris Fyntanakis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
Abstract
This paper examines Total Quality Management (TQM) as a management philosophy that can support improvement in Greek secondary schools, with emphasis on the role of the principal. The aim is to record and interpret school leaders’ knowledge and understanding of TQM principles within the framework of institutionalised internal school self-evaluation and alignment with European and international quality policies. Specifically, the research investigates whether knowledge and understanding of TQM principles differ according to gender, years of service in a school leadership position, TQM training, and postgraduate studies in educational administration; develops a predictive model; and identifies adoption profiles through cluster analysis. The study employed a quantitative approach using a structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaire, distributed electronically to principals in the Regional Directorates of Education of Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia–Thrace (N = 314). The instrument’s factor structure was examined through principal component analysis with Varimax rotation, while reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Group comparisons were conducted using non-parametric tests, correlations with Spearman’s coefficient, and predictive analysis through multiple linear regression. Women and principals with administration-related postgraduate studies reported higher levels of TQM knowledge and understanding, whereas differences by leadership tenure were not statistically significant. TQM training emerged as the strongest predictor, and the regression model explained approximately 29% of the variance. Positive correlations were found among the four dimensions, while cluster analysis identified three distinct adoption profiles. The findings support targeted professional development aimed at strengthening principals’ readiness for quality-oriented school improvement.
Paper Information
Conference: ECE2026Stream: Educational policy
Published: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
This paper is part of the ECE2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Tsiantos V., & Fyntanakis A. (2026) Total Quality Management in Action: What Headmasters of High School Believe ISSN: 2188-1162 The European Conference on Education 2026: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 691-702) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.53
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2188-1162.2026.53
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