Many studies claim the importance of goal-setting for school improvement but few outline specific practices. This study highlights specific goal-setting practices associated with successful school improvement efforts. It reports on a 2-year collaborative research project, which closely examined three principals' goal-setting practices in the…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has attracted considerable attention as an instrument for enhancing professional practice and developing work-readiness in graduates. It is widely considered as a point of difference in developing graduate employability by enhancing skill outcomes through an authentic learning experience. This paper focuses on…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine dilemmas encountered by kindergarten head teachers with the further aim of developing their capability to recognise and resolve "leadership dilemmas". Design/methodology/approach: Action research was used to conduct a three-phase study involving 16 kindergarten head teachers and six system…

Mentoring has become increasingly popular during recent years and particularly so in the provision of leadership development, including the mentoring of school principals. In New Zealand, many of these mentoring programmes are developed and funded by central government and are mostly designed to meet the needs of those in their initial years of…

Action research was used to study the effectiveness of Learning Organisation and Adaptive Enterprise theories for promoting organisation-wide learning and creating a more effective early childhood education organisation. This article describes the leadership steps taken to achieve shared vision via meaningful dialogue between board, management and…

Describes a study conducted in New Zealand that investigated factors affecting the use of technology in secondary schools. Focuses on the leadership role of the ICT (information and communication technology) coordinators, suggests that they could be agents of change to provide professional development, and discusses barriers to effective…

New Zealand education underwent reform in 1989. The first seven years of education reform were marked by drastic systemic change in the administrative system coupled with very few support links or services for schools. The school principals were cast primarily as middle managers, which lessened their focus on the educational aspect of their role.…

"Learning in an online world 2003-06" articulates national priorities for action by schools and associated organisations to develop pedagogies that integrate information and communication technologies (ICT). This paper focuses on ICT as an enabler of good pedagogy. It highlights issues for consideration when planning for integration of…

Numerous reports and articles have decried the mediocrity of U.S. students' foreign language skills and have called for improved language education. One study that looked at foreign language education in 19 countries suggests several characteristics of successful foreign language programs: starting early, providing an articulated framework,…