This research draws upon a qualitative intrinsic case study methodology to gather perceptions of 15 school leaders in the province of Alberta, Canada, around social and emotional competencies in relation to their own leadership, school culture, and student learning. The premise behind this study is that school leaders who are socially and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the multifaceted leadership role an effective principal assumed in the deployment of evidence-based literacy practices in her school. We conducted a mixed methods case study integrating the lived experiences of 11 school staff (principal, learning support teacher, and classroom teachers) with the reading…

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to examine knowledge about successful principalship and discuss the methodology that has emerged throughout the history of the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP) and their implications for future progress. Design/methodology/approach: Historical analysis is used as a strategy for…

The vice principal has the potential to significantly influence everyone in the school building. The expertise required to effectively carry out the duties of the role include interpersonal skills, leadership skills, reflective practice, and knowledge of the current research in the field of education. The position of vice principal requires a…

Job demands overburden school administrators' personal and professional capacity and affect their performance and well-being. However, studies on principals and vice-principals' work intensification fail to highlight how their work demands and challenges are manifested, and how work demands contribute to the changing nature of their work. This…

In the current climate of accountability and calls for school improvement, principals are dealing with unceasing demands to implement new educational reforms. Yet do school leaders feel equipped to implement these mandates? This study investigated the perceptions of experienced elementary principals on whether they felt prepared to be effective…

School principals deal with a variety of increasingly complex responsibilities (Trudeau, 2013). They must therefore develop and hone professional competencies that will enable them to effectively perform their pedagogical, organizational, relational, or administrative duties (Barber, Whelan & Clark., 2010; Bisaillon et al., 2009;…

School-based management (SBM) remains a "hot topic" in educational circles. This article explores the reality of SBM internationally. It focusses on the perceptions of selected Australian public secondary principals who reflect on the drivers and impediments affecting their capacity to lead school-based innovation. While broadly…

Purpose: Decades of research in educational leadership has extolled the importance of principals in both the effective functioning of teachers and the overall performance of schools. The mechanisms explaining what makes principals effective in the eyes of teachers, however, are not well known. This study builds on prior research to posit that…

This report focuses on systems thinking and its place in education transformation. It reflects on key published literature and on specific outputs from the Education Development Trust's own programme of research. The report offers an overview of the evolution of systems thinking and the relevance for policymakers and practitioners as they tackle…

This literature review aims to encapsulate existing research on the executive headteacher (EHT) position in England, building on the work of Fellows (2016). It covers three main areas: the history of EHTs in England; the skills, qualities and motivations identified in EHTs by existing literature; and the governance and school structures associated…

In the province of Québec, Canada, school principals are obligated by law to ensure pedagogical supervision. This law, the Public Education Act (Government of Québec, 2017), also advocates a contractual Results-Based Management approach (RBM). We examined how the practices and perceptions of these supervisors influence the implementation of this…

"Great teachers and school leaders hold the key to America's children getting a first-rate education, but we do a spotty job of preparing them." Citing these words of U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Vivien Stewart plunges into a fascinating account of how top-performing countries are developing strong school leaders. While…

We identify the effect of individual high school principals on graduation rates and English exam scores using an administrative data set of grade 12 students in BC Canada. Many principals were rotated across schools by districts, permitting isolation of the effect of principals from the effect of schools. We estimate the variance of the…

This review illuminated principal school leadership as a variable that impacted achievement. The principal as school leader and manager was explored because these roles were thought to impact student achievement both directly and indirectly. Specific principal leadership behaviors and principal effectiveness were explored as variables potentially…