Session Information
26 SES 06 A, Successful Leadership Research: New Directions for the International Successful School Principalship Project
Symposium
Contribution
In two devolved Australian school systems, for over 20 years Australian researchers have been interested in understanding how successful school leaders lead schools that have a broad range of student and school outcomes that are above expectations (Author, 2020a & b). This paper draws upon findings from five Tasmanian and 17 Victorian multiple perspective case studies of successful primary, secondary and special school principals. All cases included interviews with the principal, senior teachers, teachers, students, parents and school council members and document analysis, In addition, eight cases included observation of the school, and one case included a teacher survey. The cases reveal a complicated pattern of leadership activities by the principal and other school leaders that includes setting school directions, building positive cultures, developing supportive organizational structures, enhancing personal, professional, organizational and community capacity, and developing networks, collaborations, partnership and stakeholder engagement. These areas of leadership action interact with school, staff, family and broader contextual factors to develop outstanding teaching and learning that results in a wide array of positive student and school outcomes. Student outcomes include academic, extra-curricular, co-curricular, personal and social areas. School outcomes include reputation, learning environment, resource, community empowerment and teacher quality areas. Successful school leadership is shown to be a complex endeavor, led by the principal but involving many, that can be sustained successfully over many years, and which leads to important and diverse student and school outcomes. The findings are related to both system and complexity views of educational leadership to provide a contemporary view of educational leadership that is especially suited to times of rapid and disruptive change.
References
Author, 2020a Author, 2020b
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