This thesis aims to make a contribution to the academic leadership literature. The study presents a unique approach to a psychoanalytic study of emotional intelligence (EI) in leadership from the perspectives of educational leaders in a UK University. In view of the challenging issues facing leaders in higher education (HE) that may impact the role of leaders, in turn affecting the emotional life of an organization, the study aims to identify how educational leaders perceive `EI as a leadership quality' in HE in order to identify the hidden dynamics, gain new insights and add to the literature in the field of leadership and EI. The study uses a phenomenological form of inquiry against the backdrop of a psychoanalytic framework to identify the overt and covert meanings leaders attach to this phenomenon. Three-levels of in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted on 26 Heads of School to explore their perception of EI in leadership. A personal observation method was also used to observe leaders' non-verbal cues, which revealed their covert expressions, and documented in private reflective journals. Eight key themes emerged: Inspiration, understanding and motivation; general lack of awareness of EI; interpersonal skills and qualities; emotions and cognition: balance; traits and personality development; nature versus nurture; personal insight and reflection; and strategic vision and direction. Through the use of psychoanalytic concepts, findings revealed that EI among leaders provided them with the ability to tackle some of the most challenging issues facing HE leaders today, however, there was some evidence to show that the use of, and the demonstration of emotions are still met with some resistance by some leaders. Findings also indicated that leaders displayed more of a charismatic and transformational type of leadership in the university with some evidence of spiritual leadership. Implications of study are discussed and the thesis concludes by outlining the future directions and challenges for research in this field.

Traditionally, school principals are selected from experienced teachers working in the field of education. During the last century, educational systems have gone through major conceptual changes, including changes of role for educational leaders. Modifications of the principal’s role have led to broadened requirements for fulfilling the task. This may lead to a shortage of candidates for headship. In this case the recruitment of additional candidates for leadership roles may become an increasing challenge. One possible solution may be found by integrating personnel from beyond the field of education with the right qualities, abilities and capabilities willing to take this mission upon themselves. Since existing training programmes might not provide responses to their requirements, the purpose of this thesis is to try and present an appropriate way of incorporating candidates and training them to perform their mission successfully. The training concept is based upon providing essential characteristics of principalship. These include leadership qualities, management abilities and pedagogical capabilities, designed for candidates outside the field of education to support the process of incorporating them into principalship. Examination of the training process was conducted for both schoolteachers and for retired ex-military personnel during their transfer from military duties to the field of education. The research identified requirements for pre-service training in the fields of leadership, management and pedagogy. In both courses it compared and assessed similarities and differences between the groups. Evaluation of candidates’ abilities and capabilities in the fields of leadership, management and pedagogical skills established the areas in which they needed support during their transfer to principalship. In this research the main hypothesis was "Aspiring principals can identify tools and skills, required for their training into principal's positions, based upon evaluation of their own abilities and capabilities in the fields of leadership, management and pedagogical skills". The hypothesis proved valid in substantial sections; therefore a conceptual model for recruiting and training suitable candidates for principalship drawn from other professions becomes a viable proposition. This research does not only have relevance for the educational system in Israel; the findings may provide pertinent information for other countries seeking to draw on wider ranges of recruits for teaching and headship.

This study examines the leadership practices of practitioners involved in implementing the UK Government's extended schools programme. It specifically explores how leaders deal with a variety of situations and tasks while working within an inter-organizational collaborative context involving schools, community and partner organizations. The study's conceptual framework is based on theories about social capital (Coleman, 1988; Putnam, 2000) and on the theory of collaborative advantage (Huxham & Vangen, 2005). A multiperspective qualitative case study design was adopted, utilising semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis, and observation to collect data during a ten-month period in one local authority in a city in England. The interview data were collected from 20 participants from schools, the local authority, and different partner organizations working with selected schools. These data were cross-referenced with observations of leadership practice and a range of available documentation. This study highlights the challenging task for practitioners of synthesising multiple government initiatives into a coherent strategy of partnership working. Findings indicate the value of the extended schooling programme as an opportunity for improving the life chances of children and their families, and illuminate the functioning of schools as `appropriable social organizations' (Coleman, 1990) which can not only assist educational purposes but build social capital more generally. This study shows that building and using aspects of social capital - such as networks, trust, shared values and norms - is essential if leadership practice is to promote effective inter-agency collaboration. However, the study argues that there is a danger of exaggerating the capacity of collaborative leadership, since the problems faced by people in deprived communities are not easily resolved by short-term inter-agency partnership working. Nevertheless, its potential contribution should not be underestimated, and this thesis provides a framework for understanding and promoting collaborative leadership in inter-organizational contexts.

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This thesis investigates how principals in neighbourhood secondary schools in Singapore manage their lowest stream, the Normal Technical (NT) students, in their schools. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) What are principals’ perceptions of streaming as a way of organising students in secondary schools?; (2) What perceptions and expectations are held by principals in neighbourhood secondary schools regarding NT students?; and (3) Do the principals' perceptions and expectations of NT students influence their school management with regards to streaming and the provision of opportunities for curricular and co-curricular programmes? The aim of the study and the research questions made the use of the interpretivist paradigm and qualitative research methods most appropriate. The study also adopted a symbolic interactionist perspective, realising that people make sense of their lives and experiences through interaction with others around them. The study exemplifies the methods proposed by grounded theorists (Glaser, 1992; Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Participants were principals of neighbourhood secondary schools. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and documents over a period of approximately 36 months. Through the series of interviews a picture emerged of principals’ management approaches of their NT students. The grounded theory that emerged – the theory of ‘selective engagement’ – comprises a threefold typology of principals and three categories. The three categories are respectively: (1) Paradigms; (2) Conceptions; and (3) Management. The theory proposes that principals can be classified as ‘realists/pragmatists’, ‘innovators/improvisers’ and ‘nurturers’ according to the extent they selectively engage their students in the eight management areas: (1)Streaming/Lateral Movement; (2) Monitoring; (3) Deployment of Resources; (4) Subject Offerings; (5) Enrichment Programmes; (6) Managing Discipline; (7) Leadership Opportunities; and (8) Treatment of Students. The study shows how participants manage their NT students selectively in answer to the third research question. This gives rise to three discernible patterns of responses forming the basis of the threefold typology.

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In 1997, the British New Labour Government launched an initiative called the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) to modernise primary and secondary schools in England with Information and Communications Technology (ICT), expecting that technology would `transform education' (DfEE, 1997, foreword by the former Prime Minister Tony Blair). A decade later, in 2008, Harnessing Technology Schools Survey 2008 (Becta, 2008b, p. 7), a government-sponsored nation-wide investigation, concluded that there had been `good progress... but no transformation'. This thesis is an attempt to explore what educational transformation is expected from integration of ICT, why educational transformation has not occurred so far and a possible direction towards which teachers, school leaders and policy-makers shall proceed to fulfil this aim. The research methodologies include literature review of government documents, surveys and academic research and an empirical study based on interviews with 8 PGCE tutors. Having defined the purpose of transforming education as developing learner-oriented pedagogy and personalised learning with ICT, my review of literature identifies various factors as important for sustaining the desired transformation. This requires better logistical support in schools in terms of ICT funding, coordinated access, collaboration and innovation. My review of literature particularly highlights subject paradigms and teachers' personal pedagogical beliefs as key elements in enabling transforming education with ICT. This implies, as discussed in my report of the empirical study, a curriculum-assessment institution that represents different paradigms in a balanced way and adequate teacher training that includes good role modelling and subject-specific training. Furthermore, evidence of the limitations of the traditional top-down approach to ICT funding, curriculum delivery and teacher training in achieving educational transformation suggests that a bottom-up approach might have a better chance of harnessing technology's educational potential

This study investigates how primary school headteachers of Cyprus lead a particular change, namely ICT implementation. Specifically it investigates the leadership styles headteachers use when leading the particular change, focusing on the possession of attributes of transformational, transactional and passive leadership. In addition, it seeks relationships between headteachers' leadership styles and particular variables such as headteachers' beliefs about this change, headteachers' educational background and headteachers' training in leadership and management. Moreover, it explores teachers' perceptions of their headteachers' leadership styles and how these affect teachers' beliefs about the particular change. It finally examines headteachers' perceptions about their training for headship and for leading change attempting to identify deficiencies and needs they have when leading change. In order to investigate the research topic and address the research questions a survey, along with interviews and document collection, were conducted. Instrumentation included questionnaires distributed to headteachers and teachers, interviews conducted with them and document analysis which included minutes of staff meetings. The questionnaire sample consisted of 95 primary schools, giving 95 headteachers and 475 teachers (5 teachers from each school). Responses were received from 42 headteachers and 207 teachers. Five headteachers from the respondents who gave consent were selected and interviews were conducted with them and with three teachers from each school. Also minutes of staff meetings from the same schools were collected for analysisFindings reveal that headteachers of this study report using more transformational leadership styles than transactional or passive ones however possessing higher levels of some aspects of transformational leadership and lower levels of others. It was found that while headteachers are concerned with their teachers' personal, professional and intellectual needs they have difficulties in addressing these needs by providing intellectual stimulation and modeling behaviour on how to implement ICT more effectively. They also report dissatisfaction with their training for headship as well as for leading change and define a number of needs that would enable them to carry out their role more efficiently and effectively and possibly use higher levels of transformational leadership practices. Thesen eedsr eveal that headteacherse xpect from the Ministry of Education and Culture to act more as a transformational leader. Teachers were found to agree with headteachers' responses in most of the issues, however with some difference in the mean of each variable. This could imply that teachers have higher expectations from their headteachers and need them to act even more as transformational leaders. In addition, headteachers' beliefs about change were found to affect all dimensions of transformational leadership, whereas no correlation was found between beliefs and transactional leadership. Correlation was also found to exist between all dimensions of transformational leadership, as well as contingent reward, and teachers' beliefs about change. Finally, no relationship was found between headteachers' educational background as well as knowledge in leadership and management with their leadership styles, other than that of educational background with vision and modelling behaviour

In the changing and dynamic world, whilst companies endeavour to achieve their short and long term objectives in an efficient and effective manner, evaluating their human resources (HR) is regarded as an essential and fundamental process for achieving organisational objectives. However, the performance appraisal (PA) process is not only important for being the main provider of data in order to make HR related administrative decisions, but it also helps to provide information for identifying and influencing the development and satisfaction of the employees in carrying out their duties. This, in turn, contributes towards the achievement of the organisational objectives. The universities are knowledge-based organisations dependent entirely on the commitment and innovation of their teaching staff, and, therefore, they are different in terms of the organisational activity from other institutions. However, the management of universities, as educational institutions, is not that much different from other organisations. Therefore, all the management issues faced in other organisations are also relevant to universities, including HR management strategies drawn from PA systems (PASs). Hence, this study aims to evaluate the current PAS in Saudi Arabian public universities according to the perceptions of the teaching members who are subject to the PA process. It also aims to develop a new PAS based on the results developed from the research. In responding to the aim of the study, a questionnaire schedule was developed and conducted in four major public universities in Saudi Arabia. The researcher sent out 351 questionnaires, of which 197 were returned, giving a return rate of 56%. The results of the empirical analysis demonstrate that the participants are not happy with the existing PAS. In addition, it reveals: communication, transparency and organisational problems related to both the ratees who are subject to the PAS and the raters who carry out the process; poorly designed forms are used in the process; and problems related to the procedures that regulate which may undermine the appraisal process. Thus, dissatisfaction with the existing PASs is established through various empirical analyses. According to the findings of the study and the in-depth of the discussion of the analysed data, the study proposes an integrated and dynamic model for conducting the PA process. This proposed model is constructed with six stages: (1) Planning for Performance Appraisal; (2) Performance Execution; (3) Assessment (Informal Appraisal); (4) Performance Assessment (Formal Appraisal); (5) Interview; and (6) Action. In each stage several issues have been emphasised to improve overall efficiency of the PAS. The study also provides certain assumptions and recommendations for the successful development and implementation of the proposed model, which top level management in each university has to take into consideration to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of human resources.

A feature ofthe education system in the United Kingdom is the transfer of children, at approximately age of 11, from a smaller primary school to a larger secondary school. Evidence suggests this transition is an important time in a child's life and whilst many children make a smooth transition, some find this change very difficult. This thesis reviews the literature regarding parental influence on the transition from primary school to secondary school. Research has identified tha,t parental involvement in a child's education can have a considerable effect on a child's academic and psychological adjustment. However, during transition, when children typically have to manage a number of competing demands, parental involvement generally declines substantially. To contextualise and facilitate an understanding ofthe factors which effect parental involvement during transition, th~ review aisp considered the influence oftransition on adolescent adjustment and parental influence on adolescent adjustment. The experimental paper explored the long term effects oftransition on adolescent adjustment by investigating how pre transition levels of cognitive ability, levels of psychopathology and emotional intelligence have an effect on transition. Pre transition (year 6) pupils comple.ted measures ofcognitive ability, emotional intelligence and psychopathology. Post transition (year 7 and year 8) pupils completed measures ofemotional intelligence, psychopathology and answered questions abouttransition. The results demonstrated low self concept and/or high anxiety scores were significant predictors ofa negative report oftransition. Furthermore, a higher score on one measure ofemotional intelligence proved a significant predictor ofa positivereport oftransition.