The role of middle leaders in bringing about improvement in schools is well documented in the UK and abroad, with the ever-present demand for raising standards and achievement. At the same time, the benefits to individuals from receiving coaching or mentoring is also well documented. However, little is known about the benefit to those providing…

Research has shown the importance of teacher leaders in improving professional learning and schools. This case study investigates the development of a new teacher leader position at a Norwegian upper-secondary school with the responsibility for leading peer teachers' collective professional development. Our aim is to understand the interplay…

The exceeding importance of academic optimism and the promising potential of middle leadership demand research attention in contribution to student success and school improvement. This paper presents a critical analysis of the roles and contributions of middle leaders through the lens of the academic optimism model. This study used mixed methods…

This article reports a mixed-methods study examining 29 academic middle leaders' viewpoints on supporting educational change in higher educational institutions in Poland. Following a three-dimensional conceptual framework emphasizing support at the individual, collegial, and environmental levels, Q methodology was adopted to collect and analyze…

Middle leadership development in a Higher Education context can be understood as a complex endeavor, influenced by interactions and interrelations within multiple systems. We explored the perspectives of thirty-five male and female middle leaders on the conditions influencing their leadership development at one university in Qatar. Q methodology…

Latinx/a/os have significantly increased in number in the US population. The advancement of mid-level Latinx/a/o professionals in higher education is not occurring at the same rate as the increase of the Latinx/a/o population in the country. This study aimed to examine the perceptions of mid-level Latinx/a/os administrators in their workplace…

The purpose of this study was to describe the lived experiences of middle managers in the banking industry practicing self-directed, lifelong learning. The theory guiding this study is Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory and its relationship with lifelong learning. This study aimed to answer the following question: What are the lived…

Central office coordinators of advanced academics and gifted education programs--otherwise known as district gifted education coordinators (DGECs)--play an important role in closing excellence gaps, promoting achievement for all learners, and ensuring equity in gifted education programs and advanced courses. Training and preparation programs for…

Resilience training for Further Education (FE) managers has become an increasingly familiar aspect of management development. This paper challenges the accepted orthodoxies underpinning resilience as a 'learnable' skill required to succeed as a manager. In particular, it addresses the concepts of toxic positivity, growth mindset (Dweck) and Grit…

In what are often described as modern Western school systems, the supervision of elementary schools generally shifted from the hands of clerical administrators to genuine state officials during the nineteenth century. The Prussian state, like other predominantly Protestant states, relied on clerical personnel and church supervision structures to…

Objective/Research Question: Research indicates that work-life integration is linked with career satisfaction for women administrators in higher education. This study focused on midlevel women leaders who are an essential component of higher education organizations and asked the question: how do mid-level women leaders in rural community colleges…

Portugal, a semi-peripheral player in international student mobility (ISM), has historically attracted few international students. Against a significant growth in international enrolments in recent years, this paper explores the institutional strategies underpinning this expansion in 13 Portuguese higher education institutions with the highest…

Purpose: While current research is reporting on a crisis in school leadership aspirations and appointments, this research sheds light on the mediating factors that school middle leaders (MLs) attribute to their appointment as a leader and their aspirations to senior leadership positions. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative data from a larger,…

This account of practice is based on a French pharmaceutical company in China that faced the challenge of transforming its business model in an era of dramatic external changes. By introducing the methodology and practice of action learning, it brought value and results to business development, talent reserves, and knowledge management, which…

Middle leaders were required to navigate the complexities of educational disruption and respond to internal and external demands throughout the pandemic. This shifting educational context necessitated a sensemaking process to better understand and act on the issues which gave rise to ambiguities in their school environment. This study investigated…