Primary School Principals Research Articles

Emotional literacy: The leadership gold dust

Emotional literacy is at the heart of effective educational leadership. It supports organisational culture and change management, as well as teaching and learning outcomes. The research reported in this article was designed to help explain emotional literacy and its influence on school culture. Interviews with four primary school principals about their leadership practices demonstrate how they fostered emotional literacy and the flow-on impact on their school culture.

Primary school learners’ movement during class time: perceptions of educators in the Western Cape, South Africa

BackgroundOver the last decade, the efficacy of in-classroom movement interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour has been mainly conducted in high-income, developed countries. To date, there have been no published reports on the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding learners’ movement during class time to inform the implementation of classroom-based movement strategies to reduce sedentariness in South Africa.MethodsA sample of primary school principals and grades 5 and 6 teachers from a range of socio-economic categories participated in this exploratory, descriptive qualitative study in the metro central district of the Western Cape Education Department in South Africa. Transcripts of individual depth interviews (IDIs) with principals and focus group discussions (FGDs) with teachers were coded using Atlast ti 9* software for qualitative analysis.ResultsThirteen principals (13 IDIs) and 24 teachers (6 FGDs) participated in the study. Two main factors influencing in-classroom movement, namely teacher-related and structural factors, were identified. The teacher-related factors pertained to their classroom management practice, knowledge and beliefs about sitting, and management style influenced their role in delivering the curriculum and creating a classroom environment conducive for learning. Classroom factors pertained to classroom size, the number of learners in the class and the ergonomic utility of traditional classroom desks. Institutional expectations and acceptance of learners’ behaviour, and teachers’ practice were also notable contributing factors that influenced learners’ movement during class time.ConclusionEmerging evidence about the efficacy of in-classroom movement on sedentary behaviour and learning outcomes challenges traditional teacher practice that sitting is essential for the delivery of the curriculum and for creating an optimal learning environment. Teacher training about the behaviour control utility of in-classroom movement, and school management and policy supportive of in-classroom movement may encourage fidelity to in-classroom movement strategies.

السلوك القيادي لدى مديري المدارس الابتدائية والمتوسطة

Research title: Leadership Behavior among primary and middle school principals The current research aims to identify: -The leadership behavior of primary and middle school _The statistically significant differences in the leadership behavior of primary and intermediate school principals according to the variables: gender (males - females) and length of service (1-5, 5-10, 10 and more). The current research has identified the principals of primary and middle schools in the schools of the center, districts, and sub-districts affiliated to the General Directorate of Education in Al-Qadisiyah Governorate for the academic year (2021-2022). To achieve the research objectives, the researcher sought to: _The descriptive associative approach to detect leadership behavior - _Building a leadership behavior scale for primary and middle school principals, based on the administrative network theory. To complete this, the researcher applied the two scales to a sample of (250) principals in the schools of centers, districts, and sub-districts of the General Directorate of Education for Qadisiyah, which were selected according to the proportional method. After collecting and processing the data statistically using the Statistical Portfolio for Social Sciences (SPSS), the results of the research concluded that: Primary and middle school principals have leadership behavior_ _ _There are no statistically significant differences in the leadership behavior of primary and intermediate school principals according to the gender variable (male-female) and the length of service (1-5, 5-10, 10 and more). According to the results of the current research, the researcher came up with a number of recommendations and suggestions, including: - A special brochure for principals of primary and middle schools to work on leadership behavior in order to familiarize them with the various leadership styles because of its paramount importance in raising the level of work and developing performance and thus achieving school goals in the best way - Holding special training courses on the importance of leadership behavior and its areas for school principals and its impact on their professional growth Key: Leadership, primary and middle school principals words

What We Know about Successful School Leadership from Australian Cases and an Open Systems Model of School Leadership

In three devolved Australian school systems, for over 20 years, Australian researchers have been interested in understanding how successful school leaders lead schools that have a broad range of student and school outcomes that are above expectations. This paper draws upon findings from five Tasmanian, 18 Victorian, and one Northern Territory multiple-perspective case studies of successful primary, secondary, and special school principals. All cases are part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and follow the methodologies of the ISSPP. At each school, data collected included interviews with the principal, senior teachers, teachers, students, parents, and school council members and document analysis. In addition, nine cases included observation of school activities, and two cases included a teacher survey. The cases reveal a complicated pattern of leadership activities by the principal and other school leaders that includes setting school directions, building positive cultures, developing supportive organisational structures, enhancing personal, professional, organisational, and community capacity, and developing networks, collaborations, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement. These areas of leadership action interact with school, staff, family, and broader contextual factors to develop outstanding teaching and learning that results in a wide array of positive student and school outcomes. Student outcomes include academic, extra-curricular, co-curricular, personal, and social areas. School outcomes include reputation, learning environment, resource allocation, community empowerment, and teacher quality areas. Successful school leadership is shown to be a complex endeavour, led by the principal but involving many and able to be sustained successfully over many years, leading to important and diverse student and school outcomes.

Parent Involvement – the practice of principals in lower primary schools in Switzerland

In a project of qualitative social research we analyse the interviews with eight principals of Swiss primary schools. We analyse the attitudes and the practice of parent involvement in these schools, which depend on the socioeconomic status of the community, the professional experience and the actual management style of the school director. We found a great variety of practices that are based on different attitudes on how to interact with parents. We can see a dichotomy of strategies: one is the way how the principals deal with parents who relate to the school to enforce their individual interests in their own child or its success at school. The other one concerns parents who obviously do not cooperate with the school. Patterns of best practice are analysed and will be used as a material to train student teachers. The practice of the principal is not only determined by the parents and the social context of the school. The biographical and the professional experience of the principal, the management style, which means the formation of the school culture and networking in the community, represent an important part of the practice of a principal.

The role of collective learning in building professional learning communities in schools in the Zambezi region of Namibia

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess teachers' and principals' perception towards the role of collective learning (CL) and application in building professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools in one selected circuit in the Zambezi Region.Design/methodology/approachQuantitative research method was used, and the data were collected using PLCs’ questionnaires revised for circuit and region in Namibia. A total of 340 teachers and principals in primary, combined and secondary schools were involved in this research. Based on teachers and principals' assessment, high- and low-performing factors of CL are presented and explained.FindingsThe major findings are that the majority of participants either strongly agreed or agreed with almost all the statements. It was only in the statement that “teachers and the broader community role players come together to discuss better ways to solve problems” that a majority of participants disagreed. This research challenges all those involved in building up PLCs to think more about CL when they are in the process of structuring their schools as PLCs.Originality/valueThis article is the original work of these authors and has not been submitted to other journals for publication.

Best Practices of Instructional Leadership among Principals of Primary and Secondary Schools in Male’, Maldives

The purpose of this study was to examine the best practices of instructional leadership among principals of primary and secondary schools in Male’, Maldives, based on teachers’ perceptions. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS), developed by Hallinger and Murphy (1985) and modified by Hallinger and Wang (2015), served as the instrument for data collection through a questionnaire. A total of 392 teachers from schools in Male’, Maldives, were surveyed and data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0. The result of the study shows that all three dimensions of instructional leadership—"defining the school mission" (mean 4.05), "managing the instructional program" (mean 3.94), and "developing a positive school learning climate" (mean 3.72)—have reached a high level in practice. The study shows that the three best practices of principals in instructional leadership are to effectively communicate the school's mission to members of the school community (dimension 'Defining the School's Mission', mean 4.12), to clarify who is responsible for coordinating the curriculum across grade levels (dimension 'Managing the Instructional Program', mean 4.29), and to encourage teachers to use class time to teach and practice new skills and concepts (dimension 'Developing a Positive School Climate', mean 4.10). It is hoped that this study will provide useful insights that will be effective in improving the instructional leadership skills of principals to improve the academic performance of students and create a world-class human capital that is comparably excellent.

The performance of principals of primary schools in western Riyadh for administrative tasks in the light of knowledge management processes from their own point of view

هدفت الدِّراسة إلى التَّعرُّف على واقع اداء مديرات المدارس الابتدائية للمهام الإدارية في ضوء عمليات إدارة المعرفة. استخدمت الباحثة المنهج الوصفيَّ المسحيَّ، والاستبانة كأداة تكوَّنت من (66) عبارة مُقسَّمة على محورين تم توزيعها على عيِّنة عشوائية بسيطة بلغت (156) مديرة، بالمدارس الحكومية والأهلية للمرحلة الابتدائيَّة غرب مدينة الرياض وباستخدام البرنامج الإحصائيَّ (SPSS) أبرزت نتائج الدِّراسة: أن مديرات المدارس الابتدائيَّة غرب مدينة الرِّياض يمارسن التَّخطيط في ضوء عمليَّات إدارة المعرفة بمتوسط (4.29 من5)، ثم التَّنظيم بمتوسط (4.27)، وكلاهما بدرجة (عالية جدًّا) ثم الاتِّصال المدرسي بمتوسط (4.19) ودرجة (عالية)، بناء على النتائج أوصت الباحثة بضرورة تهيئة بيئة مناسبة لمشاركة المعرفة بين الموظفات وتشجيعهن على ذلك، واستثمار الموارد المادية والبشرية المختلفة بشكل يساعد على تحقيق الأهداف التربوية بكفاءة وفاعليَّة، ووضع أدلة إرشادية لمنسوبات المدرسة حول كيفية تطبيق عمليَّات إدارة المعرفة وتوجيههن بما يناسبهن، إضافة إلى مقترحات بدراسات مستقبلية في الموضوع.

Leadership experience and coping strategies of women secondary school principals: lesson from Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study explored women principals’ leadership experiences, challenges, and their coping strategies for maintaining their positions. A qualitative study was employed using a semi-structured in-depth interview. Addis Ababa City Administration was purposively selected due to a high turnover of women principals. Eleven secondary school principals were selected using availability sampling as they are the only women principals in the city administration. The findings of the study revealed that women principals’ assignments in various positions such as department head, unit leader, vice principal, and women primary school principals commitment motivated them to aspire to become secondary school principals, along with strong support from their colleagues and their desire to be a leader. The study revealed that teachers’ unwillingness to accept women principals, insufficient support and inappropriate interference from top-level managers were major challenges they faced when executing their roles and responsibility. Respect for staff, patience, delegating work, implementing appropriate measures, and seeking cooperation from parents and the education department was found to be their crucial coping strategies. Large-scale research is needed, and more women principals should be encouraged to take leadership roles responsibilities.

Instructional Leadership Practices and Challenges: The Case of Primary School Principals in Liban Jawi Woreda of West Shoa Zone

This study was conducted to assess the practices and challenges of instructional leadership in primary schools of Liban Jawi Woreda of the West Shoa Zone. In order to address this objective of the study, a descriptive survey design was employed. About 114 teachers, seven principals, six vice principals, and one vice head of Woreda Education Office (WEO) participated in the study. Questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis were data gathering tools. The results showed that most of the problems instructional leaders have a communication gap with the stakeholders on issues related to the vision, mission, and goals of the schools and had problems in relation to lack of educational management profession. It was concluded that instructional leaders have a gap in taking a measure to overcome problems. Therefore, the study mainly recommended that Ministry of Education (MOE) and other stakeholders should give training to instructional leaders to overcome their leadership knowledge and skills, and also principals should create communication channels to overcome communication problems.

Social Functioning of Migrant Children in Polish Schools in the Opinion of Parents and Principals of Primary Schools

The economic and political changes of the last dozen years meant that Polish schools had to deal with the actual organization of education for children of different nationalities. The idea of intercultural education is implemented in various aspects; one of them is the correct process of adaptation to a new environment. This article shows the process of adaptation of children of different nationalities to the school environment of a Polish school in the opinion of parents and primary school principals. The presented research results show the described problem from the perspective of two time periods: before and after Russia's attack on Ukraine. The results of the analysis of the collected research material show the attitudes of students before starting education in a new place, problems related to the adaptation process, actions taken to implement the idea of intercultural education, and differences in the organization of education for students of different nationalities before and after Russia's attack on Ukraine. The presented article shows the current picture of the adaptation process of children of different nationalities in the developing intercultural education in Polish schools.

Women’s Leadership in School Education: Barriers and Opportunities in Karachi, Sindh

School education is the basic foundation for shaping the holistic education of children. This qualitative study investigates Women's Leadership in School Education in Karachi, focusing on barriers and opportunities for female principals in Government Primary Schools. Utilizing a constructivist qualitative approach with a phenomenological design, data was collected through interviews and document analysis. Thematic analysis of the data revealed a multifaceted landscape: persistent gender discrimination and harassment, the challenge of work-life balance, cultural norms impacting diversity promotion, and gender stereotypes shaping experiences. The study underscores the importance of raising awareness about girls' education and its transformative potential, driven by a shared belief in empowerment through education. It highlights the resilience and dedication of women principals advocating for change and recognizing girls' education as a catalyst for societal transformation. In response, the study recommends providing equitable resources and support structures to enable female educational leaders to champion social justice and overcome barriers, ultimately promoting equal educational opportunities for all.

(Re)contextualizing the field. A Bourdieuian analysis of small rural school principal leadership in a post-conflict society

ABSTRACT As neo-liberal, economic and political fields increasingly contaminate the field of education, so a (re) contextualised understanding of the manifold and shifting social space small rural primary school principals occupy is of central importance to understanding practice. An understanding especially germane to a post-conflict divided and segregated society such as Northern Ireland. The paper draws on data from a mixed-method investigation including a survey of small rural school principals and case study research in five small rural primary schools. The findings are theoretically and conceptually informed by Bourdieu (1984) and his work on field, habitus and capital as a means to understand practice. The insight into principal practice that emerges is one that is, complex, fluid and uncertain; school leaders needing to negotiate diverse logics of practice as a response to the dominant fields in play at any given time. We contend that at one level, neo-liberal economistic imperatives and politicisation of education have led to a professional narrowing in principal leadership practice. While on another level, in a post-conflict Northern Ireland, we have arguably seen a professional widening, with principals afforded a leadership role potentially empowered to help balance cross-community religious tensions and facilitate peace and reconciliation.

The well-being of Australian primary school principals: a study of the key concerns

PurposeAs part of a broader qualitative study on well-being and social support, the study reported here explored the issue of principal well-being to provide further insight into the concerns of principals. Its aim was to identify aspects of the principal role that impact on well-being.Design/methodology/approachA phenomenological approach was used to study the experiences of the principals. Eight primary school principals in New South Wales, Australia participated in semi-structured interviews that examined this area and identified aspects of their leadership role that influence their well-being. Purposive sampling was used to ensure representation in terms of gender and school size.FindingsFive themes emerged as the key concerns of the principals: the responsibility of the role; managing people; feelings of isolation; the stress caused by the role; and prioritising the well-being of staff. Comments from the principals highlight how each of these areas is experienced.Originality/valueIdentifying and exploring these concerns added to the extant research on principal well-being by providing detail on the specific experiences of principals. The study also offers a basis to consider how the current situation may be improved by addressing the well-being concerns that are common, as well as highlighting areas that warrant further research attention.

The Role of Negev Primary School Principals in Empowering Teachers and Increasing their Professional Development

هدفت الدراسة إلى الكشف عن دور مدراء مدارس النقب الابتدائية في تمكين المعلمين وزيادة نموهم المهني، وعلاقته ببعض المتغيرات الديمغرافية؛ من وجهة نظر المعلمين، حيث استخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفي التحليلي، كما تم تصميم استبانة خصيصاً كأداة لجمع البيانات، وتمَّ تطبيق الدراسة على عينة مكونة من 420 معلماً ومعلمة من مدارس النقب الابتدائية تم اختيارهم بالطريقة العشوائية. توصلت الدراسة إلى أنَّ دور مدراء مدارس النقب الابتدائية في تمكين مُعلِّمي مدارس النقب الابتدائية جاء بدرجة مرتفعة وبوزن نسبي 84.04 %. كما وجدت فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين متوسط استجابات المعلمين في تقديرات المعلمين لمستوى تمكينهم في المدارس الابتدائية» وفقاً لمتغير الجنس- لصالح مجموعة الذكور. كما أشارت النتئج إلى أنه لا توجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية بين متوسط استجابات المعلمين في مقياس مستوى تمكين المعلمين في المدارس الابتدائية» تُعزى لمتغيري (المؤهل العلمي- سنوات الخدمة).

The disruptive impact of COVID-19 on relationships in Irish primary schools: key issues

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic is an event that will be written about in history, given its impact on life across the globe, on ways of working, on mortality rates and on day to day living. How schools undertook their work changed across the pandemic, as school buildings both in Ireland and across the world closed for long periods of time. In this timeframe, school communities adapted to online teaching and learning using a variety of platforms to support this. The impact of the pandemic on principal and teacher wellbeing is the subject of this research paper. Findings of a small-scale, mixed-methods study involving semi-structured interviews and the completion of two questionnaires undertaken with 21 Irish primary school principals and teachers are presented. The findings indicate a number of emerging issues for the school community relating to relationships, communication and support and the digital divide. Implications for teacher wellbeing are considered and recommendations for policy and practice relating to teacher wellbeing in particular are made.

The graceful teacher: the choice of volunteering

"During the 2022 and 2023 school year, a group of eight college professors, 67 university education students, 27 primary school teachers and principals, and 200 primary school students participated together in a project titled, The Caravan of Friendship and Games. During the year, students suggested that they should also work with the elderly. Consequently, the project team added visitation to facilities for the elderly which included 240 elderly people. From the analysis of the survey data, the professor team realized that volunteering was not only beneficial to young students and the elderly people, but the data also revealed that the volunteers (university professors, university students, primary school teachers and principals) benefited from their efforts in the project. Showing once again that when people volunteer, they enter into a reciprocal beneficiary relationship—that one might call the ultimate win-win situation."

Sports Management Skills of Principals and Their Adherence to China’s Double Reduction Policy

This study examined the demographic profiles, sports management skills, and adherence to the double reduction policy of principals in primary schools located in Hongshan District, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China employing comparative-correlational approach. The study's participants consist of principals selected from 24 primary schools in the region. The findings highlight a diverse group of principals in terms of age, gender, educational attainment, and years of experience. The assessment reveals a low level of sports management skills and a gap between policy intentions and implementation of the double reduction policy. The study underscores the importance of professional development and support to enhance principals' skills and improve policy implementation in the given context. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the characteristics and challenges faced by principals in this specific locale.

Entrepreneurial leadership behaviour of primary school principals across Europe: a comparative study

PurposeTo improve school organisational performance and innovativeness, and meet diverse student needs, school leaders should be innovative, risk-takers and proactive, thus applying entrepreneurial practices/strategies and market mechanisms. This study aims to investigate, from a schoolteacher's perspective, the degree of entrepreneurial leadership behaviour (ELB) applied by school principals in European primary schools. Given that school autonomy is perceived as an important predictor of leaders' entrepreneurship, this study investigates the impact of educational macro (autonomy and accountability) and micro (demographics) contexts on ELB by comparing centralised and decentralised European school systems with the highly centralised Greek school system.Design/methodology/approachThis comparative study was conducted in Greece (630 participants) and in 14 European countries (972 participants). Thornberry's Entrepreneurial Leadership Questionnaire was used, comprising general entrepreneurial leader (GEL), miner (MIN), accelerator (ACC), explorer (EXP) and integrator (INT) behaviours.FindingsThe results revealed that ELB is a multi-dimensional concept, and that all participating teachers perceived ELB application moderately, with more focus on the internal (than external) school environment. Furthermore, the dual-directional macro-contextual influence found in applying ELB indicates that high school autonomy and accountability activate ELB owing to the school's freedom to engage in entrepreneurial ventures, while low autonomy/accountability still activates ELB, but only for organisational survival within hierarchical-bureaucratic school environments. This feature differentiates “intrapreneur/intrepreneur” from “entrepreneur” school principals.Originality/valueThe theoretical basis of entrepreneurial leadership (EL) in education should include entrepreneurial multi-dimensional leadership aspects (competencies, behaviours, skills) and educational context (macro and micro). Implications for school leadership research and practice are also discussed.

Evaluation Of the Managerial Behaviors of Primary School Principals as Perceived by Teachers

Evaluation Of the Managerial Behaviors of Primary School Principals as Perceived by Teachers