Effective School Leadership Research Articles

Leading during long-term crises: an analysis of perceived effectiveness leadership in K-12 schools

PurposeThis research explored school leaders', teachers' and paraprofessionals' perceptions of effective leadership in special purpose private schools (SPPS) during long-term crises.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were derived from a purposeful sample of school leaders, teachers and paraprofessionals in Maine. Demographic information and semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a complexity leadership framework and a qualitative interpretive phenomenological approach (IPA).FindingsThe analysis revealed four major themes, including (1) presence, approachability and availability; (2) the need for high emotional intelligence; (3) creating a culture of idea-sharing, compassion, trust, community building and value and (4) understanding and acting on the complexity of long-term crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThe research took place in one state and within one subset of specialized schools, thus limiting applicability to leadership outside this subset of schools and in other states.Practical implicationsThe results can directly support identification of strategies for leaders in schools where long-term crisis is a factor.Originality/valueCurrent research explores factors and strategies for understanding and supporting teachers and paraprofessionals in schools during short-term crises (i.e. school shootings, natural disasters) but largely neglects how to support teachers and paraprofessionals experiencing long-term crises in school settings which is increasing in prevalence post COVID-19. Results and implications of leaders and staff were explored and analyzed in schools that experience long-term crises.

Examining the Place and Role of Emotional Intelligence in Effective School Leadership and Administration

Examining the Place and Role of Emotional Intelligence in Effective School Leadership and Administration

Determining the Challenges of Implementing Instructional Leadership in Township Secondary Schools in the Western Cape: A Case Study

In this empirical paper, the researchers determine the challenges experienced by township secondary school principals in the Western Cape, in implementing instructional leadership. The background to this paper is that there are challenges in the implementation of instructional leadership in township secondary schools which leads to learners performing poorly in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam. The study is couched in the theoretical framework of Critical Emancipatory Research which advocates peace, hope, equality, freedom, and social justice. A transformative paradigm under the qualitative approach and participatory action research design was adopted to analyse the experiences of the stakeholders of the research school. A focus group discussion was conducted with the school management team (SMT) of a particular secondary school in the Metro East Education district in the Western Cape. This SMT comprised eight members, including the school principal. The findings revealed that ineffective communication and a lack of clear goals are the primary causes of challenges to the effective implementation of instructional leadership. Contrary to this, effective communication and formulation of clear goals can alleviate the challenges experienced in instructional leadership. Considering the findings, the study argues that effective communication, and a formulation of clear goals, are a prerequisite for the implementation of effective instructional leadership in schools. This study contributes to the body of research on the challenges of implementing effective instructional leadership from the township context in the Western Cape province in South Africa. Keywords: instructional leadership, critical emancipatory research, participatory action research, learner achievement, teamwork.

Has anyone seen the kid? Looking for the principal-student relationship within the historical conceptions of the principalship

ABSTRACT The school principal is often viewed as a distant authority figure, especially in students’ eyes. However, this ignores the role’s complexity and potential to impact students. Emerging research on the principal-student relationship reveals that these direct interactions play an important role in improving student and school outcomes and are an essential component of effective school leadership. However, the phenomenon remains vastly underexplored in the literature. This prompts us to explore the phenomenon more deeply and from different angles in order to establish its theoretical and conceptual foundations. As history can better illuminate current understandings and directions for the future, this paper looks for the place of the student in the histories of the American principalship and begins to provide a deeper understanding of why the phenomenon has been largely absent from our conceptions of school leadership. Fortunately, recent shifts in some of these conceptions provide promise for the phenomenon’s future.

Viability of distributive leadership and teacher autonomy for effective schools in developing nations: A case study from Nigeria

Viability of distributive leadership and teacher autonomy for effective schools in developing nations: A case study from Nigeria

Redefining Learning Organisations for Effective School Leadership and Management

This paper seeks to first delve deeper into the meaning of a learning organizations. I select some meanings from literature by dedicated scholars, but focus more on Peter Senge’s five disciplines which gained popularity in terms of his viewpoint that although there is no consensus on the meaning of learning organizations, there is a converging view that continuous learning and active involvement of all stakeholders play a pivotal role in learning organization. From the outset, I acknowledge that there are many meanings that are contributed by dedicated scholars on the subject but choose meanings that I consider to provide a clearer meaning based on the context. Then I offer an analysis of the school (henceforth referred to apropos: school X throughout the discussion in this paper) as a learning organizational context by identifying language barrier as a gap that hinders the dissemination of information in that school. I label this as a gap cautiously because the issues relating to language barrier and dissemination of information in school X are not problems as in the sense of them being wrong and needing to be fixed, but I consider them to be gaps that require enterprising and innovative ideas by everyone in school X to close down, hence the expediency of a redefinition.

Federal and State Funding Initiatives in School Improvement: A Texas Focus

This article explores the impact of federal and state funding initiatives on school improvement, focusing on the Texas Education Agency (TEA). It examines the evolution of the Texas Tech University principal preparation residency program, emphasizing the importance of partnerships, research, and continuous improvement in principal preparation. Key TEA initiatives include the Texas Incentive Allotment, Grow-Your-Own Grant, and Principal Residency Grant. These initiatives support teacher retention, recruitment, and leadership development, contributing to the success of instructional leaders across Texas. The program's design integrates practical experience with theoretical knowledge, preparing residents for effective school leadership.

Academic Supervision and Managerial Skills of School Heads for Teachers’ Quality and Work Effectiveness

This study focused on the of academic supervision and managerial skills of school heads for the teacher’s quality and work effectiveness among schools in Sariaya West District, Division of Quezon. The descriptive-correlational research strategy was used after analyzing the study's goals and objectives and reviewing existing research on the subject. There were 160 respondents. These are the school teachers, including master teachers, of Sariaya West District in the Division of Quezon. The result of the study shows that: the school heads in the district were observed to practiced well the academic supervision particularly on adaptability to change, time management, written and verbal communication and cooperation It implies that they employ appropriately to lead the school by practicing to show their teachers that they are competent to supervise school operations and being recognized for their proficiency in these key areas of academic supervision, which are crucial for effective school leadership and management. The managerial skills of the school heads are observed particularly on interpersonal skills, organization and delegation, problem solving and decision making and mentoring. They effectively provide assistance to their teachers in school by explicitly implying the role of interpersonal skills, delegation of task, decisional making and mentoring. The teacher’s quality and teachers work effectiveness in the school increased when leaders practiced academic supervision and observed managerial skills and were able to realize substantially observable measures to a positive degree.

The school management team’s role of defining the school vision and mission at a South African rural school

Schools in the rural context of Limpopo Province, South Africa have a plethora of challenges, which have a negative impact on learner achievement. This paper argues that for schools to triumph over the obstacles, effective school leaders are necessary Such leaders must define and communicate a clear vision and mission and work with stakeholders to achieve them. With these assumptions, this paper explores how members of the school management team (SMT) of a rural school in the Limpopo Province define and communicate their school’s vision and mission. Through the qualitative research method underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, a case research design was adopted and a single high school sampled to participate. Data were generated from semistructured interviews with seven SMT members, a focus-group discussion with six teachers, and an observation of the research site. The findings revealed that most participants could not articulate the school’s vision and mission. In addition, stakeholders were not involved in the processes of defining the vision and mission and communication methods in this regard were also ineffective. Lastly, the SMT viewed the vision and mission as fixed and did not review them. Based on these findings, I conclude that SMT members must understand that the vision and mission could serve more than a visual purpose when designed as guiding principles to direct smaller objectives within the organisation.

Exploring the Role of Emotional Intelligence in Effective School Leadership

This study set out to explore the influence of EI on leadership practices, decision-making, and overall leadership effectiveness. Through a correlational research design, the study engaged 285 teachers to provide insights into the manifestation of EI in school leadership and its perceived impact. The findings of this study， the study advocates for the "Leadership Excellence through Emotional Intelligence (LEEI)" program, aimed at enhancing the EI competencies of school leaders to foster improved leadership dynamics within educational settings. This recommendation aligns with the evidence underscoring EI as a cornerstone of leadership efficacy, suggesting that investment in such developmental programs can lead to significant advancements in educational leadership.

The role of school leader support on teacher’s engagement during intervention implementation

ABSTRACT Teacher engagement in the implementation phase of educational interventions has been demonstrated as fundamental to the success of an intervention. However, less is known about what resources or processes can support teacher’s work engagement at this critical time period. In this study, we investigated the role of school leader support on teacher engagement during the implementation of a complex co-teaching intervention for literacy improvement. Data were collected from 150 elementary classrooms from 53 municipalities in southern Norway. Grounded in the Job-Demands Resource model, we used structural equation modeling to investigate associations between leader support, teachers’ perceived usefulness of the co-teaching intervention, and teachers’ work engagement. Contrary to our hypothesis, school leader support was not directly associated with teachers’ work engagement. However, school leader support was positively associated with teachers’ perceived usefulness of co-teaching, and the perception of usefulness was positively related to teachers’ work engagement. In summary, the perceived usefulness of co-teaching fully mediated the association between leader support and teachers’ work engagement. These findings suggest that effective school leaders should inquire and prioritize about teachers’ belief systems when launching change efforts. Ideally, we recommend that teachers be part of the conversation and decision-making in the early stages of interventions.

DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP, READINESS FOR CHANGE, AND RESILIENCY OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HEADS IN A DIVISION: BASIS FOR CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT PLAN

For educational quality and equity to rise, effective school leadership is necessary. This research assessed and analyzed the distributed leadership, readiness for change, and resiliency of Elementary School Heads in the Division of Zambales. A quantitative descriptive survey research design was employed with 57 Elementary School Heads as participants. The 7 Public Schools District Supervisors assessed their school heads to verify and validate the survey results. Based on the findings generated, the responses of the school heads and the ratings given to them by the PSDS are equal. Significant variations exist in the distributed leadership, readiness for change, and leadership resilience of elementary school heads when grouped according to age, position, highest educational attainment, and number of relevant training attended. There is a significantly high positive correlation between the elementary school heads' readiness for change and leadership resilience and a significantly moderate correlation between distributed leadership and readiness for change and between distributed leadership and leadership resilience. The Capacity Enhancement Plan is anchored on providing sufficient resources to make meaningful contributions to the school, and expanding the capacity of schools to provide professional learning and development programs to teachers relevant to leadership roles.

Enhancing Teacher Motivation: Leadership Strategies in Panabo City Public Senior High Schools

Effective school leadership plays a crucial role in addressing challenges, inspiring teachers, and creating an environment conducive to teachers. This study delved into the motivational techniques employed by public school heads in Panabo City. Teacher motivation is pivotal in improving educational outcomes and fostering a positive learning environment. This research employed a qualitative approach focusing on a single case to explore the various motivational techniques and strategies implemented by Public Secondary Senior High School Heads regarding their effectiveness and the challenges encountered in the context of Panabo City. Seven (7) key informants were chosen using a purposive sampling technique and underwent an in-depth interview. The gathered data were analyzed using a thematic analysis. The major themes identified pivots around rewards and recognition, professional development, collaboration, and open communication. The technique's effectiveness is measured through performance metrics, feedback mechanisms, and retention rates. The significant challenges experienced by the school heads include sustainability of motivation, tailoring techniques to different individuals, and requiring sufficient support and resources. On the other hand, the emergent themes in motivational strategies include resource allocation and institutional support, school community building, and an inclusive approach. Implementing motivational strategies successfully entails addressing the limited resources, resistance to change, and ensuring sustainability through continuous monitoring and institutional support. The themes were thoroughly discussed, defined, and reinforced with existing studies and literature. Moreover, the insights emphasized the importance of empathy, consistency, and a long-term vision. Recommendations include strengthening the techniques and strategies utilized, being updated on new trends in motivational strategy and improvement, and addressing challenges. By implementing the implications into practice and ensuring sustained effectiveness, school leaders must seek continuous feedback, establish performance metrics, remain adaptable to changes, and address challenges with flexible, tailored strategies that emphasize consistency, empathy, and understanding. This study has the potential to provide valuable perspectives for policymakers in education, as well as school administrators and teachers seeking to enhance teacher motivation and ultimately improve the quality of education.

Analisis Supervisi Pengajaran

Teaching supervision is a critical aspect of effective school leadership. A school principal who is competent in teaching supervision has the ability to understand individual teacher needs and challenges, and is able to provide the necessary support and guidance. Teaching supervision is not only limited to assessing performance, but also involves efforts to improve teaching skills and student learning outcomes. Good supervision methods involve regular classroom observations, providing constructive feedback, and providing additional training or resources when needed. In addition, a school principal who is effective in teaching supervision must be able to create an environment where teachers feel supported and appreciated, so that teachers are motivated to continue to improve the quality of teaching.

Demystifying the impact of educational leadership on teachers’ subjective well-being: A bibliometric analysis and literature review

This study aims to offer a review of research on the impact of leadership on shaping teachers’ subjective well-being, utilizing metadata from the Web of Science. The study utilized bibliometric analysis techniques to showcase the prominent researchers and countries, along with their collaborative networks and the field's scientific foundations. Narrative reviews of the main themes across the entire corpus and h-classics publications provided further insights into the topic. The findings indicate a consistent growth in research activity within this field over the last decade. The foundations of research in this field have been primarily rooted in educational research, psychology, management, environmental health, and health sciences. The literature consistently emphasizes the pivotal role of leadership in influencing teachers’ well-being, recognizing effective school leadership as crucial for shaping their professional experiences. Supportive leadership is particularly highlighted for fostering a positive work environment and enhancing teachers’ subjective well-being, with various leadership styles influencing overall life and job satisfaction, motivation, and mental health.

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

Fostering Effective School Leadership for Disciplined Excellence

Fostering Effective School Leadership for Disciplined Excellence

The School of No Fun and No Play: Learning How to Create Supportive Environments from Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Abstract Children with medically complex dis/abilities hold sophisticated views on effective school leadership, adapted built environments, inspiring peer solidarity, catalyzing transformational solutions and a possible school-hospital liaison model to support student well-being. Using child-centric collaborative techniques, this ethnodramatic study engaged children with osteogenesis imperfecta (oi), a rare genetic disease, to create a children’s book describing their moral experiences to be disseminated to other children and families. Children living with oi experience ongoing medical interventions and dis/ability that broadly jeopardized the quality of their academic experience relative to their peers. As such, children living with oi offered trenchant insight into what supports and thwarts operationalization of their values and highlights the programs, leadership, services and paradigm shifts they feel that they need to flourish in the academic context.

An Investigation of School leadership in the Effective Implementation of Bilingual Education in Indonesia: A Case Study

This study explores how school leadership impacts the successful implementation of bilingual education in Indonesia, focusing on three schools. Bilingualism offers many benefits, including better cognitive skills, cultural understanding, and economic opportunities. Effective school leadership is crucial in creating supportive policies, providing resources, and fostering environments where bilingual education can thrive. Through interviews with three principals and two heads of departments, the study examines their leadership practices, challenges, and strategies. The analysis identified key themes: inclusive and resilient leadership, proactive community collaboration, overcoming challenges like limited resources and teacher shortages, and maintaining a clear vision for bilingual education. The findings show that good leadership involves ongoing professional development, inclusive decision-making, and smart resource management. These practices help tackle obstacles and improve bilingual education programs. The study highlights the importance of visionary leadership in promoting language diversity, educational fairness, and social harmony in implementing bilingual education in Indonesia..

Women's effectiveness in school leadership: The case of Awi Nationality administrative zone primary schools, Ethiopia

Research on the effectiveness of women in school leadership roles is plentiful in general literature. However, there is a notable scarcity of studies focusing on the effectiveness of women principals within Ethiopia's primary education system. This study examined the perceived effectiveness of women school principals' vis-à-vis the national professional standards for school principals in Ethiopia. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 147 teachers of which 85 male and 62 women selected through a comprehensive sampling procedure. A survey questionnaire was employed to gather relevant information, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The study found that women were perceived positively as effective school leaders across key dimensions of Ethiopia's national professional standards. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in perceptions between male and women teachers in three dimensions (in fostering school vision and community leadership, t(145) = 1.013, p = .313, in instructional leadership, t(145) = .46 and p = .646 and in administrative leadership, t(145) = .791 and p = .43. The findings suggest the importance of boosting more women to pursue leadership roles in schools by encouraging successful women leaders and providing targeted training. These recommendations are particularly relevant for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers interested in promoting gender equality and effective leadership in the education sector.