Purpose
– The International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP) informs principal preparation in relation to change in schools. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
– ...The three-stage ISPP study utilized a mixed-methodological approach. Data were gathered in Kenya, South Africa, and Alberta, Canada utilizing a survey instrument that contained items that focussed on: problematic leadership responsibilities, prior leadership development experiences, and perceived adequacy of leadership preparation experiences.
Findings
– Leadership preparation in Kenya and South Africa was relatively unstructured, compared to structured university-based leadership preparation in Alberta. The assumption in Kenya and South Africa was that classroom teaching was adequate preparation, while Alberta respondents perceived teaching and leadership as discrete knowledge sets. Content of preparation experiences in Kenya and South Africa was mainly about teaching and learning, while in Alberta it was more about instructional leadership. Kenyan principals felt prepared for the principalship. Alberta principals stated that they were ill prepared to deal with day-to-day responsibilities. Senior South African principals felt they were not prepared for school improvement while younger principals felt they were adequately prepared.
Practical implications
– Findings suggest that providers utilize cross-cultural partnerships that incorporate technology-mediated dialogue and action research. Cross-cultural learning should be considered co-learning. Preparation should include partnerships between western institutions and informal groups of principals in settings such as Kenya and South Africa. The study informs policymakers, researchers, and school leaders.
Originality/value
– The cross-cultural comparisons in this paper inform understandings of the principalship in relation to organizational change in schools.
This account summarises the findings from one component of a six-stage study conducted in multiple international sites. Following a series of interviews, a 10-month case study was conducted in a K-12 ...private school in western Canada. Initial interviews demonstrated how the school manifested shared leadership, clear pedagogical goals, student success, and strong community support. Members of the school agreed to have two university researchers conduct further interviews, observe school-wide, grade level and subject area meetings. Two school-based researchers collaborated to identify key members of the school community, flag salient planning and celebratory events, and participated in ongoing debriefing meetings with the university researchers. All four researchers engaged in data analysis and reporting. The research team identified four themes. First, the teacher work theme included positivity, shared expectations for professionalism, and rigour. Second, communication included unique internal and external communication strategies. Third, there was a learning culture that utilised unconventional information sources. A fourth theme was operational support. Results highlighted the holistic nature of teacher leadership and suggested that teacher leadership is a complex, sophisticated state of being. Results challenge school governance stereotypes and invite educators to work with a sense of vocation and mission.
This article describes the need for additional cross-cultural study of teacher leadership. A rationale for researching teacher leadership is presented based on the need to provide clarity to the ...definition of the concept and to understand better how to facilitate teacher leadership development. A primary research question is shared: "How is teacher leadership conceptualized and enacted and what are the implications for educational stakeholders?" A set of attributes and indicators of teacher leadership is provided based on a review of literature focusing on teacher leadership. Then four additional concepts related to teacher leadership are described--formal and informal influence, school culture, school improvement, and professional development--followed by a summary of cautionary considerations. Finally, a multi-stage research design is presented in support of the International Study of Teacher Leadership, a cross-cultural examination of teacher leadership.
This editorial situates the special issue in the context of some of the dominant understandings of teacher leadership that appear in literature that spans several decades and includes comprehensive ...literature reviews. Then the origins of the International Study of Teacher Leadership are outlined and the process of forming a large international research team, developing research questions, and creating a study design is explained. This is followed by an overview of the articles in the special issue that present the findings from the first two stages of the International Study of Teacher Leadership, plus a report about teacher leadership in southeastern Mexico. The editorial concludes with a caution about the potential inappropriate use of the concept of teacher leadership across different contexts.
Sustainable Teacher Leadership Webber, Charles F; Nickel, Jodi
Research in educational administration & leadership,
03/2021, Letnik:
6, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This report describes how teacher leadership is represented in the official documentation of key educational stakeholders in Alberta, Canada. Six themes emerged from the researchers' document ...analysis: foundational understandings; student diversity; innovative curriculum and student engagement; community engagement; 21st century competencies; and reflection and professional learning. Analysis of the idealized themes resulted in the identification of issues that may challenge teacher leaders. It is unlikely that teacher leaders can demonstrate competence in every theme area. Teacher leaders must necessarily prioritize some professional commitments in order to work sustainably. Several considerations were derived from the inherent tensions. The considerations were used to derive a composite profile of teacher leaders with the capacity to serve, influence, and thrive.
This article profiles the evolving role of educational administrators and leaders in higher education. Four guiding assumptions for leaders are presented related to social impact, community ...engagement, labor market success, and institutional stability. Then, seven key administration and leadership responsibilities are described. They include planning, academic entrepreneurship, data-driven decision making, revenue generation, creating professional and academic pathways for learners, curriculum development, and business development and marketing. This is followed by a set of pragmatic considerations that higher education administrators and leaders may consider in their professional practices. The considerations provide a framework for interrogating leadership assumptions and responsibilities, a framework that can be applied to analyze additional responsibilities as they emerge in relation to the assumptions that accompany them. The considerations pose intended and unintended possibilities for leaders to use to inform decision making, maintain principled leadership practices, and to challenge unexamined beliefs and values
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for respectful open dialogue and trusting relationships among stakeholders in educational assessment. It is argued that this is a tenet of ...a democratic civil society.Design methodology approach - A theoretical framework is presented for navigating assessment tensions frequently experienced by educational stakeholders operating in the interest of civil societies. The framework emerged from a two-year mixed-method study of assessment in Canada.Findings - Five key assumptions, plus their ontological and epistemological orientations, that should guide assessment in the service of a civil society are described. The unidimensional and multidimensional perspectives related to student assessment are articulated along with associated tensions and opportunities. Implications are discussed for stakeholder groups including teachers, educational leaders, parents, unions, professional associations, department of education personnel, academics, informal community leaders, and politicians.Research limitations implications - Educational stakeholders are invited to delve deeper into the meaning and purpose of assessment and to explore opportunities to reject alienating partisan perspectives.Practical implications - Multidimensional perspectives at the micro-through-macro levels of society and educational organizations will promote enhanced student assessment policy and practice.Social implications - Adoption of multidimensional perspectives of student assessment can lead to constructive communication and relationships that strengthen the fabric of civil society through enhanced student success.Originality value - This article underscores the notion that democracy and the realization of a civil society are fragile and so too is the maintenance of a quality education system. Therefore, stakeholders must avoid the vilification of others and strive to preserve the precarious balance among competing interests.
Walking in Unfamiliar Territory Onguko, Brown Bully; Abdalla, Mohamed; Webber, Charles F.
Educational administration quarterly,
02/2012, Letnik:
48, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the preappointment experiences of early-career headteachers in Tanzania and to discuss implications for postsecondary institutions and ministries of ...education in East Africa. Research Design: Seven novice headteachers in a suburb of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, completed questionnaires and participated in face-to-face interviews about their preappointment professional and academic experiences germane to their school leadership roles. Themes within the data from the seven case studies were analyzed and are presented. Findings: There are very limited opportunities for formal preparation programs for headteachers. Preparation experiences typically follow an ad hoc apprenticeship model in which aspiring headteachers learn from their current headteachers. Inadequate preparation is reflected in the limited roles of headteachers in schools. Opportunities for collaborative headteacher preparation are emerging across East African countries but are dependent on support from the private sector and political leaders. Recommendations for further research are presented.
This paper focuses on promoting fairness and equity in student assessment practices. The researchers used questionnaires and interviews and the study encompassed a total of 3312 individuals ...representing a range of stakeholders. The paper is presented in two parts: fairness and discrimination, and challenging policy and practice. Five key principles emerged. Educators must strive to address the personal impact of assessment practices on individual students and their families. Assessment must be differentiated to accommodate the ability, social, cultural and linguistic background of students. All members of school communities must challenge the complacency associated with accepting indefensible assessment practices. The frequency, intensity and intrusiveness of assessments must not be overwhelming for students and their families. Finally, assessment must not be used to counter inappropriate student behaviour or reward desired behaviour. Implications for practice are presented. Additionally, the authors describe changes to policy and practice that occurred as a result of the study.
Entrepreneurialism for Canadian Principals Scott, Shelleyann; Webber, Charles F.
Journal of research on leadership education,
04/2013, Letnik:
8, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This article explores the various elements of Canadian educational entrepreneurialism as manifested yesterday, today, and tomorrow and in relation to the social and political influences of the time. ...This discussion is informed by the findings of the International Study of the Preparation of Principals (ISPP) and represents an expansion of the dimension of boundary-breaking entrepreneurialism contained in the Life Long Learning Leader (4L) leadership development framework. The showcasing of entrepreneurialism in Canada is offered in an attempt to advocate for and to demystify the dimensions of principled and socially responsible educational entrepreneurship needed by tomorrow’s leaders. The article closes with conclusions intended to inform leadership development in other cultural contexts.
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