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Global research suggests that successful school principals are those who apply a judicious mix of instructional, distributed and transformational models of leadership. These approaches are explicitly advocated in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB), the government’s main education reform document that was launched in 2013. The MEB sets out an ambitious plan for all schools to have high performing principals, and high performance is associated with these three models rather than the administrative leadership which is more common in Malaysian schools. The MEB suggests that the aspiration of placing high performing leaders in all schools can be achieved by improving and refining the selection process for new principals, and by requiring them to acquire the National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders (NPQEL). The MEB also places a strong emphasis on instructional leadership as one of the more effective leadership approaches, which current and future principals should adopt. This thesis presents the findings from a mixed methods study designed to examine the leadership features and practices of principals deemed to be high performing, serving in selected schools in Malaysia. These principals are deemed high performing because they are recipients of two government awards, the Excellent Principals award and the New Deals award. The study examines the extent to which instructional, transformational and distributed leadership are practiced by the principals, drawing on the following data sources: interviews with three senior policymakers; documentary analysis of relevant policies and circulars and questionnaires filled in by 20 ‘high performing’ principals and their teachers. The data is further supplemented with interviews with six out the 20 high performing principals and their respective senior leadership team member and teachers. The findings suggest that principals who are deemed high performing in the selected Malaysian schools enact instructional leadership modestly compared to distributed leadership and transformational leadership. A tentative framework of core leadership practices enacted by principals who are deemed high performing, derived from the findings of this study, is presented at the end of this study.

<p> Previous research focused on characteristics of effective teachers, teacher recruitment or new pathways to teaching (Ball &amp; Forzani, 2009; Ronfeldt et. al., 2014). However, there is a gap in the research regarding the best path to prepare secondary math teachers. Universities create a customized path of preparation based on their beliefs within the scope of a set of standards given by organizations such as the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics or National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Further research supports the necessity for both content and pedagogical knowledge (Ball, 2000; Graham &amp; Fennell, 2001; NCATE, 2010; Thames &amp; Ball, 2010). Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study pursues to increase the research by uncovering perceptions of secondary math teacher preparation with the standards, content knowledge, and content pedagogical knowledge. The study included two universities&rsquo; programs to gain awareness as to the interpretations of novice teachers, cooperating teachers, and University professors of the pre-service training program used to prepare future secondary mathematics educators. The findings suggest: while only the Mathematics Education Professor at both Universities were the only study participants to have a vast knowledge of the standards it did not seem to impede on the overall preparation of the novice teacher. Novice and Cooperating teachers lacked the vision for the purpose and value of upper level math classes required for the degree. Both Novice and Cooperating Teachers wanted an increase in opportunities for real-world content pedagogical situations along with differentiation, coteaching, and Special Education. Novice teachers acknowledged the need for relationships with University professors and peers in their path toward preparation. Lastly, Mathematics Education Professors stated value in making connections between courses and research to high school math. Furthermore, the finding suggest for teacher preparation program: to prepare secondary math teachers for the current culture of mathematics education, content and pedagogical courses should not be separated and a push to increase program enrollment should be a priority.</p><p>

This thesis investigates the history of two Liberal Studies curricula in Hong Kong: Advanced Supplementary Level Liberal Studies (ASL LS) and New Senior Secondary Liberal Studies (NSS LS), which were introduced under two successive academic structures. The former follows the English Britain academic structure, with five-year junior and senior secondary, two further secondary years for matriculation, and a three-year undergraduate higher education. The latter resembles the Chinese academic structure with three years' junior secondary, three years' senior secondary and four year of undergraduate higher education. ASL LS formed part of the matriculation education curriculum and lasted for two years under the old academic structure; NSS LS is a component of a three-year senior secondary education under the new academic structure. The shift of academic structures in Hong Kong took place between 2009 and 2012, during which transition period both academic structures existed in parallel. This research has two main purposes. The first is to examine the history of the two Liberal Studies curricula. The second is to find out the key factors shaping the two curricula. The results and findings are mainly based mainly on documentary analysis supplemented by interviews with men and women who played significant parts in shaping the Liberal Studies curriculum. This historical research identifies three key overlapping stages in the development of Liberal Studies. The first stage relates to the formation and implementation of the ASL LS from 1992 to 2012. The second stage, beginning in September 2001, covers the consultation over and implementation (up to August 2014) of NSS LS. The third and comparatively short stage covers September to December 2014. This was initiated by the 79 day 'Occupy Central' and the 'Umbrella' movements in support of universal suffrage for the Legislative Council Election in 2016 and Chief Executive Election in 2017. While the predominant view in the academic literature locates the origins of Liberal Studies in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984, Legislative Council records show that ideas about liberal studies began to emerge as early as 1978. Factors shaping the Liberal Studies curriculum are also identified at international, regional and local levels. The Liberal Studies curricula is seen as resulting from the interplay of factors at all three levels, with local level factors played the decisive role.

<p> The purpose of this study was to identify misconceptions and perceptions of best teaching practices to better bring about conceptual change in thermodynamics, a core idea within the high school physical science Next Generation Science Standards. This study identified student misconceptions related to a thermodynamics unit, focusing on misconceptions related to temperature and energy, temperature and perceptions of hot/cold, and heat capacity. I also sought to identify factors that students and I, separately, identified as affecting their thinking. Data includes a pre-test and a post-test given to high school chemistry students. The instruments included multiple-choice and free-response questions. I also kept a teacher journal of my thoughts throughout the unit. The unit was somewhat successful in addressing heat energy and temperature misconceptions as more students answered post-test questions correctly when compared to the pre-test responses. Students identified labs and out of class experiences as affecting their thinking, which I agree with and would also include activities that make students more aware of their own thinking along with group discussion and modeling.</p><p>

There are established notions about the importance of distributed leadership in school leadership practice. Theory and research on this currently popular leadership model mostly emanate from western contexts, notably Australia, UK and the USA. It has been portrayed as an emergent model, with professionals choosing to initiate leadership in schools and classrooms. It is closely linked to teacher leadership, because distribution invariably involves teachers. This thesis focuses on leadership practice in selected secondary schools in Nigeria, from a distributed perspective. It is based on research in Edo state, using a multiple case study design. Nigeria has a centralised education system and schools tend to have a typical hierarchical structure. This raises the question about whether and how distributed leadership can operate in such a hierarchical context. The findings show that distribution occurs in the four case study schools but that it is largely allocative, rather than emergent, with school principals allocating tasks and, to a lesser extent, roles, to teachers and leaders. The case studies indicate that hierarchical distribution of school leadership can be accomplished through such allocative distributed leadership, with distribution occurring to those who occupy both formal and informal leadership roles. The research raises questions about the differences between this mode of distribution and established notions of delegation and explores this distinction. The thesis examines a globally significant leadership model and applies it to the under-published context of Nigerian secondary schools. The research is likely to be relevant to other centralised systems considering whether and how to adapt their leadership and management practice.

Transition into first-time headship is a challenge, as the new leader lets go of their former role as a teacher/deputy and at the same time prepares to adopt a new professional persona. This research explores the nature of transition as experienced by six deputies moving to be heads of independent schools which are new to them. It identifies what is distinctive about the experience and what can be learnt which may be of benefit to future generations of new headteachers and the schools they join. It focusses on the challenges inherent in making this transition, and the strategies these fledgling heads adopt as they navigate the process. Six research participants are tracked through the final months of their deputy headship and into the early months of their first headship. They simultaneously let go of their deputy role, paving the way for their successors in that role, while preparing to take on the professional responsibilities of the headteacher. Socialisation into this new role is reciprocal, as the new head affects, and is affected by, the school community they join. The new heads negotiate the tension, and attempt to find balance, between inheriting the role from their predecessor and inhabiting this role and making it their own. The time in between being appointed to headship and formally assuming the position offers these heads-elect the opportunity to begin to divest themselves of their deputy role and take on the mantle of the school leader. During this lead-in period these incoming heads devise strategies, access support, explore and experiment as they continue the process of formulating and articulating their conception of the head they hope to be, and begin their tentative steps towards realising that vision. In addition to data from semi-structured interviews, shadowing these deputies/new heads and discussion with those who worked most closely with them, and who knew them best, opened up a wider perspective on the two-way socialisation process and the nature of transition to headship.

<p> With incidences such as the Trayvon Martin shooting and the Freddie Gray death dominating the headlines, it is clear that racial tension and sensitivities are still prevalent in American society. These events highlight the struggles that many African-Americans are facing as a part of their daily lives. African-American males have had to overcome many obstacles and challenges to receive equal treatment, rights, and protections. Unfortunately, their journey for equality is long from over.</p><p> Cardinal Potter High School in Maryland was a diverse and supportive community. African-American males made up a large percentage of the student body. For many, opportunities associated with academic leadership activities had been underutilized. When it came to participation in Student Council and other formal leadership organizations, many African-American males were not choosing these organizations and mainly participated in athletics or cultural relevant clubs causing a leadership gap.</p><p> This qualitative research study looked at the various causes or influences on African-American males in participating in formal leadership activities. For this study, leadership is defined as the ability to positively influence others in an official position or through participation. By interviewing 25 graduates of the school, I was able to determine if there were structural issues within the school and societal influences that attributed to this leadership gap. Further, I explored various other factors such as media, family life, peer groups, and other areas. Finally, I was able to identify motivating factors that influenced African-American males to take leadership roles and countered internalized beliefs on masculinity, success, and leadership.</p><p> The following research questions helped to direct this study: 1. What factors do African-American male alumni of Cardinal Potter High School attribute to the underrepresentation of African-American males in student academic leadership roles? 2. What factors of school culture do participants attribute to this leadership gap? 3. What aspects of the African-American community contribute to promote African-American male leadership?</p>

<p> Studies show that students in lower socioeconomic status (SES) districts tend to have fewer resources, and in turn have greater achievement gaps than their affluent peers from neighboring districts. In an effort to bridge these gaps, schools have turned to 1:1 computing to bring electronic resources to their students that they might not have otherwise. However, to date there are minimal studies indicating whether or not high school students are willing to accept technology for classroom instructional purposes. This study examined the extent to which student demographic characteristics (e.g., sex, race/ethnicity, SES) are related to their acceptance of Chromebook use for instructional purposes during the initial implementation of a 1:1 initiative using framework of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. This study used quantitative correlational methods, using data from a survey that was administered to 171 public high school students in the Midwest region of the United States. Results indicated that the UTAUT model was upheld. Effort expectancy (EE) and performance expectancy (PE) positively predicted behavioral intention (BI), and race/ethnicity also had a relationship with BI. This study also found statistically significant interaction effects for experience &times; PE as well as gender &times; EE. Additionally, this study found that while including SES as a moderating effect did not result in statistically significant effects, the inclusion of the PE &times; SES and EE &times; SES interaction effect in the model resulted in a statistically significant relationship between race/ethnicity and BI.</p><p>

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