Successful School Leadership Preparation and Development

This paper mainly focuses on successful leadership practices in secondary school. It aims to identify the recent models and theories of successful leadership practice in schools, and explore the experience of school principal regarding successful school leadership in the Nepalese context. A qualitative study was carried out in Gorkha district for the collection of data. A successful head teacher was selected for in-depth interview to explore the perception and experience about successful practice of school leadership. The findings of the study reveal that strong interpersonal skills, people-centered leadership, clear communication of vision and goal, focus on academic achievement, co-curricular activities, transparency, creating a positive work environment, knowledge of pedagogical contents, and cooperation and collaboration with various stakeholders are the vital constituents of successful leadership practices.

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School leadership preparation and development in Kenya

International Journal of Educational Management ◽

10.1108/ijem-10-2013-0158 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 355-367 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gladys Asuga ◽

Scott Eacott ◽

Jill Scevak

Keyword(s):

Leadership Development ◽

School Leadership ◽

Return On Investment ◽

Student Outcomes ◽

Leadership Preparation ◽

Content Type ◽

International Trends ◽

School Leadership Development ◽

The Impact ◽

Current Provision

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the quality of the current provision for school leadership in Kenya, the extent to which they have an impact on student outcomes and the return on school leadership preparation and development investment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws from educational leadership, management and administration courses delivered by universities and other institutions to aspiring and practising educational leaders in Kenya. It employs a method for evaluating return on leadership development investment first articulated by Eacott (2013). Findings – While there is growth in provision, consistent with international trends, this provision is more recognised for its standardisation than points of distinction; there is minimal attention to identified dimensions of leadership leading to higher student outcomes which raises questions regarding the universality of school leadership preparation and development curriculum; and the high course costs of current provision is an inhibiting factor in assessing the return on investment in school leadership preparation and development. Research limitations/implications – The study was limited to publicly available documents from a limited sample of institutions. There is a need for more studies in the area. Practical implications – Institutions seeking to offer school leadership development have grounds on which to make decision about what programs their school leaders should undertake in terms of cost and quality. The study provides institution offering school leadership development courses evidence on which to base future policy direction. Social implications – The findings provide a case for investing in school leadership development given the impact courses may have on student outcomes. Originality/value – The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current provision on school leadership preparation and development in Kenya. It contributes to its understanding in Africa in terms of quality, performance impact and return on investment.

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