School Leadership Practices Research Articles

The complexity of leading for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' success in schools

ABSTRACT School leaders in Australia have responsibilities to support First Nations student engagement. In Australia, where Reconciliation is unfinished business, this work requires leaders to negotiate a complex set of arrangements that are often associated with deficit approaches. This paper attempts to disrupt these deficit discourses by researching the management of school reforms for success in student engagement. We analyze survey and interview responses of 40 participants who reflect on their school leadership practices using a framework of Leading for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success. The findings reveal that school leaders can be agents of decolonizing agendas to position schools as allies for the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Navigating the Shadows: Exploring the Impact of Self-Centered Leadership on Teacher Emotional Exhaustion

ABSTRACT Researchers studying educational leadership theory tend to examine positive leadership behaviors and their outcomes far more frequently than their opposite. Such a lopsided approach, while admirable in its intent, has undermined efforts to identify and excise the continuation of poor leadership attributes currently extant. This study aims to address the latter issue by investigating how, and under what conditions, a school principal’s self-centered leadership style contributes to the proliferation of teacher emotional exhaustion amongst school faculty. Data collected from 855 teachers in 72 Kuwaiti public schools were analyzed via regression analysis and bootstrapping tests to evaluate a moderated mediation model of self-centered leadership effects on teacher emotional exhaustion; teacher diffident silence acted as the mediator, while teacher ambivalent identification served as the moderator. The results showed that diffident silence partially mediates the relationship between self-centered leadership and teacher emotional exhaustion. Additionally, ambivalent identification mitigates the positive relationship between self-centered leadership and diffident silence as well as the indirect effects of self-centered leadership on teacher emotional exhaustion via diffident silence. Our discussion highlights the benefits of understanding the roles of diffident silence and ambivalent identification in the relationship between self-centered leadership and teacher emotional exhaustion, and offers recommendations for improving school leadership practices.

Factors Influencing Teacher Enthusiasm: A Qualitative Study in Turkish Context

This study explores the factors influencing teacher enthusiasm in Turkish public schools through a qualitative, exploratory case study design conducted in two provinces in the northwestern region of Türkiye. Data were collected from 28 teachers using semi-structured interviews, with participants selected through convenience and maximum variation sampling methods. Content analysis was employed to analyze the data. The research identified three primary themes: personal factors, contextual factors, and external factors. Personal factors include motivation, affection for teaching and job satisfaction. Contextual factors encompass students’ academic performance and behaviors, school leadership practices, relationships with colleagues, and working conditions. External factors involve parental attitudes, educational policies, the value perception of the teaching profession, and incentives and rewards. The findings emphasize the critical role of personal motivation, affection for teaching, and job satisfaction in fostering teacher enthusiasm. Additionally, supportive leadership, positive student interactions, and a collaborative work environment are crucial contextual factors. External factors such as positive parental attitudes, consistent educational policies, societal recognition of the teaching profession, and appropriate incentives and rewards also play a vital role in fostering teacher enthusiasm. These results suggest that policymakers should prioritize consistent educational policies as well as recognition and rewards for teachers, while school principals should create supportive and collaborative environments. By addressing these areas, stakeholders can enhance teacher enthusiasm, ultimately improving teaching quality and student outcomes.

A Review of the Conceptual Structure and Evolution of Digital Leadership Research in Education

With the advent of digital technologies that have rapidly changed the functioning of societies, digital leadership has also become a novel imperative for the effective functioning of organizations. As the backbone of societal development, educational institutions have not been exempt from the influence of these new trends, which has ignited a growing research interest in the digital leadership roles of school administrators. This study aims to map the conceptual and thematic evolution of this research on digital leadership in the education field to offer a better insight into the strategic themes that are sufficiently or insufficiently addressed; that is, to identify aspects that are clearly defined or left shrouded in shadow. This study employed science mapping methodology and used SciMAT software (version 1.1.04) to map the evolution of thematic strands across three periods of the field’s development. The analysis was conducted using metadata obtained from 174 articles that are indexed on WoS and Scopus. The results indicated that with a growing focus on technology or e-leadership, considering the developments in the world of computers and the internet, research into digital leadership has gained momentum in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital leadership is regarded as a broader concept for application in investigating the knowledge, skills, competencies, and perspectives of school leaders to facilitate the healthy integration of digital technologies into education, school administration, and student learning. The field seems to require investigations into the many aspects of digitalization in education to build a more solid and insightful knowledge base to guide the effective practice of digital leadership in schools.

A critical race feminist research-informed agenda that centres African American girls in school principal research and practice

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to present five areas for research and school leadership practice that centre African American girls. An analysis of critical race feminist research published in peer-reviewed articles yielded five themes for inclusive and affirming leadership research and practices: (1) Centring African American girls’ and their families’ voices, identities and lived experiences in school visioning and decision-making; (2) Enacting a school culture to ensure access to rigorous curriculum that centers African American girls’ lived experiences; (3) Cultivating emotionally safe school environments; (4) Dismantling inequitable discipline policies and practices and creating physically safe school environments and (5) Ensuring professional learning that centers critical race feminisms and builds educator capacity to affirm African American girls. To underscore the importance of centring African American girls in principal practice, these areas are aligned with culturally responsive school leader behaviours.

The Relationship between Principal's Distributive Leadership Practices and Teacher Job Satisfaction in Secondary Schools in Pasir Mas District, Kelantan

The Relationship between Principal's Distributive Leadership Practices and Teacher Job Satisfaction in Secondary Schools in Pasir Mas District, Kelantan

A Fight to Survive in Crisis: A Qualitative Search of the Secondary School Leadership Practices During the Pandemic

A Fight to Survive in Crisis: A Qualitative Search of the Secondary School Leadership Practices During the Pandemic

Why School Bus Drivers Stay in Their Jobs

With the current shortage of school bus drivers in many states, access to education is at risk for the many students who get to and from school by bus. Despite the critical role drivers play, little is known about why they stay in their jobs, and what can be done to keep them. To learn more about school bus driver retention, 301 drivers in 32 districts in New York were surveyed. Drawing on an overarching model of person-environment fit, perspectives of job satisfaction, meaningful work and public service motivation were used to explore what aspects of the driver role relate to turnover intention. Findings indicated lower turnover intention when drivers reported higher extrinsic satisfaction, when they found their work to hold personal significance, and when they saw their work as a source of broader meaning for their lives. Drivers also viewed themselves as making a difference in the lives of students and considered themselves a significant part of their education. They also indicated that pay and benefits were important in their decision to stay or leave. Findings are discussed in terms of implications for school leadership practice and future research.

A Structural Equation Model on Interpersonal Trust in the Context of School Climate, Collaborative Behavior and Leadership Practices of School Heads

A Structural Equation Model on Interpersonal Trust in the Context of School Climate, Collaborative Behavior and Leadership Practices of School Heads

WHO LEADS THE PACK? PROFILING SCHOOL LEADERS’ DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS FOR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES IN GHANAIAN PUBLIC BASIC SCHOOLS

The extent to which demographic characteristics of educational heads differentiate their instructional leadership practices has been a contentious matter for several decades. The aim of this study was to investigate the instructional leadership practices of school heads as well as examine the extent to which headteachers’ gender, professional qualification, and work experience differentiated their instructional leadership practices in public basic schools in Ghana. This was a quantitative study underpinned by the positivist paradigm. The study employed the descriptive survey research design where 127 headteachers and 643 teachers were selected through census and proportionate stratified random sampling techniques respectively. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) was adapted from Hallinger and Murphys (1985) and used to collect numerical data for the study which was analysed using descriptive statistics like mean and standard deviation as well as inferential statistics including independent samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The findings revealed that defining school mission dimension of instructional leadership practice was most prevalent among the headteachers as compared to managing the instructional programme and protecting school climate respectively. Additionally, the findings established that gender accounted for differences among headteachers in promoting a positive school climate where male headteachers rated higher than their female peers. Furthermore, the study established that work experience of the headteachers led to significant differences in defining school mission, managing instructional programme, promoting a positive school climate as well as the overall instructional leadership practice. Therefore, the study concluded that headteachers’ gender matters in promoting a positive climate in the schools while the work experience of the headteachers is a determinant of differences in their instructional leadership practices in the schools. Based on these findings, the study recommended that Ghana Education Service through the Regional and District Directorates of Education should liaise with instructional leadership specialists to organise in-service and refresher training programmes for headteachers on instructional leadership practices so as to sustain, improve, and intensify its practice in public basic schools.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0841/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

The Barriers that Hinder Effective Implementation of Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices in Schools

The Barriers that Hinder Effective Implementation of Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices in Schools

The relationship among culturally responsive leadership and PLC practices in small schools in Peninsular Malaysia

The relationship among culturally responsive leadership and PLC practices in small schools in Peninsular Malaysia

Headteachers’ Instructional Leadership Practices: A Comparison of Public and Private Basic Schools in Two Selected Districts in Ghana

ABSTRACT This study compared headteachers’ instructional leadership practices in public and private basic schools in two selected districts in Ghana. The study used a quantitative cross-sectional survey design and a simple random sampling technique to invite 336 teacher participants. The research utilized the teacher version of Hallinger and Murphy’s Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) as the research instrument and descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) as analytical tools. Results showed that headteachers in private basic schools enacted instructional leadership functions significantly higher than their counterparts in public basic schools. Among other things, headteachers in private basic schools framed and communicated school goals, supervised and evaluated instruction, monitored student progress, protected instructional time, and promoted teacher professional development significantly higher than headteachers in public basic schools. As the government of Ghana hopes to improve learners’ academic achievements in public basic schools, the study recommends that pragmatic strategies that could improve the instructional leadership practices of the headteachers should be implemented.

Transformational leadership: an examination of South Kalimantan School Principals' Leadership Style

The headmaster plays a crucial part in ensuring the school's advancement and caliber. transformational school leaders are crucial in advancing educational innovation and Restructuring. The survey was designed to get information on their opinions regarding the practice of transformational school leadership. 335 teachers at private schools who participated in this study were chosen freely due to the wide distribution of the population in South Kalimantan, as demonstrated by their willingness to complete an online survey via Google Forms. The questionnaire is used to measure transformational leadership and builds on Bass's theory (1985). It is clear from the results that transformational leadership fell into the high category. Individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, inspirational drive, and idealized influence are all high categories, as demonstrated by the four components outlined by Bass (1985).

EXAMINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE AND TEACHERS' JOB SATISFACTION IN SELECTED PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAGADI DISTRICT. A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Background There has been a growing recognition of the importance of transformational leadership in education, where head teachers inspire and motivate teachers to achieve high levels of performance. The study aims to examine the relationship between transformative leadership styles and teachers' job satisfaction in selected public secondary schools. Methodology A descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional survey design was undertaken with a mixed approach with both quantitative and qualitative data in 8 secondary schools within Kagadi district. Means and standard deviations were also used to analyze data collected on the dependent variable and the dependent variable using the Likert 5-point scale of the responses. The target population comprised 146 participants which included 08 head teachers and 138 secondary school teachers. Results 24% of the respondents were female while 76% were male. 32%of the respondents had a diploma education level, 62% had a degree and 6% had a master’s degree. The correlation between transformative leadership style and teacher's job satisfaction in Selected public secondary schools in Kagadi District was (r=0.534, sig= 0.011) indicating a moderate positive correlation between Transformative Leadership Styles and Teacher's Job Satisfaction. The coefficient for transformative leadership style (B = 4.379) is statistically significant (p = 0.002), indicating that teachers' job satisfaction increases by 4.379 units for every one-unit increase in transformative leadership. Conclusions The moderate positive correlation between transformative leadership style and teachers' job satisfaction suggests that implementing transformative leadership practices in schools can lead to increased job satisfaction among teachers and are characterized by vision, inspiration, and empowerment, are likely to create a positive work environment that fosters satisfaction and fulfillment among teachers. Recommendations The Ministry of Education and Sports should offer training opportunities for head teachers to enhance their transformative leadership skills further.

A framework of justice-centered leadership practice: a qualitative, multidistrict study

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify key school leadership practices that center social justice and are evidenced across multiple school and district contexts.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, multidistrict research design is used within this study. Sampled across seven US school districts, 24 school leaders were interviewed about their justice-centered school leadership practices within and outside of their school buildings.FindingsParticipants engaged in five key domains of justice-centered practice, which included 13 practice areas and 28 sub-practices. These domains include (1) creating an inclusive and caring environment, (2) promoting equitable opportunity to learn, (3) strengthening staff capacity for justice, (4) positioning families as partners in education and (5) building and extending community capacity and resources.Originality/valueThis study incorporates empirical data across diverse contexts and investigates actions relevant to diverse students and multiple justice-centered leadership approaches. By doing so, this study unearths a spectrum of justice-centered school leadership practices, presenting these in one of the few empirically grounded frameworks available in the literature. This framework provides an accessible, comprehensive and actionable starting place for practitioners hoping to lead in socially just ways and for preparation programs who will support these leaders.

Assessing Inclusive School Leadership Practices in Malaysia: Instrument Adaptation and Validation

ABSTRACT School leadership practices that promote inclusion for students with special educational needs have received significant attention in the literature. However, few studies have examined the psychometric properties of scales to evaluate principals’ inclusive leadership practices in the Asian, specifically Malaysian, context. This study examined the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of a scale testing inclusive leadership in Malaysian schools. A total of 604 responses were collected from teachers working at 63 public primary and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The study was conducted across two phases. In phase 1, the construct validity of the scale for Malaysian principals’ inclusive leadership practices was established using exploratory factor analysis. In phase 2, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the dimensionality, reliability, convergent, and discriminant validity of the scale. Results supported a two-factor, 29-item scale. The scale may be utilised as a reliable and valid instrument for examining principals’ inclusive school leadership practices in the Malaysian context.

Navigating the Leadership Challenges and Support System for Assistant School Principals in Senior High School

Purpose: The role of assistant school principals (ASPs) is becoming vital in educational leadership, particularly in the context of senior high school education in the Philippines. This study was conducted to uncover insights from the ASPs’ shared experiences and propose support strategies to enhance their school leadership practices for better learning outcomes in senior high school. Methodology: This research utilized a descriptive case study using an unstructured interview as the primary procedure for data gathering. Separate face-to-face interviews with the informants were conducted to gather data for this investigation. The informants in this study were five assistant principals in the Division of Sorsogon purposefully selected as to the length of service, place of assignment, and willingness to participate until the completion of this study. Results: Findings revealed that the ASPs had varied educational backgrounds and professional experiences, suggesting no universal path to becoming an administrator. Nevertheless, the skills and insights gained from previous roles can be beneficial in assuming the new administrative roles. This study also revealed that ASPs in senior high school had a broad set of responsibilities. However, the primary focus was on instructional leadership. It also reflected that ASPs encountered various challenges related to a lack of training and continuous professional development programs; establishing authority and cultivating principal support; conducting classroom observation due to the enormous number and diversity of teachers; organizing immersion programs for TVL students due to financial constraints and availability of industry partners; and disruption in their professional and personal lives. The findings highlight the support that ASPs need to enhance their school leadership. Conclusion: ASPs are the school leaders’ partners in attaining the school’s mission and vision. However, comprehensive support and professional development opportunities are needed to empower assistant principals to fulfill their roles and enhance school leadership effectively.

A scoping review of school leadership practices in Lesson Study

A scoping review of school leadership practices in Lesson Study

Effect of School Leadership Practices on the Commitment of Secondary School Teachers in Musanze District, Rwanda

This study examined the effect of school leadership practices on the commitment of secondary school teachers in public schools within Musanze district, Rwanda. The specific objectives were to assess the influence of teachers' motivation, supervision, evaluation, and training and development practices on teachers' commitment to work. This research was guided by two theories: Herzberg two factor theory and Max Weber bureaucracy theory. By using a correlational research design, the study employed a quantitative research approach in collecting and analyzing data. The closed-ended questionnaire was filled out by 167 teachers and 44 school leaders, who were randomly selected from a target population of 305. Reliability was confirmed by a pilot study using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Data for the first, second, third and fourth research questions on school leadership practices and teachers’ commitment to work was analyzed through descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and regression analysis, while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The findings revealed significant effects of all four leadership practices on teachers' commitment in Musanze district. Notably, motivation practices (β=0.469, P value <0.05), supervision practices (β=0.368, P-value < 0.05), evaluation practices (β=0.495, P value < 0.05), and training and development practices (β=0.081, P value < 0.05) all exhibited positive linear relationships with teachers' commitment. This study recommends that the leadership in schools under examination should foster teachers' commitment to their work in order to improve student outcomes, which is essential for overall school success.