Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to understandings of successful school leadership in Italy in an education system that has undergone significant transformations, transitioning from a highly centralized structure to a more autonomously managed system. Despite some advances, school leaders are faced with ongoing reform and face challenges due to frequent adjustments driven by political decisions, leading to a lack of continuity and resistance to change. This instability creates ongoing disruptions, and school leaders’ capacity to drive innovation and change.
Conceptualisation
The case study is informed by Ecological system theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) with Complexity theory (Haggis, 2008, Morrison, 2010) which serve as the theoretical underpinning. The paper conceptualises successful school leadership, through an analysis of the complex interactions within and between micro, meso, macro, exon and chrono level systems (Bronfenbrenner, 2009).
Methods
The case study has followed the ISSPP’s recently re-modelled research protocols and adopted a mixed method multi-perspective approach. The Case Study focuses on Comprehensive Institute which includes 1 kindergarten, 3 primary schools, and 1 junior secondary school. The data was collected through a staff questionnaire (n = 51), 6 individual face-to-face interviews with the principal, individual interviews with 5 teaching staff, as well as focus group interviews with 6 parents, and 6 students. The Institute’s evaluation documents from 2016 to 2022, including the RAV- Self-Assessment Report - Rapporto di Auto-Valutazione, and PdM- Improvement Plan – Piano di Miglioramento were also utilised.
Findings
The findings suggest that despite the complexities of Italy's bureaucratic education system, the principal embarks on a transformative journey aimed at uplifting the outcomes of underprivileged families within the Institute's community. The principal introduces new ways of working with a focus on ethics and service, the cultivation of relationships across the school and wider community, and a belief in distributed leadership. Anchored in Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological system theory and
complexity theory (Haggis, 2008; Morrison, 2010), the case study provides invaluable insights into the nexus of ongoing educational reforms, institutional autonomy, community needs, and the pivotal role of the principal. This leadership transcends boundaries, not only focusing on educational outcomes but also nurturing a values-driven culture that cultivates a positive and inclusive environment. By championing social justice, equity, and inclusion, the principal's vision extends beyond academics, fostering overall positive developmental outcomes for the children across the Institute.
