Lärare vill bli stöttade och sedda Tjugo lärares tankar om skolledarskap Sharon Elhanati Berlin   Studien tar avspark i den komplexa vardagsverklighet skolledare och lärare verkar i och avser att belysa vilka aspekter av skolledarskapet som ges betydelse när lärare beskriver sina förutsättningar för att uppleva meningsfullhet i arbetet.  Det empiriska underlaget utgörs av skriftliga berättelser samt intervjuer. Totalt medverkade 20 lärare. Studien är upplagd som en tematisk analys med en kvalitativ ansats. Analysen av lärarnas berättelser resulterade i ett antal skolledarskapsaspekter med betydelse för lärarna. Dessa aspekter kodades i fem teman som gavs betydelse: (1) att känna stöd, (2) att känna sig sedd, (3) att känna förtroende, (4) betydelsen av struktur samt (5) kompetens hos ledaren. Att känna stöd gavs betydelse av flest lärare, vilket kan antas bero på att skolledarstöd i synnerhet blir viktigt när läraruppdraget försvåras av den osäkerhet som genomgripande förändringar i skolan genererar. Studien bidrar med kunskap om vad som är viktigt för lärare i relation till sina ledare. Studien synliggör vidare ett behov av att sätta skolledarskapet på agendan ifråga om vad som egentligen ligger i uppdraget och aktualiserar en diskussion om på vilket sätt skolledaren kan skapa förutsättningar för att stötta lärarna på bästa tänkbara sätt. / Teachers want to be supported and acknowledged The thoughts of twenty teachers about school leadership      Sharon Elhanati Berlin   The study finds its beginning in the complexity of the everyday reality school leaders and teachers work in, and aims to illustrate which aspects of leadership are given significance when teachers describe their prerequisites to experience meaningfulness in their work. The empiric basis consists of written stories and interviews. In total, 20 teachers participated. The study is arranged as a thematic analysis with a qualitative research approach. The analysis of the stories resulted in clarifying a number of leadership aspects which hold significance for the teachers. These aspects were sorted into five main themes: (1) to feel/have support, (2) to feel acknowledged, (3) to feel trusted, (4) significance of structure and (5) leadership competence. To feel/have support was given significance by most teachers. The reason for this is assumed to be the high importance of leadership when the teaching assignment is made difficult/unclear due to insecurity generated by overall change in the school. This study offers new insights to what is important to teachers in relation to their school leaders. The study reveals a need to put school leadership on the agenda regarding what lies within the assignment and brings to date the query of how school leaders can create prerequisites to give the best possible support to the teachers.       Keywords: teachers, aspects of leadership, school leaders, meaningfulness, support

This study focused on competencies considered important in the selection of principals from the perspectives of effective principals on the Texas–Mexico border. The competencies of effective K-12 principals included in the study were initially advanced by Marzano et al. (2005). Specifically, an attempt was made to determine which competencies are considered important, how these were assessed during the selection of effective principals, and whether differences in importance existed by school level (elementary, middle, and high school). Using purposeful sampling, the principals were selected from a list of high-performing schools from data provided by the Center of Research, Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education. A total of 100 principals participated in the study. Data were collected using an electronic survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Additionally, emerging data were analyzed using the narratives provided by the respondents in reference to other competencies and other ways the competencies were assessed during the selection process. Findings indicated that whereas all the identified competencies were endorsed to be considered in the selection of an effective school leader, 2 were the most important: communication and visibility. Next highest in importance were focus; involvement in curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and culture. Additional findings indicated 8 emerging competencies, with the premier being data-driven decision making. Findings also indicated that most of the competencies were assessed by means of two types of interviews: interview with the committee or interview with the superintendent or designee. On the other hand, some of the respondents reported the competencies were not assessed, but a few were assessed using other methods, such as checking references, a Gallup survey, and experience in the district. Some were simply appointed to the position. Findings also indicated that the endorsement of the identified competencies differed by school level to some extent. Communication was endorsed as most important by elementary and middle school principals, whereas the high school principals endorsed visibility as the most important competency to consider when hiring a principal. Finally, implications for the selection of effective principals are offered. Moreover, suggestions for further inquiry that might illuminate other aspects of the hiring process are presented. / text

School administrators are charged with guiding, overseeing, and ensuring the successful education of all students. They use myriad techniques to this end, though not all students share in the success. For example, Black male students are more likely to underperform than are other groups of students, which places their academic and economic survival at risk (Kirsch, Braun, Yamamoto, and Sum, 2007). The focus of this study was on Black male student performance in Algebra 1. Algebra 1 plays a pivotal role in academic success and is a leading indicator of a students likelihood of success in advanced mathematics courses (Wang and Goldschmidt, 2003). Failure to learn and understand the content in Algebra 1 results in limitations on further mathematical opportunities in the short-term, which, in turn, reduces prospects for continued education beyond secondary school. The purpose of this study was to examine and identify specific school leadership practices that influence and improve the Algebra 1 performance of Black male students. Interviews with principals, lead math teachers, and school counselors provided qualitative data related to school-level leadership practices. Additionally, I conducted document reviews of school newsletters, parent letters, robocall messages, lesson plans, and websites. Analyses of the interviews and documents revealed six themes: (a) effective instructional leadership, (b) culture of collaboration, (c) facilitation and scheduling, (d) parental involvement, (e) intervention and remediation, and (f) resources. This study has implications and applications for the practices of school leaders, mathematics teaching and learning, and programs to support Black male students. / Ed. D.

Abstract is available to download.

Considerable research has been conducted over time on possible gender differences, with varying results regarding the existence and/or degree of differences. In particular, research on differences in leadership practices of men and women have abounded since the 1970s as women began to make their way into management and supervisory positions. In todays work force, several generations can be found working together within a single work setting. Possibly, differences in leadership may be more generational than gender related; however, little research has considered both gender and generation as variables. This study adds to literature relating to the existence of gender and/or generational differences in leadership through a quantitative study enhanced with follow-up interviews conducted within four Florida counties. Quantitative results revealed no statistically significant gender or generational differences in perceived leadership practices of elementary school administrators. However, interviews revealed that perception of both gender and generational differences exists among practicing school administrators. The results suggest that school districts have succeeded in "teaching old dogs new tricks." This implication is supported in the interview responses whereby all of the participants indicated that in-service training and professional development were key factors that influenced their leadership practices, possibly minimizing gender and/or generational differences in leadership practices. The differing results from the interview responses imply that school districts may need to provide more opportunities for school leaders to engage in dialogue about their practices, thus providing peer administrators with a more accurate picture of their colleagues practices. Further research on the opportunities school leaders are afforded to engage dialogue with their peers about their practices may provide further insight into the interview responses in this study. The size of the school district should be a variable of interest in further research on this topic. Continued research on gender and generational leadership differences may include a larger sample population, secondary school leaders, peer perceptions, and subordinate perceptions.

Today, digital technologies (DT) can be said to play an important role in the Swedish school system. The goal of this essay was to describe DT use by school leaders, in relation to their views on schools’ goals and visions, and teachers’ and students’ use of DTs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five school leaders of secondary schools in Umeå municipality, Sweden. The results show that school leaders’ use of DTs center on three key tasks: communication, information and administration. Further, it is shown that school leaders’ views vary in regards to DTs’ role in school goals, and visions, for digital use. In the discussion/analysis it is argued that school leaders’ views on DTs in schools can be explained as functionalistic, and that this view may inhibit new uses for DTs in schools, and also give a dysfunctional view on the technologies that school leaders do not use. In conclusion it is argued that school leaders might need to reflect more about the DT use of schools

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Indiana University of Pennsylvania. / Includes bibliographical references.

Scholarly research has been written on the forces behind the barriers preventing Hispanic women from reaching the top of the public school ladder. These barriers are to be recognized and addressed. This study focuses not on the barriers which hinder forward and upward career movement, but instead examines how many Hispanic American women have not allowed these barriers to prevent them from achieving their goals of attaining the principalship. This study seeks to determine how Hispanic women principals came to grips with the challenges and barriers to promotion, and to success as K‒12 school leaders. This qualitative research study consisted of 12 Hispanic female school principals from the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. The three districts selected were Fort Worth Independent School District, Arlington Independent School District, and Grand Prairie Independent School District. Three principals were from Grand Prairie Independent School District, two principals were from Arlington Independent School District, and seven principals were from the Fort Worth Independent School District. All of the 12 Hispanic school principals were interviewed. From the responses to each of the questions, themes became evident. The themes expressed what individual principals had done and the strategies they used to overcome the varied barriers which they confronted. The responses to the interview questions and the themes were very insightful and displayed the women's tenacity, courage, perseverance, and determination to succeed in their aspirations to become Hispanic female principals and leaders in their school districts.

Education is widely regarded as the engine of personal development and is fundamental in shaping the social trajectory of the society. Conversations about the response of boys to education over recent decades have highlighted worrying concerns. Persistent low achievement of boys in school appears to be concurrent with negative social behaviors of under-educated young men in the society. It is recognized that improvement in boys’ development, performance and educational outcomes at the school level has the potential to contribute to healthy engagement by boys in their community and nation. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the experiences of school leaders in facilitating the education of boys and to analyze those experiences to address the problems of boys’ achievement. The study also sought to understand the dimension of leadership efficacy relative to the education of boys in Jamaica. The researcher examined the Attribution Theory to understand how beliefs about boys’ education and the efficacy of school leaders may affect the ways boys behave and become motivated to achieve. Although the Attribution Theory provides some guidelines about the causality of the degree of achievement among boys, this theoretical frame alone is insufficient in providing a full understanding of the range of experiences encountered by school leaders in facilitating boys’ education. Four fundamental question guided this study: (a) to what factors do school leaders attribute boys’ achievement? (b) How do school leaders respond to key artifacts attributable to the education of boys in secondary schools in Central Jamaica? (c) What do school leaders do in response to those factors believed to attribute to boys’ achievement? (d) How effective do school leaders think their responses are to factors attributable to boys’ achievement? Responses to these questions were provided by three categories of school leaders (Principal, Guidance Counsellor and the Head of Department for Languages) totaling twelve respondents across four schools, who responded to a structured one-on-one interview. The interviews were audio-taped, then transcribed and manually coded for thematic analysis and discussion. The findings of the study points to the importance of supportive environments to boys’ achievement. This includes providing home and school environments that are welcoming and supportive; display of understanding and appreciation by school leaders of sociological factors impacting boys; and the provision of mentorship and motivation by school leaders. With regard to key artifacts of boys’ education, school leaders have rated teaching plans highly, and also point to significant gaps relating to curriculum relevance for boys. Additionally, the findings illustrate that the factors school leaders consider as most impactful on boys’ education are the ones they have greatest control over (e.g., quality of teaching, curriculum structure and relevance). Finally, the findings also point to the notion that efficacy of school leaders in responding to factors attributable to boys’ achievement is heavily skewed in favor of curriculum and instruction, and professional development support given to teachers. Analysis of the findings reveals key implications for practice. First, there is the need to plan deliberately for boys: organize a dedicated resource pool; enhance practical programs and organize welfare and motivation support. Second, approaches to teaching must be explored, to include appropriate strategies for engaging boys; incorporate differentiated instruction and provide adequate co-curricular support that are attractive. Third, collaboration with other interest such as external stakeholders: Parent Teachers Association, Alumni and the corporate sector helps to build structures to enhance boys’ experiences at school. Fourth, giving attention to curriculum structure and relevance is regarded by school leaders as vital for the productive engagement of boys. Such attentiveness allows for improvement to curriculum implementation and monitoring; and improve quality of learning environment, aesthetically and psycho-socially. Additionally, implications for research includes: (a) the exploration of a variety of modalities to generate best practices for engaging boys; (b) the conduct of case studies to determine connections between school leadership and the levels of educational achievement. Key recommendations associated with the research questions include: having shared policy on the issue of boys’ education; conduct action research to determine best pedagogical practices; strengthen communication with parents and external stakeholders; and contextualize the curriculum to ensure relevance to boys. Achievement of these through deliberate actions, will augur well for boys’ educational development. / Educational Administration

The qualitative approach used in this study captured and described ethical conflict experienced by a sample of practicing educational leaders. Narrative inquiry data were collected from 42 former and current doctoral students and additional data were captured through follow-up interviews with selected participants. The major findings of the study suggest that ethical conflict is inherent in the practice of educational leadership. Such conflict is most often experienced in relation to colleagues when the ethics of justice and care collide. Leaders’ ability to mitigate conflict that is often the result of institutional and external factors is promoted by varied background and contextual experiences. Educational leaders also felt that ethics and ethical competence is essential to the role of educational leader and that pre- and in-service preparation is important.