This account summarises the findings from one component of a six-stage study conducted in multiple international sites. Following a series of interviews, a 10-month case study was conducted in a K-12 private school in western Canada. Initial interviews demonstrated how the school manifested shared leadership, clear pedagogical goals, student…

The more than six decades of research on school effectiveness and the two decades of research on school success demonstrates the importance of principal leadership in successful schools. However, the 30-year history of research on person-environment fit has not been robustly connected to the literature on successful school leadership. This study…

Through this study, we address the challenges that U.S. principals faced in the recent COVID crisis and analyse their leadership responses. Our purpose for this study was to identify the leadership practices of school principals that are effective in navigating a school crisis. We used the three dimensions identified in the National Preparedness…

This study sought to explore teachers' perceptions of new principals (NPs) and how these perceptions influenced different aspects of their work environment. The research was conducted using case study methodology of three schools in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection tools included semi-structured interviews of teachers and principals,…

This article offers a comparative analysis and interpretation of leadership in the four UK education jurisdictions (Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland), informed by the articles in this special issue and by a project report, all outcomes of an initiative, 'Educational Leadership, Management and Administration in the United Kingdom: A…

Increasingly, school principals face unique challenges to improve the educational quality of their schools. Given the vital role of educational leaders in this process, this study presents the case of a city with distinctive features due to its geographical location bordering Africa and Europe: Melilla, Spain. Based on a literature review and…

Teacher leadership is a powerful concept in school development. However, teachers' readiness to take on the leadership role is rather delicate. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between teachers' readiness for leadership and two main factors that affect it: distributed leadership and school culture. Quantitative data from…

The sudden closure of educational institutions amid the pandemic compelled school administrators to manage the crisis with little reaction time. Despite the stringent and exigent predicament, school principals had to amend and modify their leadership technique by adapting to varying levels of academic, technological, operational, and personal…

Using data from a national study on principals' responses to the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, we describe crisis leadership as boundary spanning -- managing up, down, and outwards to lead the response. School leaders had to manage outside expectations to ensure their schools responded to the crisis in ways that allowed for…

This article outlines the findings from a contemporary review of the evidence base on system leaders and system leadership. This article provides analysis, commentary, and insights about system leaders and system leadership based on a review of the current evidence. The review also includes insights from country experts and offers country-specific…

School improvement reforms aimed at achieving improved student learning remain high on the agenda for leaders across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to understand the leadership attributes that enable school leaders to bring about positive change. This qualitative study is based on interviews with school leaders (school principals and…

Responsible leadership (RL) has gained increasing attention in recent years as organisations face growing pressure to address social and environmental challenges. RL involves leading with a sense of purpose and responsibility towards stakeholders, society, and the environment beyond the interests of shareholders and profit maximisation. This…

Networking is one of the essential strategies demanded by society today. In recent years, the use of vertical hierarchies in teaching has been relegated to the background, giving way to other forms of horizontal interaction ('netarchies'). This has increased the opportunities for professionals from different fields and territories to work together…

This systematic literature review analysed research related to education reform published between 2000 and 2020. Empirical evidence from 249 studies identified factors hindering or facilitating the long-term success of reform implementation. Eight overarching, actionable themes were found to influence success. Six themes describe requirements at…

The aim of the research is to pinpoint which leadership-related factors affect school success, specifically focusing on features and strategies used by the principals. The work follows the International Successful School Principalship Project methodology in two case studies in Andalusia (Spain). Both schools (with differentiated environments) are…