scholarly journals Personal Leadership Resources as Mediator of Context and Leadership Practice: A Review and Conceptual Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
T.J. Hoogsteen
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Personal Leadership ◽  
The Impact

Hallinger (2018) contends that context has been treated as a ‘given’ in reviews of research and remains in the shadows of leadership.  At the same time, Lee and Hallinger (2012) have described an emerging area of study focusing on the impact of organizational contexts.  Several scholars in the field of educational leadership have gone as far as to say that context is causal.  However, a recent review of empirical research by Leithwood, Harris, and Hopkins (2019) claimed that the ways in which leaders apply basic leadership practices demonstrate a responsiveness to, rather than dictation by, context.  Furthermore, they note that a well-defined set of ‘personal leadership resources’ show promise of explaining a high proportion of variation of school leaders’ practice.  These two claims, while not diminishing the significance of context, demonstrate the importance of a leader’s characteristics and leadership practice to leaders that are successful.  To consider this latter point further, a review of literature is conducted to synthesize three areas in the field of educational leadership which, at least implicitly, are considered competing; context, leadership practice, and personal leadership resources.  The review results in an adaptation of previous models from Bossert et al. (1982) and Hallinger (2018) that illustrates the convergence of the three leadership variables.

The Impact of Black Women Educational Leaders on Student Achievement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri N. Watson ◽  
Patrice A. McClellan
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
White Women ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
White Men ◽  
Nel Noddings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Women Educational Leaders

What is the relationship between educational leadership, student achievement, and what we know about Black women? For one, while educational leadership is closely associated with student achievement, school leaders were found to have little, if any, direct effect on student achievement. Black women, on the other hand, are rarely mentioned in regard to student achievement, yet their efficacy is unparalleled. Black women should be listed alongside often-cited theorists, including John Dewey, James MacGregor Burns, Nel Noddings, and the Brazilian educationalist Paulo Freire, as they have made significant contributions to the field of educational leadership. These trailblazers include Frances (Fanny) Jackson Coppin, Sarah J. Smith Tompkins Garnet, Mary Jane Patterson, and Anna Julia Cooper. As Black women and professors of educational leadership, we have an obligation to ourselves, our communities, and the next generation of school leaders to reframe and extend the narratives surrounding educational leadership, student achievement, and Black women. Most research focused on educational leadership and student achievement includes neither the perspectives nor contributions of Black women educational leaders. Extant educational leadership literatures largely chronicle the perspectives of White men and rely on theories established by other White men. Moreover, student achievement is most often attributed to teachers, roles primarily occupied by White women. These correlations negate and further marginalize Black women educational leaders, who, despite the fact they have successfully led schools and are effective instructional leaders, remain untapped resources. Black Feminist Theory provides a framework to explore the lived experiences and contributions of groundbreaking Black women educational leaders. The knowledge gleaned from these “firsts” will proffer invaluable lessons to the field of educational leadership.

Dissonance Between the “International” and the Conservative “National”: Challenges Facing School Leaders in International Schools in Saudi Arabia

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 747-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waheed Hammad ◽  
Saeeda Shah
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
International Schools ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Leadership Challenges ◽  
Interesting Study ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: This article seeks to investigate the leadership challenges in international schools in one region in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). It particularly examines the dissonance between the more liberal approaches to education prevalent in international schools and the conservative nature of those observed in the Saudi context, unveiling the challenges that this posed for school leaders. Research Methodology: In view of the sensitive and complex nature of the study, it was designed as an exploratory study located within qualitative paradigm, using interviewing for data generation. Individual, semistructured interviews were undertaken with 10 senior leaders from five international schools located in Al-Ahsa Governorate in KSA. Findings: The study highlighted a number of complex challenges faced by international school leaders in KSA mainly linked to issues such as sex segregation, Saudization, and parental expectations. The study also unveiled two coping strategies developed by school leaders—namely, compliance and circumvention. Implications for Research and Practice: The findings of this interesting study will have implications for both research and practice. By venturing into this underexplored and sensitive area, the study not only seeks to develop an empirical picture of leadership practices and challenges in international schools in KSA but also stresses the need for further research to gain insight into cross-cultural complexities. Moreover, highlighting the impact of cultural dissonance on leadership practices will be useful for both the practicing and the future leaders of international schools not only in KSA but in other parts of the world too.

Understanding Relational and Responsible Leadership for School Leaders

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Smit ◽  
Mapula Mabusela
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Narrative Inquiry ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Relational Leadership ◽  
Responsible Leadership ◽  
Leadership Studies

Relational leadership and responsible leadership are important subjects in the literature, and more attention can be paid to these leadership practices in educational leadership. Most educational leadership studies focus on distributed, instructional, teacher, and transformational leadership using mostly quantitative research. The aim is to explore and describe relational and responsible leadership in the context of educational leadership. Qualitative research methodology such as narrative inquiry is not often used for inquiries into educational leadership studies. Moreover, the scholarship on narrative inquiry as a relational methodology for relational and responsible educational leadership is scant, and there is a need to broaden the discussion to include appropriate the concepts of relational leadership and responsible leadership for educational leadership in a context of relational narrative inquiry. Relational and responsible leadership theories can be appropriated through a relational research methodology using narrative inquiry. These scholarly lenses may add value to school leadership research and to school leaders who wish to transform and change leadership practices, specifically in diverse school communities with challenging and problematic educational landscapes.

Specialized Educational Leadership for Rural Students Living in Poverty

2020 ◽  
pp. 425-451
Author(s):  
Kimberly Kappler Hewitt ◽  
Mark A. Rumley
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Funds Of Knowledge ◽  
Rural Poverty ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Rural Students ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Agents Of Change

To serve students living in rural poverty, school leaders must understand intimately the specific challenges that students face. Equally, leaders must embrace and leverage the funds of knowledge and assets that these students, their families, and their communities offer. While these challenges are complex, honoring and leveraging the strengths of rural communities in economic distress provide a pathway for leaders to transform schools into places where rurality is valued and students excel. The authors examine the context of rural students experiencing poverty, describe the characteristics of and challenges faced by rural school leaders, and identify responsive leadership practices. To conclude, the authors exhort policymakers, researchers, and state and district education leaders to cultivate rural school leaders as agents of change.

An ineffective preparation? The scarce effect in primary school principals’ practices of school leadership preparation and training in seven countries in Latin America

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Weinstein ◽  
Ariel Azar ◽  
Joseph Flessa
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Using Data ◽  
And Training

Latin American educational policy has relied on the assumption that better preparation can help school leaders improve their professional performance, thus improving quality of schools. Training programs for present or future school leaders have proliferated in the region, often publicly financed, but without enough evidence of their impact. Using data for seven Latin American countries from the Third Regional Comparative and Explanatory Study (TERCE), we seek to determine the association between school leaders’ formal education and training received, with well recognized dimensions of school leadership practices reported by their teachers. We estimated linear regression models for each country in Latin America to determine the relationship between principals’ preparation with indicators of educational leadership practices. Our results show that in most observed indicators of leadership practices the effect of education or training is marginal. We provide possible explanations for this finding, emphasizing the weaknesses in principals’ initial selection processes and their deficiencies. We also consider schools’ precarious conditions to support principals in order to put the knowledge they learned in training activities into practice. We point out the need to continue conducting specific studies on the effects of training on educational leadership among school leaders in the region, overcoming TERCE information restrictions.

scholarly journals Educational Leadership and the Impact of Societal Culture on Effective Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-153
Author(s):  
Darlene Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Communication Styles ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Societal Culture ◽  
Diverse Communities ◽  
Effective Leadership Practices ◽  
The Impact

Research into what is effective leadership in different cultures provides guidance for leaders moving from one culture to another (House et al, 2014). There is a paucity of empirical research into how culture impacts effective educational leadership in culturally diverse communities, which provides the direction and focus for this study. The cultural backgrounds of staff can impact what they expect about i) how leaders communicate, ii) what actions help build trust and collaboration and iii) how decisions can or should be made (Hofstede, 1991; Meyer, 2014). This study analyses the extent to which school leaders adapt their behaviours in response to the cultures of their staff. Findings suggest that leaders in schools do adapt their actions, most often using different communication styles but also methods of building collaboration and trust, and decision-making structures. Culture impacts what are effective leadership practices (Dorfman et al, 2012) and educational leaders need to understand these potential impacts if they work in culturally diverse communities. This is important to consider for school leaders and leadership preparation programmes.

scholarly journals Educational Leadership in a Fragile State: Comparative Insights from Haiti

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaetane Jean-Marie ◽  
Steve Sider
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Educational Change ◽  
International Research ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Fragile States ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Fragile State ◽  
Developed World

Although there has been extensive examination of educational leadership in the developed world (e.g. Fullan, 2001; Leithwood & Sun, 2012), there has been much less research on school leadership in fragile states such as Haiti. This paper responds to Dimmock and Walker’s (2000) call for greater attention to comparative and international research on educational leadership specifically by examining school leadership in the Haitian context. The study on which this paper is based examines the experiences of eight school leaders in Haiti in response to the question: What types of leadership practices do school leaders in Haiti exhibit? Three themes are presented: responsiveness to localized needs, a commitment to educational change and improvement, and innovation in responding to challenging contexts. We discuss how these themes may be illuminating of school leadership in fragile states by considering communal and community-based leadership, resilience, and the momentum for change in consideration of Moorosi and Bush’s (2011) work on localized networks for change.

scholarly journals Educational Leadership practised through internal evaluation in New Zealand ECE services.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Egan Marnell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Internal Evaluation ◽  
Effective Leadership Practices ◽  
The Impact

<p><b>The New Zealand Teaching Council’s Leadership Strategy vision is:To enable every teacher, regardless of their role or setting, to have the opportunity to develop their own leadership capability so that through principled and inspirational leadership, a culturally capable, competent and connected teaching profession achieves educational equity and excellence for all children and young people in Aotearoa New Zealand (Education Council, 2018b, p. 4).</b></p> <p>There is however a lack of clarity about how this vision can be achieved. While there is a growing range of literature concerning ECE leadership emerging from New Zealand, highlighting shared or distributed approaches (Hill, 2018), the role of the positional leader and distributed leadership (Denee & Thornton, 2017), and leadership dispositions within leadership development (Davitt & Ryder, 2018), there is limited literature exploring the practices of educational leadership within New Zealand ECE services.</p> <p>This study explores how educational leadership is practised through internal evaluation processes in New Zealand ECE services and how these practices support the professional capabilities and capacities of teachers. Previous research has highlighted that a practice approach to leadership removes the focus on the individual leader and allows leadership to emerge from collective action. The objectives of this research were: to develop a better understanding of how educational leadership is practised through internal evaluation processes; explore what challenges or enables teachers to become involved and practise educational leadership through internal evaluation processes; and to understand how services monitor the impact of changes on teaching practice, made as a result of an internal evaluation.</p> <p>This qualitative research, which took the form of an interpretive case study, was framed around a single case design with multiple units of analysis. Data were gathered from three participating ECE services through interviews, focus groups and observations, and drew on the perspectives of both teachers and positional leaders. A reflexive thematic data analysis approach was employed, and four key themes were developed: identification with leadership; supportive workplace culture; continuous improvement; and effective leadership practices in ECE services.</p> <p>This case study concludes that there is a complexity in the ways ECE teachers identify with leadership, restricted by a belief that leadership requires a formal title, with teachers often unaware of their own leadership practices. A supportive workplace culture can encourage and promote leadership, while a cycle of continuous improvement can promote quality teaching practices. Finally, seven effective leadership practices were identified: relational leadership; creating the conditions for teamwork; engagement; knowledge expertise and sharing opinions; shared decision making; facilitating and guiding and accountability and organisation. This study contributes to our further understanding of educational leadership in New Zealand ECE services, in particular the practices of leadership.</p>

scholarly journals Educational Leadership practised through internal evaluation in New Zealand ECE services.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Egan Marnell
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Effective Leadership ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Internal Evaluation ◽  
Effective Leadership Practices ◽  
The Impact

<p><b>The New Zealand Teaching Council’s Leadership Strategy vision is:To enable every teacher, regardless of their role or setting, to have the opportunity to develop their own leadership capability so that through principled and inspirational leadership, a culturally capable, competent and connected teaching profession achieves educational equity and excellence for all children and young people in Aotearoa New Zealand (Education Council, 2018b, p. 4).</b></p> <p>There is however a lack of clarity about how this vision can be achieved. While there is a growing range of literature concerning ECE leadership emerging from New Zealand, highlighting shared or distributed approaches (Hill, 2018), the role of the positional leader and distributed leadership (Denee & Thornton, 2017), and leadership dispositions within leadership development (Davitt & Ryder, 2018), there is limited literature exploring the practices of educational leadership within New Zealand ECE services.</p> <p>This study explores how educational leadership is practised through internal evaluation processes in New Zealand ECE services and how these practices support the professional capabilities and capacities of teachers. Previous research has highlighted that a practice approach to leadership removes the focus on the individual leader and allows leadership to emerge from collective action. The objectives of this research were: to develop a better understanding of how educational leadership is practised through internal evaluation processes; explore what challenges or enables teachers to become involved and practise educational leadership through internal evaluation processes; and to understand how services monitor the impact of changes on teaching practice, made as a result of an internal evaluation.</p> <p>This qualitative research, which took the form of an interpretive case study, was framed around a single case design with multiple units of analysis. Data were gathered from three participating ECE services through interviews, focus groups and observations, and drew on the perspectives of both teachers and positional leaders. A reflexive thematic data analysis approach was employed, and four key themes were developed: identification with leadership; supportive workplace culture; continuous improvement; and effective leadership practices in ECE services.</p> <p>This case study concludes that there is a complexity in the ways ECE teachers identify with leadership, restricted by a belief that leadership requires a formal title, with teachers often unaware of their own leadership practices. A supportive workplace culture can encourage and promote leadership, while a cycle of continuous improvement can promote quality teaching practices. Finally, seven effective leadership practices were identified: relational leadership; creating the conditions for teamwork; engagement; knowledge expertise and sharing opinions; shared decision making; facilitating and guiding and accountability and organisation. This study contributes to our further understanding of educational leadership in New Zealand ECE services, in particular the practices of leadership.</p>

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