A qualitative descriptive approach was undertaken to research what was available within the areas of advice and guidance for potential principals who wish to achieve the position of principal at secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. The literature review for this study uncovered very little in the way of New Zealand-based professional advice and guidance for potential principals, despite there being some leadership development programmes such as the Principal Preparation Programmes for Aspiring Principals (University of Auckland, Centre for Educational Leadership). However, the international literature revealed a greater wealth of data on existing principal preparation programmes, and the phenomenon of leadership. In terms of the methodology, case studies and interviews of six participants were undertaken. Six current principals of provincial North Island secondary schools in New Zealand were interviewed face-to-face. Their stories were audio-taped and transcribed. The interviews were essentially rich narratives of leadership stories and were somewhat akin to individual case studies of the participants' own leadership and principal development. Content and thematic analysis of the data revealed eight aspects of principal development which were distilled to four main themes: historical career pathway; managing the journey; handing over the knowledge; and personal costs to the participants. The findings from this research showed that few principals followed planned career pathways or had access to advice, guidance or formal training for principalship. Participants generally gained principal positions through good luck rather than good management. The increasing complexity of the principal's role, combined with a projected shortage of competent candidates, requires that preparation for principalship needs to be implemented as a well-structured, rigorous programme. A framework for such a programme is proposed.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration at The University of Zululand, 2009. / The study aims at investigating secondary school principalship with regard to gender. The focal point was to assess the effectiveness of female principals compared with male principals. The following aims were therefore formulated: o to determine whether women principals in secondary schools are perceived by educators, school governing bodies and learners to be effective as leaders, o to establish if women are perceived by educators, school governing bodies and learners to be more or less effective than men, o to assess the educational environment in regard to the movement towards a culture in which female principals are treated equally to male principals in schools, o to determine, through literature review, what constitutes effective leadership, o to determine whether there are specific leadership styles associated with male or female principals, o to identify barriers experienced by women who aspire to leadership positions and o to determine if the status of being a female or male influences perceptions of female principals. The study was based on some leadership theories such as trait, behavioural, contingency, transactional and the transformational theories. These theories served as the criteria for evaluating female school principalship versus male school principalship. The study revealed that these theories do apply to schools, that is, they really are relevant to the schools, regardless of gender. In order to address adequately the problems being investigated, the investigation was undertaken of the perceptions of educators, school governing bodies’ chairpersons, learners’ presidents and female principals regarding school principalship and gender. The sample therefore consisted of the four above-mentioned categories. Two instruments were used for data collection: questionnaires were for the first three groups and interviews for the female principals. The study established the following problem areas: lack of school vision, interpersonal skills, conflict management skills, transformational skills and communication skills on the part of some school principals; problems experienced by female school principals which were caused mostly by male school stakeholders; and the inability on the part of female principals to impose discipline. The data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. In view of the findings of the study, the researcher proffered several recommendations.

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Batu velakero iri kenaga, loboro mana vakatikili gira vano muzi (Highly effective leaders are at the front, walk in the middle, and encourage those from behind to catch up) My uncle Zorapa said, while I was on a 'pig-hunting' trip with him some twenty odd years ago, that school principals, like all leaders, can only be called leaders if they make a difference. In modern parlance, one frequently encounters this homespun wisdom in the statement that highly effective schools are led by highly effective principals. This study investigates the perceptions of six practicing principals of the elements of highly effective principalship in Solomon Islands' Community High schools. The study investigates and explores these perceptions and tries to describe the elements of highly effective principalship and the impediments that may prevent principals from becoming effective. The study hopes to contribute towards the possible development of highly effective principalship in the Solomon Islands schools. The finding of this research reveals that although the participating principals were very experienced, their responses indicate that there appeared to be no theory-driven basis for their practice. Similarly, the perceptions expressed reveal the urgent need for the Solomon Islands to pay more attention to leadership development strategies that will see the creation of national, and personal, leadership philosophies and set the process of ongoing leadership development, enhancement and improvement in the country. The proposed strategies must incorporate current international research and literature on educational leadership theories as well as building on current practice in the Solomon Islands that is nationally and culturally appropriate. In addition, the study suggests that current practitioners should be encouraged to engage in educational leadership research and begin to build a national literature base. This study suggests that the process of establishing the notion of highly effective educational leadership in the country's school system should start as soon as possible. Those in policy and decision-making positions must have the courage to implement strategies that will contribute to improved levels of educational leadership in order to raise the quality of education for all learners in the country. The children are the future prosperity of the country.

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the pathways followed by school principals in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The aim was to explore the pathways principals followed in order to determine knowledge, procedures and processes that lead to the appointment of quality principals in schools. Formal and informal pathways that teachers aspiring to be principals take were identified in addition to exploring what motivated the principals to apply for their posts. Little research has been done on the topic of career paths of school principals in the South African context and therefore,this study makes acontribution to the knowledge-base of career pathways of South African school principals. A qualitative study approach, using semi-structured interviews, was employed. A total of ten participants were selected using purposeful and convenience sampling. The researcher obtained consent from the participants and assured them of anonymity, confidentiality and their right to withdraw from the study at any time they felt uncomfortable in continuing to participate in the study. The main questions participants were asked wereconcerned with their experiences as principals in terms of their career pathways; the routes that they followed to principalship; and what motivated them to apply for the post. The collected data wastranscribed categorized and presented as themes with direct quotations from the participants to support the themes. The findings of this study were compared with the available literature on similar studies to determine similarities and differences. Conclusions were reached, recommendations were made and suggestions for future research on the topic were made from the findings of the study. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / Unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to describe the role that mentors played in the development of school principals. This study focused on the role of mentors as described by retired school principals on the informal mentoring process. It also identified and discussed differences the retired principals found in mentoring relationships among males and females. Qualatative methodology was used in this study. Principals who retired between 1960 and 1997 were interviewed and described the role that mentors played in their professional development and what role, if any, they played in a formal mentoring process. The mentors of the retired principals contributed significantly to their career development. During the time that they were serving as principal the nature of the mentor network was primarily informal. Most of the retired principals made no application for the principalship but were invited to serve in that position. Most participants believed that women were more likely to climb the career ladder with the help of a mentor. As their careers were nearing an end, some of the participants were involved in the development of formal mentoring programs. Whether engaged in formal or informal mentoring processes, all of the participants made contributions. Those participants who had mentors all chose to mentor others. Ultimately, the retired principals described mentoring as having made an important contribution to their development as school principals. They encouraged continued use of mentoring in both formal and informal venues. / Ed. D.

Published Article / Literature reveals the crucial influence of school leadership on the creation and maintenance of successful schools. In searching for new foundations to understand leadership, Raelin's leaderful practice model serves as an authentic model to describe a successful South African leadership practice. A qualitative study was used to interpret school leadership in primary schools through the lens of the leaderful practice model. The following observations emerged from the study: "It is passion that makes people succeed in life"; "It isn't my school, it's our school"; and "Development has to be an integral part of education". By sharing the leadership experiences of the principal, this study could serve as a valuable resource and promote the creation of other leaderful practices in South African schools.

Despite research on the school principalship having evolved over past decades, the prevailing standpoint has largely remained an outsider's perspective upon external behavioural manifestations of principalship. Whilst valuable in their own right, such models of research accord little importance to the effect of thought and intention on behaviour. The purpose of this research was to articulate the notion of a principal's "microcosm" as a means of capturing the dynamics of meaning making in the principalship, when the cognitive world of the principal and the actual work of school leadership interact. The functional context was the expectations of catholic school authorities that schools will engage in processes of continuous self-renewal. Following comprehensive analysis of recent theoretical and research literature, a preliminary framework for the principal's microcosm was generated. A single-investigator, multiple-site case study methodology was utilised to conduct the field research, which was carried out in a provincial city of an Australian state. Three principals were selected as the subjects for in-depth exploration and analysis over a period of 16 months. A range of qualitative research strategies was employed, encompassing formal and informal interactions with the three principals and selected members of their professional communities. On the basis of the field study, a refined framework for the principal's microcosm was developed. Four major conclusions were identified. First, the notion of microcosm offers promise as an explanatory and analytical tool for focussing upon the complexities of change in school settings. Second, metaphor was observed to be integral to microcosm and its usefulness for comprehending leader behaviours was identified. The third conclusion concerned the potential of the construct microcosm for facilitating leader development through assisting individual leaders to reflect upon and to critically examine personal meanings embedded within their own professional practice. Finally, this research makes a contribution to clarifying the nature of catholic education itself.

Research has documented the need for school districts to recruit and retain qualified school leaders capable of navigating the organizational challenges for school improvement, particularly in high-poverty, low-achievement contexts. Recently, scholars have studied principal pipeline structures implemented by school districts to recruit and retain effective principals. A key finding of this research is that clearly-defined standards and performance criteria can inform school districts' strategic identification and development of individuals with the potential to become effective principals. Further research is needed to understand and define potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals, commonly the largest candidate group in a principal pipeline. I used a qualitative case study design to investigate veteran principals' perceptions about potential and readiness for the principalship in assistant principals. Six principals in one urban school in Texas were purposefully selected based on their experience with supporting, developing, and/or endorsing former assistant principals for promotion to the principalship while under their supervision. I collected data through questionnaires and in-depth interviews to understand this phenomenon through the informants' lived experience. I found that the principals view professional competence and personal dispositions as indicators of potential and readiness for the principalship. They believe an assistant principal's potential to perform as a principal is evident in the processes and products of their work, but they don't believe all high-potentials are necessarily ready to become principals. Shared leadership was instrumental to developing readiness for the principalship in their assistant principals, and developing capacity by building on strength and targeting weakness worked equally well in their experience. Using these findings and existing research, I identify state and district-level policy implications for the field. I also make recommendations for further study of this topic in the future. / text