Successful school principals in primary and secondary education: a comprehensive review of a ten-year research project in Cyprus

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Pashiardis ◽  
Antonios Kafa
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary And Secondary Education ◽  
The Cross ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore successful school principalship in Cyprus based on a ten-year research project, and in particular, by analysing leadership knowledge based on concrete actions of successful school principals derived from multiple case studies from the primary and secondary education sectors in Cyprus.Design/methodology/approachThe initial type of evidence was original qualitative empirical research undertaken through the examination of 11 case studies of successful primary and secondary school principals across Cyprus. Following, for the purposes of this paper a cross-case reanalysis was performed in order to extract successful actions from the participating school principals.FindingsBased on the emerging actions from the cross-case analysis, findings indicate that successful school principals, both in primary and secondary education, develop external relations, as well as networking with all relevant actors; create a collaborative and shared ownership feeling among their members and within their school organization; and finally promote a clear vision, based on a specific number of values.Originality/valueThis overall effort led us to the articulation of certain successful actions, which could be related and compared to the results in other successful school principalship contexts. Furthermore, it could contribute to the cross-country comparative knowledge body on successful school principalship, with different educational policies and different social contexts.

Heroic leadership in Australia, Sweden, and the United States

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 785-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrie Drysdale ◽  
Jeffrey Bennett ◽  
Elizabeth T. Murakami ◽  
Olof Johansson ◽  
David Gurr
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Success ◽  
School Principals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Communities ◽  
The Usa ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to draw from data collected as part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and present cases of democratic and heroic leadership from three countries, discussing to what extent successful school principals in each of their research sites (Melbourne, Australia; Umeå, Sweden; Arizona and Texas in the USA) carry old and new perspectives of heroism in their leadership. In particular the paper explores two questions: first, how do school principals describe aspects of heroic and post-heroic leadership in their practices? and second, how do these heroic and post-heroic leadership practices meet contemporary demands such as accountability standards and build inclusive and collaborative school communities in challenging contexts? Design/methodology/approach – Multiple-perspective case studies involving semi-structured individual and group interviews with principals, teachers, students, parents and school board members were used to understand the contribution of principals and other leadership to school success. Findings – The definitions of heroic and post-heroic leadership are inadequate in defining successful principal leadership. The Australian, Swedish and American principals showed characteristics of both heroic and post-heroic leadership. They showed heroic qualities such as: inspiring and motivating others; challenging the status quo; showing integrity in conflicting situations; putting duty before self; taking risks to champion a better way; showing courage to stand up to those in authority; advocating for students in struggling neighbourhoods under the scrutiny of both district and public expectations; and, showing uncommon commitment. Yet our principals showed post-heroic leadership such as involving others in decision making and recognising that school success depended on collective effort, and being sensitive to community needs through a deep respect for the local culture. Originality/value – The research shows that we may need to redefine and recast our images of who school principals are today, and what they do to generate academic success for students. Both heroic and post-heroic images of leadership are needed to explain successful school leadership.

Successful school leadership for social justice in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Moral Santaella
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Leadership Identity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership For Social Justice ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School ◽  
Successful Principals

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to present the results obtained from the investigations that have been carried out within the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) project in the Spanish for social justice.Design/methodology/approachTwelve case studies have been carried out within the three lines of research proposed by ISSPP: successful principals, underperforming principals and principal leadership identity. All but one school were in challenging contexts. The methodological approach followed is based on multiple perspective case studies using a mixture of qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups and observations).FindingsResults show that successful principals not only believe in social justice through simple empathy with the concept of social justice, but also use strategies that combine transformational and instructional leadership processes and manage to reverse the bad situation of their disadvantaged schools, seeking excellence from equity. The leadership identity of successful principals is characterized to look to the future with hope, adopting a realistic utopian attitude to interpret their surrounding reality.Originality/valueFrom the case studies carried out, valuable information is obtained, which helps to understand the possibilities of implementing the ISSPP successful school leadership model in heterogeneous and disadvantaged context for equity and social justice.

A dual and discontinuous professional identity: school principals in Spain

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 806-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximiliano Jose Ritacco ◽  
Antonio Bolivar
Keyword(s):  
Professional Identity ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Successful Leadership ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose an emerging approach in research on school leadership, within the framework of the “International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP)”, where one of the three key research strands is “Principals’ identities”. Design/methodology/approach The paper responds, from a biographical-narrative approach, to knowledge about the impact of the Spanish model of school management on the professional identity of school principals. It analyses the biographical interviews of 15 school principals, through a process of structuring and categorizing the data collected, applying content analysis. Findings The dimensions of the principals’ identities emerge in different categories: personal identity, professional identity (internal perspective), professional identity (external perspective), social identity, professionalization and dual identity. Research limitations/implications The authors studied identities in a project entitled “Successful school principals”, understanding that successful leadership practices largely depend on headteachers’ identities. That is, when the identities are weak and unstable, with a poor identification with the managerial tasks and functions, and not recognised by the teaching staff, the school will probably be unsuccessful. On the contrary, when there are headteachers with a strong professional identity, the authors want to show that there is a positive impact on improvement of results. In the future, in the development of the research project, the authors aim to verify the relationship between headteachers’ identities and educational improvement. Practical implications The knowledge gained in our study would enable us to reimagine lines in order to increase the professionalization and identities of headteachers, redesigning work contexts in ways which can strengthen fragile and unstable identities. Finally, the implications of the study in relation to future research can be summarised by the following ideas. Social implications Understanding the world of the lives (lebenswelt) of Spanish headteachers means adopting a hermeneutic approach, observing the self-interpretation comments expressed by the subjects, where the temporal and biographical dimensions occupy a key role. The authors understand professional identity as a socially constructed and personally created experience with its own meanings, feelings and intentions. Therefore, it is logical to use, for data collection, individual interviews which explore the school context and the impact which it has on those subjects who are part of the professional environment. In addition, the authors have the intention of following up the study of identities. Originality/value It formulates, first, the theoretical framework for the professional identity from a narrative approach, linked – at the same time – to the practice of leadership, as an interactive relationship with the other members of the school. Successful leadership practices depend to a large degree on strong principals’ identities. Finally, the results are discussed, and future lines are proposed to articulate and strengthen the identity of school principals in Spain.

What we know about successful principals in Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celina Torres-Arcadia ◽  
Sergio Nava-Lara ◽  
César Rodríguez-Uribe ◽  
Leonardo David Glasserman-Morales
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Substantial Contribution ◽  
Educational Materials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Skills ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School ◽  
Conference Papers ◽  
School Organisation

PurposeThe paper aims to present what is known from the school principals who participated in the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) in Mexico. The paper reviews 14 publications (5 articles, 5 conference papers and 4 books) on successful school principals in Mexico that were published between 2009 and 2021 as part of the ISSPP. The papers were analysed using a conceptual framework consisting of perceived qualities of the principal, school organisation, suitability of teachers and principals, educational materials and methods and educational infrastructure.Design/methodology/approachA scoping study review methodology was used to explore publications and conference proceedings on ISSPP research on Mexican principals and schools in order to answer the question: What do we know about successful school principals in the Mexican context? Conference papers, journal articles, book chapters and books formed the knowledge base for the review.FindingsAs a result of the analysis across the five analysis categories it was found that the principals emphasised improving the educational quality of their schools and understood this as the basic criterion to judge their leadership success. Principals were central to school success and a nested model was produced to show how the successful school is built from the core of the principal, as a socio-emotional skills role model, to a culture of continuous improvement. The model included principal socio-emotional skills, school organisation, continuous improvement of teaching and principal practices and having appropriate educational materials, methods and infrastructure.Originality/valueThe ISSPP has produced a large amount of research. The paper is the first review of the substantial contribution from ISSPP research in Mexico. The model produced from the review adds to the several models produced in the ISSPP.

Successful leadership in a rural, high-poverty school: the case of County Line Middle School

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans W. Klar ◽  
Curtis A. Brewer
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Leadership Strategies ◽  
High Poverty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School

Purpose – In this paper, the authors present a case study of successful school leadership at County Line Middle School. The purpose of the paper is to identify how particular leadership practices and beliefs were adapted to increase student achievement in this rural, high-poverty school in the southeastern USA. Design/methodology/approach – After purposefully selecting this school, the authors adapted interview protocols, questionnaires, and analysis frameworks from the International Successful School Principalship Project to develop a multi-perspective case study of principal leadership practices at the school. Findings – The findings illustrate the practices which led to students at this school, previously the lowest-performing in the district, achieving significantly higher on state standardized tests, getting along “like a family,” and regularly participating in service learning activities and charity events. A particularly interesting finding was how the principal confronted the school's negative self-image and adapted common leadership practices to implement a school-wide reform that suited its unique context. Research limitations/implications – While the findings of the study explicate the specific ways the principal adapted leadership strategies to enhance student learning, this study also highlights the need to understand how principals become familiar with their community's needs, cultures, norms, and values, and exercise leadership in accordance with them. Practical implications – The case offers an example of the need for context-responsive leadership in schools. In particular, it illustrates how this principal enacted leadership strategies that successfully negotiated what Woods (2006) referred to as the changing politics of the rural. To realize this success, the principal utilized his understanding of this low income, rural community to guide his leadership practices. Critically, part of this understanding included the ways the community was connected to and isolated from dominant sub-urban and urban societies, and how to build enthusiasm and capacity through appeals to local values. Originality/value – While it is widely acknowledged that school leaders need to consider their school and community contexts when making leadership decisions, less research has focussed on understanding how this can be achieved. This case provides rich examples of how this was accomplished in a rural, high-poverty middle school.

The west wind vs the east wind: instructional leadership model in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Qian ◽  
Allan Walker ◽  
Xiaojun Li
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
West Wind ◽  
East Wind ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a preliminary model of instructional leadership in the Chinese educational context and explore the ways in which Chinese school principals locate their instructional-leadership practices in response to traditional expectations and the requirements of recent reforms. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 selected primary school principals in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. A qualitative analysis was conducted to categorize the major leadership practices enacted by these principals. Findings An initial model of instructional leadership in China with six major dimensions is constructed. The paper also illustrates and elaborates on three dimensions with the greatest context-specific meanings for Chinese principals. Originality/value The paper explores the ways in which Chinese principals enact their instructional leadership in a context in which “the west wind meets the east wind”; that is, when they are required to accommodate both imported reform initiatives and traditional expectations. The paper contributes to the sparse existing research on principals’ instructional leadership in non-western cultural and social contexts.

The soft side of TQM and teachers job satisfaction: an empirical investigation in primary and secondary education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Glaveli ◽  
Fotios Vouzas ◽  
Myrsine Roumeliotou
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Measurement Scales ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary And Secondary Education ◽  
Appraisal Systems ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe current study provides insights on the application of critical soft TQM practices in primary and secondary education and their impact on teachers' job satisfaction (TJS).Design/methodology/approachBased on a review of the literature related to TQM application in primary and secondary education, six soft TQM elements were traced as critical to the success of TQM implementation in the school environment: participation/involvement in continuous improvement, teamwork, empowerment, appraisal systems/recognition and reward for quality, training and development (T&D) and leadership (vision/commitment to quality culture). Moreover, their relationship to JS was theoretically founded and empirically tested. An online questionnaire was used as the research instrument. The participants were 200 primary and secondary public school teachers working in urban, semi urban and rural regions of Greece. After assessing the validity and reliability of the measurement scales, multiple regression analysis was applied to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe research findings revealed that leadership and empowerment are the most highly implemented TQM practices in primary and secondary education. Moreover, participation/involvement, appraisal systems/recognition and rewards and leadership were the TQM elements that had a positive association with TJS.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of the study are of help to school principals and policy-makers in order to design and implement TQM policies that advance the quality of teaching and the effectiveness of processes in the primary and secondary education system, as well as to satisfy and motivate teachers for continuous improvement.Originality/valueThis was, to the best of our knowledge, the first study that has explored the impact of soft TQM elements on TJS.

Findings of quality management studies in primary and secondary education: a systematic literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Bouranta ◽  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Jiju Antony
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Education ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary And Secondary Education ◽  
Review Study ◽  
Implementation Plans ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to present the main findings of the studies in the field of quality management (QM) in primary and secondary education. Grouping these findings into themes and these themes, in turn, into broad categories as well as prioritizing the themes of findings are also aims of the present study.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review (SLR) of articles focusing on QM in primary and secondary education was carried out based on major publishers, namely Emerald Online, Taylor and Francis, Elsevier/Science Direct, Springer Link, Sage Publishing and Online. In total, 133 articles published in 62 journals during 1983–2019 were collected. The affinity diagram was applied in order to group the findings of the QM studies into logical themes and these themes into broad categories. Moreover, the Pareto diagram was applied to prioritize the themes revealed.FindingsA plethora of articles focusing on QM in primary and secondary education have been published in the last decades. The findings of the QM studies presented in the 133 reviewed articles are grouped into 43 themes and these themes, in turn, into 6 broad categories, namely management practices, school characteristics, teachers, stakeholders, government and pupils. The analysis also reveals themes that can be characterized as “vital” and “useful.”Practical implicationsResearchers and school managers can take into consideration the findings of the QM studies in primary and secondary education as well as the themes of high priority for the design of future studies and QM implementation plans, respectively.Originality/valueThis is the first literature review study which presents analytically the findings of the QM studies in primary and secondary education. This study also contributes to the literature by formulating meaningful themes of these findings and broad categories of these themes and by prioritizing the themes revealed.

scholarly journals Thermal analysis and post construction verification

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67
Author(s):  
Cormac Flood ◽  
Lloyd Scott
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Thermal Transmittance ◽  
Standard Calculation

Purpose The residential sector in Ireland accounted for 25 per cent of energy related CO2 emissions in 2016 through burning fossil fuels, a major contributor to climate change. In support of Ireland’s CO2 reduction targets, the existing housing stock could contribute greatly to the reduction of space-heating energy demand through retrofit. Approximately 50 per cent of Ireland’s 2m dwellings pre-date building regulations and are predominantly of cavity and solid wall construction, the performance of which has not been extensively investigated at present. Although commitment to thermal upgrade/retrofit of existing buildings may increase under future government policies, the poor characterisation of actual thermal performance of external walls may hinder the realisation of these targets. Thermal transmittance (U-values) of exterior walls represents a source of uncertainty when estimating the energy performance of dwellings. It has been noted in research that the standard calculation methodology for thermal transmittance should be improved. Implementing current U-value calculation methods may result in misguided retrofit strategies due to the considerable discrepancies between in situ measurements and calculated wall U-values as documented in the case studies carried out in this research. If the method of hygrothermal analysis were to be employed as a replacement for the current standard calculation, it could have significant implications for policy and retrofit decision making. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This research project analysed a case study situated in Dublin, Ireland. The case studies offer an account of the in situ thermal transmittance of exterior walls and link these to hygrothermally simulated comparisons along with more traditional design U-values. Findings The findings of this research identify discrepancies between in situ and design U-values, using measurement, hygrothermal simulation and standard method U-value calculations. The outcomes of the research serve as an introduction to issues emanating from a larger research project in order to encourage researchers to understand and further explore the topic. Originality/value It has previously been highlighted that moisture content is linked to the increase in thermal conductivity of building materials, thus reducing the thermal effectiveness and increasing the elemental U-value. Therefore, it is vital to implement reliable prediction tools to assess potential thermal performance values. This paper presents the findings of a critical instance case study in Dublin, Ireland in which an existing west facing external wall in a semi-detached dwelling was analysed, simulated and measured to verify the elemental wall assembly and quantify thermal transmittance (U-value) incorporating the major criteria required for building performance simulation.

Characteristics of cross-functional integration processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 570-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcio Lopes Pimenta ◽  
Andrea Lago da Silva ◽  
Wendy L Tate
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multinational Organizations ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
High Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to characterize the cross-functional integration processes between marketing and logistics, while considering five basic elements: boundary spanning activities, integration factors, level of integration, formality/informality and impacts of integration. Design/methodology/approach – After an extensive literature review, five case studies were performed and in-depth interviews conducted. Both within-case and cross-case analysis was performed to better understand the cross-functional integration processes between marketing and logistics. Findings – A characterization of cross-functional integration in the form of a managerial framework was proposed. This framework presents the elements in a process view, instead of disconnected parts of the integration processes. The framework and process perspective helps to explain the integration process, the roles and impacts of integration within organizations, while considering cultural formality and informality. Research limitations/implications – Qualitative data collection and analysis methods cannot achieve amplitude with respect to sampling nor generalize results. In spite of this, the implications revealed by the propositions may be applied not only to Brazilian companies, but organizations in other countries as well, due to the high level of heterogeneity of the sample, and the fact that they represent multinational organizations. Therefore, further research using broad-based survey data could test the correlations between the elements of cross-functional integration processes. Practical implications – The identification of the cross-functional integration processes within organizations can help managers to facilitate the efforts of integration between marketing and logistics, reducing conflicts and improving business performance. Originality/value – Case studies focussing specifically on five Brazilian organizations help provide evidence for an initial definition of cross-functional integration processes by analyzing five key elements according to their characteristics and respective roles. This research provides a strong foundation for future broad-based survey research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document