Exploring the Influences of Contextual Variables on Beginning Principals

1995 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ira E. Bogotch ◽  
Ric Keaster ◽  
Beatrice Baldwin ◽  
Angel Wonycott
Keyword(s):  
School District ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Beginning Principals ◽  
Contextual Variables ◽  
Context Variable

Beginning school principals work within distinct school district contexts, influencing how they think and act as school leaders. This discussion describes how their perceptions compare across three geo-political contexts: urban, suburban and rural. The results are presented as storylines, emphasizing how contextual variables interact to influence differences in school leadership. As storylines, the implications concern social issues beyond any one school district or any one isolated context variable such as race or gender.

scholarly journals Leadership as Sustainability: Context and Primary School Principals in Jamaica

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-149
Author(s):  
Paul Miller ◽  
Veronica Gaynor ◽  
Collington Powell ◽  
Shernette Powell ◽  
Eugenie Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Parental Engagement ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
New Form

School leadership is as challenging as it is rewarding. And, in a fast paced educational policy environment, school leaders sometimes are having to play catchup with the latest government mandate. This challenge is exacerbated in environments where economic and social problems and lack of parental engagement in education are a daily occurrence and a significant risk to the effectiveness of schools. While we recognize the notion of sustainable school leadership is continuing its evolution, we also acknowledge it is not a single act and nor is it enacted by a single individual. Reporting findings from a qualitative study of primary school leaders in Jamaica, we argue that sustainable school leadership is not a new form of leadership, but rather a type of leadership that combines multiple practices to produce long-term impacts on members of a school community that are “now” and “futures” oriented.

Coaching: an approach for leadership development in the Singapore education system

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Suan Loy Boon
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Education System ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
The Body ◽  
Beginning Principals ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper aims to explore coaching as an approach to developing school leaders in the Singapore education system. It takes a close look at the nature of coaching experiences of beginning principals and principal-trainers, as well as the related benefits and challenges.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative inquiry approach was adopted, and four beginning principals and three principal-trainers were interviewed. An emergent coding method was deployed in data analysis.FindingsBeginning principals described a positive, helpful and empowering coaching experience when coached by principal-trainers. The latter skillfully asked questions in a safe, non-threatening space for deeper self-reflection. In the process, beginning principals gained greater self-awareness and self-empowerment, and appreciated the shared context of school leadership. While coaching is a useful leadership development approach, inherent implementation challenges were identified.Research limitations/implicationsCoaching as a system-wide strategy to support school leaders in Singapore has only recently been implemented. Further research using a larger sample is recommended as coaching becomes more pervasive.Practical implicationsThe findings revealed a compelling case for a more pervasive adoption of coaching as an approach to support leadership development. Coaching facilitates effective school leadership, and there is scope for self-coaching, peer coaching and coach supervision of principals, middle leaders and classroom teachers.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the nature and positive impact of principalship coaching within a specific policy and cultural context of the Singapore education system. It adds to the body of literature on principal preparation, development and support.

Merit selecting school leaders: Australian principals' perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1303-1315
Author(s):  
Kevin Steed ◽  
John De Nobile ◽  
Manjula Waniganayake
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
The State ◽  
Head Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
South Wales

PurposeThis research paper explores the perspectives of Australian school principals in the state of New South Wales (NSW) regarding what they believe constitutes “merit” when selecting deputy principals, assistant principals (primary) and head teachers (secondary).Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was utilised to collect qualitative and quantitative data from school principals across the state of NSW to investigate their understanding of, and approach to, the merit selection of their respective school leadership cadres.FindingsStudy findings indicated a statewide variance in the perceptions of principals when identifying merit for the purposes of recruiting school leadership teams. These findings question the widely held view that candidates compete for school leadership positions on a level playing field.Practical implicationsIn practical terms, the findings indicate that NSW school principals would benefit from more intensive professional learning opportunities designed to enhance their ability to objectively identify and assess merit when selecting school leaders.Originality/valueThis study contributes to an enhanced understanding in an area where there is a paucity of research-based evidence focusing upon the perspectives of school principals regarding their understanding of meritocratic theory and its influence on their school leadership selection practice.

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.

Principals’ views on continuing professional development programmes: Evidence from Malaysia

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322198895
Author(s):  
Lokman Mohd Tahir ◽  
Mohammed Berhandden Musah ◽  
Mohd Fadzli Ali ◽  
Abdul Halim Abdullah ◽  
Mohd Hilmi Hamzah
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Development Programme ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Knowledge And Skills

This study reports on the professional development and school leadership programmes requested by principals in Malaysian schools. A total of 557 principals provided feedback on their preferred school leadership and professional development programmes which they believed as essential to be effective school leaders. Based on their feedback, mentoring was named the most needed leadership development programme as it allowed access to the guidance, knowledge and skills of senior principals. As for school leadership courses mentioned by school principals, financial management was considered as most useful. The study concludes by recommending suggestions to improve principals’ professional development programmes in Malaysia.

School Leaders’ Contribution to Social Justice: A Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-316
Author(s):  
Haim Shaked
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Real Change ◽  
Building Level

Purpose: The purpose of this review is to examine what is known as well as what we still seek to know in terms of principals’ potential contribution to social justice in their schools. Design/methodology/approach: This review provides an evaluative report of the current knowledge in the literature related to the influence of principals on social justice at the school building level. Findings: The current review reveals that there is solid evidence of the significant impact of school leaders on student learning. This impact constitutes the conceptual basis for social justice school leadership, where school leaders ascertain that all students are provided equal opportunities for quality education. However, the available knowledge regarding the optimal way to prepare social justice school leaders is still limited. Research implications: In as much as recent literature does not provide satisfactory answers to the question of how to train social justice school leaders, workable approaches to developing leaders who are effective in achieving social justice, equity, and excellence should be explored. Originality/value: In today’s Western school systems, non-White, LGBT, poor, or differently-abled students often lag behind their peers in academic achievement and acquisition of higher education while leading in school dropout rates. The review seeks to understand how school principals can bring about a real change in this undesirable situation, creating a social justice educational system.

Positive school leadership

2017 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Murphy ◽  
Karen Seashore Louis ◽  
Mark Smylie
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
School Management ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Management And Leadership

In November 2015, the National Policy Board for Educational Administration — a coalition of nine professional associations — adopted the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL), a set of guidelines for the training, certification, hiring, evaluation, and supervision of school principals and superintendents. While it draws heavily from the earlier standards published by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium in 2008, PSEL is distinguished by a positive, asset-based approach to school management and leadership.

Understanding role conflict and role ambiguity of school principals in Nepal

2022 ◽  
pp. 174114322110734
Author(s):  
Jeevan Khanal ◽  
Subekshya Ghimire
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Role Conflict ◽  
Role Ambiguity ◽  
School Principals ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Power Sharing ◽  
Underdeveloped Countries ◽  
Professional Development Training

In the context of developed countries, a lot of research has been done to uncover and identify the problems school leaders face in their work but little is known about the school leadership of underdeveloped countries. In a quest to discover contextual problems in terms of role conflict and role ambiguity of school leaders, this qualitative study tries to capture the experiences of principals in Nepal through in-depth interviews of six community school principals. The findings reveal that the major sources of role conflict and ambiguity for principals from Nepal are problematic power-sharing, low job autonomy, dual role conflict, limited professional development training, and lack of leadership knowledge. The study has several policy-level implications such as importance of hiring principals with proven leadership skills and increasing the leadership skills of current principals to ensure that they can tackle these challenges.

Centering “Grace”: Challenging Anti-Blackness in Schooling Through Motherwork

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 142-157
Author(s):  
Terri N. Watson ◽  
Gwendolyn S. Baxley
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Black Children ◽  
The United States ◽  
Black Girls ◽  
Racial Biases ◽  
Black Girlhood ◽  
Patricia Hill Collins ◽  
Educational Advocacy

Anti-Blackness is global and present in every facet of society, including education. In this article, we examine the challenges Black girls encounter in schools throughout the United States. Guided by select research centered on Black women in their roles as mothers, activists and school leaders, we assert that sociologist Patricia Hill Collins’ concept of Motherwork should be an essential component in reframing the praxis of school leadership and in helping school leaders to rethink policies, practices, and ideologies that are anti-Black and antithetical to Blackness and Black girlhood. While most research aimed to improve the schooling experiences of Black children focuses on teacher and school leader (mis)perceptions and systemic racial biases, few studies build on the care and efficacy personified by Black women school leaders. We argue that the educational advocacy of Black women on behalf of Black children is vital to culturally responsive school leadership that combats anti-Blackness and honors Black girlhood. We conclude with implications for school leaders and those concerned with the educational experiences of Black children, namely Black girls.

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