Effective practices in leadership for social justice. Evolution of successful secondary school principalship in disadvantaged contexts

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates the evolution of leadership for learning that has occurred in four secondary schools located in disadvantaged contexts in the province of Granada (Spain) over a period of 2 years, performing a comparative analysis on the values, qualities and strategies that characterize their principals during the academic years 2013–2014 and 2015–2016. The investigation uses case studies and conducts interviews with principals, teachers and education administrators. It is supported by the group-case method, as well as the longitudinal prospective method. The results show that only one of these principals has maintained a leadership aimed at learning and achievement of all students in the school, at the same time as students’ academic results have been improving. This paper concludes by providing information on values, qualities and strategies of successful leadership in disadvantaged contexts in Spain that distinguish them from other less successful leaders.     

A Method of Assessing Leadership Effectiveness

Assessing the effectiveness of a leader is often a difficult exercise for many organizations. This is usually because most assessment procedures are influenced by organizational politics, they are not standard based, and the items on which a leader is assessed are undefined or poorly defined. This study presents the Essential Behavioral Leadership Qualities (EBLQ) approach for assessing leadership effectiveness as an alternative method to commonly used assessment procedures. Among other assumptions, the EBLQ method is built on the assumptions that a leader should be evaluated on clearly defined behavioral qualities and his/her effectiveness rating should be standard based. Hence, the EBLQ method measures the effectiveness of a leader against the essentiality levels of behaviors deemed necessary for effective leadership. Leadership effectiveness is determined for each leadership behavior and for overall leadership performance. The EBLQ method was demonstrated in the assessment of the leadership effectiveness of the principals of schools for students who are blind or visually impaired.     

Effects of college experiences on male and female student leadership capacity in Taiwan

This study examined how college experiences affect student leadership capacity in the general college population, as well as in male versus female populations. The data were drawn from a longitudinal sample of students across 156 colleges in Taiwan. Results of this study indicated that student leadership capacity increased after college entry. After controlling for pre-college experiences and structural characteristics, various college experiences of curricular learning, cocurricular learning, and interpersonal interaction persisted as significant factors affecting student leadership capacity across genders. College experiences of class skipping and campus residence demonstrated different effects than those found in the Western literature. Comparative results of male and female students in various contexts detected using a statistical method and criteria demonstrated that, in the case of Taiwanese college students, both genders were similarly affected by their college experiences as far as leadership capacity is concerned.     

Collaborative practitioner research: opening a third space for local knowledge production

Early childhood education and care is currently experiencing unprecedented policy interest and expansion. This policy and practice landscape requires new forms of adaptive leadership, new spaces for production of the knowledge necessary for this changing context, and tools that can support the development of leadership qualities. This paper examines the potential of practitioner research to produce contextually relevant knowledge and to develop leadership capacity. Our findings show that collaborative practitioner research groups provide a relatively safe environment for the sharing of dilemmas and critical reflections. The practitioners who participated in this research wanted access to narratives of change in typically resourced early childhood contexts as well as in the more highly resourced settings that are more often reflected in academic research and literature. This suggests there is a need for much more of this work to be publicly available. These groups can generate the courage required to open practice based research to public critique. This, we argue is an important element of activist leadership. Collaborative practitioner research opens up the possibility for practitioners to position themselves as knowledge producers and to revitalize the knowledge base that informs teacher education in the academy. In supporting this move, academics need to position themselves as resource gathers and co-learners thus opening a third space for knowledge production. The challenges for the profession are how to fund and effectively disseminate collaborative practitioner research and how to draw it into dialogue with other forms of research.     

Using Social Stories with Students with Social,Emotional, And Behavioral Disabilities: The Promise and the Perils

Social skills are necessary for success in school as they facilitate peer acceptance and student-teacher relationships and promote academic achievement. One social skills intervention that has received significant attention from researchers and has been endorsed by special education teachers is Social Stories. However, the extant research on this intervention has methodological flaws that limit the conclusions about its effectiveness. Although several literature reviews and meta-analyses of the Social Stories literature have been conducted, the findings have been inconsistent and sometimes contradictory, and the bodies of literature reviewed have been varied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (a) review the existing Social Stories literature reviews and meta-analyses, and all of the studies they represent, (b) summarize the existing knowledge on the use of Social Stories for students with disabilities, and (c) propose guidelines for practitioners and for empirical research. Results from 16 literature reviews and meta-analyses representing 55 studies do not support the use of Social Stories to improve students’ social skills and behavior. Future directions are discussed.     

Leadership in an international collaborative writing groups (ICWG) initiative: implications for academic development

This article presents the results of research examining an innovative initiative designed to build capacity for international, collaborative scholarship of teaching and learning: the development of international collaborative writing groups (ICWG). The study focusses particularly on the role of leadership within the groups as a significant factor in the effectiveness of the initiative. Results from an online survey of 30 former ICWG-participants reaffirm the significance of leadership to the ICWG’s success. In particular, respondents emphasise the value of leadership approaches that foster community and encourage members to take responsibility for tasks. Implications for leadership in related academic development contexts are considered.     

Raising achievement of black Caribbean pupils: good practice for developing leadership capacity and workforce diversity in schools

This research aims to examine the success factors behind raising the achievement of Black Caribbean pupils with focus on leadership and work force diversity factors. Drawing on case studies and focus group methodological approaches of research the study findings identified a number of success factors including the strong leadership of the Headteacher, effective use of a diverse multi-ethnic workforce, valuing and celebrating cultural diversity, providing an inclusive curriculum that adds to gives pride in being Black Caribbean. What is particularly special about the case study schools is that the leadership of the schools are strong on equality and diversity issues and there are also plenty of opportunities for teachers and school staff to celebrate cultural diversity and reflect on the achievement of Black Caribbean pupils. Overall the study suggests that Black Caribbean pupils do well in multicultural schools with a strong school leadership on diversity and equality issues. Policy implications for developing leadership capacity and workforce diversity are discussed in the final section.     

The influence of socio-cultural factors on leadership practices for instructional improvement in Indonesian schools

Empirical studies have shown that although leadership shares similar practices across East and West, some practices have inherently distinguished socio cultural characteristics. Understanding these characteristics is important in Asian contexts since socio-cultures are a major power in determining the success or failure of a change process. This study sought to explore and identify local leadership practices influenced by socio-cultural factors through in-depth interviews with principals and teachers from six different senior secondary schools in Malang Regency, Indonesia. Key local practices were identified: monitoring learning hours, improving the welfare of teachers, focusing on students’ character building, encouraging students’ participation in extracurricular programmes, increasing standards, and building partnership with stakeholders. Although some of the practices are similar to those recognised by empirical studies done in Western school context, others reflect local leadership practices influenced by school conditions, social practices, and economic factors. The findings imply that in Indonesian schools, practices of leadership are directly and indirectly dictated by the policies regulated by the government. This strong influence of government can be the impediment for school leaders to make necessary initiatives to promote instructional improvements in their schools.     

基于课程文化建设,提升教师课程领导力

课程改革的关键是教师。教师课程领导力是指教师在课程规划、资源建设、实施与评价等方面的规划力、整合力、开发力等,是教师专业发展的标志;是学校领导文化转性的标志;是课程实施从忠实取向走向创生取向的标志。课程文化是教师课程领导力的重要追求。学校课程文化建设,有效提升了教师的课程领导力,促进了教师的专业发展,也提高了学生的综合素质,提升了学校的办学品位。     

Action learning in virtual higher education: applying leadership theory

This paper reports the historical foundation of Northeastern University’s course, LDR 6100: Developing Your Leadership Capability, a partial literature review of action learning (AL) and virtual action learning (VAL), a course methodology of LDR 6100 requiring students to apply leadership perspectives using VAL as instructed by the author, questionnaire and survey results of students who evaluated the effectiveness of their application of leadership theories using VAL and insights believed to have been gained by the author administering VAL. Findings indicate most students thought applying leadership perspectives using AL was better than considering leadership perspectives not using AL. In addition as implemented in LDR 6100, more students evaluated VAL positively than did those who assessed VAL negatively.     

Perceptions of leadership effectiveness in schools for children who are blind or have low vision in Nigeria

This study used the standard-based essential behavioural leadership qualities (EBLQ) method of leadership assessment, to determine leadership effectiveness of the principals of the schools for children who are blind and have low vision in Nigeria, from the perspective of the teachers of these schools. The four-stage method of leadership assessment of the EBLQ method was used to analyze data (N = 271) collected through availability sampling, to determine leadership effectiveness of the principals relative to levels of essentiality of EBLQ items. Findings show a pattern of incongruence between rankings of essentialities and effectiveness of the principals on the EBLQ items. The principals were perceived most effective in having ‘excellent educational qualifications’ which was ranked fourth as essential for leadership effectiveness. The principals were also rated twentieth on ‘timely payment of salary’, which was ranked most essential for leadership effectiveness. Overall effectiveness of the principals, however, was described as exemplary. This study is expected to contribute to much-needed studies on leadership in the schools for the blind in Nigeria, as well as provide a coaching effect for the principals of these schools.     

Principals and vice-principals: exploring the history of leading and managing public schools in Ontario,Canada

ABSTRACT

For teachers seeking formal school leadership roles the key choices have been either the vice- principalship or the principalship. In Ontario, Canada, however, the principalship has traditionally been considered the premier leadership goal with the vice-principalship regarded as merely a necessary transitional step toward achieving the principalship. In this article, we consider the enactments of principals and vice-principals plus the common and unique work typically demanded of each position by examining how both roles came to fruition from a historical context. How principals and vice-principals’ work came to be what it currently is in Canada’s most populace province is a reflection of the prevailing economic, social, political, historical, and educational contexts and particular interests being advanced. Both engage in complex, purposeful work that requires excellent interpersonal strengths, strategic thinking, an inclusive leadership disposition and values, organisational change capacities, and the ability to make evidence-based decisions. As well, both are expected to work in complementary ways to advance students’ academic and social learning, yet despite the need for leadership synergies, principals often ‘lead’ while vice-principals are left to ‘manage’. While the principal’s role is expansive and more clearly defined, the role of the vice-principal has broadened over decades. We will investigate the history for preparing and developing vice principals in this context to learn about why they continue to be reactive, situationally contingent, and dependent on task delegation from the principal. Such role-based differences can contribute to high job satisfaction and role clarity for principals, but disappointment for vice-principals who wish to exercise greater leadership.     

提高高职院校思想政治课教师素质的对策研究

提高大学生思想政治教育主要依靠思想政治课教师及其教育教学水平和质量,这就要求思想政治课教师的知识要全面、教学本领要扎实。如何提高思想政治课教师自身的素质,适应高职教育的发展和高职学生的复杂多元化是目前亟待解决的问题。     

A Clearer Vision: Creating and Evolving a Model to Support the Development of Science Teacher Leaders

This paper describes a professional development model for developing science teacher leaders that has evolved and been refined through working with 16 high school chemistry and physics teachers in high-needs schools over the past 3 years. The theoretical framework draws upon Goodwin’s notion of professional vision and Dempsey’s four metaphors to inform an understanding of professional identity consistent with innovation and empowerment in (a) the classroom setting with students and (b) with teachers in collegial environments. Thus, leadership practices and purposes are discussed at two distinct levels and contexts, which interact reflexively. Sociolinguistic discourse analysis of multiple data sources enabled us to identify the professional development features that promoted or hindered the teachers’ growth toward a leadership perspective and disposition. Implications for science teacher renewal and retention as well as limitations of the study and proposed leadership model are also shared and discussed.     

External stakeholders’ roles and factors influencing their participation in developing generic skills for students in Vietnamese universities

External stakeholders have increasingly participated in instructional and training activities in higher education; however, their contribution has not yet been adequately documented, especially in non-Western university contexts. This article reports a study that examined external stakeholders’ roles and factors influencing their participation in these roles in developing generic skills (GS) for students at six Vietnamese universities of different institutional contexts. Data, which were primarily collected by semi-structured interviews with 69 university leaders, academics and staff members of the Youth Union and its associates, were analysed using a content analysis approach. The analysis showed that external stakeholders participated in multiple roles in executing GS policy, including consulting relevant GS for curriculum modification, training students in these skills, providing and supervising student internships, and evaluating the effectiveness of the skills development programmes. The analysis indicated that their participation was influenced by their interests in these roles, university location and university status. University leadership, which appeared to be driven by contextual factors such as several reforms concurrently taking place, curriculum autonomy, and regulations about staff appointment, was also found to influence extremal stakeholders’ participation.     

Structural Change,Leadership and School Effectiveness/Improvement: Perspectives from South Africa

This article comments on leadership within mainstream literature on school effectiveness/improvement, where it is almost always considered to be a factor of change. The article argues that systemic school improvement, particularly for disadvantaged children, is inextricably linked to wider social, economic and political conditions—in South Africa’s case, the political transition from apartheid to democratic government. These structural conditions and specific historical contexts are often glossed over in models of school effectiveness/improvement. Through an analysis of dysfunctional and resilient schools as a legacy of apartheid, and of the slow reconstruction of education in the post‐apartheid period, the article argues for the importance of political legitimacy and authority in school improvement. The article concludes by suggesting that states in transition require a different theoretical lens in order to understand the impact of wider social changes on schools. In such societies, the establishment of legitimacy and authority is a precondition for sustainable effectiveness and improvement, and this has implications for theorising the role of leadership in school change more generally.     

Using rubrics in student self-assessment: student perceptions in the English as a foreign language writing context

The instructional value of rubrics for promoting student learning and aiding teacher feedback to student performance has been extensively researched in th educational literature. There is, nonetheless, a dearth of studies on students’ rubric use in second/foreign language contexts, and fewer studies have investigated the factors affecting rubrics’ effectiveness for promoting student learning. The paper reports a classroom-based inquiry into students’ perceptions of rubric use in self-assessment in English as a Foreign Language context and the factors moderating its effectiveness. Eighty students at a Chinese university participated in the study. The data collected included their reflective journals and six case study informants’ retrospective interviews. Results showed that the rubric was perceived as useful for fostering the students’ self-regulation by guiding them through the stages of goal-setting, planning, self-monitoring and self-reflection. Both within-rubric and rubric-user factors were identified as affecting the rubric’s effectiveness in student self-assessment. The findings are discussed with reference to the design features of rubrics. Implications are drawn for formative rubric use in student self-assessment.     

Entrepreneurial leadership competencies among Malaysian university student entrepreneurial leaders

Developments in entrepreneurial leadership as a distinct area of both research and practice raised many questions about the personal competencies of entrepreneurial leaders that enable them to successfully lead entrepreneurial endeavours. Although identifying entrepreneurs' specific capabilities has been one of the main focuses of entrepreneurship researchers, our knowledge is limited about personal leadership competencies required in entrepreneurial contexts. This qualitative study aimed to explore the personal competencies of undergraduate student entrepreneurial leaders in four Malaysian universities. Fourteen student entrepreneurial leaders were purposefully selected to participate in this study. Analysis of the semi-structured and in-depth interviews revealed different dimensions of proactiveness and innovativeness as previously identified competencies of entrepreneurial leaders for the student entrepreneurial leaders. Furthermore, love of challenges and versatility emerged as the personal competencies of the students. Implication of the findings and suggestions for developing entrepreneurial leadership competencies in university students through purposeful interventions are proposed.     

Resilient principals in challenging schools: the courage and costs of conviction

The work of leaders in schools takes place in shifting and sometimes conflicting reform contexts which tend to increase and intensify their professional work and personal lives as they seek to influence a range of stakeholder groups and individuals in processes of school improvement. Such diverse and sometimes competing demands of policy, local context and educational values not only challenge the breadth of qualities, knowledge and skills possessed by leaders, but also test their adaptivity, flexibility and intellectual, and emotional energy on an everyday basis. Although much of the literature on resilience suggests that it is a necessary quality in extreme adverse circumstances – for example, physical or emotional trauma as a result of conflict – it seems obvious that everyday resilience will be an essential quality and a necessary capacity for leaders to lead to their best. However, this may be sorely tested as the range of their roles and responsibilities expands and their space to exercise ‘responsible agency’ at work shrinks, together with personal space outside the workplace – traditionally viewed as a time to reflect, recover and renew. A recent survey showed that, in England, for example, only 7% of secondary heads perceived that they had any time to engage in interests outside their work; it is unlikely that much will have changed in the years since then, as more recent root-and-branch reforms in the governance and curricula of schools in England and Wales demonstrate. How leaders of schools, which serve high-challenge communities of socio-economic disadvantage, sustain their resilience and the costs of doing so in raising and sustaining their levels of success has received only scant attention in the research literature. This paper reports the outcomes of research into the work of 12 successful principals who work in schools in challenging environments in different countries and were asked to talk about their contexts and the challenges which they had overcome in order to achieve their success. It uses one of these as an illustration of the role courage and conviction plays in all their lives.