Supporting principal supervisors: what really matters?

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 445-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith I. Honig ◽  
Lydia R. Rainey
Keyword(s):  
Learning Theory ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Quality Teachers ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Principal Supervision

Purpose Districts across the country are calling on their principal supervisors to shift from mainly focusing on operations and compliance to dedicating their time to help principals grow as instructional leaders. Learning theory elaborates that such support for principals demands that supervisors take a teaching-and-learning approach – which the authors define as consistently using particular strategies that are characteristic of high quality teachers and mentors across various apprenticeship settings – to their work with principals on their instructional leadership. Prior research on leadership supports these shifts but does not examine the conditions under which principal supervisors are able to persist and grow in taking a teaching-and-learning approach specifically. What are those conditions? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This paper addresses that question through a re-examination of data from two studies with socio-cultural learning theory as the conceptual framework. The authors primarily use observation data (approximately 760 hours), supplemented by 344 interviews and reviews of hundreds of documents. Findings Contrary to extant research the authors did not associate high quality outside coaching with the positive cases of principal supervision. Nor did hiring principal supervisors with requisite prior knowledge explain why some principal supervisors regressed and grew. Findings underscore the importance of supervisors of principal supervisors (SPSs) being principal supervisors’ main mentors and principal supervisors not over-relying on others for assistance but actively leading their own learning, especially through work with colleagues and protecting their time themselves. Originality/value This analysis distinguishes conditions that support principal supervisors in taking a teaching-and-learning approach to their work with principals. The authors elaborate key roles for chief academic officers and others who supervise principal supervisors typically overlooked in policy and research on district leadership. Findings reinforce the importance of mentoring to learning and also district leaders serving as main mentors for each other, rather than relying on outside coaching.

Principal preparation in Kenya, South Africa, and Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles F. Webber ◽  
Kobus Mentz ◽  
Shelleyann Scott ◽  
Janet Mola Okoko ◽  
Donald Scott
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Principal Preparation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP) informs principal preparation in relation to change in schools. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – The three-stage ISPP study utilized a mixed-methodological approach. Data were gathered in Kenya, South Africa, and Alberta, Canada utilizing a survey instrument that contained items that focussed on: problematic leadership responsibilities, prior leadership development experiences, and perceived adequacy of leadership preparation experiences. Findings – Leadership preparation in Kenya and South Africa was relatively unstructured, compared to structured university-based leadership preparation in Alberta. The assumption in Kenya and South Africa was that classroom teaching was adequate preparation, while Alberta respondents perceived teaching and leadership as discrete knowledge sets. Content of preparation experiences in Kenya and South Africa was mainly about teaching and learning, while in Alberta it was more about instructional leadership. Kenyan principals felt prepared for the principalship. Alberta principals stated that they were ill prepared to deal with day-to-day responsibilities. Senior South African principals felt they were not prepared for school improvement while younger principals felt they were adequately prepared. Practical implications – Findings suggest that providers utilize cross-cultural partnerships that incorporate technology-mediated dialogue and action research. Cross-cultural learning should be considered co-learning. Preparation should include partnerships between western institutions and informal groups of principals in settings such as Kenya and South Africa. The study informs policymakers, researchers, and school leaders. Originality/value – The cross-cultural comparisons in this paper inform understandings of the principalship in relation to organizational change in schools.

Practical challenges of BIM education

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 351-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taija Puolitaival ◽  
Perry Forsythe
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Construction Project Management ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Models ◽  
Building Information

Purpose Building Information Modelling (BIM) is becoming the new norm in the AEC industry and also part of many construction project management (CPM) programmes. The purpose of this paper is to address the difficulty and challenges in walking the narrow line between an industry-ready BIM and a BIM that is good for student learning and offers a realistic and practical, but simultaneously achievable, learning environment. Design/methodology/approach An action research was conducted in an undergraduate CPM education setting. Findings Key challenges encountered were availability of appropriate teaching and learning resources for BIM; finding the balance between theory and practice, technology and process, and traditional and emerging CPM methods; and facilitating staff’s professional development. Closer look was given to the teaching and learning resources for BIM. Theoretical resources that are available for education in the form of books, articles and websites are easy and straightforward to locate. Likewise, a good share of various tools are available for educational purposes. On the other hand, actual building models represent a challenge in terms of preparing and optimising usage of the model for high-quality educational purposes. Several different approaches for obtaining BIM resources were identified with various challenges and benefits. Originality/value The results and recommendations will assist educators to better understand and overcome the practical challenges related to BIM education, especially those related to teaching and learning resources.

Bringing formative classroom assessment to schools and making it count

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund W. Gordon ◽  
Michael V. McGill ◽  
Deanna Iceman Sands ◽  
Kelley M. Kalinich ◽  
James W. Pellegrino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Classroom Assessment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School District Leaders ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Current Assessment

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present alternative views on the theory and practice of formative assessment (FA), or assessment to support teaching and learning in classrooms, with the purpose of highlighting its value in education and informing discussions on educational assessment policy. Methodology/approach – The method used is a “moderated policy discussion”. The six invited commentaries on the theme represent perspectives of leading scholars and measurement experts juxtaposed against voices of prominent school district leaders from two education systems in the USA. The discussion is moderated with introductory and concluding remarks from the guest editor and is excerpted from a recent blog published by Education Week. References and author biographies are presented at the end of the article. Findings – While current assessment policies in the USA push for greater accountability in schools by increasing large scale testing of students, the authors underscore the importance of FA integrated with classroom teaching and learning. They define what formative classroom assessment means in theory and in practice, consider barriers to more widespread use of FA practices and address what educational policy makers could do to facilitate a FA “work culture” in schools. Originality/value – The commentators, representing scholar and practitioner perspectives, examine the problem in a multi-faceted manner and offer research-based, practical and policy solutions to the observed issues in FA. Dialogue among stakeholders, as presented here, is a key first step in enacting assessment reforms in the directions discussed.

The implication of multicultural education on students' learning approaches in biosciences and pharmacy courses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Xiang Ng ◽  
Phaik Har Yong
Keyword(s):  
Multicultural Education ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Teaching Approaches ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe globalisation of higher education has created new challenges for educators to remain dynamic in teaching science undergraduates with diverse cultural backgrounds. The current study explores this challenge by evaluating the different personal factors among biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates that affect their learning approaches as well as to identify course-specific teaching approaches in order to determine their impacts on students' learning.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey design based on study process questionnaire (SPQ), and approaches and study skills inventory for students (ASSIST) was utilised to collect quantitative data from 129 biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates.FindingsBiosciences undergraduates adopted deep and achieving learning approaches as they progressed through the curriculum, whilst surface learners dominated the pharmacy course. Ethnicity was shown to affect the learning approaches among the undergraduates. Although male undergraduates from both courses were more competitive than the female, elder female undergraduates tend to adopt deep learning approach. Pre-university qualifications did not significantly influence the undergraduate's learning approach. The contrasting finding on the preferred teaching approaches between biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates has highlighted the importance of providing tailored teaching and learning strategies to cater different students' learning needs.Originality/valueThis study has demonstrated the combinational use of SPQ and ASSIST instruments to compare undergraduate's learning approaches with preferred teaching approaches. The current finding could support the development of teaching and learning practice among the biosciences and pharmacy undergraduates with multicultural background.

Leading cultural coherence: cases from New Hampshire

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-24
Author(s):  
Matthew James Welch
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Cultural Learning ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Data ◽  
Team Meetings ◽  
Common School ◽  
Pass Through ◽  
Central Offices

Purpose This paper is concerned with the cultural components of change and district coherence. The purpose of this paper is to present two district cases studies, illustrating their experiences with a particular initiative that guided local leaders through both structural and cultural changes. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses two qualitative case studies to illustrate how a new initiative led by an external partner might help local district leaders learn to shift from financial pass-through or compliance-oriented observer to coherence-making, capacity-building force for schools. Cases were conducted in New Hampshire, USA, studying two districts implementing an RTI-related initiative. Findings The project was an opportunity to use a common objective – improving learning for all students – and several common school elements – team meetings, student data and job-embedded professional development – in combination to impact how staff work and how they work together for the benefit of students. In particular, team-based leadership, instructional coaching, and collaboration structured around instruction and student data were all powerful practices with structural and cultural impacts. Research limitations/implications It remains to be seen if the districts can both initiate these changes on their own as well as sustain these culture-making roles over time. Practical implications The paper illustrates several activities that other districts may use to work toward becoming cultural learning organizations. Originality/value The value of district central offices taking on new roles, such as learning organization or cultural coherence maker, is established by authors like Honig. This paper illustrates on way district offices might learn to take on these roles.

Standard compliance and suitability of classroom capacity in secondary school buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norsafiah Norazman ◽  
Adi Irfan Che-Ani ◽  
Nor Haslina Ja’afar ◽  
Muhamad Azry Khoiry
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
School Level ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
School Buildings ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary School Level ◽  
Current Area

Purpose Teaching and learning processes are conducted formally in a classroom as the main learning space for schooling system, where it should be implemented effectively to achieve a desired level of satisfaction and comfort for the students. To encourage and sustain students’ motivation for continuous learning, specifically at secondary school level, classroom capacity is increasing significantly. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the guidelines and regulations of building design standard compliance, specifically for classrooms, and suggest the suitability of classroom capacity based on two main courses offered at the secondary school level. Design/methodology/approach Two sets of perimeters were used in this study to gauge the intended results, namely, mixed method was used to carry out the study. The first indicator was a quantitative method whereby the current area of 20 selected classrooms (length × width) was physically measured and recorded. The second indicator used was a qualitative method, through a semi-structured interview. Findings The findings showed that 55 per cent of classroom capacity in secondary school buildings complied with the existing guidelines, the stipulated design regulations and the classroom area requirement. The current area of classroom standing is at 2.25 m2 per student with an observable increase in students’ satisfaction during the teaching and learning processes. However, the findings from the semi-structured interview highlighted interesting points in relation to the suitability of classroom capacity. The teachers felt that classroom capacity affected performance of students based on two categories, namely, classroom-centred learning and classroom-less learning. The respondents agreed that the classroom-centred learning approach and classroom-less learning approach worked best with a maximum of 22 and 30 students per classroom, respectively. Originality/value This paper provides the current information, knowledge and findings related with real classroom capacity at a secondary school building that may affect students’ performance, while focus had always been on types of classroom, gadgets and qualified teaching staff. Hardly any valuable attention is given to the space these students spend almost a good part of their day for the rest of the week, over their formative learning period. Perhaps like the model of cars and sitting capacity, model classroom area and maximum capacity explored to ensure objectives irrespective of the driver, the teacher of the class. Therefore, these indicators may assist the school building management, building facilities and other professionals to identify and implement suitable of classroom capacity especially for all classroom-based learning in the schools generally.

A view from the field: the process of improving equitable systems leadership

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 484-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Rigby ◽  
Emily Donaldson Walsh ◽  
Shelley Boten ◽  
Allison Deno ◽  
M. Scott Harrison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
District Leaders ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systems Leadership ◽  
Problems Of Practice ◽  
Principal Supervision ◽  
Leadership Research

Purpose Research on principal supervisors (PSs) is an emerging field, and principal supervision for racial equity has not yet been studied or theorized. Conducted in partnership with practicing district leaders, the purpose of this paper is to examine current PS leadership in three districts at various points of engagement in equitable leadership practices and set forth a framework for conceptualizing systems equitable leadership practice. Design/methodology/approach This collaborative study emerged from an EdD course project in which groups of practitioner–scholars identified and collected qualitative interview, survey and artifact data about problems of practice in their districts. University researchers supported data collection and conducted analyses across settings, building on Ishimaru and Galloway’s (2014) equitable leadership practices framework. Findings Equitable PS leadership practices were variable. No district engaged with “proficiency” across all drivers of equitable leadership practice, but the district that engaged in equitable PS practices most deeply framed the work of schooling as a race-explicit endeavor, suggesting that framing is a fundamental driver. Research limitations/implications This paper builds on PS and equity-focused leadership research by adding a systems-level equity focus. Practical implications Findings suggest that districts should focus on equity framing as the foundation for principal support and development. Originality/value This researcher/practitioner–scholar collaboration shows how practitioner–scholars provide focus and expertise to the field unavailable to traditional researchers.

scholarly journals Exploring transformative journeys through a higher education programme in a further education college

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 584-595
Author(s):  
Eddie Rocks ◽  
Peter Lavender
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Traditional Students ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Traditional Students ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the experiences of students undertaking higher education in a further education setting in the UK. Since the 1960s, there has been a policy commitment in the UK to widen participation in education to social groups previously under-represented (Thompson, 2000; Burke, 2012). The consequence is a discourse in which it is argued that higher education has been “dumbed down” to include non-traditional students frequently ill-prepared for academic challenges (Haggis, 2006). This research explored an alternative discourse, proposing that education should be a catalyst for significant social, emotional and intellectual growth, culminating in a transformative experience (Mezirow, 1978a, 1991; Cranton, 2006). Design/methodology/approach In total, 12 non-traditional graduates from a full-time BA programme at a Scottish College of Further and Higher Education were interviewed to determine if graduates experienced significant social, emotional and intellectual growth as a result of participation; what teaching and learning settings make this possible; can it be proposed that graduates can be transformed by the experience of higher education in further education? Findings The findings of the research indicate that the participants all experienced some significant shift in attributes such as confidence, independence and willingness to try new things. How they experience, conceptualise and participate in their social worlds has become more discriminating. The authors conclude by proposing that higher education in further education (HE in FE) can have the potential to provide transformative experiences for non-traditional students. Research limitations/implications The implications of this study lie as much in the nature of the transformative learning experience as in the structures in which education is provided. Additionally, it is proposed that transformative teaching and learning theory may be as significant now as it ever was in understanding the changes which learners experience in higher education study. Limitations of the study include the small number of interviewees who were interviewed more than once in some depth, and the particular setting of one further education college. As in all such research generalisation might be difficult. Practical implications Practically, the research suggests that the authors can learn from how students like the ones featured in the transformation stories experience learning in HE in FE. Despite being seen as “non-traditional” students who return to education with weak learning histories and fragile learner identities, the research has shown that if a nurturing, student-centred approach is adopted by teaching staff, a significant shift in how students see themselves and their place in the world can be achieved. This has significant implications for teaching practice. The findings could be an inspiration and guiding principle for other HE in FE tutors and help them find commonalities in their own work. Social implications The authors argue that education should not be regarded only as an economic-driven activity insofar as most HE in FE programmes are vocational and are geared towards preparation for the workplace. The authors’ key proposition is that education can be a life changing experience that might be considered a transformation. The social implication is that participating in HE in FE could be a catalyst for the development of confident and engaged citizens, ready to make a real contribution to the social world beyond and out-with only the workplace. Within a Freirean framework, this might be transformative education’s most significant contribution to society. Originality/value Transformative learning theory research has mostly been undertaken in informal learning contexts and higher education institutions. There has also been research undertaken on diverse contexts not immediately related to education. In terms of empirical research, however, transformation learning theory in HE in FE is yet unexplored. Yet, it is an ideal learning site to promote transformation because of the relatively small, intimate milieu, typical of colleges. The originality lies in the paucity of other research focused on transformation in an FE context. The value lies in its showing that particular teaching approaches can transform students in this context.

A teaching-and-learning approach to principal supervision

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-57
Author(s):  
Meredith I. Honig & Lydia R. Rainey
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Primary Focus ◽  
Central Offices ◽  
Principal Supervision ◽  
The Way

Principal supervisors often find themselves drawn into managing logistical and operational matters, instead of helping principals become more effective instructional leaders. Yet Meredith Honig and Lydia Rainey contend that principal supervisors need to make principals’ instructional leadership their primary focus. Drawing on their work with central offices, they explain how the principal supervisors who were most effective at promoting equity and improved instruction took a teaching-and-learning approach to their work with principals. They helped principals lead their own learning and used modeling and other instructional moves to help them along the way.

Socially Shared Regulation of Learning: A Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Panadero ◽  
Sanna Järvelä
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Learning Theory ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Social Regulation ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Optimal Form ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
The Past ◽  
Recorded Observation ◽  
Socially Shared Regulation

Abstract. Socially shared regulation of learning (SSRL) has been recognized as a new and growing field in the framework of self-regulated learning theory in the past decade. In the present review, we examine the empirical evidence to support such a phenomenon. A total of 17 articles addressing SSRL were identified, 13 of which presented empirical evidence. Through a narrative review it could be concluded that there is enough data to maintain the existence of SSRL in comparison to other social regulation (e.g., co-regulation). It was found that most of the SSRL research has focused on characterizing phenomena through the use of mixed methods through qualitative data, mostly video-recorded observation data. Also, SSRL seems to contribute to students’ performance. Finally, the article discusses the need for the field to move forward, exploring the best conditions to promote SSRL, clarifying whether SSRL is always the optimal form of collaboration, and identifying more aspects of groups’ characteristics.

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