Session Information
26 SES 14 A, Questioning and Advancing Knowledge on Educational Leadership
Paper Session
Contribution
A basic question in developing schools is how we can bring about change that will result in higher levels of student performance, enhanced social development and improved levels of civility in schools. A number of researchers have stressed the role of principals in educational development and classroom learning (Leithwood and Day, 2008; Pashiardis, 2014; Pont et al., 2008).
Academic optimism is a shared belief among faculty that academic achievement is important, and it is a concept used in several studies and articles by Hoy (c.f. 2006, 2012; Smith & Hoy 2007). In studies coordinated by Hoy (2012) three characteristics of schools were identified that make a positive difference for student achievement controlling for the socioeconomic status (SES); academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and collective faculty trust including trust in parents and students of the school.
Academic emphasis is established when academic achievement is a central purpose in the school, when teachers and students respect academic achievement. It is also interesting that studies suggest that academic emphasis is a key variable in explaining student achievement, even taking into account socioeconomic status, previous achievement, and other demographic variables (McGuigan & Hoy 2006).
Collective efficacy is a group manifestation of the teachers’ sense of efficacy (McGuigan &. Hoy 2006). Self-, and collective efficacy is specific to particular situations or contexts, and Bandura defined collective efficacy as “a groups shared belief in conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainments ” (Bandura, 1997, p 477). High collective efficacy is associated with high levels of achievement and it seems to promote norms that give teachers confidence, help them to persist, and make them resilient when confronted with initial failure (McGuigan & Hoy 2006).
Collective faculty trust, including trust in parents and students, is another factor that makes a difference in student learning (Forsyth, Adams & Hoy 2011; Hoy 2006, 2012; Hoy & Tschannen-Moran 2003). Hoy & Tschannen-Moran developed a construct of trust based on a literature review and several studies in schools. They found elements of trust to form an integrated concept, which they defined as “the group’s willingness to be vulnerable to another party based on the confidence that the latter party is benevolent, reliable, competent, honest, and open”(Hoy & Tschannen-Moran, 2003, p 185).
The aim of this study is to identify possible links between educational leadership and aspects of academic optimism in schools. Two major research questions are to be answered; what role does educational leadership play in establishing academic optimism in different levels of the school, and what actions could be linked to educational leadership?
The theoretical framework on educational leadership builds upon an understanding of leadership as relational and contextual (Pierce & Newstrom 2007). The design is also based on a common theoretical framework developed in the International Successful Schools principalship Project (ISSPP), where four factors of successful school leadership are to be identified and analyzed. Successful principals are leading the way with the support of the vision and goals (setting direction), they develop staff in the organization (Developing people), they develop the internal organization (Redesigning the organization), and they lead the educational work (Managing the instructional program) on their schools (Leithwood 2005; Leithwood & Day 2008). The projects in ISSPP often have a strong focus on the school leader, the successful principal. This study also examines leadership actions on multiple levels in relation to establishing academic optimism in schools.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. Basingstoke: W. H. Freeman Creswell, J.W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Forsyth, P., Adams, C., Hoy W. (2011) Collective Trust: Why Schools Can't Improve Without It. Teachers Collage Press: Columbia University Harris, A. (2011), Distributed leadership: implications for the role of the principal, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 31 Iss 1 pp. 7 – 17 Harris, A. (2013) Distributed Leadership: Friend or Foe? Educational Management Administration Leadership vol. 41 no. 5 545-554 Hoy, W. K., & Tschannen-Moran, M. (2003). (Eds.). The conceptualization and measurement of faculty trust in schools: The Omnibus T-Scale. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Woolfolk Hoy, A. (2006). Academic optimism of schools: A force for student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 43, 425-446. Hoy, W. (2012). School characteristics that make a difference for the achievement of all students, Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 50 Iss 1 pp. 76 – 97 Leithwood K., & Day C. (2008). The impact of school leadership on pupil outcomes, school leadership and management. Formerly School Organisation, 28(1), 1–4. Leithwood, K. (2005). Understanding successful principal leadership: Progress on a broken front. Journal of Educational Administration, 43(6): 619-629. McGuigan, L. & Hoy W. (2006) Principal Leadership: Creating a Culture of Academic Optimism to Improve Achievement for All Students, Leadership and Policy in Schools, 5:3, 203-229, DOI: 10.1080/15700760600805816 Smith, P. & Hoy, W. (2007). Academic optimism and student achievement in urban elementary schools , Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 45 Iss 5 pp. 556-568 Pashiardis, P. (Ed.) (2014), Modeling School Leadership Across Europe: in Search of New Frontiers, Springer, Dordrecht. Pierce, J.L. & Newstrom J.W. (2011). Leaders and the Leadership Process. (6th ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill. Pont, B., Nusche, D., & Moorman, H. (2008). Improving School Leadership, Volume 1 Policy and Practice. Report OECD. Spillane, J. P. (2005). Distributed Leadership, The Educational Forum, 69:2, 143-150, DOI: 10.1080/00131720508984678
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