This study explored successful leadership practices in challenging circumstances within the context of two case study schools. It was a qualitative case study of two secondary schools that have consistently performed above national average over a period of five years for matric pass rate. These township schools are headed by a female and a male principal. The study provides greater insights into leadership practices in the schools. The study showed that shared leadership was not practiced in the case schools. Shared (distributive) leadership implied that principals in the case schools would be practicing collective forms of leadership. However, delegation, which was about authority and accountability residing with the principal, seemed more prevalent. The findings revealed that both principals saw themselves as delegating most of the tasks to their subordinates, even though these tasks belonged to the subordinates by virtue of their formal appointments. The case schools have two deputies who share administrative and curriculum responsibilities. The deputy principals are there to deputise and assist the principal - duties that are lawfully theirs. The same applies to the HoDs whose duties are to oversee curriculum delivery in the classroom. These are not a delegated function but an execution of their responsibilities. In both case schools, evidence shows that the schools are successful because of the initiative of individual teachers who exert themselves in the classroom.

This thesis' main theme is successful principal leadership in secondary schools within the Swedish education system. Successful principal leadership is examined from three perspectives: What are the processes of a successful principal? Do the leadership processes relate to successful academic and social outcomes of schools? What are the prerequisites for successful principal leadership? The Frame Factor Model and the three concepts of prerequisites, processes and outcomes constitute an overarching framework. The prerequisites are categorized as internal prerequisites (the particular characteristics of individual principals) and external prerequisites operating within the Swedish educational environment. The successful principal processes are viewed as pedagogical leadership processes, on one hand as providing prerequisites for teaching and learning and, on the other hand as leading the core processes of teaching and learning. The definitions build on the empirical data, on the Swedish national curriculum and demands for pedagogical leadership, and on international findings on what successful principals do. The outcomes of successful principal leadership are here defined as the academic and the social outcomes of schools. The research undertaken is part of the research project 'Structure, Culture, Leadership - Prerequisites for Successful Schools?' The empirical data for this thesis are gathered in twenty-six Swedish secondary schools whereof five are regarded successful schools based on both academic and social outcomes. The findings, reported on in four articles, derive from interviews and questionnaires to principals and teachers. The principals in the main identify prerequisites of importance that are within their own realm of influence, such as themselves, teachers and school district level. They consider a limited area of responsibility and support from district level specialists as providing possibilities for their success. The principals accept the national governance of schools and principals via the national curriculum. The principals in the five successful schools however take a higher degree of responsibility for setting direction towards national goals, for processes inside schools and for school outcomes than do principals in less successful schools.They as pedagogical leaders attend to a higher degree both to providing prerequisites for teaching and learning and to leading the core processes of teaching and learning than do principals in less successful schools. In schools with a successful implementation of social goals, which shows as successful social outcomes, the principals, according to teachers, overall take responsibility for their national objectives and obligations to a higher degree than principals in schools with a less successful implementation of social goals. The implementation of social goals is of importance not only from an outcome perspective but also from a process perspective. It requires collaborative interpretation which can promote principal-staff professional relations and ultimately student learning. The identified overall differences between principals' leadership processes and processes in the twenty-six schools raise questions around consequences for equivalence in education. / Struktur, kultur, ledarskap- förutsättningar för framgångsrika skolor?

This causal comparative study examined the relationship of the school demographic factors of ethnicity, socioeconomic percentages, academic performance, and school location (urban versus rural) on principal leadership with data analyzed when schools were placed into groups ex-post-facto. One-Hundred and sixty-nine teachers representing six public high schools located in Virginia were surveyed using Powell's (2004) survey. Five areas, or domains of leadership were analyzed, (I) Vision, Mission, and Culture; (II) Curriculum and Classroom Instruction; (III) Collaboration and Shared Leadership; (IV) Family and Community Involvement; (V) Effective Management. Quantitative data were analyzed (means, frequency, ANOVA, Tukey-Kramer HSD) with school results placed into demographic groups and locations to examine group differences in perceptions of principal leadership. Significant differences were found when schools were grouped according to location and demographic factors. A model of the contextual elements on the role of principal leadership was developed, and implications for research and future studies were presented. / Ed. D.

IN ENGLISH: The final thesis deals with the issue of further education and development of teachers in primary schools and kindergartens. The theoretical part is based on the characteristics of successful schools and learning organizations. The role of the headmaster and his activities is explained with regards to specifics of the school. Described career development tools are applied to the school environment. Research part of the thesis provides information about the use of described career development tools in surveyed kindergartens and elementary schools. A partial unplanned finding is the information that nearly half of the headmasters does not feel accordingly expertly equipped for leading teachers in their professional development.

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