Dancing in Fetters? Chinese Principals’ Perceptions of the Effects of Finnish Training Programs

Although there is an increased interest in overseas training for educational leaders in China, little is known about the value of such programs. This qualitative case study explores Chinese school principals’ perceptions of leadership practices and professional development after undertaking a Finnish training program. The article also explores difficulties related to different educational contexts when an attempt is made at applying the Finnish education experience to China. Famed for its excellent education, Finland is currently actively involved in exporting its education by providing such training programs to the whole world. Data was collected by semi-structured interviews with six Shanghai principals. The results showed a certain level of satisfaction but also needs for improvement. It thus appears that such an overseas training program can play a positive but limited role in expanding Chinese principals’ leadership practices and professional development.     

Ready to Lead? A Look into Jewish Religious School Principal Leadership and Management Training

Although most Jewish supplementary religious school principals have graduated from various academic training programs, there are no data about how these programs sufficiently prepare educational leaders. This study examined the essential leadership and management skills of effective Jewish religious school leaders, and assessed their preparation to undertake the key challenges of this complex job. This study also investigated the principals’ perceptions about their training and whether they experienced a knowledge gap as school leaders. The respondents felt unprepared to conduct essential tasks—such as working with lay leaders, managing human resources, and planning budgets—after completing their training programs.     

以学习为中心的学校领导者发展——美国南部地区教育委员会学校领导者发展项目述评

高风险考试和严厉的问责制对美国的中小学校长提出了严峻的挑战。在这一背景下,美国南部地区教育委员会启动了"以学习为中心"的领导者发展项目,协助各州对传统的教育领导者培训和专业发展项目进行改造,提高校长培训和专业成长的质量。该项目提炼出13个成功校长的关键因素,开发了一整套基于学校领导发展最新研究成果的课程模块,并通过发行出版物、组织论坛为各州的学校领导发展实践提供资源和帮助。     

Professional norms in school leadership: Change efforts in implementation of education for sustainable development

This study identifies and analyses professional norms as a means of illuminating school cultures and how norms are distributed in the system. Of special interest is the role of school leaders and how they lead, organize and realise school development. The study research question is: What professional norms do school leaders highlight in change efforts? We are also interested in identifying the support mechanisms and obstacles to implementation and norm setting exhibited by school organisations. The case we used explores change processes in the implementation of education for sustainable development at three upper secondary schools in Sweden. It was conducted in three phases, starting with a questionnaire for all teachers and principals. In the second phase, each of the principals was interviewed individually. The third phase used focus groups consisting of the principals that made up the leadership groups. Our results indicate that professional norms are set when principals and teachers experience expectations from each other, from students and from policy documents. There is also a need for well-functioning communication in the organisation to set and disseminate norms. The school principal plays a crucial role in these norm setting processes. By becoming more aware of existing norms in the organisations, and how norms can be changed, this knowledge can support principals in change efforts.     

School leadership and special education: challenges,dilemmas and opportunities from an Australian context

This article examines the personal and professional attributes of school leaders in relation to special educational needs and disability (SEND) and assesses the extent to which these might be sufficient to give such professionals the confidence necessary to be role models for their staff. Data were collected via a survey of a randomly selected set of Australian school leaders, in both special and mainstream schools. This included principals from all sectors of the Australian school system. The study was based on the premise that school principals place as much importance on the need to be instructional leaders as they do on being managers. The study was informed by an assumption that in order to be successful as a school leader in respect of SEND, a school principal requires a deep pedagogical knowledge and a clear understanding of children's developmental milestones. The study found that school leaders expressed a need to develop further understanding of how to differentiate the taught curriculum in order to identify and support school‐wide quality teaching and learning processes for students with SEND.     

School Leaders as Learners: what attitudes and preferences do they have?

Leadership development is a key issue for success in leading educational reform and school improvement. Demands for more flexible, responsive, and enterprise‐driven schooling require that school leaders can create the kind of conditions which sustain vigorous processes of continuous school improvement. To meet this requirement, school leaders must be in command of a broader range of leadership and management expertise than was traditionally required of them. The changing environments make it essential for school leaders to have a high level of awareness of their preferences for leadership development and a commitment to improve their professional performance. This paper discusses findings of a survey‐based study of school leaders’ attitudes and preferences for professional development in Western Australia. Surveys conducted among principals and deputy principals of primary (n = 233) and secondary (n = 180) schools reveal some important similarities, as well as differences, in the extent to which primary and secondary school leaders have recognized the potential for work‐based and peer‐assisted learning.     

Reformation of the Macedonian teacher education programme, 1999 – 2001

Background: In the last decade, much research attention has been paid to notions of leadership and the professional identity of school. It is widely agreed that school principals play a very important role in school improvement; international reports point to ‘school leadership’ as a key factor in education quality, and recent studies suggest that the leadership identity of principals is critical for achieving effective leadership in schools worldwide.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to conduct a thematic exploration of the literature relating to school principals and leadership identity.

Design and methods: A scoping review was carried out. Two major databases were searched for papers published on this topic in the last decade. Once we had established an overview of research on this subject, we conducted a thematic analysis to identify the topical focus of research.

Results: We found that the literature reflected an increasing and intensified interest in the topic of school leadership as the decade progressed. Furthermore, a range of emerging subtopics was identified. These included the relationship between school culture and professional identity in school principals; the influence of ethical and personal factors on the professional development of principals; the dilemmas of balancing education policies and personal experiences; and the relationships between gender identity, racial identity, professional experience/career, training and leadership identity.

Conclusions: Several key issues emerged from the studies included in this review, such as the importance of external and internal influences in the construction of the professional identity of school principals. Some of the research suggested that school leaders felt the need to develop a new professional identity. Overall, the study indicates that school leadership and its relationship with school improvement should remain an important focus for educational research investigation.     

论校长专业化发展的知识基础及其转换模式

校长专业化是当今校长培训的一个共同话题,也是校长培训理念和培训实践需要着力解决的问题之一。知识基础及其转换是促进校长专业化的重要前提。探讨校长专业化过程中知识转换过程规律有助于提高校长培训质量和效益。     

Principal Professional Development in China: Challenges,Opportunities, and Strategies

This article examines the essential role of school principals in China's “Quality-Oriented Education” national reform movement. Keeping China's cultural and historical context in mind, and taking into consideration the impact of political and societal forces on the nation, we discuss the major challenges faced by Chinese schools, specifically the rising demand for a new generation of school leaders. To address this issue we conduct a critical review of the existing principal evaluation and training systems in China. From this data we then propose a framework of strategic directions for systemic professional development for school leaders.     

Using developmental relationships in mentoring to support novice principals as leaders of learning

Mentoring is an established method of supporting principals as they begin their careers; however, early studies focus on how a veteran principal supports a novice principal in acquiring the skills to manage the school. As the role of a principal has evolved from a building manager to a leader of learning, the role of mentoring has also evolved. The purpose of this study was to explore the mentoring experiences of novice principals and their mentors in a school district’s mentoring program, and how developmental mentoring relationships support novice principals to be leaders of learning. The ?ndings suggest that a strong mentoring relationship can support a novice principal in developing skills to be a leader of learning by clarifying the mentor’s role as a leader of learning, focusing mentoring sessions to build the mentee’s capacity as a leader of learning, and a commitment to mentoring sessions that support teaching and learning.     

What Did We Learn About Our Teachers and Principals? Results of the TALIS-2013 International Comparative Study

The Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is a large-scale and authoritative international study of teachers. It is conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to collect and compare information about teachers and principals in different countries in such key areas as the training and professional development of teachers, performance appraisals, school management and educational goals and practices, job satisfaction, and confidence in one’s professional abilities.     

首都基础教育“十一五”市级中小学干部培训的原则、策略与主要成绩

“十一五”以来,北京教育学院本着服务性原则、学研行统一原则和专业化发展原则,以资源整合、质量先导和研训一体为策略,在市级中小学干部培训中取得了显著成绩。     

瑞典《国家学校领导者培训计划》助力中小学校长专业发展

中小学校长对学校发展和基础教育质量的提高起着至关重要的作用。瑞典2009《国家学校领导者培训计划》明晰了中小学校长的角色,规定了培训的内容、模式以及评价方式,旨在把校长培养成为集"管理、教学、学校发展"三种角色为一体的学校领导者,对中小学校长的专业发展起到了极大的促进作用。     

为每所学校配备优秀校长——美国中小学校长支持策略研究

优秀的校长在学校改进、教师留职和学生成绩提升等方面发挥着重要作用。通过采取有效的校长支持策略,为每所学校配备优秀校长,已经成为当前美国中小学缩小学生成绩差距、保障教育公平的重要举措。美国有效的中小学校长支持策略主要包括:创新校长培养方式,解决校长频繁更替问题;创建一贯制的校长职业管道,提升校长的领导效能;建立支持取向的校长评价制度,持续改进校长的行为;利用联邦政府拨款,扩大校长专业学习和专业发展机会;建立校长才能管理系统,促进优质校长人力资源的公平分配。     

How do school leaders respond to the growing intrusiveness of accountability policies? Evidence from Italy

ABSTRACT

The role of school principals is an evolving one, calling them to become agents of change, focusing on educational leadership as they take the schools forward. All this is happening in a context that is becoming more challenging and stressful as school leaders try to juggle the state-mandated accountability devices. In relation to the Italian context, this paper analyses the growing penetration of accountability systems in school management and the implications for leadership practices. The results of a research project conducted with school leaders show that accountability systems can provide an opportunity for school improvement if school leaders defuse their potential bureaucracy, consistently integrating them into their practices of leadership, respecting the organisational idea of the school as professional learning community. An authentic educational leadership is a fundamental condition for governing the risks and contradictions that accountability systems bring with them in the complex reality of schools.     

新西兰中小学校长培训框架与内容

校长培训作为系统化提升校长专业领导力的重要手段受到了新西兰政府的高度重视。目前新西兰为有志成为校长的领导者、新任校长、资深校长以及毛利学生学校领导者开发了专门的培训项目。本文介绍这四类培训项目,归纳新西兰校长培训的经验,指出其对我国校长培训改进的借鉴意义。     

Integrating School Leadership Knowledge and Practice Using Multimedia Technology: Linking National Standards, Assessment, and Professional Development

This article presents an overview perspective on the potential benefits of applying multimedia technology to redesign and invigorate the career-long performance assessment and professional learning of school leaders. Funded design and development efforts of one multimedia project—the Administrator Case Simulation (ACS) Multimedia Library—focusing on the professional assessment and development of school principals involved in collaborative school leadership are highlighted. Project research teams at the ACS Multimedia Lab have focused in the past seven years on using available multimedia technologies to develop school leadership assessment and organizational learning case simulation resources for school principals and other school leaders. This article provides an overview of the multimedia case simulation concept, describes collaborative R&D project efforts involving regional and state school leaders, highlights multimedia case design features, and discusses implications of technology-integrated case designs for informing personnel assessment and evaluation programs and for enhancing the reflective thinking, decision making, and professional learning of school leaders. Finally, recommendations are offered for engaging in further research and development efforts using the integrated systems professional learning approach presented, and for creatively expanding technology-integrated case simulation designs to develop similar professional assessment and learning resources for all school leaders.     

校长教学领导：内涵、特征与培养策略

随着教育改革的深入推进和教学专业化的凸显,校长不能仅仅扮演行政管理者的角色,还应该成为一名积极的教学领导者。教学领导是校长领导力的核心和关键,它是一种专业领导力。这种专业领导力建立在专业权威和道德权威的基础上,以尊重教师的专业自主权为前提,并表现为多种角色。校长行使教学领导主要通过创建共同愿景、关注课堂、促进教师专业发展、构建中层领导团队等途径实现。校长教学领导力的获得和提升,不仅要通过相关训练来帮助校长提高教学领导的能力,也要减少校长过多的行政负担,但最重要的是校长自身的修炼和提升。     

Leadership development programs: investing in school principals

Considering that some university-based principal preparation programmes may not be properly training principals for leadership roles, “grow your own” leadership development programmes have become more popular across the US. This study provides a contribution to previous research in terms of the specific components a district leadership development programme may incorporate into its curriculum in order to positively influence school principals’ effectiveness as school leaders. A purposeful sample of second-, third- and fourth-year campus principals working in a large urban school district in the south-west region of the US who had participated in their district’s leadership development programme were administered the Principal Effectiveness Survey and participated in semi-structured interviews to examine the influence of the programme on the participants’ effectiveness as leaders. Survey results indicated that principals consider training activities related to human capital, executive leadership, school culture and strategic operations as having a “high” influence on their effectiveness as school leaders. In addition, interview data revealed the importance of supervisor support and building relationships with peers as critical to their continued success as leaders.