The development of school leadership practices for 21st century schools

Taking a case study approach and utilizing Hoggan’s transformative learning (TL) typology and criteria as a framework, we examined the self-reported TL experiences of 12 local school leaders in Beijing, China. These local school leaders gained cross-cultural learning from a school leadership development program that was designed to prepare school leaders for education internationalization. Our data analysis indicated that these 12 local school leaders had experienced significant changes in their educational epistemology, self-identity, and school leadership practices. Further examining these changes at the intersection of the Confucian and Western cultural heritages, we discovered that these school leaders had developed an integrated approach to education, started to consciously reflect on what their social- and self-identities entail, and began the process of transitioning from conservative to appreciative school leadership practices.

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Analyzing abusive school leadership practices through the lens of social justice

International Journal of Educational Management ◽

10.1108/ijem-11-2017-0320 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 33 (4) ◽

pp. 546-555

Author(s):

Shuti Steph Khumalo

Keyword(s):

Social Justice ◽

School Leadership ◽

School Performance ◽

Leadership Practices ◽

Social Institutions ◽

Teacher Behavior ◽

Content Type ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Conceptual Paper ◽

School Leadership Practices

Purpose The present study contributes to the growing body of research on abusive supervision in school settings, particularly by principals. School leadership (principal) behavior has been a topical issue for decades in educational research. This paper attempts to add to scholarly knowledge in the area of school leadership and specifically the effect of abusive school leadership on organizational productivity and organization citizen behavior. Put succinctly, the purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of abusive school leadership on school performance and teacher behavior. Abusive leadership is attributable to behavior that is deviant, antisocial and counter-productive and that which is uncivil. Design/methodology/approach In examining abusive school leadership behavior and its effect on school performance and teacher behavior, this conceptual paper draws heavily from an in-depth analysis of extant scholarship and uses Rawls theory of social justice as a conceptual tool. Social justice theorists believe that social institutions are embedded with immense responsibility of dispensing justice, fairness and equity. Findings Building from these relevant literatures and grounding the argument from the Rawlsian perspective of social justice, it can be argued that abusive school leadership perpetuates unfair and unjust practices toward teachers, which negatively affects performance. Literature reviewed convincingly indicates that abusive tendencies are practiced in school by school leadership. Further, these abusive practices negatively impact on the following: teacher productivity, teacher turnover and, finally, staff members’ well-being and health. The findings confirm that these practices perpetuate social injustice. Schools are social institutions and have to ensure that justice is served on all members of the organization, and, for this reason, Rawls (1971) argues that justice is the first virtue of social institutions. Practical implications The findings of this study have a number of important implications for future practice. It is critical in this study to suggest that in trying to deal with scourge, tougher measures need to be taken by various education departments to ensure that the problem is dealt with effectively. One of the interventions that is suggested is tougher policy positions on matters related to abusive leadership. In education departments that have legislation regarding consequences regarding abusive school leadership practices, tougher action should be taken against leadership which practice abuse. Originality/value School leadership is a highly contested research space and this conceptual paper is of great value because it adds to the already existing insights and understanding in abusive leadership in educational settings. This paper is of great significance because it focuses on the effect of abusive school leadership on teachers’ behavior and school performance.

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Rethinking Education Delivery for the 21st Century

Participatory Pedagogy - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-8964-8.ch005 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 95-119

Keyword(s):

School Leadership ◽

21St Century ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Physical Space ◽

Significant Feature ◽

Learning Centers ◽

Education Delivery ◽

21St Century Schools ◽

Rethinking Education

Designing schools as learning centers is more than just about restructuring the physical space of schools. There are many variables that need to be considered when rethinking education delivery for the 21st century. Schools seem to just keep constructing buildings that merely reinforce an obsolete paradigm that will not prepare students for real-world challenges. The focus of this chapter asks the question: What does re-thinking education mean at the school leadership level? Numerous stakeholders, from policymakers to providers to end users affect the structure, content, and delivery of K-12education systems. A case study exploring the effect of district and school leadership styles on teaching and learning prompted by the question, Were the principals in High Scoring Schools (HSS) engaged in different instructional leadership practices than those in the Low Scoring Schools (LSS)? A significant feature of this study is the sizeable database that incorporated nine states, 43 school districts, and 180 elementary, middle, and secondary schools.

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