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School leadership models: what do we know? Tony Bush & Derek Glover

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School leadership models: what do we know? Tony Bush & Derek Glover

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INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP: The core focus is on teacher growth and the leader's influence towards achieving the goal of student learning improvement and success.

BENEFITS

Teacher agency, growth, better pedagogy, relevant curricula & materials.

DISADVANTAGES

Too teacher-centered, and principal-focused (pp. 556).

MANAGERIAL LEADERSHIP: The management of operational sytems, task allocation, policies & procedures.

BENEFIT

Necessary for a solid functioning of the whole school system & effective if aligned with the school's vision.

DRAWBACKS

Rigid control can be demotivating and can lose sight of the importance of student success, the most important goal of a successful school. (pp 556)

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP: Emphasis on change through restructuring.

BENEFITS

A clear correlation between transformational leadership and school success.

Engagement of all stakeholders in collective drive towards goals.

DRAWBACKS

Can be unilateral and t.

MORAL AND AUTHENTIC LEADESHIP: Main focus is on moral values and integrity

BENEFITS:

Fosters ethical & authentic practice towards equity and justice.

DISADVANTAGE:

Challenging to balance between systems management and moral judgements.

Success depends on the moral character of the principal. (pp 559).

DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP: where responsibility is shared and collegial and collaborative in nature.

ADVANTAGES:

Can work successfully but should be facilitated and by the leader who is no longer the single figurehead.

Connected to growth in student learning through working collectively.

DISADVANTAGES:

Potential power clashes between different leaders.

Requires thorough planning to create the right climate

(pp 559).

SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP- NETWORKING: teachers learning from one another through creating connections and networking with others in different schools.

ADVANTAGES:

Opportunities of inter-school collaboration and sharing resources.

Builds capacity and helps leaders develop operational strength.

CONTINGENT LEADERSHIP: Leadership considers situational context carefully, and adapts according to contextual needs.

BENEFITS:

Particularly helpful in times of turbulence. Leaders who see the problem, as they notice contex, are able to fix problems in a flexibly, contextually relevant manner.

VALUE IN THEORY

Leaders can benefit from theory in helping them to justify their actions and is a useful guide to understanding leadership practice - for all, including the leader. Alongside daily practice, policy and research, theory is an important aspect of school growth.

Reference

Bush, T.  and Glover, D. (2014) School leadership models: what do we know?, School Leadership & Management, 34:5, 553-571, DOI: 10.1080/13632434.2014.928680

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School leadership models: what do we know?

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The growth in the importance of school leadership has been accompanied by theory development, with new models emerging and established approaches being redefined and further developed. The purpose…

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A Model of Successful School Leadership from the International Successful School Principal Project- David Gurr

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A Model of Successful School Leadership from the International Successful School Principal Project- David Gurr

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My Understanding of Effective School Leadership

Successful leadership depends on multiple factors. For instance, of significant importance, is the outlining and communication of a clear vision and mission where all stakeholders collaborate collectively towards a shared ideal. Successul leaders are able to enact change, through setting clear direction and develop and empower teachers to become part of a continuous cycle of growth, reflection and improved pedagogical practices, leading towards the ultimate goal of improved student learning outcomes. Having traits such as confidence, resilience, a growth mindset and demostrating empathy and care, alongside the capacity to consider the contextual circumstances, in determining change actions is what embodies successful school leadership.

Reference

Gurr, D. (2015). A model of successful school leadership from the international successful school principalship project. Societies, 5(1), 136-150.

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Taking a distributed perspective on leading professional learning networks

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Taking a distributed perspective on leading professional learning networks

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Network Leadership vs Distributed Leadership

Network Leadership

Coordination of collaboration among many from different institutions in working together in the spirit of support and collegiality towards mutually beneficial outcomes, in this instance, improved teaching & student learning.

Distributed Leadership

Leaders who adopt a distributed leadership model pave the way for gaining a better understanding of how collaborative networks operated as well as the associated benefits to networking. Leadership skills are further developed through facilitating networking.

Leaders play a vital role in developing relationships- without good leadership, networking may not be effective and goal driven.

I have participated in as well as initiated collaborations across different schools. Working as an examiner and moderator for equivalence examinations between two countries was very enriching for my communication and organisational skills and I learned much about different educational systems. Additionally I have had to coordinate common mock examinations between different schools, arrange student competitions for students, from different schools, to compete and collaborate with one another. having support from school leadership was essential in achieving a successful outcome in all the above initiatives. My experience was that much of the above enabled me to develop favourable and rewarding relationships with other teachers in other schools. Through collaboration and conversations we were able to discuss common challenges and provide both support and tangible sharing of resources.

Reference

Azorín, C., Harris, A. & Jones, M. (2020) ‘Taking a distributed perspective on leading professional learning networks’, School Leadership & Management, 40(2–3), pp. 111–127. doi:10.1080/13632434.2019.1647418.

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Ethical Leadership, ethical dilemmas and decision-making among school administrators.

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Ethical Leadership, ethical dilemmas and decision-making among school administrators.

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Fundamental to ethical leadership is being sensitive and respectful of diversity and focusing on developing social justice within the school. Moral dilemmas with decision-making are inevitable but moral leadership should follow core principles. Consideration for the ethics of care, justice , ethic of critique of school environment and community should be the starting point that underpins ethical decision-making. Celebrating diversity equity and enacting inclusive education is the key characteristic of successful ethical leadership.

In my context, it is essential to understand the finer cultural nuances that surround communication protocols, especially during formal meetings. Addtionally, having an understanding of 'what is not directly said' , facilitates overall understanding. Further to my context, I have come to understand how crucial it is to communicate about culturally sensitive topics, such as physical, intellectual or emotional instability. Understanding cultural context, and framing one's communication, is hugely valuable in fostering trusting relationships with both parents and students.

Reference

Arar, K., & Saiti, A. (2022). Ethical leadership, ethical dilemmas, and decision-making among school administrators. Equity in Education & Society, 1(1), 126-141.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27526461211070828Links to an external site.Links to an external site.