Purpose: This study addresses a gap in the knowledge on how longitudinal engagement in a school improvement initiative influences change in middle leaders' (MLs') interactions and assesses how school-university partnerships around school improvement can support teachers with formal leadership roles (i.e. MLs') leadership development.…

Purpose: This article seeks to report on a research inquiry that explored the educational praxis of ethical school leaders in Chile. Behaving ethically is an imperative for school leaders. Being an ethical educational leader is something different. It is not only about behaving according to standards, but also rather involves an ethical way of…

Purpose: This article aims to discuss the conceptualisation process of developing a new one-year taught-master's programme in educational leadership at an Aotearoa/New Zealand university. Design/methodology/approach: The perspective taken is a highly personalised one from the two lead "drivers" of the programme and outlines the two-year…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Self Assessment of Leadership of Teaching and Learning (SALTAL) inventory, in conditions of repeated administration. Design/methodology/approach: In 2006 and 2007, nearly all of New Zealand's newly-appointed school principals participated in an 18 month induction…

Purpose: Scholars have adopted a multiple ethical paradigms approach in an attempt to better understand the bases upon which everyday ethical dilemmas are resolved by educational leaders. The aim of this study is to examine the ethical considerations in ethical judgments of aspiring principals. Design/methodology/approach: To examine the ethical…

Purpose: In response to the growing need for educational leaders who possess ethical, critical and reflective qualities, a training program was developed based on ethics as a reflective critical capacity and on Starratt's three-dimensional model. This paper aims to describe the impact of the program on ethical decision making and on educational…

Purpose: This paper is intended to provide an overview of trends in European education and to offer a framework for considering the elements of school management. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reports elements of the planning and implementation of a graduate-level leadership development initiative in Bulgaria. Findings: Several lessons…

Purpose: This paper aims to document the development and use of cases for the leadership development of principals in one large education system in Australia. The case initiative was specially targeted at deepening understandings of the department's recently released statement about the principalship, "Leadership Matters". The…

Discusses issues involving management training among schools, colleges, and universities in England and Wales. Identifies four major areas of contention that have emerged since changes in inservice training finances have been applied by local education authorities and providing institutions. (CJH)

Reports selected findings from a national evaluation of a British pilot scheme for mentoring new headteachers, using questionnaire data collected from 238 new principals and 303 mentors and information from 16 detailed case studies. Mentoring was judged successful by most participants because it offered numerous benefits, including help with…

Examines school reform's effects on principals' professional leadership culture, drawing on research findings from 1993 to 1998, and highlighting possible future reforms in Victoria, Australia. Principals are more satisfied with present, than past, work arrangements. Leadership is more strategic and empowering than heroic or hands-on. (44…

Critically reviews mentoring for new British principals, focusing on program characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Mentoring facilitates peer support, helps newcomers make necessary role identity changes, and encourages reflective practice. There are problems with pairing practitioners and mentors, passing on outmoded advice, and…

Summarizes selected findings of a major national research project on mentoring and teacher education in England and Wales. Considers mentoring's nature and purpose and examines mentor/new headteacher matches. Discusses mentoring's benefits, limitations, and conceptual models. Mentoring provides invaluable support for new principals but lacks rigor…

Reports on a peer assistance program for principals involving training, observation (via shadowing), and feedback. The sample involved nine pairs of Australian principals matched by age, experience, and school size. Reports generally positive findings regarding principals' overall ratings, claimed benefits and limitations, perceived value of…

Describes the Headteachers Leadership and Management Programme (Headlamp), a new British national scheme aiming to improve school-management quality. Discusses issues such as entitlement, expectations, competencies, other team players (mentors, local education authorities, and governing bodies), and funding resources. Headlamp needs an integrated…