This paper presents a dilemmatic approach to democratic school leadership and governance (DSL). Rather than viewing dilemmas and inner tensions as debilitating democratic governance, a dilemmatic approach views tensions between core values as a defining feature of DSL. A dilemmatic approach differs from central views in the field by regarding DSL…

The intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and educational leadership has garnered significant attention in recent years due to advancements in knowledge technology and digital literacy. Despite growing interest from scholars and policymakers over the past decade, a comprehensive review of AI in the context of educational leadership and…

This qualitative study followed the work of 12 principals and their supervisors to understand the concept of joint work as consequential for principals' learning and practice development. Research questions centered on the principal supervisor and principal's key work tasks and the situational contexts in which they occurred. Findings revealed…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining popularity in schools for instructional purposes, but its potential and usage could be extended to school management. Just as teachers must prepare for the changes brought about by AI technology in their classrooms, school leaders need to be ready and equipped to handle these transitions. However,…

Despite ongoing efforts to recruit and support successful school leaders, relatively little is understood about the professional experiences and skillsets that principals possess upon entry into their positions. We trace the professional experiences and instructional effectiveness of all educators in Oregon over 14 years. We highlight that many…

With the inclusion of school-age educare (SAEC) in the Swedish National curriculum in 2016, the principal's role now includes pedagogical leadership in SAEC. This study consists of reflection responses provided by twenty principals in the project "The Pedagogical task of School Age educare." Findings indicate that a minority of the…

Although there is a growing corpus of literature on teacher assessment capability, less has been written on sociocultural assessment leadership practices with its emphasis on shared capacity building. Expertize in sociocultural assessment that enhances student and teacher learning is an aspect of school leadership that can have a positive…

This research aimed to examine school principals' perceptions and practices during the COVID-19 period through the perspective of school leaders' agency and proactive coping role when facing adversity and crisis. For this purpose, we interviewed 60 principals of elementary, middle, and high schools. Interview analysis yielded five categories of…

Clan culture is a family-like work environment with strong bonds of loyalty and close relationships. The current study seeks to understand how this organizational culture, prevalent in the Israeli education system, influences instructional leadership implementation. Participants of this qualitative study were 36 Israeli school principals. Data…

School leaders worldwide face challenges in dealing with equity, inclusion, and coexistence because of various global forces. This quantitative study investigated the relationships between emotional intelligence dimensions (EIDs) and professional performance standards (PPS) of Abu Dhabi public school leaders dealing with the changing times of…

Instructional leadership was recognized as a pivotal function of principals who achieve promising school improvement outcomes. This study explored the role identity of instructional leaders, looking for the four components of role identity: ontological and epistemological beliefs, purpose and goals, self-perceptions and self-definitions, and…

This study explored if and how principal practices from diverse leadership models could be integrated to predict burned out, ineffective, overextended, or engaged teachers. This unique approach produced an actionable blend of practices and the frequency explaining teacher outcomes. A sample of 240 teachers rated frequency of 58 principal practices…

A persuasive solution for governments and systemic authorities seeking to improve the quality and equity of outcomes for students has been the localized management of schools. Believed to provide opportunities for context-sensitive decision-making, what remains unclear is how does shifting increasing management to the school-level generate the…

This article aims to deepen our knowledge about the work and competences of local education authority (LEA) officials when implementing new policy directives for documentation in the decentralized Swedish school system. The results show that the LEA officials used strategies and actions that improved relevance for principals and schools through…

Instructional leadership is a complex dimension, which requires that principals possess expertise in goal setting, leading the instructional program, and creating the conditions for a successful school environment. Effective instructional leaders manage the instructional program by planning, coordinating, and evaluating the work of teachers and…