Vice-principals' (VPs) work is intensifying in its complexity and volume but the changing nature of their work is not thoroughly documented. This article focuses on the often-overlooked VP's role and records the factors that evidence the intensifying work conditions for VPs. The data for this article come from a large-scale online survey that has…

Novice principals' experiences and responses to challenges are important for understanding their sensemaking of their role, especially in view of the contextual complexity of leadership in small schools. Using interview data from 19 novice principals in small schools, we explore principals' sensemaking of their key challenges and responses.…

There is a growing interest and attention for organizations to move from a shareholder capitalist to stakeholder capitalist business model, in which delivering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance is becoming more pronounced. Because of this transition, there is growing pressure for managers at all levels to act in sustainable,…

Early childhood educators' work, especially with children and families experiencing vulnerability, is complex, highly skilled, and can place significant psychological burdens on educators. This may adversely affect educators' well-being and contribute to the high levels of attrition seen globally. This article reports on an evaluation of a…

Purpose: In times of reform and consequential changes, school superintendents act as mediators between government policies and those who implement them in the field. This article explores the perceptions of school superintendents in Israel concerning their professional development (PD) process, especially during the implementation of Israeli…

For much of the past half-century, scholars from various parts of the world have studied the early stages of school principals' careers. This article presents the results of a review of research on novice principals (NPs) regarding its current status, intellectual structure and conceptual structure. The review conducted bibliometric and content…

The development of critical skills for deputy principals is a matter which deserves attention, owing to the critical role which deputy principals are expected to play in school management. However, this area of research is neglected and has received limited attention in the literature that focuses on school leadership development. In this vein,…

This article presents findings from a study into the reality of beginning as a principal in a New Zealand secondary school. The views of beginning, experienced and former principals are presented and discussed drawing on the literature of organisational sensemaking. The findings suggest that the challenges of unexpected occurrences, relationship…

Research on principal leadership is extensive; however, studies suggest such research cannot be generalized across all contexts, as educational leaders' needs are a result of the specific context in which they work. Since there is limited research on principal leadership in the Dominican Republic (DR), the country can benefit from current and…

The purpose of the study reported on here was to explore the extent to which the role of the principal as ex officio member of the School Governing Body (SGB) facilitated or hindered the development of strategies that are effective and sustainable for the maintenance of school facilities. The rationale for this study was that the South African…

Goal of the study is to compare training and appointing processes of education administrators in developed and developing countries to see similarities and differences and also the situation in Turkey so as to give some suggestion thought to have some positive impacts on training and appointing-related problems of Turkish Education. Within the…

In 2007 the Department of Education introduced the standards-based Advanced Certificate in Education: School Management and Leadership. The standardisation of leadership and management development in South African schools has been uncritically accepted by most academics and professionals. The purpose of this article is to problematise the…

Located between senior management and academic staff, the role of the Associate Dean in universities appears to be growing in number, complexity and importance in recent years. A role arguably fraught with complexity, it remains largely undefined and under-researched. While little is known about the role in general, less still is known about their…

The literature shows that leadership is the second most important factor influencing school and learner outcomes, including levels of literacy and numeracy, school leaving examination results, and progression to secondary and higher education. This article focuses on school leadership in West Africa, drawing on a systematic review of the academic…

Many of the policy documents and much of the recent literature talk about "leadership" when discussing the role of headteachers and principals of schools. The word is also used when writing about other senior and middle managers. It is a way of showing the difference between what used to be expected of headteachers and what is expected…