The translation of leadership standards into leadership practices

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 593-608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Augusto Riveros ◽  
Carolyne Verret ◽  
Wei Wei
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Standards ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Vice Principals ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Emergent Identity

Purpose – The guiding question of this study is: how is the Ontario Leadership Framework (OLF) translated into practices in elementary and secondary schools in the province of Ontario? The purpose of this paper is to provide a contextual account of the processes by which school leadership standards are incorporated into the practices of school administrators in the province of Ontario, Canada. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative exploratory case study focusses on the incorporation of the OLF into the practices of school administrators in four secondary and five elementary schools in two large school boards. The data were collected through document analysis, observations registered in a field notes journal, and semi-structured interviews with principals and vice-principals. The data were coded into analytical categories and analyzed to identify emerging themes and patterns. Findings – The analysis identified two emerging themes that illustrated how school leaders translate leadership standards into practices: the first theme, the school leader as an emergent identity, demonstrated the intersections between standards and professional identities. The analysis showed that standards contribute to the configuration of the leader as a political actor in the school. The second theme, standards, and the configuration of leadership practices, offered insights about the intersections and disconnections between standards and leadership practices in the participant schools. Originality/value – This study aims to inform conversations between policy makers, practitioners, and scholars about leadership standards in schools. Given the saliency of the topic, this research aims to illuminate the often-unexplored nexus, policy-leadership, as well as to expand and enrich theoretical understandings of educational leadership by recasting leadership as a policy-bounded phenomenon.

scholarly journals The centrality of ethical leadership

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C. Ehrich ◽  
Jessica Harris ◽  
Val Klenowski ◽  
Judy Smeed ◽  
Nerida Spina
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Data

Purpose – The central argument in this paper is that ethical school leadership is imperative in a context of increasing performance-driven accountability. The purpose of this paper is to focus on school principals’ perceptions of how they understand ethical leadership and how they lead the ethical use of data. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilises semi-structured interviews with six state school principals (one primary and six secondary) to explore their perceptions of ethical leadership practices; and how they balance current competing accountabilities in a context of performance-driven accountability. Findings – There were four key findings. First, principals used data to inform and direct their practices and their conversations with teachers. Second, while ethics was a central consideration in how principals’ led, practising in an ethical manner was identified as complex and challenging in the current context. Third, Starratt’s (1996) ethical framework proved to be relevant for interpreting principals’ practices. Finally, all of the principals referred to dilemmas they faced as a result of competing priorities and all used a variety of strategies to deal with these dilemmas. Originality/value – While there is a small body of research that explores school leaders’ understandings of ethical tensions and dilemmas, there is little research that has focused on school leaders’ understandings of the ethical use of data. This study, then, contributes to this area as it provides a discussion on school principals’ leadership practices in the current climate driven by data use.

School leaders' adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Mark Tyson ◽  
Nicholas J. Sauers
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
The Body ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption And Implementation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine school leaders' experiences with adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence systems in their schools. It examined the factors that led educational administrators to adopt one artificial intelligence program (ALEKS) and their perceptions around the implementation process.Design/methodology/approachThis was a qualitative case study that included structured interviews with seven individuals who have adopted artificial intelligence programs in their schools. Participants were identified through purposive and snowball sampling. Interview transcripts were analyzed and put through a two-step coding process involving in vivo coding as well as pattern coding.FindingsTwo major themes emerged from this study pertaining to the state of the diffusion of artificial intelligence through the adoption and implementation process. The findings indicated that school leaders were actively engaged in conversations related to AI adoption and implementation. They also created structures (organizational) to ensure the successful adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence.Originality/valueThis is an original study that examined the experiences of school leaders who have adopted and implemented artificial intelligence in their schools. The body of literature related to artificial intelligence and school leadership is extremely limited.

scholarly journals Educational Administrators’ Perspectives of Democracy and Citizenship Education: Interviews with Educational Leaders.

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Long
Keyword(s):  
Public School ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Citizenship Education ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
School Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Educational Administrators ◽  
Phenomenological Methodology

Little is known about public school educational administrators’ perspectives of democracy and citizenship education and how those perspectives shape the learning that occurs in the schools they lead. This paper presents findings of a qualitative study that used semi-structured interviews of public school educational administrators’ perspectives of democracy and citizenship education in the province of Alberta, Canada. Four participants’ detailed responses were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological methodology and coded into four themes. While all four participants felt that democratic and citizenship education were important, their conceptualizations varied widely and only one participant was found to lead in a way that encouraged democratically desirable education. Findings suggest that some educational administrators do not necessarily understand their role or responsibility in the education of democracy and citizenship within the schools they lead. Moreover, this study suggests that factors that hinder democratic and citizenship education are: school administrators’ preference to remain obedient to a top-down approach of school management; resource taxing administrative obligations and; a misunderstanding of ‘thick’ democracy. Factors that were found to facilitate democratic and citizenship education include: physical school and learning program design and; democratic school leadership.

The impact of teacher entrepreneurial behaviour: a timely investigation of an emerging phenomenon

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (6) ◽  
pp. 697-712
Author(s):  
Chun Sing Maxwell Ho ◽  
Jiafang Lu ◽  
Darren A. Bryant
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
School Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Capital ◽  
Supplementary School ◽  
Entrepreneurial Behaviour ◽  
Instructional Roles ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to understand of the role that teacher entrepreneurial behavior plays in developing teacher professional capital. The extant concepts around school leadership mostly encompass the transformative and instructional roles of school leaders in managing, mobilizing and supporting teachers for student achievement. However, school leadership has not focused strongly on promoting innovation and risk-taking for schools in a knowledge economy. As a timely promising response to the increasingly demanding and competitive school context, teacher entrepreneurial behaviour (TEB), which emphasizes teachers' willingness to take risks and be daring, has started to gain recognition in the school leadership literature, yet a nuanced understanding of TEB's potential impacts on schools is lacking.Design/methodology/approachBased on a combined consideration of institutionalized recognition and expert judgement, this study identified three innovative entrepreneurial teachers/teacher groups that had won the most competitive teaching award in Hong Kong. Employing a multiple-site case study design, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 informants and collected supplementary school documents and records.FindingsThis study found that TEB enables the implementation of innovation and promotes cross-subject alignment. It cultivates trusting and coherent relationships among teachers. Teachers with TEB scaled up innovation among other teachers. Furthermore, entrepreneurial teachers enhance school attractiveness by creating competitive advantages.Originality/valueThis analysis showed that TEB enables formal and informal school leaders to bring forth critical school outcomes. This study elaborates how TEB enhances teachers' professional capital through building trusting and coherent relationships. It also adds to the research on school innovation by demonstrating that TEB fosters teachers' capacity for bottom-up innovation in the community.

Peer coaching in a school in Cairo, Egypt

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Sider
Keyword(s):  
Peer Coaching ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Global South ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities ◽  
Key Aspects

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how peer coaching was introduced in one school in Egypt and to identify barriers and opportunities for successful implementation. Design/methodology/approach The methodology included semi-structured interviews with eight teachers, participant observation of their classes and meetings, and three focus group meetings with teachers and school administrators. Findings Ladyshewsky’s (2017) five key aspects of peer coaching are considered in the findings: establishing peer partners, building trust between the partners, identifying specific areas to target for learning, training on non-evaluative questions and feedback, and supporting each other as new ideas are attempted. Each aspect of these is reviewed in light of the implementation process in the school. Practical implications The study provides practical suggestions for teachers and school administrators that include considerations for implementation. Numerous connections are made to research on peer coaching that is relevant to the implementation of peer coaching in schools in Egypt and other countries in the Global South. Originality/value The study provides an examination of the implementation of peer coaching in a school in Egypt. Thus, it contributes to the limited literature on peer coaching in the Global South. The discussion and conclusion sections consider further questions and research opportunities for effective practices in peer coaching in international contexts.

Leadership in Vietnamese state owned enterprises (SOEs)

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Mai Tran ◽  
Wayne Fallon ◽  
Margaret H. Vickers
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Business Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple stakeholders’ perceptions of leadership in Vietnamese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews that were conducted in Vietnam, with seven different stakeholders who had varying understandings of Vietnamese business leadership within the Vietnamese business context. All interviews were transcribed, then translated into English, and thematic analysis of the interview data undertaken. Findings – The paper suggests that there was a significant variation in Vietnamese leadership perceptions when compared to Western leadership practices, especially when considering the perceptions of those stakeholders with regard to business leadership in the Vietnamese collectivist cultural context. The themes presented include: SOE decision making and responsibility; SOE promotions and appointments; and SOE performance. Research limitations/implications – In the absence of studies of leadership in Vietnamese SOEs, and leadership studies in the Vietnamese culture in general, this research was deliberately exploratory and qualitative. Future mixed methods or quantitative studies are recommended to offer more generalizable conclusions. Practical implications – Implications are discussed that point to leadership changes in Vietnamese organizations, and at the individual level, to assist the Vietnamese government, SOEs, and future leaders. Recommendations are also made that are intended to assist foreign business investors and multinational companies operating in Vietnam, now and in the future, to improve their leadership capacity within this context. Social implications – Vietnam is a country in social and economic transition. Understanding the leadership practices and perceptions, especially how that might differ from leadership in Western nations, is critical for the success of organizations in Vietnam and, in turn, for the economic and social prosperity of the Vietnamese people. Originality/value – The paper contributes perceptions of business leadership in Vietnamese SOEs that have not previously been explored and should be, especially given this critical time of economic and social transition for the Vietnamese nation and economy.

Exploring the career trajectories of Black male educators in p-12 education

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 255-267
Author(s):  
Kimberly Underwood ◽  
Joy Taylor ◽  
Donna Smith ◽  
J. Medgar Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Black Male ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Career Trajectories ◽  
The Status

Purpose This paper aims to provide a critical examination of the career trajectories of Black male educators through the discussion of key issues relevant to the professional development and advancement of this population. Design/methodology/approach The authors approach this paper through the examination of literature related to Black male educators. The authors seek to provide insight into the status of Black male educators through a critical focus of scholarship in the three critical areas of Black male educator recruitment, retention and mobility. Findings This examination supports the need to generate sustainable initiatives to diversify our nation’s classrooms and create additional opportunities for Black male representation in school leadership positions. Effectively dismantling the entrenched hurdles many encounter within their teaching careers requires a concerted commitment by advocates, policymakers and school administrators at all levels. Additionally, there is a continued need for stakeholders to keep the diversification of P-12 schools as a key priority in current education reform strategies. Social implications This paper serves as an impetus to highlight the continued need for further exploration and consequential action to increase the numbers of Black males in the teaching profession. Originality/value This paper adds to the literature surrounding Black male educators by providing a holistic view of their career trajectories of Black male educators and shedding light on the need for ongoing efforts to diversify the P-12 teaching workforce.

Analyzing abusive school leadership practices through the lens of social justice

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 546-555
Author(s):  
Shuti Steph Khumalo
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
School Leadership Practices

Purpose The present study contributes to the growing body of research on abusive supervision in school settings, particularly by principals. School leadership (principal) behavior has been a topical issue for decades in educational research. This paper attempts to add to scholarly knowledge in the area of school leadership and specifically the effect of abusive school leadership on organizational productivity and organization citizen behavior. Put succinctly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of abusive school leadership on school performance and teacher behavior. Abusive leadership is attributable to behavior that is deviant, antisocial and counter-productive and that which is uncivil. Design/methodology/approach In examining abusive school leadership behavior and its effect on school performance and teacher behavior, this conceptual paper draws heavily from an in-depth analysis of extant scholarship and uses Rawls theory of social justice as a conceptual tool. Social justice theorists believe that social institutions are embedded with immense responsibility of dispensing justice, fairness and equity. Findings Building from these relevant literatures and grounding the argument from the Rawlsian perspective of social justice, it can be argued that abusive school leadership perpetuates unfair and unjust practices toward teachers, which negatively affects performance. Literature reviewed convincingly indicates that abusive tendencies are practiced in school by school leadership. Further, these abusive practices negatively impact on the following: teacher productivity, teacher turnover and, finally, staff members’ well-being and health. The findings confirm that these practices perpetuate social injustice. Schools are social institutions and have to ensure that justice is served on all members of the organization, and, for this reason, Rawls (1971) argues that justice is the first virtue of social institutions. Practical implications The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice. It is critical in this study to suggest that in trying to deal with scourge, tougher measures need to be taken by various education departments to ensure that the problem is dealt with effectively. One of the interventions that is suggested is tougher policy positions on matters related to abusive leadership. In education departments that have legislation regarding consequences regarding abusive school leadership practices, tougher action should be taken against leadership which practice abuse. Originality/value School leadership is a highly contested research space and this conceptual paper is of great value because it adds to the already existing insights and understanding in abusive leadership in educational settings. This paper is of great significance because it focuses on the effect of abusive school leadership on teachers’ behavior and school performance.

Displacement through incarceration: an opportunity for personal re-engagement

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
David N. Eades
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Significant Other ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Formerly Incarcerated ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Carceral Geography ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight that interpersonal relations within a visits venue in a carceral space can be restorative. This provides implications for staff working in institutions to support a visits programme to assist those incarcerated. Design/methodology/approach The experiences of those formerly incarcerated are captured through an ethnography of engagement by way of semi-structured interviews and field notes. In methodology it draws upon the fields of criminology and prison sociology, and in particular using an ethnographic approach within the field of Carceral Geography. Findings Interpersonal relationships developed, with a “significant other” within the liminality of displacement, are therapeutic in nature and potentially contribute to ongoing healthier relationships than previously experienced, once a person is released from incarceration. These also assist those incarcerated transition into the community when released. Research limitations/implications The sample within the study was only small, did not include the impact of family members, nor the impact of not having visitors upon people who are incarcerated. The feedback received was all positive. Other people might have had alternative experiences that were not captured in this study. Practical implications A practical outcome of this research is to encourage the development of interpersonal relationships and the reconstruction of social networks for those incarcerated as a means of early intervention for their recovery and future progress reintegrating back into society. Social implications The impact of a significant other helps those formerly incarcerated to value the importance of close supportive relationships in contributing to the lives of others socially. Originality/value Assisting those incarcerated develop a relationship with a significant other provides a unique protective element as a social intervention. Staff within institutions have a unique role within their service to facilitate visitors and to encourage those incarcerated to connect with a significant other so as to help their mental health, support their general well-being and give them hope for the future.

Challenges in distributed leadership: evidence from the perspective of headteachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 848-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lokman Mohd Tahir ◽  
Sui Liang Lee ◽  
Mohammed Borhandden Musah ◽  
Hadijah Jaffri ◽  
Mohd Nihra Haruzuan Mohamad Said ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Distributed Leadership ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Middle Layer ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the issues and challenges faced by headteachers in practicing the suggested distributed leadership (DL) approach in three primary schools to their middle layer leaders. Design/methodology/approach – The study employed a case study design and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of three headteachers were interviewed in examining and exploring challenges within the DL practices. The transcripts from the semi-structured interviews formed the basis of the findings. Findings – The findings suggest that senior teachers lack confidence in making decisions and rely on the consent from headteachers even though they are empowered to make their own decisions. Another significant issue faced by headteachers when distributing their leadership is the ability, expertise, experience, and willingness of teachers to hold leadership roles and responsibilities. Originality/value – The results are important since there have been few empirical studies on the issues and challenges faced by headteachers in practising DL approach in primary schools in the context of Malaysia. This initiative sidelines the traditional school leadership approach which emphasises on the accountability of headteachers as the sole school leader.

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