Session Information
26 SES 05 B, Research on School Leadership Styles
Paper Session
Contribution
Successful leadership is one of the common features of effective schools. This statement has been corroborated by the results of various studies (Jacobson & Day, 2007∙ Marzano, Waters & McNulty, 2005), which examined the influence of schools’ principals on students’ performance. Thus, it has been established that the quality of leadership is a determining factor in improving schools’ academic performance.
Moreover, the results of studies (Day, 2007∙ Gurr & Drysdale, 2007), conducted within the framework of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP), have offered additional support to the above. Thus, it has been established that the influence of the principal on school academic results has been acknowledged as a key factor for school effectiveness (Brauckmann & Pashiardis, 2011).
More recent research findings (Brauckmann & Pashiardis, 2011), showed that school leadership should be changed and adjusted to the level of development of each school, since each school context, with its own special features, influences the exercise of educational leadership. Therefore, school leaders should be able to adopt various leadership styles, depending on the situation.
Bearing in mind the above, the main purpose of the present study is to explore the extent to which alternating amongst leadership styles of Primary School Principals in Cyprus is correlated to their students’ academic performance. More specifically, the present study sought to address the following research questions:
1. What is the predominant leadership style adopted by Principals of Primary Schools in Cyprus, according to the Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988)?
2. How many different leadership styles are adopted by the Principals of Primary Schools in Cyprus, according to the Situational Leadership Model?
3. To what extent the principals of Primary Schools in Cyprus are able to detect the level of professional development and maturity of their teachers, so as to adopt the most effective leadership style in each case, according to the Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988)?
4. If there are any different groups (on the basis of the answers to research questions 2 and 3) of Primary Schools Principals in Cyprus, to what extent do they differ, according to their students’ academic performance?
5 a) Is there a relationship, between school leadership, as defined by the Holistic Leadership Framework (Pashiardis & Brauckmann, 2008), and school leadership, as defined by the Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988), in Cyprus Primary Schools?
b) Is there a relationship, between school leadership, as defined by the Holistic Leadership Framework (Pashiardis & Brauckmann, 2008) and the academic performance of Primary Schools in Cyprus?
It is noteworthy that the alternation of the style adopted by educational leaders was identified as a parameter of their effectiveness, but only as a part of their collective behaviours and actions. The importance of the present study, stems from this fact, that it will contribute to extending scientific findings in the field of educational leadership, with particular emphasis on principals’ ability to alternate the leadership style of principals, and its relationship to their students’ academic performance.
Furthermore, the present study will contribute to the study and evaluation of the Situational Leadership Model (Hersey & Blanchard, 1988). The specific model, although it is widely cited in the bibliography and various administrative programmes worldwide, it has not been thoroughly examined. Very few studies (Fernandez & Vecchio, 1997∙ Norris & Vecchio, 1992) have been conducted to evaluate the specific leadership theory in general, let alone in the field of education.
Beyond its contribution at the theoretical level, the present study will also make a contribution at a practical level. More specifically, it will significantly enrich the training programmes for educational leaders.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Brauckmann, S. & Pashiardis, P. (2011). A Validation Study of the Leadership Styles of a Holistic Leadership Theoretical Framework. International Journal of Educational Management, 25 (1), 11-32. Day, C. (2007). Conducting research on successful school principals: Associate members guide. ISSPP & Comenius. Fernandez, C.F. & Vecchio, R.P. (1997). Situational leadership theory revisited: A test of across-jobs perspective. Leadership Quarterly, 8 (1), 67-84. Gurr, D. & Drysdale, L. (2007). Models of successful principal leadership: Victorian case studies. In C. Day & K. Leithwood (eds.), Successful principal leadership in time of change (pp. 39-57). UK: Springer. Hersey, P. & Blanchard, K. (1988). Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources (5th Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Jacobson, S. & Day, C. (2007). The International Successful School Principal’s Project (ISSPP): An overview of the project, the case studies and their contexts. International Studies in Educational Administration, 35 (3), 3-10. Marzano, R.J., Waters, T. & McNulty, B.A. (2005). School leadership that works. From research to results. USA: ASCD and MCREL. Norris, W.R. & Vecchio, R.P. (1992). Situational leadership theory: A replication. Group and Organizational Management, 17 (3), 331-342. Pashiardi, G. (2000). School Climate in Elementary and Secondary Schools: views of Cypriot principals and teachers. International Journal of Educational Management, 14 (5), 224-237. Pashiardis, P. & Brauckmann, S. (2008). Introduction to the LISA Framework from a Social System’s Perspective. Paper presented during the LISA Conference, 13-15 November 2008, Budapest, Hungary.
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