Educational Leadership and Asian Culture

Dr. Peng Liu is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, Canada. His research interests include indigenous leadership cross cultures, effective leadership, higher education leadership, educational change, educational policy, principal/teacher professional development, and international and comparative education. He serves as an associate editor for International Journal of Comparative Education and Development.Dr. Lei Mee Thien is an Associate Professor in School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her areas of expertise are educational management and leadership, and school effectiveness research. She is an Associate Editor of Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education.

The field of school leadership is in the early stages of understanding how school leaders’ values and behaviors are shaped by their cultural contexts. With over 60% of the world’s population residing in Asian countries, this timely book examines school leadership practices that expand our understanding of what transpires in non-Western societies. Examining a variety of indigenous Asian countries influenced by Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic philosophies and traditions, the authors provide empirical evidence and practical illustrations of how these cultural perspectives shape school leaders’ expectations and actions. Readers will be enlightened by the variety of Asian cultures represented, from high-population, ethnically diverse countries to much smaller, homogeneous societies. Bruce Barnett, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at San AntonioThe field of educational leadership has been dominated by Western and especially Anglo-centric perspectives. But leadership operates in different and overlapping ways in the East compared to the West. This important book introduces readers to the unique contribution of Asian perspectives in educational leadership and leadership in general that don't merely complement Western ones, but also challenge them in important ways. This is a book that will open minds in a way that is essential in an increasingly diverse world of global dimensions in education.Andy Hargreaves, Professor, Boston College (USA), University of Ottawa (Canada)The literature on school leadership has long been dominated by perspectives developed in the Western world, so this new book brings both challenges and complementary insights from a rich and diverse set of Asian cultural and spiritual values. Twenty-seven authors from eight Asian countries elaborate on approaches to leadership rooted in philosophical and religious traditions that include Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Islam among others, thus broadening and enriching the literature as well as demonstrating a genius for harmony that is deeply Asian. The book will appeal to educational practitioners, researchers and a wider public.Ruth Hayhoe, Professor, University of Toronto

• 1. Benevolent Leadership in Chinese Turnaround Schools: A Confucius Perspective 2. Understanding the Perceptions of Malaysian Chinese School Heads on Their Instructional Leadership Roles: A Cultural Lens 3. Understanding the Roles of Taoist Leadership in Transforming Chinese Higher Education Institutions 4. Conceptions of Effective Leadership: A Contextually Grounded Perspective of Omani School Principals 5. Understanding School Leadership Practices in the Maldives: The Perspectives of Societal Culture 6. Instructional Leadership Practices in Primary Schools: A Malaysian Indian Culture Perspective 7. The Introduction of New Public Management into School Leadership in Japan: Implications for Japanese Paternalistic Culture 8. Connecting Culture and Social-Emotional Competencies: School Leaders in Azerbaijan 9. School Leadership and Indonesian Culture: Revealing the Local Knowledge Development in Post-New Order Indonesia 10. Understanding Singaporean Educational Leadership: A Sociocultural Perspective 11. "Are We Really that Different?": A Rasch Investigation of Cultural Work Values of School Leaders, Middle Managers, and Teachers in Singapore 12. Conclusion