This Doctoral thesis has arisen from a developing interest in the synergy between leadership, culture and ethos in schools, and particularly how this is manifested in the generation of quality curriculum, effective school organization and excellent outcomes for students. It particularly explores how the leadership of the Principal can empower others to effect change. Early interest in the empowering role of leadership arose through experience at Head of Department level, extended by system contribution beyond the school. The conception of the interface between leadership, culture and ethos was cemented by appointment as Foundation Principal of a new Government high school. A passionate commitment to exploring the unique opportunities, and to attempting to resolve the very specific problems of a new school led to collaboration with other Foundation Principals. Subsequently, I undertook a review of the literature and research into the specific issues inherent in the establishment of a school. Data was collected in situ through visits to new schools, across four States in eastern Australia. This research led to positions of system leadership in new schooling, and to advocacy for a “new deal” for establishing schools. The research led to a growing portfolio of articles, two of which have been published in refereed journals. The desired outcome of the research and published papers was to document some initiatives which could be undertaken by leadership teams in schools as they sought to establish effective culture and ethos in the early years of their schools. My experience in schools identified the position of Head of Department as a critical, gatekeeping position for the cultivation or resistance of desired change in schools. Accordingly, I was part of a research study which employed a Grounded Theory methodology (Strauss and Corbin, 1990) and gathered data through telephone interviews. The research found Heads of Department typically distracted, by the sheer weight of tasks endemic to their role, from the major focus on curriculum and quality teaching and learning. Three refereed journal articles to which I contributed, one as lead author, sought to reconceptualise the role. Educational systems have shown considerable interest in this research. A focus on Heads of Department led fairly naturally to an attempt to identifying other agencies within a school which could lead to cultural change. Specifically, further research sought to identify initiatives available to the leadership team as it sought to enhance curriculum provision and student outcomes. This represented an attempt to apply the very considerable literature to develop some cutting edge initiatives, and led to further journal contributions, one of which was refereed. Other schools have shown considerable interest in these initiatives. A change of situation from the Government to the Independent schooling system provided a new practical and research challenge: how to undertake Christian education which was authentic, in the sense that it was truly educative and not indoctrinative, and was effective in transmitting Christian values. The literature in the field was not encouraging in terms of the efficacy of schools’ Christian education programs in effecting values change, or of the ethical integrity of their pedagogy. The apparent deficits in models of Christian education presented in schools, as revealed in the literature, gave rise to a number of research studies in my own school, which, as an outcome, has sought to reconceptualise the school’s approach to Christian education. This attempted reconceptualisation has been documented in a number of journal articles and publications, two co-authored and refereed, in an attempt to provide some exemplars which may be influential in other schools. The overall thesis of this dissertation is that when the Principal seeks to empower and mobilize other members of the school leadership team, including key teachers and parents, effective change can occur in the school’s culture and ethos. These changes in turn can feature a range of initiatives which substantially improve learning outcomes for students. / Doctor of Education (Ed.D)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/241740 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Collier, John, University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
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