Teh English National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services' S<tS~';,fiamework for leadership development refers to 'emergent leaders' , :ut-j5.efug.clear what 'emergent' means. This study explores the experiences of 'Gti'1i!i:fiered as 'emergent leaders' to find out how 'emergence' might be 'i~~~\%eir development is conceptualised as identity development, by , Q:':tIng:a;socio-cultural understanding of the emergent leaders' learning. <;,~)t~,1§ on how individuals make meaning of their experiences once in formal , Iproles, so developing their identities. This is important to understand in a , El'i~xtjliwhich schools are experiencing problems with both teacher retention and nlofileader recruitment. - ~\~;:"\ ,?:~fu,'ergent' leaders from three English Local Authorities and from Primary, '':tN1i(idle and Secondary schools participated in a series of interviews and 'learning log' 'Gtlvities over periods of 14-36 months. Phase 1 focused on their experiences prior to ;-e-!Startof the study: Phase 2 on their current learning. From the accumulated data set ~', . "atlling biographies were generated. , ,,,; '. . ' , '" ;'~ ,'/Diverse and personal accounts of identity development were revealed. The study '.,:,"conc1uded that it was not appropriate to think of 'emergence' in terms of role ":';'progression into senior leadership positions, as the NCLSCS framework for leadership might imply. Individuals decided who they wanted to become by making ',sense of themselves in relation to judgments of their experiences. Whilst three , """'participant leaders did develop identities as aspiring senior leaders, two talked instead " , "of aspiring to be peers, rather than 'leaders'. ~,A,,:' 'The study highlighted the central role oftalk to identity development and the lack of ". '" 'opportunity for this in schools. This involved reflective 'selftalk' as well as talk with , others, with the study itself contributing to such 'identity talk'. It is important to develop opportunities (times, spaces, skills and relationships) for talk to support contemporary' emergent' school leaders "

This thesis is concerned with the question of management and leadership with respect to concepts of shared and distributed leadership. The thesis critically discusses these concepts and what appear to be similar notions of leadership, since on the one hand they are difficult to define, while on the other considerable claims have been made as to the benefits of shared leadership. From this discussion key research questions are formulated. A key feature of this study is that it seeks to raise the question of shared leadership with all the stakeholders in a school to see how they understand the concept and what effects, if any, such leadership has in terms of their own practice: this has not been undertaken before in the literature. A further issue addressed is whether, as some papers in the literature suggest, shared leadership is necessary for school performance. The research was undertaken in two private primary schools in Cyprus, school “A” and school “B”, and explores with teachers, students, parents, Council members (in school “A”) the owner (in school “B”), the head teacher (in school “A”) the deputy head (in school “B”) their understanding of the concept of shared leadership. This was done by asking each stakeholder group about how they perceive his or her role, and the roles of other stakeholders in the school organization and how they perceive the school leadership. The thesis contributes to the fields of leadership, shared/distributed leadership and stakeholder involvement. Key factors that underpin the concept are highlighted and the constraints on implementing shared leadership in a practical sense discussed.

This research investigates how Saudi school leaders perceived and experienced the solution-focused approach (SFA) as a way of leading schools in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It explores how SFA, which has its roots in Western family therapy, could be adopted in an educational and school leadership context in Saudi Arabia. The study has been guided by three research questions: (1) How do Saudi school leaders perceive SFA as a way of leading their schools? (2) To what extent is SFA congruent with approaches to educational leadership? and (3)To what extent is SFA congruent with Saudi culture? These questions were answered using a qualitative approach, concerned with contextual meaning, in-depth understanding, and reflecting on social constructionism. Eleven Saudi school leaders, who were not familiar with the concept of SF A, were trained in it and given a period of time to implement this approach in their schools. They were then interviewed in order to gather their accounts of how they perceived SF assumptions and skills as a way of leading from a Saudi cultural perspective. The research revealed that SFA enabled the participants to move from a 'telling' to an 'asking' approach and from 'focusing on problems' to ' focusing on solutions'. This shift from leading by telling to leading by searching for solution focused questions was crucial because the participants were used to commanding, controlling and solving their schools' and others' problems. Adopting the SF leadership approach enhanced working conversations, relationships, responsibilities and a positive use of language and the school climate became more optimistic. SF A was considered to be culturally appropriate because it did not deliver prescribed solutions other than those constructed by the local people in their own contexts. In conclusion, SFA as a leadership approach was perceived as positive, simple and practical.

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This research was conducted to explore the concept of servant leadership in Catholic schools in Thailand. It attempts to examine Greenleaf's theory of servant leadership and whether is it appropriate in a Catholic educational institution within the Thai culture. The research focused on eight schools of Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, a Catholic missionary organisation that runs private schools. Four principals were selected by a nomination process and are called 'community designated servant leaders' (CDSLs). Another four principals were selected for comparison using match pair criteria, and are called 'other leaders' (OLs). Data were collected by shadowing each principal for a day, through semi-structured interviews with eight principals and 80 teachers in the eight schools involved in the study, and also through the distribution of questionnaires. A total of 1,150 questionnaires were distributed and 944 (82%) were returned. This study contributes to a greater understanding of the daily activities of the principals, the role of Thai religious principals and the service provided by them. A comparative analysis found both similarities and differences between the two groups of principals (CDSLs and OLs). The results from the questionnaires and interviews confirm that the use of servant leadership accounts for some of the differences between schools (e.g., principals who fully demonstrate servant leadership can motivate teachers better than those who use other leadership approaches). However, the servant leadership as practised by the principals in this research was found to be different from Greenleaf's original theory of servant leadership. This could be due mainly to the Thai culture and Catholic religion. All eight principals identified themselves as servant leaders. They all agreed that service is the most important factor for leading the schools. In this study, a new conception of Catholic servant leadership is proposed by focusing more explicitly on Jesus' teaching. A new formula and extended characteristics have been developed, since the research identified a unique combination of characteristics of both Thai culture and Catholic religion, which are: humility, authoritarianism with benevolence, heart, and Catholic values which are mercy and justice.

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In recent years the response of the government in recognising the need for specific training for headship, albeit belatedly and against a trend in falling levels of recruitment to senior leadership positions in schools nationally, has led to serious attention being given to the issue. In 2002 the first City Academy opened and with it a new set of senior educational leadership challenges. The central thesis of this research is that of an examination and analysis of the nature and dimensions for successful leadership of Academies bearing in mind the challenges and complexities of the task in hand. At the time of writing no specifically designed or defined programme exists to train or support those becoming or already working as Principals of Academies. The focus for this research is to investigate the leadership styles, qualities, skills and contextual dimensions which enable previously seriously underperforming schools to transform themselves under the leadership of a fast growing ‘breed’ termed Academy Principals. At the start of this research 200 Academies were planned to be open by 2010. However the announcement by Tony Blair, then Prime Minister, in November 2006 to expand the programme to create 400 Academies further reinforces the importance of this research to investigate and report upon: - the general, emerging prerequisites for leading a successful Academy; - the leadership characteristics of existing effective Academy Principals; - the strategic dimensions pertaining to leading an Academy to successful outcomes; - the technical and operational dimensions specific to the leadership of Academies; - the degree to which leadership autonomy contributes to pace and direction of progress; - the key inhibitors and accelerators to successful outcomes of leadership of Academies. The primary method of research is semi-structured interviews and case studies supported by review of literature. The thesis is divided into five chapters. The first outlines the context and climate for creation of the Academies Programme, the key characteristics of such schools and the significance of the research in contributing to current knowledge in this field. The second chapter, through the examination and review of literature, establishes and outlines six key research elements to be further examined arising from the identified leadership dimensions pertaining to successful leadership of schools facing complexity and challenge. In doing so the conceptual framework model evolves and is introduced. Chapter 3 examines the possible research methodologies and approaches and considers the most appropriate forms for investigating the key elements arising from the initial thesis, subsequent review of literature and establishment of the conceptual framework model. The fourth chapter discusses the research findings and analysis from the semi- structured interviews and case studies using the six elements and applying them within the conceptual framework model. Chapter 5 provides an evaluation and makes recommendations, drawing conclusions from what has been established through the research. What can be learnt from best practice and suggestions on how to proceed in successfully leading Academies, with the programme expanding at a pace, are proposed as are opportunities for further lines of research. The thesis as a whole not only provides new information on how the challenges and complexities of leading Academies can be successfully met and supported, but also how the identification and establishment of certain leadership skills and prerequisites summarized as key elements for leadership of schools of this type can be seen as part of a larger school improvement movement to address the need to improve standards in the most challenging schools.

Thesis (MPA.)--University of Limpopo, 2010 / Different studies have clearly defined conflict management but little is known as to whether inadequate conflict management skill is close relative of service delivery. This paper presents the aim and objectives of the study, summary of the methodology used, type of data collected, very brief description of the data analysis methods, summary of findings conclusion and recommendations. The aim of the study is to investigate problems affecting the implementation of conflict management strategies within the school situation as witnessed by the chaotic situation within the school. Hence the concern raised by the community on critical issues which motivate the school management team to improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes on managing conflict in the workplace. The type of data collected was both primary and secondary where people’s views were called upon to provide information on the phenomenon. The objectives of the study are to conduct research on the challenge of conflict management in Modipe High School, to examine the relationship between conflict management and service delivery, to assess the impact of conflict on service delivery and to contribute towards strategic solutions for more effective conflict management. Qualitative research methodology was applied using data collection techniques such as the interviews and questionnaires to draw information about the topic under investigation. Primary and secondary data was collected from interviews, questionnaires and literature review respectively. The data analysis methods that were employed include content and thematic analysis. This was followed by a brief summary. The study revealed that inadequate conflict management skills on service delivery can be caused by various actions, for example, unfair treatment of others, ignorance of work procedures, application of rules and regulations, and self-disciplined educators. To this end, it is recommended that if there is a difference of opinion, proper channel of communication should be followed through the union representatives and supervisors, until the complaints or needs reach the management unit for discussion and finalisation where possible, without disagreements.