Session Information
26 SES 04 A, International Perspectives on the Improvement of Schools Facing Challenging Circumstances
Symposium
Contribution
Schools in socioeconomic disadvantaged areas have to face challenging circumstances caused by external conditions, but schools’ underperformance can also be considered as results of insufficient process quality at school and classroom level. With regard to effective schools in challenging circumstances previous studies reveal conducive conditions for school turn-around: effective leadership practices and professional learning communities seem to be crucial (Muijs et al., 2004). Therefore, strategies for improvement have to focus mainly on enhancing the educational quality by using external support and school-to-school networks (Chapman, 2008). Effective leadership in schools facing challenging circumstances comprise strategies for building teams, delegating responsibility and encouraging teachers to set developmental goals and to foster efforts for improvement (Muijs et al., 2004; Reynolds et al. 2001). Considering the knowledge ´Leadership for Learning` (MacBeath & Townsend, 2011) seems to be an appropriate theoretical model to investigate whether leadership practices are able to initiate effective school improvement efforts in schools with trouble. Effective leadership styles for improving schools are linked to the five elements of leadership for learning in which the principal sets the focus on learning, promotes conditions for learning, fosters a dialogue about goals of learning and teaching, encourages teachers into sharing leadership and establishes a sense of shared accountability (MacBeath & Townsend, 2011; Townsend, 2019). The paper will follow two research questions: 1. Which process quality factors of the organizational culture (e.g. leadership patterns, professional teacher collaboration, data use) make a difference for improving schools with trouble? 2. How far does ´leadership for learning` influence directly and indirectly school development and the establishing of capacity for change? The research was embedded in a design-based school development program with evidence-based and suitable support or schools in networks in Germany in 31 secondary schools (2014-2020). The analyses contain structure equation models, mediator analysis and multiple regressions of individual and aggregated data of 31 schools and 980 teachers, based on standardized questionnaires, capturing context and process variables over two measuring points. The results show evidence for impacts of effective leadership practices and professional teacher collaboration on teaching development activities (Brücher, Holtappels & Webs, 2021): Leadership for learning shows a direct impact on teacher commitment and the sustainability of innovations, but indirect influence on establishing school development capacity. Beyond this, professional teacher collaboration, teacher commitment to school development and data use within the project are strong predictors for building up school development capacity in schools with trouble.
References
References Brücher, L., Holtappels, H. G. & Webs, T. (2021). Schulleitungshandeln an Schulen in herausfordernden Lagen – Zur Bedeutung von Leadership for Learning für den Aufbau von Schulentwicklungskapazität. In: I. Van Ackeren, H. G. Holtappels, N. Bremm & A. Hillebrand-Petri (Hrsg.), Schulen in herausfordernden Lagen – Forschungsbefunde und Schulentwicklung in der Region Ruhr. Weinheim/Basel: Beltz Juventa, S. 205-243. Chapman, C. (2008). Towards a framework for school-to-school networking in challenging circumstances. Educational Research, 50(4), 403–420. MacBeath, J. & Townsend, T. (2011). Leadership and Learning: Paradox, Paradigms and Principles. In T. Townsend & J. Macbeath (Eds.), International Handbook of Leadership for Learning. Part I (p. 1–25). Dordrecht: Springer. Muijs, D., Harris, A., Chapman, C., Stoll, L. & Russ, J. (2004). Improving Schools in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Areas – A Review of Research Evidence. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 15 (2), 149–175. Reynolds, D., Hopkins, D., Potter, D. & Chapman, C. (2001): School improvement for schools facing challenging circumstances: A review of research and practice. London: DfES. Townsend, T. (2019). Changing Understandings of School Leadership. In T. Townsend (Ed.), Instructional Leadership and Leadership for Learning in Schools. Understanding Theories of Leading (p. 1-12). Palgrave Macmillan.
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