Agency and Structure: Principals’ Ability to Bring about Sustainable Improvement in Underperforming Schools in South Africa

This article reports on a study of which the purpose was to understand the role of principals in changing underperforming schools towards sustainable improvement in one circuit area of North-West, South Africa. School principals play a crucial role in guiding schools towards sustainable improvement by shaping a vision of academic success for all learners. Managing teaching is one of the core modules in South Africa’s new national qualification for school principals, and that being the case, principals should play a central role in effecting the educational transformation of all learners. The quality of principals’ leadership is the key factor driving the transformational turnaround and improvement required in schools. They perform a highly complex and dynamic role in enhancing and sustaining school improvement. It was the goal of this qualitative study to explore cultural, structural, and agential challenges faced by principals in their effort to provide for change and improvement in their schools. Six schools were purposefully selected to participate in the study and semi-structured interviews were used to gather data from the principals. The study established that paying attention to cultural, structural and agential factors in schools increases their ability to sustain learner improvement.     

Novice principals setting goals for school improvement in New Zealand

While principal goal-setting has been shown to be an important leadership practice, there is little research examining principals’ goal-setting and goal-achievement. This research examined novice principals’ school improvement goals and factors affecting their achievement. Goals from 460 principals enrolled in a national induction programme were categorised revealing a strong emphasis on instructional and student-centred leadership. After 18 months, 258 of those principals, and their mentors, rated their achievement. Principals also rated five potential achievement predictors. Goal achievement tended to be high, with commitment, effort, learning and support serving as positive predictors of success. In contrast to what goal-setting theory suggests, goal challenge was a negative predictor of achievement. The analysis of two contrasting cases revealed possible explanations for this negative relationship. These included novice principals’ ability, self-efficacy and attributional processes. This study highlights the role of self-efficacy in the process of goal-setting and pursuit. It emphasises that consideration needs to be given to how novice principals’ self-efficacy can be developed and sustained. Implications for practice in the area of educational leadership and leadership development are discussed.     

School leaders’ dilemmas and measures to instigate changes for inclusive education in Hong Kong

The roles of principal leadership in change management have long been documented. The key concern to examine in this study was the dilemmas and measures confronting principals’ when they led changes to instigate inclusive education in Hong Kong. Thus, this paper aims to report sources of dilemmas and how principals tackled them in the change process. Ten principals of schools recognized for effective inclusive education practices were interviewed in a qualitative study. Findings suggested that the process of leading change was very complex. Two dilemmas were identified: (a) principals’ struggles between benefits and issues of participating in inclusive education and (b) autocratic initial decisions versus need for staff involvement. The second dilemma stemmed from not involving key staff while the implementation required their active participation. Thus, the existing organizational culture and personnel capacities became obstacles required for the success of inclusive education. The leadership measures to tackle the obstacles began by building a shared vision which in turn required both transactional and transformational leadership activities in order to increase teacher commitment to reforms. This study has contributed to change leadership theories in affirming the need to include socio-political contexts in examining leadership decisions toward school reforms.     

Principals' systems thinking and teachers' withdrawal behaviours: The intervening role of school structure and principal–teacher gender (dis)similarity

Relying on the contingency theory, the present study examines the influence of school characteristics and principal–teacher gender (dis)similarity on the relationship between principals’ systems thinking (PST) and teacher withdrawal behaviours of absenteeism and intent to leave. Data were collected from two sources: 111 school management team members and 109 teachers (220 participants in total) randomly chosen from elementary schools in Israel. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that principal–teacher dissimilarity and a bureaucratic school structure moderate the relationship between PST and teachers’ withdrawal behaviours. These findings indicate that the organisational conditions under which principals practise systems thinking can affect teachers’ withdrawal behaviours. Therefore, this study may advance theory and practise regarding the implications of PST on withdrawal behaviours, which are an important determinant of teachers’ performance and a school's success.     

从“职务”到“职业”:哈佛校长的启示

哈佛的成功就是因为拥有一个又一个灵魂似的职业化校长,只有长期任职的杰出校长才能够努力实现自己的办学理念。一所大学需要发展,必须要拥有伟大的职业校长及先进的办学理念,这不仅是历史的办学经验,更是国际发展的趋势。     

Planning for school turnaround in the United States: an analysis of the quality of principal-developed quick wins

Research suggests that high-quality school improvement planning reflective of the school’s needs and objectives is central to a principal’s success in leading a school. Some American scholars contend that successfully planned and executed “quick wins” are critically important to launching high-level organizational change processes necessary to turn around low-performing schools. Yet, lack of research suggests that the concept of quick wins may be built more on assumptions than evidence. In this study, we evaluate formal quick wins as planned by school principals participating in a turnaround leadership program in the United States. Our results suggest that principals struggle to develop high-quality quick wins despite their relative simplicity as an improvement planning starting point, especially in comparison with the development of traditional annual improvement or development plans. Finally, we consider the implications of these results in relation to traditional school improvement planning, especially in response to low-performing school contexts.     

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.     

An embedded professional paired placement model: “I know I am not an expert,but I am at a point now where I could step into the classroom and be responsible for the learning”

We present a sustainable and innovative model for pre-service teacher paired professional placements called the Teaching School model. The Teaching School model was piloted initially in partnership with a Metropolitan University and a P-12 College located in Melbourne’s northern suburbs in 2013. It was expanded in 2014 to capitalise on an existing university school partnership at a regional campus of the university. We present evidence of success through the voices of pre-service teachers, mentor teachers and school principals to demonstrate the success of professional experience model. The findings clearly show the benefit of this model of professional experience for producing work-ready graduates and for creating authentic learning and teaching environments that, according to the school principals and mentor teachers, contribute to school improvement. Our research demonstrates that this Teaching School model builds relationships and creates a community of learning and teaching educators; however, its adoption is not without challenges and limitations.     

Perceptions and practices of principals: supporting positive educational experiences for Aboriginal learners

The purpose of this paper is to describe the leadership perceptions and practices of principals who promote positive school experiences for Aboriginal students. This qualitative multi-case study encapsulates 14 semi-structured individual interviews conducted with nine principals from the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island. Findings indicate that the principal’s belief in students, emphasis on student belonging, promotion of relationships and promotion of culturally relevant school experience were seminal in creating a positive school experiences for Aboriginal students. An implication of the study is that leadership embodied via an Aboriginal worldview has great merit for fostering educational success for all learners, regardless of ethnicity.     

Principals’ emotional support and teachers’ emotional reframing: The mediating role of principals’ supportive communication strategies

The purpose of this research is to achieve a deeper understanding of emotional support in principal–teacher relations. The study aims to shed light on the role of principals’ supportive communication strategies in providing emotional support to teachers, and on the proximal affective outcome of such support. The study used quantitative data obtained from 190 schoolteachers to explore the effect of principals’ emotional support on teachers’ emotional reframing through principals’ supportive communication strategies (empathic listening and empowering and normalizing messages). The analysis indicated an indirect effect of principals’ emotional support on teachers’ emotional reframing through principals’ supportive communication strategies. The results and their implications are discussed.     

School principals as mediating agents in education reforms

School principals may be seen as mediating agents, standing at the school doorstep, between the extra-school and intra-school worlds. The principals’ mediating role becomes more crucial during a time of education reform, which involves external demands on the one hand, and teachers’ resistance to these demands on the other. This study explores how principals mediate between the demands of a national reform policy and teachers’ attitudes and needs. In this qualitative study, 59 school principals were interviewed. Findings from the data analysis indicated that principals used two complementary mediation strategies: (1) mobilising the teachers towards the reform and (2) mobilising the reform towards the teachers. The mediating strategies used by principals are discussed, suggesting practical implications and further research avenues.     

The effects of principals’ humor on teachers’ job satisfaction

Traditionally, education has been perceived as a most serious and disciplined undertaking. Schools have become so obsessed with discipline, standardized test scores, proper objectives, competence, and proficiency that they have turned into rather grim places. All too often teachers and students will say that school and learning are not enjoyable. This study was designed to investigate school principals’ overall frequency of humor use as perceived by teachers, and the relationship of principals’ humor use to teachers’ job satisfaction. This study also analyzed how teacher job satisfaction was influenced by principals’ frequency of humor use in different groups. Results of this study support the idea that principals who share humor in the workplace have teachers with higher job satisfaction than those principals who share very little or no humor in the workplace.     

Understanding reforms,school reactions to major changes: the case of Israel

ABSTRACT

Two major education system reforms were introduced by Israel’s government in collaboration with the teachers’ unions. These reforms redefine principals’ and teachers’ roles, increasing teachers’ work hours, and the scope of their work. School principals absent from the reform negotiations, are expected to apply the reform, although their work conditions were harmed. This research examines how principals cope with those reforms, and why they sometimes apply them in ways that seem to contradict their interests? Semi-structured interviews with 30 school principals, and 10 schoolteachers, indicated that the reforms have encumbered school principals’ complex tasks. They have little time or ability to thoroughly apply the reforms, responding to multiple stakeholders, political pressures, the exam regime, human resource management, etc. They often ignore policy directives, delegating authority to others, refrain from using certain resources provided by the reforms and allow internal forces to lead, while remaining uninvolved. Conclusions are presented.     

中小学校长课程领导力构成要素及作用机制研究——基于PLS-SEM的实证研究

校长课程领导力是学校课程发展、教师专业发展与学生素养提升的重要保障。基于校长课程领导力的概念解读与维度分解,研究探讨了校长课程领导力的构成要素以及作用机制。以中小学校长为调研对象,采用描述性统计、PLS-SEM分别进行现状分析与模型检验,探究校长课程意识等对课程领导效能的关系。研究发现:中小学校长的课程规划与管理能力较强,课程意识与课程评估能力则较为薄弱;校长课程管理能力与课程评估能力直接影响课程领导效能,而校长的课程意识会经由六条中介作用路径正向影响课程领导效能。基于以上研究结果,提出了注重校长课程领导力培训的科学精准、加强对校长课程领导情智要素的实证研究、构建基于叙事的校长课程领导力提升机制的建议。     

Principals’ Instructional Leadership Within a Teacher Performance Appraisal System: Enhancing Students’ Academic Success

The purpose of this study was to identify principals’ instructional leadership actions within a comprehensive teacher evaluation system in successful schools rated as recognized or exemplary by the accountability measures in place. The study followed a multiple case study approach. Participants included six school administrators within the same school district. From these three were principals and three assistant principals, representing all three schools levels—elementary school, middle school, and high school. The main data sources consisted of interviews, observations and journaling. Data were analyzed inductively to discern emerging themes. Findings of the study revealed that principals’ instructional leadership actions at all three levels included setting clear expectations, monitoring instruction through walk-through observations, and providing professional development opportunities according teachers’ needs. Furthermore, the cross site analysis revealed that principals tend to rely on instructional leadership actions that are pertinent to each grade level’s needs. Findings also suggest that principals, indeed, apply the teacher performance appraisal system as a basis to enhance instruction and improve student achievement.     

“I am here for the students”: principals’ perception of accountability amid work intensification

Increasing job duties and responsibilities associated with the changing role of school principals have prompted even greater accountability. As a result, principals are faced with competing demands and expectations in various forms of accountability from multiple stakeholders. This study examines principals’ perception of accountability in the context of work intensification with a particular focus on the question of “accountable to whom and why.” A total of 1434 practicing principals responded to an online survey that sought to determine the groups and individuals to whom principals feel accountable, and why principals feel accountable to those particular individuals or groups. The survey achieved a response rate of 52.68%. The research results show balancing competing accountabilities concerning students has become a daunting task for school principals. The competing if not conflicting expectations from (federal and state/provincial) educational authorities, teachers, parents, students, and various interest groups often pose significant challenges to principals’ work and add to the complexity of principals’ role. The unrealistic expectations imposed on principals make it imperative to critically examine the changing role of school principals and identify essential and legislatively mandated duties and responsibilities of principalship to better reflect and address their intensified work realities.

     

校长的社会技能与自我效能感对其工作绩效的影响

采用问卷调查法可以检验校长的社会技能与自我效能感对其工作绩效的影响作用。通过对来自重庆41个区县275名中小学校长的调查数据进行层次回归分析、中介效应检验和优势分析发现：校长的社会技能与自我效能感都是校长工作绩效的显著正向预测变量;自我效能感是在校长社会技能与其工作绩效关系之间有显著的部分中介作用;自我效能感对校长的工作绩效的影响效应更为显著。     

Democratic school leadership reforms in Kenya: cultural and historical challenges

In this article we discuss students’, teachers’ and school principals’ perceptions of democratic school leadership reforms in Kenya. The article is based on a study that was conducted in two phases. In phase one (conducted between September and December 2007), interviews were undertaken with 12 school principals in which understandings of democratic school leadership were explored. These data were then used to develop a rationale for selecting the case schools. The second phase (conducted between January and April 2008) was an in‐depth case study of two schools. The findings reveal that school principals have made efforts to inculcate democratic school leadership by involving teachers in decision making on school matters. The principals also allow students to participate in matters such as election of prefects and holding class and house meetings. However, most teachers and principals do not support what they referred to as ‘full democracy’ for students and instead prefer what they called ‘partial democracy’ based on historical and cultural factors.     

Principals’ use of rating scale categories in classroom observations for teacher evaluation

Teacher evaluation systems commonly rely on observation of teaching practice (OTP) by school principals. However, the value of OTP as evidence of teacher effectiveness depends on its psychometric quality. In this study, we address a key aspect of the psychometric quality of principals’ OTP ratings. Specifically, we investigate the degree to which rating scale categories have a consistent interpretation across teaching episodes and practices. Results suggest that the 1,324 principals’ use of the rating scale categories functioned as intended overall. However, we also found that the midpoint category is underutilized and that rating categories do not always reflect similar levels of teaching effectiveness across teaching episodes and practices. When such discrepancies occur, we cannot assume principals’ ratings reflect a consistent level of teacher effectiveness within and across classrooms. This is a critical component of validity evidence that can inform the interpretation of OTP ratings and point to areas for improvement in both the rubrics and in principals’ training for classroom observations.