This paper exposes the first findings derived from a research Project supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness[1] whose aim is to put into practice a program that takes the analysis of managerial practices and group coaching as a context for school principals training. Its design derives from some findings obtained by a previous study. That research project -in which some of the members of our research team have been involved- was called “Professional learning through feedback and reflection” and was financed by Lifelong Learning Program, Comenius Multilateral Project[2]. Last year, in Budapest, we exposed the Spanish findings about its piloting and pointed out future improvements. The aim of this paper is to present some changes introduced in that initial design on the basis of the findings obtained. This new version impulses the contextualization of learning and give a greater importance to the training situational approach. In this sense, we present a new workshop about the analysis of the context as well as the diagnostic tool designed to introduce the analysis.

Indeed, the training strategies which facilitate contextualized learning (Neufeld y Roper, 2003; Bean, 2004) and are based on the analysis of the own leadership practice are increasingly valued (Bean, 2004; Coburn y Woulfin, 2012). Using diagnostic tools allow incorporating the participant´s prior knowledge, their attitudes, expectations, aims, problems, and training needs into the learning process (Stroud, 2006; Huber, 2010a; Mavrogordato y Cannon, 2009). Taking into account that the effectiveness of a leader is linked to his/her capability to adapt the leadership style according to the situation, it is fundamental for principals to be able of using effective tools to diagnose their own practices, their features as leaders and the institutional features of their organizations.

There are many variable involved in leadership. If it is important that a leader reflects about his/her profile, features and managements skills, it is also essential the capacity to analyze the context´s features such as organizational culture, due to it is necessary to identify and understand the culture of an institution to manage it successfully (Sánchez Santa-Bárbara & Rodríguez-Fernández, 2010).

This is even more important in case of in-service principals development because they are already professionally socialized. Even if they have already gained generic skills through professional practice, they need to develop contextualized skills and to focus their reflection on the specific school where they are working in order to develop their organizational socialization (Pont et al., 2008, p. 132). “Culture forms the context in which school leadership is exercised. It thus exerts a considerable influence on how and why school leaders think and act as they do.” (Dimmock & Walker, 2002, p. 70)

Definitely, the school culture determines the role of leaders within every school. Moreover, the knowledge of the organizational culture allows principals to understand the reactions of his/her partners in each situation and plan the way of acting according to the institution features (López-Yáñez, Sánchez-Moreno, Murillo-Estepa, Lavié-Martínez, & Altopiedi, 2007, p. 165), so that leadership can and should influence on the organizational culture: “leaders are responsible for building and maintaining the organizational culture” (Dimmock & Walker, 2002, p. 78).

[1] Primary and Secondary School Principals Training based on the analysis of their own practice and Coaching, Sánchez-Moreno, M. & López-Yáñez, J. (Co-Dir.) (2015-2017) Spain. Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Secretary of State for Research. Summon for Projects of R+D+I. Code: EDU2014-53175-P.

[2]  Professional learning through feedback and reflection, Gunter, S.G. (Dir.) (2012-2014) European Commission; Educational, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency; Lifelong Learning Programme, Comenius Multilateral Project. Code: 528356-LLP-1-2012-1-CH-COMENIUS-CMP

Bean, R. M. (2004). The reading specialist. New York: Guilford Press. Coburn, C. E. & Woulfin, S. (2012). Reading coaches and the relationship between policy and practice. Reading Research Quarterly, 47 (1), 5-30. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/RRQ.008 Dimmock, C., & Walker, A. (2002). School leadership in context. Societal and organisational cultures. In T. Bush & L. Bell (Eds.), The principles and practice of educational management (pp. 70–85). London: Paul Chapman Publishing. Huber, S.G. (2010). New approaches in preparing school leaders. In P. Peterson, E. Baker & B. Mcgaw (Eds.) International encyclopedia of education (pp.752-761). Oxford: Elsevier. López-Yáñez, J., Sánchez-Moreno, M., Murillo-Estepa, P., Lavié-Martínez, J. M., & Altopiedi, M. (2007). Dirección de centros educativos. Madrid: Síntesis. Mavrogordato, M. & Cannon, M. (2009). Coaching Principals: A Model for Leadership Development. Paper presented at the annual conference or University Counsel For Educational Administration Convention, Anaheim, November. Neufeld, B. & Roper, D. (2003). Year II of collaborative coaching and learning in the effective practice schools: Expanding the work. Cambridge, MA: Education Matters. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED480874 Pont, B., Nusche, D., & Moorman, H. (2008). Improving school leadership. Volume I: Policy and practice. Paris: OECD publishing. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1787/9789264044715-en Sánchez Santa-Bárbara, E., & Rodríguez-Fernández, A. (2010). 40 Años de la teoría del liderazgo situacional: Una revision. Revista Latinoamericana de Psicologia, 42(1), 25–39. Retrieved from http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=80515880003 Schön, D. (1984). Leadership as reflection-in-action. In Sergiovanni, T. & Corbally, J. (Eds.) Leadership and organizational culture (pp. 36–63). Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Stroud, V. (2006). Sustaining skills in headship. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 34(1), 89–103. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/1741143206056215