scholarly journals Women in Education Management in Kosovo: A Hard Road Less Travelled

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Linda Ukimeraj Harris ◽  
Anita Trnavčevič
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Management ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Management Positions

This article presents limited yet significant findings of a pilot study of the experience of potential female leaders in education in Kosovo. It explores a small-scale qualitative study of the barriers to women’s accession in school management positions and the under-representation of women in management positions in primary schools in Kosovo. A qualitative, multiple case study approach is employed. Semi-structured interviews are employed to explore the experiences of four female teachers who have engaged in a leadership development scheme, and two government officials. In spite of being qualified for promotion to school management positions, none of the participants had applied for a school leadership role and opted to remain class teachers. Mirroring other contexts, the study found a mixture of factors acting on their decision not to progress into a management role. A lack of aspiration was influenced by their perception of the primacy of maternal and uxorial roles, political interference in school leadership appointments, gender stereotyping, and the constraining forces of social expectations in Kosovo. These constraints were only thinly balanced by the positive influence of familial support and female role models, encouraging women to engage in leadership roles.

Building the confidence of first-time middle leaders in New Zealand primary schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 749-760
Author(s):  
Martin Bassett ◽  
Nicholas Shaw
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Leadership Development ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
School Context ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Time ◽  
Middle Leaders

Purpose Middle leaders play an important role in the education landscape, first and foremost as teachers, and second as leaders. The purpose of this paper is to identify the expectations and challenges experienced by first-time middle leaders in New Zealand primary schools, and identify the leadership development and support they were provided with. Design/methodology/approach This was a small qualitative study designed to collect data from the perspectives of first-time middle leaders and principals in New Zealand primary schools. Three methods were employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six middle leaders who had been in the role for one to three years. These participants were identified through an analysis of recent public appointment records and then e-mailed with an invitation. Four principals from a local principals’ association were invited to comprise a focus group and relevant documents were analysed. Findings The findings from this study are presented in three sections: expectations, challenges and leadership development and support. Whilst the principals described wide and varied role expectations the middle leaders highlighted the importance of their teaching role with leadership responsibilities as secondary. From both perspectives time to do the administrative work was an overwhelming difficulty. A key finding was related to a lack of confidence to undertake the role in spite of efforts to provide and receive support. Overall, there was agreement that further development for new middle leaders was essential. Research limitations/implications This small, limited study highlights the central role that middle leaders play in leading learning and teaching, and the existence of a lack of confidence. Further research is needed to delve into conditions that would enable new middle leaders to manage the challenges of time and confidence. Practical implications The research recommends that practitioners who are new to a middle leadership role be allocated dedicated time for performing the administrative tasks and participating in an ongoing induction programme. The middle leaders themselves and their schools would benefit from efforts to strengthen middle leadership development. Originality/value Although a great deal has been written about middle leadership, there is only a small amount of research about primary schools. This research adds valuable new information in a primary school context and breaks new ground in researching early career, first-time middle leaders in this context.

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.

scholarly journals Hearing Teachers at the Primary Schools for the Hearing Impaired in the Czech Republic and the in Deaf Culture Knowledge

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Pavel Kučera
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Deaf Culture ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Hearing Parents ◽  
Students First

<p><em>When pupils</em><em> with hearing impairment have hearing parents, the school for hearing impaired is usually the first institution where those students first encounter Czech sign language. That is why teachers should have information about Deaf culture, customs and history. Only then can a student with a hearing  impairment  become convinced that his language is full-fledged so he can be proud of it, as well as his Deaf culture. Teachers at Primary schools for the hearing impaired are supposed to be role models for pupils with hearing impairment and be one of the first people who are influencing them in this area. The aim of the research was to find out the level of Deaf cultural awareness of hearing teachers and whether they do know the customs and traditions of the Deaf. The research was conducted through the form of through structured interviews.</em></p><p class="Odstavecseseznamem1"> </p>

scholarly journals Six ways of understanding leadership development: An exploration of increasing complexity

Leadership ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Kjellström ◽  
Kristian Stålne ◽  
Oskar Törnblom
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Development Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Collective Leadership ◽  
Organizational Contexts

Leadership development is a multifaceted phenomenon with a multitude of definitions and meanings requiring closer exploration. The aim of this study was to identify and investigate qualitatively different ways of understanding leadership development and categorize them from a complexity perspective. We conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with professionals and managers. Analysis using a phenomenographic approach revealed six categories and different ways of understanding leadership development: (1) one’s own development, (2) fulfilling a leadership role, (3) personal development, (4) leader and organizational development, (5) collective leadership development, and (6) human development. The categories were arranged hierarchically according to increasing complexity. Our contribution recognizes more nuanced interpretations than previously identified and highlights underlying structures of complexity. The results help to empirically ground and elaborate current theories and distinctions within the field of leadership development research where similar patterns can be observed. They may assist researchers in making both their own and other’s assumptions on leadership development explicit, as well as informing the practice of tailoring leadership development activities to better match individuals and organizational contexts.

Retention Factors for Head Athletic Trainers in the NCAA Division I Collegiate Setting

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie M. Mazerolle ◽  
William A. Pitney ◽  
Ashley Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Ncaa Division I ◽  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Retention Factors ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Type Data

Context:Retention factors for athletic trainers (ATs) generally include autonomy, work-life balance, and job satisfaction, but little is known specifically about the position of Head AT.Objective:To investigate factors that influence retention of the Head AT in a leadership role.Design:A qualitative study that employed structured interviews.Patients or Other Participants: 18 Head ATs (13 males, 5 females; 44 ± 8 years of age; 22 ± 7 years of experience in the role) participated.Data Collection and Analysis:Participants responded to a series of questions presented through an online interview. The data were analyzed through a general inductive approach.Results:Two key retention factors that were identified by the analysis were enjoyment of the work setting and professional motivation.Conclusions:Head ATs remain in their positions due to rewarding relationships with staff members and student-athletes. A commitment to lifelong learning for professional development also exerts a positive influence for retention.

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.

Successful school leadership: case studies of four Singapore primary schools

2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Loke Heng Wang ◽  
David Gurr ◽  
Lawrie Drysdale
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Structures ◽  
Asian Context ◽  
School Principalship ◽  
Successful School

Purpose This paper explores the characteristics and practices of principals in four successful Singapore primary schools. Design/methodology/approach Multiple perspective case studies were used which included semi-structured interviews with the principal, teaching and non-teaching staff, students, parents and school board members in each school. Findings The principals were found to have contributed significantly to the success of their schools. Their leadership was underpinned by their personal qualities, beliefs and values, which guided their practices. The four principals were highly successful in improving school capacity through redesigning school structures, particularly those that facilitate improvement in the work of teachers. They enhanced the professional capacity of the teaching and non-teaching staff through professional development programmes and the development of future leaders. The principals also established meaningful partnerships with stakeholders inside and outside the school community. Each of the principals described how their leadership was built upon the legacy of previous principals at their schools. Originality/value As part of a larger project, the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), this research adds an important Asian context to the literature on successful school leadership. A 6E model - Educate, Envision, Energize, Engage, Enable and Embrace - was developed to describe how principals led their schools to achieve educational excellence.

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

Breaking down the walls of weak knowledge-sharing among Iranian teachers: Investigating a less-considered leadership role of principals

2020 ◽  
pp. 174114322096816
Author(s):  
Hassanreza Zeinabadi
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Principal's Role ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Constant Comparative Analysis

One of the common aspects of professional culture is that teachers share their knowledge and experience only occasionally. However, principals can significantly contribute to reducing this weakness by demonstrating knowledge-sharing in their leadership role. It is critical for Iranian principals to play this role because there is some weakness among teachers due to certain context-specific conditions. The existing knowledge about this vital role is very scarce and cannot provide a complete and clear picture. The purpose of this study is to investigate this less-considered role in the context of Iranian primary schools. To this end, a basic qualitative approach was adopted. Using constant comparative analysis of the data obtained from interviews with successful principals, seven categories of themes emerged for knowledge-sharing leadership. This study not only supports the assertion that the principal’s role in knowledge-sharing is indisputable but also contributes to the school leadership literature. Along with its implications for training programmes for principals, this study has several suggestions for theory and research.

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