Studies in Educational Leadership – serie

Covering valuation processes in educational administration, this text has a particular focus on the notions community and professionalism. The topic is addressed comprehensively bringing together in one volume the work of some of the best-known and most respected philosophers, theorists and researchers working in this field. The work of several promising young academics is also featured. Values have traditionally been considered an important influence on administrative practices. Chester Barnard's work, "The Functions of the Executive", proposes a definition of leadership, dating back to 1938, that highlights the moral dimension of leadership as essential to administration. More recent works by Herbert Simon, Christopher Hodgkinson, Thomas Greenfield, Don Willower, Jerry Starratt and Paul Begley have reinforced the relevance of values as influences on administration and promoted active international debate on the subject. This book should be of special interest to university faculty, graduate students and educational administrators working in schools, district offices, senior departmental roles and administrators working in closely related fields.

Among the many significant features of this volume is the dedication to the late Don Willower, Professor of Education at Pennsylvania State University. It is significant in light of Willower’s long record of major contributions to the empirical literature in Educational Administration and his mentorship of many students steeped in the tradition of the so-called science of administration. These include scholars like Wayne Hoy and Peter Cistone who readily acknowledge their personal and intellectual debt to Willower. How is it, then, that Willower, a colleague of the giants of Educational Administration in the 60s and 70s, people such as Dan Griffiths, Jack Culbertson, and Roald Campbell, to name just a few, came to associate himself with this relatively upstart group of academics and practitioners interested in values, of all things? As an inheritor of the mantle thrown down by Getzels and Guba all those years ago, it might seem strange to see Willower consorting with people who argue about the distinction between fact and value. It is true, of course, that Willower majored in philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo as an undergraduate. So the language and the ways of thinking among many of those interested in values and ethics were not all that foreign to him. He could certainly hold his own in debate with his friend, Chris Hodgkinson, the foremost philosopher of Educational Administration in the field today, and a contributor to this volume.

This book explores the challenges that school administrators face in ethnically diverse contexts. Based on an empirical study, it shows how principals do or do not promote inclusive practices in their schools. The various chapters cover principal perceptions of, and responses to, racism and antiracism, school community relationships, and difference. Also addressed are administrators' efforts to learn about diversity and to educate others in their school communities about it. This volume is the first of its kind to specifically target school administrators and ethnic diversity. While collections of essays and individual articles have explored general and specific aspects of diversity, no book to date has targeted leadership and ethnical diversity specifically, is supported by empirical data, or follows a consistent theme throughout. This book will be of interest to school administrators, prospective administrators, teachers, graduate students, academics and all others who are concerned about education, leadership, diversity and inclusion.

This book explores the challenges that school administrators face in ethnically diverse contexts. Based on an empirical study, it shows how principals do or do not promote inclusive practices in their schools. The various chapters cover principal perceptions of, and responses to, racism and antiracism, school community relationships, and difference. Also addressed are administrators' efforts to learn about diversity and to educate others in their school communities about it. This volume is the first of its kind to specifically target school administrators and ethnic diversity. While collections of essays and individual articles have explored general and specific aspects of diversity, no book to date has targeted leadership and ethnical diversity specifically, is supported by empirical data, or follows a consistent theme throughout. This book will be of interest to school administrators, prospective administrators, teachers, graduate students, academics and all others who are concerned about education, leadership, diversity and inclusion.

The change in paradigm in our field is away from the great man or woman theory of leadership and the teacher in his or her own classroom to the development of learning communities which value differences and support critical reflection and encourage members to question, challenge, and debate teaching and learning issues.How to achieve such learning communities is far from clear, but we believe the areas of problem-based learning (PBL) and organizational learning (OL) offer valuable clues. The indications are that the successful educational restructuring agenda depends on teams of leaders, whole staffs and school personnel, working together (i.e., OL) linking evidence and practice in genuine collaboration (i.e., PBL). The book is unique in that it is both about and uses these two concepts.

The change in paradigm in our field is away from the great man or woman theory of leadership and the teacher in his or her own classroom to the development of learning communities which value differences and support critical reflection and encourage members to question, challenge, and debate teaching and learning issues. How to achieve such learning communities is far from clear, but we believe the areas of problem-based learning (PBL) and organizational learning (OL) offer valuable clues. The indications are that the successful educational restructuring agenda depends on teams of leaders, whole staffs and school personnel, working together (i.e., OL) linking evidence and practice in genuine collaboration (i.e., PBL). The book is unique in that it is both about and uses these two concepts. The book is made up of four sections: 1. An introductory rational in which the case for using only quality evidence in school reform efforts is argued. Results from a quality research project are then presented.These results are organised around six questions: The section concludes with a plea that given the accumulation and consistent quality of the evidence from across systems and countries, we no longer need to involve ourselves with just impressions of effective leadership. We have a way forward that links leadership to organisational learning and improved student outcomes. 2. Advice for using the book. The reasons for the choice of problem-based learning as the vehicle for the professional development materials that form the major part of this book are detailed. Suggestions are then made for use of the book, including a one-day and two- day workshop, and advice on group development and warm-up activities for sue for such group development before moving to the problem-based learning package in Section 3; 3. A problem based-learning, evidence informed, professional development package for aspiring and actual school leaders based on real schools and their leaders. 4. A challenge. The final section provides refined versions of the diagnostic instruments used in the research and challenges readers to use them in their own schools.The book concludes with the references used and a list of other readings.

The change in paradigm in our field is away from the great man or woman theory of leadership and the teacher in his or her own classroom to the development of learning communities which value differences and support critical reflection and encourage members to question, challenge, and debate teaching and learning issues.How to achieve such learning communities is far from clear, but we believe the areas of problem-based learning (PBL) and organizational learning (OL) offer valuable clues. The indications are that the successful educational restructuring agenda depends on teams of leaders, whole staffs and school personnel, working together (i.e., OL) linking evidence and practice in genuine collaboration (i.e., PBL). The book is unique in that it is both about and uses these two concepts.

This book makes a much needed contribution to what we know about the role and work of the assistant principal. It offers terri c insights into the different challenges one faces after being appointed assistant principal, and it provides readers with a rich array of data regarding the mental, emotional, social, and physical adjustments accompanying one’s transition to this new role. The author refreshingly moves beyond mere description of what assistant prin- pals do as they make their transition to that role, and actually helps us gain a sense of the lived experience of becoming and being an assistant principal. The book gives a realistic picture of the cognitive, social, and emotional con icts and confusions, the daily ups and downs, the fears, frustrations, and highs that are experienced by the men and women undertaking the passage from teaching to administration. This book is distinctive for a number of reasons. It is an empirical study of the role of the assistant principal. There are comparatively few helpful studies, and P- fessor Armstrong’s research adds a solid and much needed addition to that body of work. It focuses on the transition from being a teacher to being an assistant prin- pal, and it reveals much about how the assistant principal’s role transition differs markedly from that of the school principal.

The leadership of school principals is an enormously powerful influence on the quality of schools and the learning of pupils. While the work of principals has been examined intensively over the past 20 years, almost no effort has been made to understand the role from an international or cross-cultural perspective. This book contributes significantly to our understanding of successful school leaders by describing similarities and differences in the work of such leaders in countries ranging from England to Australia, the United States to Norway, Sweden to Hong Kong. Bringing together case study research, the book helps explain what all successful principals do and the ways in which context shapes some of their work.

Effective educational leadership, while highly contextualized, is more and more recognized as a crucial input and process variable that determines to a very large extent the outcomes for educational organizations. This book pulls together the thinking of 16 educators with diverse backgrounds and experiences, all of whom hold keen interests in harnessing the forces that can improve educational opportunity for students. Becoming an effective education leader requires more than a passing knowledge of leadership theory; it also requires knowledge of what works in education and an on-going commitment to thinking about how leadership dynamics and pedagogical theory intersect within contextual realities. Intelligent Leadership: Constructs for Thinking Education Leaders is intended to stimulate the thinking of every educator who aspires to influence decision-making and to provide direction to their school, district or institution.

Alma Harris The ?eld of school leadership is currently preoccupied with the idea of distributed leadership. Few ideas, it seems, have provoked as much attention, debate and c- troversy. Whatever your position on distributed leadership, and you cannot fail to have one, it is irrefutable that distributed leadership has become the leadership idea of the moment. Yet, it is an idea that can be traced back as far as the mid 20s and possibly earlier. So why the interest? Part of the answer can be found in a move away from theorizing and empirical enquiry focused on the single leader. This shift has undoubtedly been fuelled by structural changes, within schools and across school systems that have resulted in - ternative models or forms of leadership practice. Evidence highlights how those - cupying formal leadership positions are increasingly recognizing the limitations of existing structural arrangements to secure organizational growth and transformation (Fullan et al. , 2007; Harris et al. , 2008; Chapman et al. , 2008). As a consequence, many heads and principals are actively restructuring, realigning and redesigning leadership practice in their school (Harris, 2008). While the terminology to describe such changes varies, the core principle is one of extending or sharing leadership practice. While scholars have long argued for the need to move beyond those at the top of organizations in order to examine leadership (Barnard, 1968; Katz and Kahn, 1966) until relatively recently, much of the school leadership literature has tended tofocusupontheheadortheprincipal.

School District Leadership Matters challenges policy makers, administrators, and academics in the field of educational leadership to reassess their traditional approaches to learning, working, and planning. The authors believe that government restructuring, standards-based reforms, and centrally imposed strategic planning have been painfully ineffective. As a consequence, student learning has become increasingly superficial and inauthentic.This book bridges the traditional divide between the generalizations of social science theory on the one hand and the world of educational practice on the other. It argues that a more promising approach to education reform is through effective school district leadership. Sheppard, Brown and Dibbon draw on their collective experience both as educational leaders and researchers of leadership, having spent five years researching and working in one school district. Here, they show how a district superintendent can successfully navigate the paradoxes and challenges of facilitating collaborative leadership in a school district with a traditionally hierarchical organizational structure.As a conclusion to their work, the authors highlight what they call five ‘recognitions’ that deepen readers’ understanding of school district leadership. They illuminate, too, ways that senior level practitioners can apply theory to practice in order to break down the traditional hierarchical bureaucracies that inhibit learning, and create professional learning communities.School District Leadership Matters urges researchers, graduate students, practitioners, and policymakers to focus on improving authentic learning for all students and argues that the best hope rests with effective school district leadership. This empirically-based yet practical book provides new insights and questions for academic researchers and will inspire policy makers and practitioners to imagine what could be and to work towards it.

This Open Access book features a school development model (Arizona Initiative for Leadership Development and Research – AZiLDR) that offers a roadmap for schools to navigate the complexities of continuous school development. Filled with processes that balance evidence-based values with democratic, culturally responsive values, this book offers strategies to mediate the tensions and to address school culture, context and values, leadership capacity, using data as a source of reflection, curricular and pedagogical activity, and strengths-based approaches to meeting the needs of culturally diverse students. You will find:·       -  Active, reflective activities·        -  Case studies illustrating each concept·        - The research base supporting each concept·        -  Descriptions of processes from other contexts (South Carolina, Germany, Australia, Sweden)·        -  Thoughts about next steps for contextually sensitive and multi-level school development·       -   Suggestions for cross-national dialogue and research within the Zone of UncertaintyUse this ideal source to guide school leadership teams in creating productive schools that continually grow!

This Open Access book features a school development model (Arizona Initiative for Leadership Development and Research – AZiLDR) that offers a roadmap for schools to navigate the complexities of continuous school development. Filled with processes that balance evidence-based values with democratic, culturally responsive values, this book offers strategies to mediate the tensions and to address school culture, context and values, leadership capacity, using data as a source of reflection, curricular and pedagogical activity, and strengths-based approaches to meeting the needs of culturally diverse students. You will find:·       -  Active, reflective activities·        -  Case studies illustrating each concept·        - The research base supporting each concept·        -  Descriptions of processes from other contexts (South Carolina, Germany, Australia, Sweden)·        -  Thoughts about next steps for contextually sensitive and multi-level school development·       -   Suggestions for cross-national dialogue and research within the Zone of UncertaintyUse this ideal source to guide school leadership teams in creating productive schools that continually grow!

This book addresses the critical gaps among understandings of teacher leadership across organizational and cultural contexts. It challenges the use of the term teacher leadership as if there is a widely shared understanding of what it is and what it means for exercising influence and making decisions. The book describes how implicit meanings and competing assumptions about teacher leadership may contribute to uncertainty and confusion in school communities. The authors caution against the incorporation of teacher leadership in international policy making discussions without adequate consideration of contextual, organizational, historical, and cultural differences that may lead to school community members struggling to accommodate the concept or, worse, ignoring other frameworks for facilitating more culturally appropriate decision making.This book shares the findings of research conducted in several North American, European, African, Latin-American, and Australasian contexts as part of the International Study of Teacher Leadership. Study findings are used to posit contextualized conceptualizations of teacher leadership and to offer a perspective for positioning researchers and practitioners in the international teacher leadership discourse.

This book addresses the critical gaps among understandings of teacher leadership across organizational and cultural contexts. It challenges the use of the term teacher leadership as if there is a widely shared understanding of what it is and what it means for exercising influence and making decisions. The book describes how implicit meanings and competing assumptions about teacher leadership may contribute to uncertainty and confusion in school communities. The authors caution against the incorporation of teacher leadership in international policy making discussions without adequate consideration of contextual, organizational, historical, and cultural differences that may lead to school community members struggling to accommodate the concept or, worse, ignoring other frameworks for facilitating more culturally appropriate decision making.This book shares the findings of research conducted in several North American, European, African, Latin-American, and Australasian contexts as part of the International Study of Teacher Leadership. Study findings are used to posit contextualized conceptualizations of teacher leadership and to offer a perspective for positioning researchers and practitioners in the international teacher leadership discourse.

This book discusses school leaders’ ability to use digital technologies successfully through specific approaches and techniques. It also discusses the technological challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the obstacles derived from the lack of digital capacity of school leaders in various contexts. The work addresses school leaders’ experiences, confidence, competence, skills, and practices to use digital technologies effectively. Also, it explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced school leaders’ role in establishing effective processes towards educational digital transformation, and provides further knowledge as part of school leaders’ digital professional development aspect.The book draws information and knowledge from the thematic areas of technology and school leadership in educational practice and includes both conceptual and empirical information on autonomous and less autonomous educational systems (centralized and decentralized education systems). Overall, this edited book fills the gap with information on the connection between school leadership and technology, as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in school organizations.

This book discusses school leaders’ ability to use digital technologies successfully through specific approaches and techniques. It also discusses the technological challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the obstacles derived from the lack of digital capacity of school leaders in various contexts. The work addresses school leaders’ experiences, confidence, competence, skills, and practices to use digital technologies effectively. Also, it explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced school leaders’ role in establishing effective processes towards educational digital transformation, and provides further knowledge as part of school leaders’ digital professional development aspect.The book draws information and knowledge from the thematic areas of technology and school leadership in educational practice and includes both conceptual and empirical information on autonomous and less autonomous educational systems (centralized and decentralized education systems). Overall, this edited book fills the gap with information on the connection between school leadership and technology, as an aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in school organizations.

Arising from new research of members of the International Successful School Principalship Project, this book presents cases of school and leadership success from across 12 countries. It provides critically informed writing, informed by ecological systems theory, which questions the uncritical application of single lens, adjectival leadership models, challenges critical theorists’ views of teachers’ and leaders’ as necessarily compliant with so-called neoliberal policy agendas. In their place, the chapters provide compelling evidence not only of who successful leaders are and what they do, but how they do it as they meet and manage the challenges of building and sustaining success in uncertain times in a range of cultures and social contexts. In these schools, principals assert their broad educational values, professional identities, agency and resilience, drawing upon a range of strategies, technical and human relating qualities and skills in building and sustaining success for all.Whilst they acknowledge the influence of cultural, policy, and community contexts, they are not oppressed by these. The chapters provide a brief description of country and school contexts, the life and work of the principal, their leadership strategies and how they contribute to teacher wellbeing and teaching quality, leadership development in others, pedagogical leadership, cultures of trust, and community engagement. There is also consideration of how school leaders manage tensions and dilemmas, how success differs from effectiveness, and the characteristics and qualities of leaders that lead to success. It is a book which will stimulate school leaders and aspiring school leaders to consider more deeply their own work and its directions. For researchers and system leaders, it provides multi-level, multiple perspective case studies as part of the largest international educational leadership project ever undertaken. It is a ‘must read’, rich, timely professionally connected book.​

Arising from new research of members of the International Successful School Principalship Project, this book presents cases of school and leadership success from across 12 countries. It provides critically informed writing, informed by ecological systems theory, which questions the uncritical application of single lens, adjectival leadership models, challenges critical theorists’ views of teachers’ and leaders’ as necessarily compliant with so-called neoliberal policy agendas. In their place, the chapters provide compelling evidence not only of who successful leaders are and what they do, but how they do it as they meet and manage the challenges of building and sustaining success in uncertain times in a range of cultures and social contexts. In these schools, principals assert their broad educational values, professional identities, agency and resilience, drawing upon a range of strategies, technical and human relating qualities and skills in building and sustaining success for all.Whilst they acknowledge the influence of cultural, policy, and community contexts, they are not oppressed by these. The chapters provide a brief description of country and school contexts, the life and work of the principal, their leadership strategies and how they contribute to teacher wellbeing and teaching quality, leadership development in others, pedagogical leadership, cultures of trust, and community engagement. There is also consideration of how school leaders manage tensions and dilemmas, how success differs from effectiveness, and the characteristics and qualities of leaders that lead to success. It is a book which will stimulate school leaders and aspiring school leaders to consider more deeply their own work and its directions. For researchers and system leaders, it provides multi-level, multiple perspective case studies as part of the largest international educational leadership project ever undertaken. It is a ‘must read’, rich, timely professionally connected book.​

This collection addresses key issues in the preparation and development of school leaders across eight countries and four world areas (North America, United Kingdom, Europe and Australasia). The work offers evidence-based insights into the current and future leadership preparation and development needed for school success. The future focus extends across the coming two or more decades and challenges the reader to consider how schools will likely develop and the leadership we will need in these schools. The book comes at a time when many schools are faced with significant challenges, including enduring impacts from the pandemic, teacher shortages and the incorporation of new technologies such as generative AI. Leadership in schools has never been more important and it is timely to consider the leadership preparation and development we need now and into the future. There are chapters that address leadership from pre-service and early career teachers through to principals, providing a whole of career focus. The authors are part of the International Leadership Development Network, and use their extensive research to consider the important areas of teacher and middle leaders; leadership for equity, inclusion, and social justice; and school, community and university partnerships.It is a book that will prove useful to teachers and school leaders, system leaders, university faculty and graduate researchers.

This edited volume assembles groundbreaking research on school leadership in Latin America, a region long underrepresented in international literature. It bridges a significant knowledge gap by examining school leaders—who they are, their skills, beliefs, practices, and impacts within their educational communities. Researchers from diverse countries and organizations contribute perspectives using varied disciplinary and methodological traditions, offering a comparative view. The volume defines the regional knowledge base, highlighting commonalities and differences in leadership roles, essential for policy development and future research. By focusing on Latin America's unique context, it informs leadership frameworks, illustrating connections and divergences from predominant models. Broad regional trends and nuanced national studies provide a comprehensive understanding of leadership dynamics. With 13 chapters and an extensive introduction, it explores themes including professional profiles, leadership styles, supportive policies, and leadership in challenging circumstances.

This book presents successful principals’ values, practices and qualities observed in nine countries and across different cultural contexts. The work reports evidence about successful school leadership along with indications of how they navigate the complex layers of influences on schools, teachers and students in building and sustaining success. This is mostly qualitative case study evidence resulting from the 20-year ongoing International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), the largest and longest-running mixed-method qualitative research project in the world about successful principalship. The book includes individual reviews of the case studies conducted in individual countries (e.g., UK, US, Australia, Spain) as well as an overarching meta-synthesis of the research evidence across all countries.It addresses four broad questions:How was principal leadership “success” defined in each of the countries and cases?What leadership practices were used by successful principals to achieve and sustain success?What were the personal qualities of successful principals in different organizational and national contexts?How did the enactment of successful leadership practices vary over time and across contexts?The book appeals to a wide audience, such as university faculty and graduate students in educational leadership programs; school administrators; school middle managers, and policymakers.

This book provides a unique map of the focus and directions of contemporary research on school leadership since 2000 in 24 countries. Each of these directions has its own particular cultural, educational and policy history. Taken together, the various chapters in the volume provide a rich and varied mosaic of what is currently known and what is yet to be discovered about the roles and practices of principals, and their contributions to the improvement of teaching and the learning and achievement of students. The particular foci and methodological emphases of the research reported illustrate the different phases in the development of educational policies and provision in each country. This collection is an important addition to existing international research that has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that the influence of school principals is second only to that of teachers in their capacity to impact students’ progress and achievement and to promote equity and social justice.

This book presents the outcomes of research and practical endeavour in some of the diverse contexts in which learning takes place: classrooms, schools, professional development settings, community projects and service sector agencies. It invites the reader to engage with two related questions of contemporary concern in the leadership field: "What can we learn about the important influence of different contexts on leadership practice and how are people brought together as collective human agents in different patterns of distributive leadership?" In doing so, this collection emphasises three of the critical concepts at play when leadership is viewed, not as position, but as activity. The three concepts are purpose, context and human agency. When this view of leadership is understood, it is always about achieving shared goals with people power, no matter the circumstances in which they are gathered together.

This book provides a unique map of the focus and directions of contemporary research on school leadership since 2000 in 24 countries. Each of these directions has its own particular cultural, educational and policy history. Taken together, the various chapters in the volume provide a rich and varied mosaic of what is currently known and what is yet to be discovered about the roles and practices of principals, and their contributions to the improvement of teaching and the learning and achievement of students. The particular foci and methodological emphases of the research reported illustrate the different phases in the development of educational policies and provision in each country. This collection is an important addition to existing international research that has shown beyond any reasonable doubt that the influence of school principals is second only to that of teachers in their capacity to impact students’ progress and achievement and to promote equity and social justice.

While considerable evidence indicates that school leaders are able to make important contributions to the success of their students, much less is known about how such contributions are made. This book provides a comprehensive account of research aimed at filling this gap in our knowledge, along with guidelines about how school leaders might use this knowledge for their own school improvement work. Leadership practices known to be effective for improving student success are outlined in the first section of the book while the remaining sections identify four “paths” along which the influence of those practices “flow” to exercise an influence on student success. Each of the Rational, Emotional, Organizational and Family paths are populated by conditions or variables known to have relatively direct effects on student success and also open to influence by effective leadership practices. While the Four Path framework narrows the attention of school leaders to a still-considerable number conditions known to contribute to student success, it leaves school leaders the autonomy to select, for improvement efforts, the sub-set of conditions that make the most sense in their own local circumstances. The approach to leadership described in this book provides evidence-based guidance on what to lead and flexibility on how to lead for purposes of improving student learning.

This book presents the outcomes of research and practical endeavour in some of the diverse contexts in which learning takes place: classrooms, schools, professional development settings, community projects and service sector agencies. It invites the reader to engage with two related questions of contemporary concern in the leadership field: "What can we learn about the important influence of different contexts on leadership practice and how are people brought together as collective human agents in different patterns of distributive leadership?" In doing so, this collection emphasises three of the critical concepts at play when leadership is viewed, not as position, but as activity. The three concepts are purpose, context and human agency. When this view of leadership is understood, it is always about achieving shared goals with people power, no matter the circumstances in which they are gathered together.

While considerable evidence indicates that school leaders are able to make important contributions to the success of their students, much less is known about how such contributions are made. This book provides a comprehensive account of research aimed at filling this gap in our knowledge, along with guidelines about how school leaders might use this knowledge for their own school improvement work. Leadership practices known to be effective for improving student success are outlined in the first section of the book while the remaining sections identify four “paths” along which the influence of those practices “flow” to exercise an influence on student success. Each of the Rational, Emotional, Organizational and Family paths are populated by conditions or variables known to have relatively direct effects on student success and also open to influence by effective leadership practices. While the Four Path framework narrows the attention of school leaders to a still-considerable number conditions known to contribute to student success, it leaves school leaders the autonomy to select, for improvement efforts, the sub-set of conditions that make the most sense in their own local circumstances. The approach to leadership described in this book provides evidence-based guidance on what to lead and flexibility on how to lead for purposes of improving student learning.