Edcuational Leadership and Quality Management in German Vocational Schools - Triangulative Case Studies

Author(s):

Cornelia Wagner(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

26. Educational Leadership

Format:

Paper

Session Information

26 SES 11 B, Educational Leadership

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-20

17:15-18:45

Room:

FFL - Aula 7

Chair:

David Gurr

Contribution

The aim of this study is to outline the relationship between leadership strategies of educational administrators and the characteristics of quality management within schools. The empirical data presented in this paper are based on case studies undertaken at seven vocational schools in Berlin, Germany, including N=49 educational administrators (qualitative survey) and N=498 teachers (quantitative survey).

Recent school reform processes in Germany enhanced the autonomy of schools aiming to increase quality and effectiveness in schools. This follows an international trend of decentralisation and deregulation of educational systems (s. Pont, Nusche & Moorman, 2008). Traditionally, decision making processes in the German school system had been organized in a bureaucratic way. Educational leadership in schools played a rather minor role. But during the last decade nearly all federal states in Germany pass on responsibility for decision making to individual schools which eventually resulted in new and extended leadership tasks and functions for educational administrators in schools (s. Rürup, 2007). Educational administrators in schools are therefore recognized as key factors for quality management in schools (s. Hoy & Miskel, 2007; Bonsen, 2010, 284). As one result, the interest in empirical research on educational leadership increased.

Research results in this area can be summarized so far as follows: Most educational administrators in German schools acknowledge an increasing importance of their position but they still face strong bureaucratic restrictions (s. Thillmann & Thiel 2009). They feel in particular highly responsible for school quality (s. Fend, 2008). Simultaneously educational administrators experience more often uncertainness and role conflicts which lead to a diversity of professional self-concepts (s. Languth, 2006; Warwas, 2009). This is accompanied by a perceived lack of qualification and preparation with regard to their new responsibilities (s. Kranz, 2007; Reichwein, 2007).
This situation is especially crucial for vocational schools due to a higher numbers of students and teachers, complex organizational structures and a broader variety of educational offerings in those schools. Leading staff in vocational schools including principals and department heads can be up to twelve persons. The interaction between educational administrators therefore constitutes another research desideratum.

The research survey introduced in this paper focuses on the following questions: (1) How does the changes of legal regulations in the Berlin school law affect the leadership strategies of educational administrators in vocational schools? (2) Do the educational administrators within one school develop shared leadership goals and visions? (3) What kind of impact have different leadership strategies on quality management in schools?

Method

The survey is based on qualitative data regarding the leadership style of educational administrators and on quantitative data regarding the perceptions of teaching staff on leadership practice. The triangulation of both research methods was carried out in accordance to Schründer-Lenzen (2003), focusing on separate data analysis of both sub-studies followed by a comparative interpretation. The results of this comparison based on case studies contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexity and interactivity of educational leadership processes (s. Flick, 2008). The qualitative data set was gained by group discussions. This research approach is most suitable to identify shared and divergent orientations among the leading staff. The data were analyzed with two different approaches. The content analysis was carried out in accordance to Mayring (2008). The analysis of interaction processes between the participants was based on the documentary method by Bohnsack (2008). The questionnaire follows used in the quantitative sub-survey follwos the basic concept of leadership frames by Bolman & Deal (1984) and its extension by Dubs (2006), which covers five leadership dimensions: (1) school management, (2) personal management, (3) internal relations, (4) external relations and (5) pedagogic orientations.

Expected Outcomes

The leadership style of educational administrators participating in the group discussions focuses mainly on (1) managerial tasks and quality assurance, (2) attractiveness of the educational offerings and (3) on internal relations with teachers. Educational goals are mainly used as a general guidance framework for leadership style, but are not deemed to be relevant factors for daily leadership practice of educational administrators. Therefore it is not surprising: According to the teachers leadership practice is relatively weak in the area of pedagogic development. The schools differ in terms of the preferred leadership strategies and in terms of the consistency of leadership orientations among the leading staff. They also differ in the way in which they use the legal scope for decision-making and action given by the increased school autonomy. The comparison of results of both sub-studies suggests that this differences correspond to the satisfaction of teachers with leadership practice.

References

Bohnsack, R. (2008). Rekonstruktive Sozialforschung. Einführung in qualitative Methoden (7. Auflage). Opladen & Farmington Hills: Budrich. Bolman, L. G. & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing organizations. (4th Edition). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Bonsen, M. (2010). Schulleitungshandeln. In H. Altrichter & K. Maag Merki (Hrsg.), Handbuch Neue Steuerung im Schulsystem (S. 277-294). Wiesbaden: VS. Dubs, R. (2006). Führung. In R. H. Buchen (Hrsg.), Professionswissen Schulleitung. (S. 102-176). Weinheim: Beltz. Hoy, W. K. & Miskel, C. G. (2008). Educational administration. Theory, research, and practice (8th Edition). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Languth, M. (2006). Schulleiterinnen und Schulleiter im Spannungsverhältnis zwischen programmatischen Zielvorgaben und alltäglicher Praxis. Göttingen: Georg-August-Universität. Kranz, T. (2007). Das Führungsverständnis angehender Schulleiterinnen und Schulleiter. Norderstedt: Books on Demand. Mayring, P. (2008). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. Grundlagen und Techniken (10. Auflage). Weinheim und Basel: Beltz. Pont, B., Nusche, D. & Moorman, H. (2008). Improving school leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice. Paris: OECD. Reichwein, K. (2007). Führung und Personalmanagement in Schulen. Zürich: Rüegger. Rürup, M. (2007). Innovationswege im deutschen Bildungssystem. Wiesbaden: VS. Thiel, F. & Thillmann, K. (2009). Ergebnisbericht zur Untersuchung: „Organisation der Schule als Managementaufgabe“. Berlin: Freie Universität. Schründer-Lenzen, A. (2003). Triangulation und idealtypisches Verstehen in der (Re-) Konsturktion subjektiver Theorien. In B. Friebertshäuser & A. Prengel (Hrsg.), Handbuch Qualitative Sozialforschung in der Erziehungswissenschaft (S. 107-117). Weinheim und München: Juventa. Warwas, J. (2009). Berufliches Selbstverständnis und Beanspruchung in der Schulleitung. Zeitschrift für Erziehungswissenschaft, 12, 475-498.

Author Information

Cornelia Wagner (presenting / submitting)

Humboldt-University

Business Education

Belrin

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