Distributed Leadership Research Articles

Distributed liderazgo: the making of spaces and leadership structures for a multilingual school ecology

ABSTRACT This qualitative study conducted at a Midwestern U.S. elementary school with a ‘strand’ bilingual programme examines the ways that administrators, teachers, and parents create learning environments for emergent bilinguals (EBs) that promote a positive view of bilingualism. To frame the study, the author used distributed leadership to emphasise the multiple stakeholders and levels on which leadership is exercised. Liderazgo is used to emphasise the collective mission behind these leadership practices to create wider multilingual school ecology. Critically applying these perspectives to the data, the author developed the notion of ‘distributed liderazgo’ to identify actions taken and needed to contribute to the school's multilingual ecology. Promising instances include a shared mission focused on EBs, teacher collaboration reinforced by shared planning and opportunities for students to interact outside their programmes, and parent-led meetings. Additional steps could be taken to further the visibility of parent leadership and opportunities to support more languages at the school. The notion of distributed liderazgo is useful for practitioners and researchers to consider how leadership practices can contribute to a school's assets-based orientation to bilingualism. Work like this is important to contest monolingual orientations and deficit discourses about EBs that persist in otherwise English-dominant classrooms and schools.

Steering, rowing, and bailing water: The role of government regulation and ownership in COVID-19 outcomes in nursing homes

Studies of organizations with limited capacity operating in uncertain environments and hit by crises can contribute important insights into public administration. Based on a large-N quantitative analysis of US nursing homes, which became ground zero of the COVID-19 pandemic, this article examines the effect of government regulation, ownership, and several distinct management strategies on organizational capacity to curb the threats posed by the pandemic. Using hybrid datasets including nursing home data, administrator surveys, COVID-19 outcome data, a COVID-19 regulatory stringency index, and US Census Bureau data, our analysis shows that restrictive COVID-19 state government policies and public/nonprofit ownership help minimize environmental threats and reduce COVID-19 impacts. Yet management strategies—external management, innovation management, distributive leadership, and regulation management—have only modest effects on COVID-19 outcomes. These findings inform our understanding of how organizations operate at the margins and the impact of management on outcomes during a crisis.

Managing green culture for environmental performance in smart campus transformation

ABSTRACT The evolution of technology and information necessitates changes in the governance of higher education institutions geared more toward sustainability. An approach based on a green culture driven by collegial leadership is imperative. This research aims to present a solution for enhancing environmental performance through effective green culture management in a smart campus facilitated by Distributive Leadership. An explanatory survey was conducted among randomly selected staff, including faculty, totaling 387 participants. A structural model was constructed and examined based on data collected through a questionnaire. The research findings indicate that leaders at various levels still need to fully possess complementary abilities and characteristics that are mutually reinforcing and necessary for ensuring a transition toward a smart campus. The optimization of roles and functions of individuals in this transformative process, as a team directing the formation of a green culture, remains suboptimal. This situation results in the staff’s need for more achievement of environmental performance. In this transformative process, the role of Distributive Leadership is to shape both the green culture and environmental performance. This role embodies the concept of a smart campus that ensures a balance between integrating the Internet of Things and ethical responsibilities toward the environment.

Effects of distributed leadership practices on educational environment and achievement in Nepali schools

ABSTRACT This study aims to assess the status of distributed leadership (DL) in Nepali schools and examines its effect on school performance (educational environment and achievement). Survey research was conducted among 750 teachers from 51 schools across the country. A five-point Likert scale survey questionnaire was developed to assess four components of DL (supportive, supervisory, coherent team leadership, and parents and community partnership roles). The findings indicate that the level of perception toward DL was significantly high; where female teachers, teachers of private schools, and schools of urban areas (contexts of school leadership) rated their school leaders at a higher level of DL. Further, the types of school (private schools with reference to public schools) was a significant factor in explaining the educational environment and achievement. Regarding the four elements of distributed leadership, the school leaders with a good educational environment were more likely to exhibit DL with the supportive, coherent team leadership and parents-community partnership roles, whereas two elements, namely, supportive and coherent team leadership, were significant for educational achievement as compared to the schools with normal or improvement needed schools. The supervisory role of school leaders was insignificant and is to be considered for further improvement of the schools.

Ensuring Teacher’s Job Satisfaction Through Distributed and Instructional Leadership of Chinese School Principals: Mediating Role of Reward, Motivation and Effectiveness

Teacher performance and satisfaction is influenced through the organizational environment. Thus, this study explores the effectiveness of leadership styles in promoting teacher satisfaction, namely instructional leadership, and distributed leadership. The direct effects of instructional and distributed leadership on teacher’s job satisfaction along with the indirect effects through the mediation of reward, motivation and effectiveness were studied. The data was collected from 342 teachers employed in secondary schools of China, and the overall association among the factors was studied through the application of PLS-SEM. The findings of the study have indicated that instructional and distributed leadership styles are effective for curating the job satisfaction of teachers. Moreover, rewards, motivation, and job effectiveness were found to significantly mediate the association between leadership styles and job satisfaction. The results of the research study offer crucial implications for educational policies by demonstrating how job satisfaction among teachers can be enhanced through the implementation of appropriate leadership styles, emphasizing on reward, motivation, and effectiveness. The study suggests that development of teacher-focused policies and effective remuneration plans will lead towards satisfaction and therefore effective performance in the future.

Africanising Distributed Leadership in Environmental Education Curriculum Management

Distributed leadership (DL) is a collaborative leadership approach that involves sharing decision-making and responsibilities among multiple individuals or groups within an organisation or institution. In the context of environmental education (EE) curriculum management, DL holds signifi cant relevance and can bring several benefits to stakeholders. This article critically examines the concept of DL in EE curriculum management and argues for an Africanised approach. It is focused on but not limited to institutions of learning. Managing EE curricula shows minimal consideration of Africanised DL. Drawing on an African philosophy of ubuntu, the article argues that an Africanised approach to DL can better serve the needs of African communities and promote sustainability in the region. As a conceptual article, we explore relevant literature to advance the idea of DL from an African perspective. In an era of environmental crisis and degradation in South Africa and other parts of the continent, an Africanised DL on EE curriculum management has the potential to off er relevant solutions. The article concludes by refl ecting on the Africanisation of DL and making recommendations for implementing an Africanised approach to DL in EE curriculum management. Keywords: Africanised distributed leadership, distributed leadership, environmental education, environmental education curriculum management, ubuntu

Distributive leadership as predictor of 21st century teaching practices

The concept of distributive leadership is a vital component of 21st century teaching practices. This study aimed to identify the dimensions that influence the development and implementation of science and mathematics teaching in dual language program schools. It was conducted with the help of over 336 teachers from 93 dual language program (DLP) schools in Malaysia. The distributive leadership readiness scale and 21st century skill (4C) questionnaire was used to collect data and analyze the effects of various dimensions on the development and implementation of science and mathematics teaching in dual language program schools. The results of the study revealed that the P3 model was associated with 14.9% (=.149) increase in the variance of 21st century teaching practices. The results of the analysis revealed that the changes in the three leadership style components included in the regenerating model were significant. The shared responsibility, leadership style and the combination of these dimensions contributed to the 12.9% (=.129) increase in variance. The research also found a positive relationship between 21st century teaching practices and the distributive leadership concept. The findings support the notion that distributive leadership can be a weak factor influencing the development and implementation of 21st century teaching practices.

Peran Kepala Sekolah sebagai Edupreneur dalam Transformasi Sekolah yang Unggul

The main problem in the world of education is the lack of development of Edupreneurial leadership, involving uncertainty of roles, resource constraints, conflict management, teacher performance assessment, and relationships with parents and the community. Therefore, this research aims to investigate effective strategies that can be used by school principals as Edupreneurs in creating excellent school transformations, with a focus on identifying Edupreneurship principles into school policies and practices. This research uses a literature review research method with a descriptive analysis type. From the research, it is found that the role of the school principal as an edupreneur in directing school transformation through a combination of transformational, distributive, and servant leadership models, supported by innovation diffusion strategies, organizational learning, strategic management, and change management, forms a solid framework for achieving educational excellence.

What are we missing? An alternative way to explore distributed leadership effectiveness

Existing research has revealed various beneficial teacher-level outcomes of distributed leadership (DL). Yet these studies lack important operational nuances. The DL effectiveness literature mainly stresses one dimension of DL study operations of how leadership is distributed (e.g., interaction), being grounded in the agency view. However, it is also important to consider other dimensions of what leadership work is distributed to whom. Therefore, our study adopted the study operation of one DL research stream derived from the structural view. Specifically, our research investigated which leadership function distribution patterns for teachers were connected to teacher-level outcomes, especially teachers’ current work environment satisfaction (SENV) and professional learning communities (PLCs). We employed Latent Class Analysis and U.S. lower secondary school teacher samples from the Teaching and Learning International Survey data. Two patterns emerged: the Dualistic Distribution and Fully Stretched-Over Distribution patterns. Importantly, the relationships between the two patterns and the teacher-level outcomes were varied. We discovered no mean difference in teacher SENV between the two patterns in contrast to the previous DL effectiveness research, but a significant mean difference in teachers’ PLCs. These findings suggest considering more operational nuances of what leadership work is distributed to teachers for what outcome to better explore DL effects on teachers.

Study of Democratic Schools and its Contribution to the Reinvigoration of Democracy

This article presents a simple yet profound idea: the lessons learned through the study of democratic schools can offer key insights into how to reinvigorate democracy. To prove this claim, the authors draw on their experience as co-editors of the book Designing Democratic Schools and Learning Environments - A Global Perspective. The book explores almost forty cases in sixteen countries where educational initiatives have been implemented and designed to foster democratic forms of education. Using the four-frames theoretical approach by Bolman and Deal (2021), the article assesses how the process of producing a book that analyzes democratic schools and learning environments relates to the challenges faced by democratic governance. The article suggests that the difficulties and challenges of building democratic learning environments may correlate with the difficulties of sustaining and protecting a democracy. This has been highlighted through the example of the democratic book creation process that we followed. This article contributes to the broader topic of the purposes of education by examining ways in which schools and education systems can transform distributive leadership, self-governance, and student agency into key aspects of the mission of reinvigorating democracy in the twenty-first century.

‘I don’t know what’s going on’: Theorising the relationship between unknowingness and distributed leadership

Surely a leader should know what to do? But what happens when complexity means they cannot know which path to take? We answer this question with an ethnographic study of distributed leadership (DL) in an organisation grappling with inherent tensions within its mission. The article makes a counter-intuitive argument for the value and utility of unknowingness, defined as a state of awareness of both an absence of knowing and one’s inability to know. Three inter-related aspects to unknowingness are developed – acceptance of not knowing, tolerance of the discomfort of not knowing, and distribution of unknowingness – leading to an innovative theory of unknowingness. We reveal how unknowingness and DL are bound with each other in the sense that not knowing can enable distribution of leadership within the organisation, whilst DL addresses challenges in complex organisations associated with not knowing. We thereby provide an illustration of the interplay between those with hierarchical authority and others dispersed throughout an organisation. In sum, we provide an alternative perspective to the heroic, all-knowing individual leader.

Responding to change: How was school leadership distributed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic? School leader perspectives in Kuwait

This study employed distributed leadership (DL) theory as a conceptual framework to investigate leaders' practices during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait's public schools. It also examined the concomitant challenges the school leaders faced. Data were gathered through interviews with 16 school principals and assistant principals during the first semester after reopening of schools following the pandemic. The findings showed that the data showed that DL was adopted by school leaders to facilitate smooth transitions and manage school and community needs during the change process. Additionally, DL took various forms, including allocation leadership, delegation, networking, department leadership, and volunteering initiatives. However, school leaders faced challenges like limited autonomy, unsustainable political decisions, and a shortage of teachers.

Compatibility of distributive leadership, teacher autonomy and school effectiveness in Nigeria

Compatibility of distributive leadership, teacher autonomy and school effectiveness in Nigeria

Karateristik Dan Model Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai

This research delves into the characteristics and leadership models of the School Principal at SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai. Using a qualitative approach, the study explores the impact of leadership on teacher performance, student discipline, and learning outcomes. Transformational Leadership Theory, Hersey-Blanchard's Situational Leadership, and Distributive Leadership are integrated to form the conceptual framework. The research population involves the School Principal, teachers, and administrative staff at SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai. Through interviews, observations, and document analysis, the study details the leadership characteristics and models applied in the school. The research findings are expected to provide a holistic insight into leadership practices at SMA Negeri 1 Tanjungbalai, guiding the development of more effective leadership strategies.

Beyond the boss: how distributed leadership elevates team effectiveness in startup organizations? – a multi-level analysis

PurposeThough there is an increasing corpus of work on contemporary styles of leadership, studies on distributed leadership (DL) are still in the nascent stage. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how DL affects team effectiveness from the neglected perspectives of team cognition, team motivation and team coordination in startup companies using multi-level analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe authors investigated the study variables through the lens of 42 teams in 18 startup organizations operating in India, representing an equitable distribution of the manufacturing and service sectors. M-plus was used to do statistical analysis on the multi-level model.FindingsDrawing upon social exchange theory (SET), results indicated that DL had a favorable impact on team effectiveness and team cognitive processes, team motivation and team coordination mediates the association between DL and individual perceptions of team effectiveness.Originality/valueVarious studies have been carried out relating to leadership and how it impacts effectiveness. However, as far as the authors know, previous studies have failed to empirically address how DL drives team effectiveness by uncovering the mediating impact of team cognitive processes, team motivation and team coordination in the Indian startup context.

Exploring School Improvement Opportunities through Distributed Leadership Practices for Science and Mathematics in South African Schools

School leadership practices are significant in addressing learner-attainment gaps in school subjects such as science and mathematics. This paper uses an exploratory qualitative case-study approach with four purposely selected high schools to explore how distributed leadership (DL) improves opportunities for teaching and learning in science and mathematics. The four schools constituted two suburban and two township schools prioritizing science and mathematics on school improvement agendas. Principals, deputy principals, heads of department, and teachers of science and mathematics participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis in which the emerging themes were compared to the DL tenets was used to make sense of the gathered data. The findings indicate that DL practices influence the teaching and learning of science and mathematics, irrespective of a school’s socioeconomic status. The participating schools developed useful mechanisms for school improvement through science and mathematics that were compatible with the DL setups existing in their schools. The study recommends that DL should be promoted in schools by being one of the topics for professional development made available to science and mathematics teachers.

Distributed leadership in health quality improvement collaboratives.

Distributed leadership has been suggested for describing patterns of influence in collaborative settings where public services are performed across professions and organizations. This study explores how leadership in health quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) is characterized by aligned distributed leadership practices, and how these practices relate with experienced progress and achievements in the quality improvement (QI) work. The analysis relied on a qualitative, multicase study of two nationwide Danish QICs. Data consisted of 12 single-person and 21 group interviews with local QI teams and local and regional QIC coordinators (85 informants in total), participant observations of 34 meetings within the QICs, and a collection of documentary material. The collected data were analyzed thematically with NVivo. Leadership practices in local QI teams are characterized by aligned distributed leadership, with leadership activities being widely distributed based on negotiated, emergent practices regarding the aims, roles, and scope of the QI work. However, local quality coordinators play a pivotal role in driving the QI activities, and hierarchical support from hospital/municipal management is a precondition for the contribution of aligned distributed leadership to experienced progress and QIs. Emergent distributed leadership should be balanced by thorough consolidation of the practices to provide the best circumstances for robust QI. The active participation of formal managers and local coordinators plays a pivotal role in this consolidation and is decisive for the increased potential for long-term success and sustainability of the QI work, particularly within complex QICs.

Nurturing academic leadership: A quest for the ideal academic leadership style for Maldives higher education

Higher education leadership is an understudied area, especially at the departmental or faculty level. The current study explored preferred academic leadership styles as perceived by academic deans and their lecturers in Maldivian Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). A sequential explanatory mixed method design informed by post-positivist techniques was used in this study. In the first phase, the survey method was used to directly reach many respondents, administer the instruments and to collect the required data. from deans (N=20) and lecturers (N=170) from nine different HEIs. SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 23 was used to analyze the data using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as means, percentages, standard deviations, independent sample t-test and Pearson correlation coefficients. In the second phase, a qualitative approach was used to explain, validate and to triangulate the quantitative findings. This phase used semi-structured interviews for purposively selected deans (N=5) and lecturers (N=16) from seven different HEIs. The interview transcripts were thematically analyzed and coded using the template analysis method. The most preferred academic leadership styles in Maldivian HEIs were found to be transformational, distributed, and transactional leadership styles, respectively. To enhance academic leadership in HEIs in the Maldives, this study recommends academic leaders to use transformative and distributive leadership behaviors, which would also help HEIs in the skill development of academic deans.

The promotion of distributed leadership in education at national level: Discursive change to maintain the old order – Lessons from Ireland

There is increasing evidence of the influence of neoliberal and New Public Management (NPM) agendas in education systems around the world. Research shows the associated restricted drive for efficiency and effectiveness has induced negative effects on students, teachers and school leaders. Distributed leadership features prominently in policy frameworks in such countries. Despite this, research shows it manifests in limited forms of delegation. Taking Ireland as an example, this study extends this via interrogation of discourses of educational leadership advanced by the Department of Education there. This allows for an understanding of not just what is occurring but illuminates why, thereby opening up opportunities for alternative practices. Specifically, having explicated the contested term ‘distributed leadership’, this research reports on a thematic and discourse analysis of the Department's Whole School Evaluation (WSE) reports on a sample of 12 post-primary schools. Key findings reveal the Department's espoused ‘enhanced’ model of ‘distributed leadership’ belies its advancement of delegated leadership and ‘discursive twists’ that enable ‘unleaderful’ activities of teachers and routine educational experiences of students to masquerade as leadership. Leadership implications for the Department that would enable, rather than constrain, enhanced educational leadership practice in schools are highlighted.

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.