Validation of the Professional Competency Model of Iraqi Secondary School Principals
Keywords:
Accreditation, Professional Competencies, ManagersAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to validate the professional competency model of Iraqi secondary school principals and examine its structural fit using empirical data.
Methodology: This applied, quantitative study employed a descriptive–analytical correlational design within a positivist paradigm. The statistical population comprised all Iraqi secondary school principals in 2024, from whom 368 principals were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a 75-item researcher-made questionnaire derived from Albadrani’s prior model. Face, content, and construct validity (convergent and discriminant) were assessed, while reliability was examined using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and McDonald’s omega. Data analysis involved one-sample t-tests and confirmatory factor analysis conducted via SPSS version 23 and SmartPLS version 3.
Findings: Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated an acceptable overall model fit (GOF=0.562). Factor loadings for individual (0.739), managerial (0.722), scientific and professional (0.756), supervision and control (0.728), and social competencies (0.709) were all significant (t>1.96). Convergent validity was confirmed with AVE values exceeding 0.50, and discriminant validity was supported using Fornell–Larcker and HTMT criteria. One-sample t-test results indicated that both internal and external validity dimensions of the model were statistically significant at the 99% confidence level (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The validated professional competency model demonstrates strong psychometric properties and provides a reliable and practical framework for assessing, selecting, and developing secondary school principals in Iraq, thereby supporting evidence-based educational leadership and policy decision-making.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Saad Thamer Hamad Albadrani (Author); Ashraf Alsadat Hosseini Mirsafi; Soudabeh Azodolmolki (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
