Background/purpose: This study explores the different ways in which critical friend roles are conceptualized. The critical friend role is adaptive by nature, with significant ambiguity surrounding it, which has resulted in disjointed and fragmented literature. This study sought to provide insights into the varied and potentially boundary-spanning…

Background: The quality of teaching and learning depends on the school management team's support and monitoring of teachers and learners to achieve the school's objectives. Poor monitoring and lack of support compromise quality education. Aim: The study examined the challenges faced by Foundation Phase departmental heads in managing and monitoring…

In this qualitative study, the researcher investigated and described the specific leadership practices employed by elementary principals in Texas to initiate school improvement in campuses designated as needing targeted support, additional targeted support, or comprehensive support and improvement by the Texas Education Agency (2023a). The…

Purpose: In the last 13 years, schools across the country spent a significant amount of time, money, and energy transitioning to the Common Core State Standards. States have also adopted high stakes accountability systems to track the achievement and growth of students. Despite these efforts, most schools are demonstrating only modest growth in…

This qualitative case study explored K-8 principals' perception of the contribution of job-embedded professional learning on skills and efficacy in instructional leadership, guided by Experiential Learning and Self-Efficacy Theory. The study addressed two research questions: the first explored how principals perceived the contribution of…

This study's objective was to examine the prevalence of learning-centred leadership behaviour in the public second cycle primary schools in Amhara National Regional State. A cross-sectional design was used. The study employed a stratified random sampling procedure and included 275 participants. Survey questionnaire was used to gather data from…

Anecdotal evidence points to the importance of school principals, but the limited existing research has neither provided consistent results nor indicated any set of essential characteristics of effective principals. This paper exploits extensive student-level panel data across six states to investigate both variations in principal performance and…

The COVID-19 pandemic had massive implications and ramifications on the nation's public schools, students, and educators alike. Elementary principals transformed into crisis leaders overnight and were greatly challenged. The ability for principals to lead through crises was worth exploring to ascertain the necessary attributes for effective…

The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship between effective school characteristics and effective leadership qualities from the perspective of a group of teachers in Antalya, Turkey, who were selected based on the demographic diversity of the population. The questionnaires "Qualifications of Effective Leaders Questionnaire"…

The principal holds a pivotal role within a school community. Approximately 15%-22% of principals in their first 5 years resign from their positions (Fuller et al., 2018; Goldrink & Taie, 2018). High principal attrition rates decrease student achievement, the quality of learning, and staff morale and retention (Fuller, 2012; Louis et al.,…

In this phenomenological study, seven K-8 school principals who have made measurable advances in achievement gap scores were interviewed to understand the lived experiences that informed their successful leadership practices. Annually, the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) releases Ohio School Report Cards (n.d.), a statewide report that contains…

Literacy disparity is a widespread problem for schools across the country. Children with reading difficulties are present in every school in the United States. Although literacy is the foundation of all academics, many students lag behind regardless of their socioeconomic, racial, or gender status. There is mounting pressure on schools to produce…

Principals play an essential role in ensuring student success and achievement. This is achieved through an effective principal's vital role in optimizing teacher impact over an entire campus because quality teachers significantly impact student achievement. This study aimed to gain insights that can contribute to a generalized knowledge of how…

This study explored what K-12 teachers believe are the most important skills and attitudes of an effective principal and how these attributes contribute to their job satisfaction. It then examined whether these valued attributes evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. A case study methodology was utilized to investigate the perceptions of 12…

Federal inclusion law requires that school administrators provide an equitable and legally compliant inclusive education for all students. Previous research has shown that successful program delivery is not possible without efficacious school leadership. Prior studies have also revealed that principals' self-efficacy judgments are directly…