Between Venus and Mars: Sources of gender differences in instructional leadership

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haim Shaked ◽  
Zehavit Gross ◽  
Jeffrey Glanz
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Female Principals ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Gender Theories ◽  
Gap Data

Instructional leadership can be explained as an educational leadership approach whereby the school principal engages in a wide range of activities aiming to improve teaching and learning for all students. A recent meta-analysis found that female principals engaged in more active instructional leadership than male counterparts. The current qualitative study sought to understand this gender gap. Data were collected through 59 semi-structured interviews with 36 female principals and 23 male principals from Israel. Data analysis was a four-stage process – condensing, coding, categorizing, and theorizing. Findings showed that female participants, more frequently than their male counterparts, reported possessing two capabilities that are necessary for instructional leadership: (1) instructional expertise; (2) attention to relationships. Gender theories are employed to explain these findings. Practical implications and further research are discussed.

Why Principals Sidestep Instructional Leadership

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-538 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haim Shaked
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Principal Behavior ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Definition Of

Principal educators‘ and policy makers’ predominant expectation from school principals to serve as instructional leaders—who engage primarily in a wide range of activities that clearly focus on improving teaching and learning for all students—has scarcely been applied in practice by principals in today's schools. Researchers have found several reasons for this gap between professional recommendations and actual principal behavior. The current qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews with 41 Israeli principals, suggests one more explanation for today's reality of principals‘ limited engagement in instructional leadership: Some principals uphold a non-academic definition of schools’ major goal—focusing on students‘ well-being, social skills, values, etc.—and thereby claim that improvements in teaching and learning should not be at the top of the school administrators’ priorities. This goal as a possible mechanism underlying principals' noncompliance has not been investigated to date.

Ensuring Teachers’ Job Suitability: A Missing Component of Instructional Leadership

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 427-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haim Shaked
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Effective Teachers ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Teacher Hiring ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Right ◽  
Principals Perceptions ◽  
Practical Implications

Instructional leadership can be defined as an educational leadership approach whereby the school principal is involved in a wide range of activities aiming to improve teaching and learning for all students. Surprisingly, the literature about instructional leadership practices has not mentioned school leaders’ practices for hiring appropriate teachers and for determining whether existing teachers are the “right people” for the job. This suggests that instructional leaders are not necessarily expected to ensure that the right people are on board. The current study’s goal was to explore principals’ perceptions regarding their role in ensuring teachers’ job suitability and its relation to instructional leadership. Data collection included interviews with a diverse sample of 59 Israeli principals. Data analysis revealed that school principals perceived the issue of teacher hiring/firing as complicated. Therefore, they often regarded related tasks—such as deciding which attributes are most important for effective teachers, determining how such effective teachers can be proficiently screened for hire, and executing dismissal of ineffective teachers—as impossible or impractical. The current study suggests that this perception led principals to refrain from considering the activities involved in ensuring teacher suitability as means to improve teaching and learning. Practical implications and further research are discussed.

scholarly journals AMALAN KEPIMPINAN INSTRUKSIONAL GURU BESAR DI SEKOLAH VERNAKULAR NEGERI SELANGOR DAN WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN

2018 ◽  
pp. 109-132
Author(s):  
DONNIE ADAMS ◽  
RAVADHI PERIASAMY ◽  
EDWARD DEVADASON ◽  
SATINAH AWANG
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
School Leader ◽  
Instructional Leader ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Structured Interviews

Abstrak Kajian kualitatif ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji amalan kepimpinan instruksional guru besar di Sekolah Vernakular Negeri Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan. Kajian ini menggunakan temu bual separa berstruktur terhadap 14 orang guru besar di dua jenis sekolah vernakular, iaitu Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SRJK (T)) dan Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SRJK(C)) yang terletak di kawasan bandar dan pinggir bandar. Teknik persampelan bertujuan yang dijalankan di dua jenis sekolah ini mendapati bahawa guru besar memahami tugas mereka untuk meningkatkan amalan pengajaran melalui penyeliaan guru. Dapatan juga menunjukkan amalan kepimpinan guru besar dalam memantau kualiti pengajaran dan pembelajaran di sekolah dijalankan dalam pelbagai kaedah. Kajian ini turut menunjukkan bahawa sebahagian daripada tugas dan harapan guru besar di Malaysia adalah selari dengan ciri-ciri dalam kepimpinan instruksional. Dalam konteks lain pula, beban kerja seorang guru besar dan keperluan untuk membuat pelaporan telah mendatangkan pelbagai cabaran berterusan kepada mereka semasa menjalankan tugas sebagai seorang pemimpin instruksional. Implikasi daripada kajian ini mempamerkan realiti kontemporari peranan guru besar dan amalan kepimpinan instruksional mereka di sekolah vernakular di Malaysia. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini menunjukkan kepimpinan instruksional dibina atas pengaruh sosial, politik dan budaya. Kata kunci: Amalan kepimpinan instruksional, pemimpin instruksional, guru besar. Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study is to outline school leaders’ instructional leadership practices in Selangor and Federal Territory Vernacular Schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 primary school leaders from Chinese Schools (SRJK(C)) and Tamil Schools (SRJK (T)) in urban and suburban areas in Malaysia. The sampling technique utilised in two of these schools generated findings which showed that the school leaders understood their duties in improving instructional practice through supervision of teachers. Findings also showed school leaders’ leadership practices in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in schools was done in many ways. The research also demonstrated some of the duties and hope of the school leaders’ in Malaysia as being particularly congruent with the features of instructional leadership practices. In another context, the workload of a school leader and the need for reporting has led to a series of challenges for them in carrying out their duties as instructional leaders. The implication of this study demonstrates the current reality of the roles of school leaders and their instructional leadership roles in vernacular schools in Malaysia. In conclusion, this research shows that instructional leadership is built on social, political and cultural influences. Keywords: Instructional leadership practices, instructional leader, school leader.

scholarly journals Instructional Leadership Practices of Principals at Public Elementary Schools in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Dania ◽  
Dwi Esti Andriani
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Student Parents ◽  
Public Elementary Schools

For more than thirty years, instructional leadership has been considered an effective school leadership model for improving student achievement. This study aimed to investigate the instructional leadership practices of Indonesian school principals and the obstacles that they face. In this study, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with three principals of public elementary schools located in Bandung. An audit trail and member checks were applied to ensure the quality of the collected data. The results showed that the three principals shared the instructional leadership role, particularly in performing supervision responsibilities. Despite this practice, the principals found it difficult to perform instructional leadership due to time contraints. Also, they lacked support from student parents, which made it difficult to improve student achievement. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the instructional leadership of principals should involve parents more in student learning. Keywords: school principal, principals’ leadership, instructional leadership

Principals’ leadership in Mexican upper high schools: The paradoxes between rules and practices

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia A Santizo Rodall ◽  
Sylvia B Ortega Salazar
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Centralized Management ◽  
Competency Based

This article discusses the type of organization and leadership that underlies a competency-based management rule established in Mexico (2008) applicable to principals in public upper high schools. This rule, identified as the 449 Agreement, describes competencies and communicates expected behavior. Implementation, however, is mediated by the principals’ interpretation, as found in the semi-structured interviews conducted with a group of selected acting principals. The analysis of this management rule is based on a theory of decision-making and a theory of organizations where different assumptions on peoples’ behavior are made. We provide evidence to support the contention that each school principal acts according to its context, and that compliance with the Agreement is not facilitated by its rules design. We conclude that the rules design of the competency-based management model in question is dominated by a perspective of personal heroic leadership that assumes an omniscient and omnipresent manager and that also promotes a centralized management model for all schools. In future research, inquiry could focus on the question of whether transformational leadership based on motivation and instructional leadership based on guidance and coaching for teachers could also be nurtured by rules compatible with the pervasive normative leadership type.

scholarly journals Madrasah Culture Based Transformational Leadership Model

Nadwa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 151
Author(s):  
Nur Khoiri
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Assessment ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Good Service ◽  
Leadership Model ◽  
Good Learning

<p>Leadership is the ability to influence, direct behaviour, and have a particular expertise in the field of the group who want to achieve the goals. Dynamic organization requires transformational leadership model. A school principal as a leader at school aims to actualizing good learning leadership. Leadership learning focuses on learning which components include curriculum, teaching and learning process, assessment, teacher assessment and development, good service in learning, and developing a learning community in schools based on organizational culture as value, assumption, belief evolved from the roots of member thought of the organization and believed by all members of the organization and implemented in everyday life that could give meaning<br />Keywords: leadership, transformational leadership, headmaster, instructional leadership, organizational culture.</p><p><strong>Abstrak</strong><br />Kepemimpinan merupakan kemampuan mempengaruhi, mengarahkan tingkah laku dan memiliki keahlian khusus di bidang yang diinginkan kelompoknya untuk mencapai tujuan. Oganisasi yang dinamis memerlukan model kepemimpinan transformational. Kepala sekolah sebagai pimpinan memiliki tujuan untuk mewujudkan kepemimpinan pembelajaran yang baik. Kepemimpinan pembelajaran memfokuskan pada pembelajaran yang komponen-komponennya meliputi kurikulum, proses belajar mengajar, assesment (penilaian hasil belajar), penilaian serta pengembangan guru, layanan prima dalam pembelajaran, dan pembangunan komunitas belajar di sekolah berbasis budaya organisasi yang berupa nilai, asumsi, kepercayaan yang berkembang dari akar pemikiran anggota organisasi dan diyakini oleh semua anggota organisasi serta dilaksanakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari .<br />Kata kunci: kepemimpinan, kepemimpinan tranformational, kepala sekolah, kepemimpinan pembelajaran, budaya organisasi.</p>

scholarly journals Categorizing findings on Language Tutor Autonomy (LTA) From Interviews

Relay Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 236-246
Author(s):  
Tomoya Shirakawa
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Tutoring Program ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
International University ◽  
The University

Language Tutor Autonomy (LTA) is a new area of research and spans a wide range of social contexts with important implications. Anyone can be a tutor, and by doing so, they can learn by teaching. LTA can potentially may have many practical applications and, therefore, should be subject to further investigation. This study used interviews to understand LTA from the tutors’ perspective. The context was a peer tutoring program at an international university in Japan specializing in self-access learning. 11 tutors participated in the research, who are all undergraduate (2nd to 4th year) students enrolled in the university. A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was employed in order to understand how their teaching as tutors influences their learning as students, and, primarily, to identify unique aspects of LTA. The results were organized according to interview questions concerning: (1) dealing with difficulty, (2) preparing for weekly sessions, (3) sharing experiences (beyond teaching English) and (4) developing personally from the tutoring experience. The paper will offer a model of LTA and a framework for future research and practical applications in self-access learning settings, including peer teaching and learning advising.

Instructional leadership as a controlling function in secondary schools in Rangwe Sub County, Kenya: Influence on students’ learning outcomes

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322110152
Author(s):  
John James Juma ◽  
Zachary N Ndwiga ◽  
Milcah Nyaga
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Perception ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Research Article

This research article reports on instructional leadership as a controlling function in secondary schools. All the 41 secondary schools in Rangwe Sub County were included in the study and the targeted respondents were teachers and principals. A purposive sampling method was used to select the respondents from each school. A principal self-rating questionnaire, a teacher perception questionnaire, and a document analysis checklist were used for data collection. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples T-test, and regression analysis test. The study found that school principals engaged their deputies, heads of department, and directors of studies to conduct their day-to-day instructions in their schools. It was also revealed that classroom visits and observation of teaching and learning significantly influence student learning outcomes in secondary schools. The study concluded that involving the expertise of immediate juniors in day-to-day instructions is an effective way of implementing instructional leadership roles of the school principals in secondary schools. The study, therefore, advocates for the school principal becoming the overall instructional supervisor and instructional improvement catalyst.

scholarly journals DESENVOLVIMENTO PROFISSIONAL DE PROFESSORES QUE ENSINAM MATEMÁTICA: A VISÃO DA GESTÃO ESCOLAR

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 280-297
Author(s):  
Luciano Melo Santos ◽  
Maria Elizabete Souza Couto
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Mathematical Knowledge ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Research Groups ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Professional Development Of Teachers ◽  
External Sources ◽  
Education Network ◽  
The University

This article aims to understand how school management has been organizing professional development situations for teachers in the daily activities of actions planned and developed with peers. It is a qualitative research, carried out in a public school in the municipal education network, which has the partnership of an ONG and is located in a city in the southern region of Bahia. To collect data, we conducted semi-structured interviews with the school principal and pedagogical coordinator. From the analysis of the material produced in the interviews, it was possible to understand that the movement proposed by management for the professional development of teachers, in this case, those who teach Mathematics, is to allow, guarantee, encourage, participate and bring their teachers closer to external sources of training, such as the University and research groups, valuing the school culture, as a place for teaching and learning and for the proposals presented in the Pedagogical Project of the School, favoring the school space so that teachers can discuss and put into practice this formation and the reflection of the practice; professional development and social justice, as part ofthe working conditions necessary for the good performance of the teacher in the task of promoting learning to his students; and dialogue with teachers who teach mathematics to advance the construction of the student's mathematical knowledge and the professional development of teachers.

Encounters with peripheral individuals and rural communities for cultural competence development: A case study of learners of Spanish in Colombia

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-230
Author(s):  
Juliana Patricia Llanes Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Wide Range

Cultural competence (Puren, 2013) has been considered a critical aspect for foreign language (FL) teaching and learning due to the wide range of cultural elements associated with the learning of FLs. Hence, this case study aims to describe and understand how encounters with peripheral individuals and rural communities contribute to developing learners’ cultural competence in a Spanish as a foreign language course. The participants were three learners who got involved with peripheral individuals and rural communities as part of a voluntary program included in the syllabi of their course. The current study provides an emic perspective following the research participants’ views and was guided by the principles of qualitative research. Data were gathered from a variety of sources: an online questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, classroom observation field notes, and audiotaped social interactions. Content and interpretive analyses were carried out on the data. The findings support the importance of social action and experiential learning for cultural competence development. In addition, the outcomes suggest that the studied encounters not only provided learners with opportunities to enhance knowledge about cultures, but also helped them to encounter otherness and to expand understandings of professional cultures. 

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