School Leadership Development Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of School Leadership on Professional Development in Panabo City Division, Philippines: A Mixed-Method Explanatory Research Study

This study investigates the relationship between school leadership and professional development in the educational setting of Panabo City Division, Philippines. Using a mixed-methods approach, quantitative data were collected through surveys of teachers and school leaders, while qualitative insights were garnered through focus groups and interviews. The data show that school leaders are widely regarded positively, with high mean scores indicating effective participation, supportive behaviors, and clear communication. Similarly, professional development efforts received excellent marks for continual learning, reflective practice, collaborative networking, and creative teaching methods. Statistical research shows a substantial positive association (r = 0.90, p < 0.05) between school leadership and professional development, highlighting the importance of leadership in creating a supportive atmosphere for teacher development. Qualitative findings reveal how supportive leadership behaviors such as resource allocation, collaborative learning communities, and appreciation of teachers' contributions improve professional development outcomes. These findings have practical significance for educational policymakers and school leaders looking to improve leadership practices and maximize professional development programs, which enhances teaching effectiveness.

Promising Practices for Leadership Development: Exploring a Collaborative Professional Learning and Coaching Program

<p>Given the substantial impact school leaders have on school improvement, the imperative for continuous professional learning for leaders is evident. In this two-year action research study, researchers collaborated with a school division, forming a research-practice partnership, to design and explore a collaborative professional learning and coaching program. The primary objective of this program was to align with local leadership standards and foster leadership development. The central research question was: How does implementation of a collaborative professional learning and coaching program contribute to leadership development? Data were collected from district and school leaders and included pre and post surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The findings of this study indicate that district leadership practices show promising potential in fostering inservice opportunities for leadership development. These practices include the following: (a) ensure programs are sustained with a consistent focus, (b) utilize collaborative learning approaches, (c) assess growth through reflection and feedback, and (d) use action research to support continual improvement. This study aims to provide valuable insights to school districts and researchers regarding the implementation of sustained and job-embedded professional development for school leaders, with a specific focus on leadership development.</p>

‘Sink or swim’ school leadership socialisation: A global South case of principal preparation and development

Much of the school leadership preparation and development literature emanates from the global north with little attention paid to leadership preparation and development in non-western contexts. This article draws on a South African case in a larger study that explored how school leaders were socialised into the principalship role in four Sub-Saharan African countries. Framed by leadership socialisation theory, and using questionnaire and interview data generated from 29 school leaders, the writer adopted the conceptual elements of professional, organisational and anticipatory socialisation in analysing the data. The article provides strong evidence of ‘sink or swim’ school leadership socialisation. The writer argues that more attention be given to the dimensions of professional and organisational socialisation in global south contexts, South Africa being an illustrative case. She further highlights the importance of anticipatory socialisation in the preparation and development of school leaders, particularly in resource-constrained contexts.

Developing a Personalized Educational Leadership Theory: A Promising Approach to School Leadership Development?

Behind every school leader is an individual with experiences. These experiences, personal and professional, shape how an educator conceptualizes leadership. This study examines the types of experiences that leaders, enrolled in a Master of Educational Leadership degree in Australia, draw on to inform their leadership. The findings reveal four key experiences that influence the way school leaders view and practice leadership: experiential; educative; vicarious; and personal. We discuss how the medium of digital story supports school leaders to develop their personalized educational leadership theory (PELT) as part of educational leadership development.

Strategies that leadership employ to support teacher professional development in Namibia

Background: Namibian education is faced with a concern of poor-quality teaching and learning. One way of seeking to address this is through the professional development of teachers. Therefore, this study examined strategies used by school leaders to support teachers for improved subject knowledge and pedagogy.Aim: The study aims to provide a fresh repository of information tailored for policymakers, political leaders and administrators to avail resources to capacitate and support school leaders towards innovative and creative strategies geared towards teachers’ professional development.Setting: This article provides insights into the various strategies employed by principals and heads of departments (HODs) to support teacher professional development in the Namibian context.Methods: This was a mixed-method study in which quantitative findings were used to guide the development of questions used during interviews. During the quantitative phase of the study, data were obtained from nine principals, 32 HODs and 62 teachers, while 23 participants comprising school principals, HOD and teachers participated in the qualitative phase of the study.Results: The findings revealed that Namibian principals and heads of departments use multiple strategies employed by the leadership to support their teachers’ professional development efforts.Conclusion: Namibian principals and heads of departments play a significant role in supporting teachers’ professional development and hence have established various strategies for improved subject knowledge and pedagogy.Contribution: The study contributes to a body of knowledge on school leadership and teacher professional development by unveiling the current practices and relationships between school leaders and their teachers’ professional development in Namibia.

Developing culturally responsive school leaders in Ireland and Spain. The evolving role of professional development

ABSTRACT Recent migration patterns have had a profound impact on education systems becoming more diverse in their student body but also influencing school climate and resource provision. A multisite case study approach and semi-structured interviews with 13 principals and 17 teachers were used to identify the challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive leadership in schools in Ireland and Spain. The findings provide an overview of the complex situations faced by school leaders in both countries in terms of professional development for school leaders and teachers. At the heart of the findings is the argument that any efforts to enhance the culturally responsive capacities of school leaders will depend on the enhancement of current professional development opportunities and the creation of new ones. The data indicates that imperative applies not only to school leaders but to the school community as a whole. As with all comparative papers, there are points of similarity and points of divergence, and it is through exploring these that we can see a possible way forward for the development of school leaders in Spain, Ireland and other international contexts.

Administrators’ Leadership Styles in Industrial Revolution 4.0 Towards a Proposed Leadership Educational Model

This study investigates the dynamics of school leadership within the evolving digital landscape of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) in Bangladesh. As digital transformation permeates education, school administrators play a pivotal role in fostering learning environments compatible with the new demands of the research methods, this study evaluated the proficiency level of various leadership styles in the context of IR 4.0 in the Bangladesh education system. The key areas of focus included Strategic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Digital Leadership, with a particular emphasis on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Computing. Each Leadership style was assessed based on Key result areas (KRAs), strengths, deficiencies, interventions required, and potential transitions. The study revealed that while administrators perceived their practice levels to be high, teachers and students reposted their practice levels to be high, and teachers and students reposted moderate levels of practice across all styles. In Strategic Leadership, discrepancies were observed in the understanding and response to broader changes brought by IR 4.0. Interpersonal Leadership revealed gaps in relationship building and communication, while Intrapersonal Leadership pointed towards the need for enhanced self–leadership skills. Digital Leadership covering AI and Cloud computing, surfaced as an area needing extensive professional development. Through this study, important insights were gained regarding the challenges and opportunities associated with adapting leadership styles in the digital age. The findings are anticipated to contribute to the design of an effective School Leadership Development Programme. The research underscores the importance of administrators aligning their leadership practices with the evolving digital landscape, emphasizing the need for vision, innovation, and the cultivation of future-ready skills to prepare students for success in the era of IR 4.0. Keywords: strategic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, Digital Leadership, Artificial Intelligence

A Survey and Research on the Leadership Status and Development Strategies of College Student Cadres in Chinese Vocational Colleges

This study utilizes literature review and questionnaire methods to investigate the leadership knowledge, skills, and attitudes of college student cadres in Chinese vocational colleges. Data analysis is conducted using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. The research reveals that the leadership level of college student cadres in Chinese vocational colleges is generally weak, with significant differences observed in age, registered courses, leadership positions, leadership experience, and training. Based on these findings, strategies for improving both the student cadres and school leadership development are proposed. Suggestions include expanding the sample coverage, conducting in-depth factor analysis, long-term tracking studies, interdisciplinary research, and integrating theory with practice, thereby innovating training methods.

‘Teachers Value PD if Leaders Value PD’: Role of School Leaders in Professional Development of Teachers in Rural Pakistan

ABSTRACT In educational literature, especially coming from the developed context, the role of school leadership in Professional Development (PD) of teachers has been portrayed in a quite ideal way. However, literature reports little evidence of any contribution of school leaders to PD of teachers in developing contexts specifically in many regions and countries of Asia. Taking Pakistan as a case, this paper reports the findings of a research that explored the role of school leadership in PD of teachers. Using qualitative approach and grounded theory framework, the research examined the views of 46 key participants including teachers, school leaders, PD providers and officials from the education department through focused group interviews. The findings support previous studies in the limited role of school leadership in PD of teachers. However, it identifies some unique influential factors such as less recognition of PD in the system, limited capacity of school leadership and lack of any monitoring and accountability mechanism. The research argues for a shift in the system to enhance the contribution of school leadership in PD of teachers. Such shift should happen in the form of PD-related expectations from school leaders, developing school leaders with a focus on their role in PD and extending ongoing coaching and mentoring support to them.

School Leadership Development for Sustainability in the Post-Digital Era

The role of school leaders must be balanced in attaining educational sustainability in the changing world. Millions of school students worldwide were affected by the COVID-19 shutdown, which accelerated the need for rapid digitalisation. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are embedded in 21st-century education. The ability to reorient students to the SDGs is key to achieving sustainable education in the post-digital era. This study examines school leadership development in a post-digital era from the sustainability perspective. To ensure sustainable education, school leaders must have relevant skills and competencies to lead schools in the post-digital age. In striving for a sustainable era, a school leader needs skills and knowledge to be an inspiring role model and motivator. School leaders must reorient students, teachers and all relevant stakeholders according to SDG goals to achieve sustainable education. Hence, continuous school leadership development is essential to accelerating digital transformation using factors such as leadership style, strategic planning, and knowledge management.
 
 

School leadership in the United Arab Emirates: A scoping review

Global research identifies school leadership as a critical factor in school success and effectiveness, especially in an educational reform environment with an ever-increasing number of schools working within public–private partnerships, a feature that characterises the United Arab Emirates. To aid leadership development and practices in a fast-moving education context and to underpin future empirical research, this scoping review of the literature from across three databases provides practitioners and policymakers with an understanding of school leadership for the public–private sector in the United Arab Emirates. Our search yielded 38 publications for analysis. Findings indicate that over the last 20 years, school leadership research in the United Arab Emirates has mainly focused on four themes: (1) context: leaders’ roles and school reform; (2) competency: hiring and professional development of school leaders; (3) characteristics: leadership styles and (4) capacity building: teacher leadership. We conclude with recommendations for research, including exploring cultural, relational, and compassionate school leadership through indigenous paradigms. We also provide recommendations for policy and practice, including the need to modify recruitment methods, equip school leaders to lead reform through advanced models of leadership to suit the collectivist United Arab Emirates culture, and align professional development with the professional standards.

Leadership perspectives among high school principals in Jamaica: implications for school leadership development and policy

ABSTRACT School leadership is an important factor in student achievement and learning outcomes and has garnered the attention of policymakers globally. And while the field is growing there is not enough knowledge generation from school leaders in emerging economies. This article examines school leadership theorizing and practice of high school principals in Jamaica. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how school principals in Jamaica make sense of their leadership practices and how they use this knowledge to respond to their school contexts and shifting socio-cultural dynamics. Using a narrative interview approach data were collected from 13 high school principals. The findings presented in this article indicate that a) high school principals in Jamaica theorized their leadership approaches drawing on various leadership paradigms; b) high school principals perceived their leadership as inextricably linked to the community context of the school; c) the importance of building relationships with members of the community; and d) the importance of leadership preparation and development to their work as school principals.

Uncovering the complex relationships among distributed leadership, departmental teacher leadership, and professional learning community in Chinese schools

AbstractProfessional learning community (PLC) has been widely recognized as an effective approach for promoting both student learning and teacher development. Existing research on PLC mainly focuses on the school‐level, and less attention has been given to the departmental‐level PLC. Given the complex nature of school structures, departmental PLC may be influenced by multiple leadership factors, including principal and teacher leadership (TL). This study investigates how the distributed leadership (DL) of principals and TL influence departmental PLC and individual teacher self‐efficacy. Drawing on a sample of 602 teachers in China, the results showed that TL had a direct impact on teacher self‐efficacy and had an indirect effect through PLC. Additionally, the DL of principals indirectly affects individual teachers through TL and PLC. The results indicate the complex leadership structure in schools with various levels of leadership exerting distinct influences on teachers and departments. It highlights the roles of principal leadership and TL in facilitating PLC and teacher development. Implications for school leadership and PLC development are discussed.

An assessment of leadership development needs of school leaders for the 4.0

As a result of the fourth industrial revolution (4.0), school leaders need to consider if their existing abilities and competences satisfy future-fit leaders' requirements. This study evaluated the leadership development (LD) needs of school leaders in the 4.0 era. A survey design was used. Cluster sampling technique was adopted to randomly select a sample of 505 school management teams (SMT). The study found that school leaders require LD that will enable them to become proficient with technology applications, technology hardware, and emerging 4.0 technologies. Leaders must be trained in the use of cutting-edge 4.0 technology, applications, and technology. With regard to gender there was no significant difference in technological knowledge but LD needs in the areas of agility, information management, problem solving, communication and collaboration will benefit female leaders. This study contributes significantly to the basic school leadership development in Africa by addressing 4.0 training needs. This includes the understanding of school leaders' training needs, as well as the way in which gender influences training needs. It is recommended that the education department develop training programmes and implement mechanisms such as professional learning communities, mentoring and coaching to enhance school leadership competencies for the 4.0.

Conducting comparative analyses of social justice leadership: Creating an international research team from diverse country, policy and education system contexts

This article is concerned with considerations for conducting comparative analyses, with a focus on the process of creating a diverse international research team committed to investigating equity issues in education and society. Following brief background information on the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN), provided to contextualise the author team and the article’s discussion, the main sections focus on conducting comparative equity research and related methodological considerations. The authors explore the development of specific research methods which they consider to hold significant potential for supporting comparative methodology: the Bacchi approach to policy analysis; and the Delphi method of eliciting the views of groups of respondents. The article offers new perspectives on conducting comparative analyses. The conclusion invites critical reflection on this research team’s development of understandings and methodological approaches to conducting comparative research to critique social justice leadership.

Middle-Tier Support for School Leaders: A Systematic Review

Middle-level support for school leaders has gained significance in educational improvement research and policies aimed at enhancing the capacity development of school leaders and teachers. This paper presents a systematic review of the academic literature on middle-level support to school leaders, with the goal of deepening our understanding of the topic. Fifteen articles published between 2010-2021, were selected from international databases (Scopus, ERIC, WoS and Scielo) using a search strategy. The review describes and synthesizes the knowledge generated from this article. The findings reveal that the study of support and assistance to school leaders from middle-levels is an emerging focus of international research. The review provides a comprehensive overview of the design and scope of the published articles. Additionally, it identifies three theoretical approaches and dimensions from which knowledge is derived. The article concludes by offering insights for further research development, and making projections for policy and practice based on the reviewed information.

Administrators' capacity for supporting reform‐oriented science instruction: An urban school district case study

AbstractSecondary school administrators play a vital role as instructional leaders, but little is known about their knowledge of science practices and perceptions of strategies for supporting reform‐oriented science instruction. This multiphase, mixed‐methods Q‐Methodology study explored administrators' perceptions of instructional leadership and, in particular, high‐quality science instruction. After a concourse of 40 items was developed through a review of literature and an expert panel, n = 22 administrators from one urban school district completed a Q‐sort and a post‐sort questionnaire in which they commented on a lesson excerpt. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation was used to assimilate the participants into three factors or groups explaining 40% of the variance. A subsample (n = 14) of administrators then participated in focus groups to engage in collective sensemaking. Although administrators consistently valued positive teacher‐student relationships and had high expectations for all students over other managerial duties, perceptions of how to support teachers and their ability to detect evidence‐based science pedagogy (NGSS), differed. Administrators with a science background or more experience as an administrator were more familiar with some of the evidence‐based instructional strategies for science included in the sample lesson. Administrators without such a background tended to emphasize general pedagogical techniques. We discuss implications for the development of school leaders with varying disciplinary backgrounds as one component of building districts' capacity for high‐quality science instruction.

EFFECTIVENESS OF LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROGRAM OF PROVINCIAL INSTITUTE OF TEACHER EDUCATION FOR THE HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL HEADS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

The study was conducted to find out the effectiveness of the “Leadership Training program of PITE (recently renamed as DPD Directorate of Professional Development) for the higher secondary school heads of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa”. The program trained the higher secondary school heads in the art of leadership. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program by investigating the trained school heads in leadership and to find out the relationship between the leadership training of PITE and the school heads’ understanding and skill in the art of leadership. Initially about 250 school heads were trained in this program. These 250 schools heads is the population of the study. Random sampling technique was utilized to select 148 school heads as sample of the study. A quantitative research design was utilized. The data was collected through a questionnaire, designed on Likert scale, based on the contents of the training document. The data was analyzed through SPSS using Chi- square. The analysis of data reveals the school heads’ feedback of the program. The implications of the findings of the study proclaim the effectiveness of the training and recommend it for the development and improvement of school leadership. Keywords: Leadership, school heads, and development of school leadership.

Preparing School Leaders and Developing Rural Leadership Capacity: A Collaborative Effort on the Great Plains

This qualitative study explores the early implementation of a university school leadership preparation program and school district collaborative effort to develop school leaders and sustain leadership capacity in nine rural school districts. Emerging findings drawn from survey, focus-group, and participant observation data include (a) the development of a strong leadership network of professional relationships that included peers and district mentors, (b) a sense of individual leadership growth and targeted professional development preparing participants for their next leadership role, and (c) an emerging statewide rural school leadership development network.

Factors influencing practicing teachers in pursuing educational leadership programmes in Ghanaian higher education institutions

While there is a plethora of research devoted to the study of formal university-based school leadership development programmes in Africa, no study to date has examined the motivational factors that influence practising teachers’ decision to enrol in such programmes. Utilizing concurrent mixed methods design, this study sought to explore the key factors that influence teachers’ decision to enrol in postgraduate degree programmes in educational leadership in Ghanaian higher education institutions. Findings from the study showed that practising teachers were principally influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic motives in pursuing the educational leadership programmes. Nonetheless, the most emphasised theme as a motivation factor was for professional growth and development. The study concludes that to really create an enabling learning environment to stimulate practicing teachers’ learning outcomes, higher education operators need to be conscious of the underlying motives influencing their decision to enrol in their programmes.