The question which animates this thesis is the extent to which study of extant leadership theory and research is relevant to the fostering of educational leadership. Because this question cannot be answered without an adequate account of leadership in education, the thesis develops a conception of educational leadership and assesses the relevance of the leadership literature in light of that conception. The foundations upon which this conception of educational leadership is built are as follows: (1) the ordinary language meaning of "leadership," (2) the ideals fundamental to a liberal, democratic society, and (3) our ideal of the educated person. Conceptual analysis of "leadership" reveals that it is used both descriptively (to denote positions) and normatively (to rate something positively). The normative use spans a continuum of standards from weak to strong. Weak-normative leadership is ascribed according to the extent to which a leader has been able to influence others to pursue a goal. Strong-normative leadership is ascribed according to the extent to which the leader's ends and means are worthwhile. It is argued that, in general, people who want educational administrators to exercise leadership want strong-normative leadership, i.e., they want administrators to envision worthwhile goals and to use morally appropriate means to influence their colleagues to pursue these goals. Thus, the sense of leadership upon which the conception of educational leadership is based is the strong-normative sense. The ideals taken to be fundamental to a liberal democracy are: (1) equal respect for persons, (2) use of intelligence in problem solving and promoting change, (3) cooperation and pooled experience in setting values and solving problems, and (4) respect for individual rights. The ideal of the educated person is characterized in terms of the acquisition of worthwhile knowledge through means which respect rational autonomy. A conception of educational leadership compatible with these ideals is explicated and defended. Rival conceptions of educational leadership are examined. It is argued that the conception of educational leadership developed here is preferable to its rivals in that it incorporates their strengths and avoids many of their weaknesses. Leadership theory and research are examined and shown to be generally incompatible with the conception of educational leadership explicated and defended in this thesis, and with the ordinary language concept of leadership. The thesis concludes that it is probably not appropriate to make such theory and research the central component of courses which aim to foster or improve the exercise of educational leadership; rather, study of works which attempt to clarify and justify educational goals and means would seem to be more promising. / Education, Faculty of / Educational Studies (EDST), Department of / Graduate

Black principals who are leaders of predominantly Black urban schools experience the challenges of leading in school environments where students experience a higher rate of poverty, violence, and trauma, as compared to their White counterparts. Historically, pre-Brown v. Board, Black principals sought to create learning environments where they focused on a “whole child” approach, not only attending to the academic needs of students but also equally prioritizing their physical, emotional, and social needs as well. A component of a whole child approach is what, in more recent years, is referred to as social-emotional learning (SEL). Black principals today who believe in a whole child, holistic approach express the challenges of employing an SEL approach in environments of high accountability and high demand for behavior consequences. Historically and currently, Black principals operating in an “ethno-humanist” role express a connection with students that motivates them towards a compassionate, culturally responsive, individualized approach with their students. This qualitative study was done through interviews with 10 Black urban school principals to learn more about their beliefs, values, and practices with regards to SEL and Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL). Using a composite narrative case study approach to protect the identities of individual participants, study findings are presented as three major themes representing the articulated beliefs, values, and practices of the study principals: (1) Caring for Students: (2) Caring for Community, and (3) Caring for Self. A discussion of the findings revealed how the participants’ childhood experiences and upbringing informed their leadership practices, grounded in self-awareness and self-care, allowing them to sustain themselves in order to meet the social, emotional, cultural, and educational needs of Black children in urban schools. The study concludes with implications for practice and a proposed framework that bridges social-emotional learning and culturally relevant and responsive approaches to urban school leadership.

Mini-thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2006. / Inclusive Education is very much in its infancy stage in South Africa and therefore a lot of research still needs to be conducted in this area. In an attempt to find answers. many questions are being asked about this topic. The present study is one of those attempts. It is an effort to investigate what was provided in terms of training and support to mainstream educators in an inclusive educational setting in two schools which participated in the SCOPE Project in the Mpumalanga Department of Education. These educators were all subjected to a two-week training programme before commencement of the project. The researcher embarked on a search to establish whether the educators believed the training and support that they received was effective. Various studies. both local and abroad. suggest that training and support are the two issues that the majority of mainstream educators are most concerned about. when it comes to the implementation of inclusive education. The researcher specifically puts aspects like pre-service training. inservice training and continuous professional development (CPD) under the spotlight. with reference to training. With reference to the issue of support. a closer look is taken at classroom support. professional collaboration and peer support, in order to get a clearer understanding of what is needed in this regard. Lastly. the researcher also looked at the skills that can act as a "minimum requirement'· for the successful implementation of inclusive education in South African schools. Data were collected through the administration of a questionnaire. The main findings revealed that the majority of educators believed that the training. support and skills they received in preparation for the SCOPE were effective. The results were quite surprising. given the fact that on an international level. Most educators were still mostly concerned about training and support. the very issues under scrutiny in present study. This may be due to the fact that the sample was relatively small. In the same vein the study reveals significant food for thought e.g. integration of preservice and inservice training programmes, as well as value of continuous professional development. In addition the researcher identify parental involvement and collaboration between special and mainstream schools as key focus areas. especially within the South African context. where the National Department of Education has embarked on a twenty-year roll out plan. for the implementation of inclusive education in all South African schools.

No description available.

This research focuses on the analysis of the selection process for the appointment of educators in selected schools in Gauteng East District. The selection process includes advertising the post, shortlisting, interviews, ratification, as well as recommendation and appointment by the HoD. This study confines itself to how the selection processes and procedure for the appointment of educators are followed by the school governing body. The research is also concerned with the ability of the governing body to manage the impact of the selection process. It is essential for them to have the necessary skills and knowledge to manage the selection process. The legislative principles in terms of the selection process were also investigated. The study focuses on the selection process for the appointment of educators in four township schools, namely two primary and two secondary schools. The researcher used a qualitative approach to gather the information for the research. Semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions were conducted. Interviews were conducted with four principals and four chairpersons of school governing bodies. Findings of this research emanating both from a literature review and interviews reveal the importance of following the proper selection processes, procedures and the legal principles when appointing educators. The study also reveals the inadequate training of some school governing bodies to carry out the process. The type of training provided by the Department of Education has a negative impact on the outcomes of the selection process. This study also reveals that the legal requirements of the selection process are not considered during the selection process. The recommendations made are based on the findings of this research. The focus is on the importance of intensive training of school governing bodies to enable them to handle the selection process properly. These bodies have to deal properly with external influences that tend to have an undue influence on the outcome of the selection process. Objectivity has to prevail throughout the process. It is therefore imperative to empower school governing bodies in this regard. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal characteristics and pedagogical styles of effective abstinence instructors. Abstinence instructors receive regular training and evaluation and tend to remain in the abstinence education field for multiple years. Abstinence education programs are offered throughout the United States and present a pool of participants in which to sociologically examine the dynamics of the relationship of adolescents and instructors in a youth prevention program. This qualitative study is based on in-depth personal interviews of eight abstinence instructors who shared insights into their own teaching experiences, expressed their thoughts about who they are as a person and their experiences that impacted their teaching, what they know about teaching methods and relating to students, and how what they care about informed their instructional delivery. Three abstinence program administrators also presented their insights into effective abstinence instruction. Effective abstinence educators embody personal characteristics and pedagogical styles common to effective teachers in public schools and other positive youth development programs. Supporting the concept of teacher immediacy (Mehrabian, 1969, 1981), interview data indicate that abstinence instructors perceive that integrating who they are, what they know and what they care about into their teaching style and classroom persona increases their effectiveness. Findings from this study may inform recruitment, training, evaluation and retention of prevention program instructors for youth.

Illustrative matter of Music Educators National Conference, mounted on leaves, Appendix A-G. Abstract: p. 1-6. Autobiography: 1 p. at end. Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. Bibliography: p. 254-264.

The purpose of this study was to investigate selected landmark events in the historical development of the Texas Music Educators Association, 1938-1980, and the decisions which influenced their outcomes. A polling of twenty former presidents of TMEA selected the following landmark events that helped to shape the history of TMEA: (1) the change from a band organization to a music educators organization in 1938, (2) the University Interscholastic League takeover of contests in 1947, and (3) TMEA's separation from the Music Educators National Conference in 1976. In addition to developing a historical chronology from documentary sources, in-depth interviews were conducted with actual participants in these landmark events. The interviews utilized comparable questions, in order to identify decision-making patterns, while also capturing the atmosphere and visceral context of TMEA history. Literature from the social science disciplines on organizational decision—making was explored for help in understanding what happened, how, and why. In all three events the final decision was strongly influenced by factors external to the TMEA. The strong power position held by school administrators was evident in both the first and second events, while reinforcement from actively lobbying choral directors was also a factor in the first event only. The strong ultimatum from MENC, backed by their unchallenged charter authority, was a key factor in the third event. Still, TMEA continued to grow, and avoided debilitating organizational trauma. TMEA leaders often demonstrated a capacity to react quickly to sudden changes in the organizational environment, turning potential liabilities into assets. The TMEA was found to be an organization greatly dependent on the decisions of others, but strongly independent and self-sufficient in spirit. This independence has both negative and positive potential. It can become an unnatural barrier between Texas music educators and the MENC, or it can fuel the drive for professional excellence in music education.

The problems with which this study is concerned are to determine the applicability of the systems analysis process to educational settings and to provide data concerning the beliefs and attitudes of educators concerning educational computing. A questionnaire was used in a case study of a medium-sized Texas independent school district to measure the beliefs and attitudes of educators toward educational applications of computers. Chi-square goodness of fit tests that use specified frequencies were applied for each statement and each corresponding distribution of responses.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005.