Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate ethical leadership in the context of the Arab educational system in Israel. It questions the relations of ethical leadership dimensions with decision making as well as background characteristics of the educational leaders.
Design/methodology/approach
Arab educational leaders (n=150) from diverse Arab schools responded to valid research tool of 40 items constructed of six subscales: three ethical leadership dimensions (critique, justice and care) and three leadership work aspects (ethical sensitivity, climate and decision making). Averages were calculated for each subscale.
Findings
Significant relations were found among ethical leadership dimensions and decision making, the leaders’ school type and their seniority.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on research in diverse countries, using a common conceptual frame. Its limitation is the sample’s narrow scope.
Practical implications
The study results may inform the developing ethical qualities in educational leadership.
Originality/value
The authors recommend widening the scope of the sample examined to further clarify the concept of ethical leadership and its implications to the practice of educational leadership.
The trend towards gender equality in principalship appointments continues to interest researchers, especially when it appears in traditional societies that maintain patriarchal, anti-feminist attitudes and values. Arab society in Israel is undergoing transition from traditionalism to modernism. Arab women hold the majority of Arab school teaching positions, but patriarchal opposition erupts when they aspire to attain principalship positions. This article reports on a study that examined attitudes of teacher colleagues towards the appointment of women principals. The findings indicated that women principals were perceived as creating a pleasant atmosphere at school, yet all the teachers agreed that women had inferior abilities to conduct relations with external bodies. Male teachers expressed significantly more patriarchal attitudes than female teachers. Surprisingly, teachers with higher-level education expressed more resistance to female leadership than those without academic degrees. The discussion suggests ways to achieve gender equality in the appointment of school principals in Arab society in Israel.
The study supports previous findings about the added value gained by longterm improvement of instructional skills after participation in even a brief workshop. The meaningful improvement in instructor availability to students is associated with the workshops' emphasis on a learner-centred approach and the need to provide continuous feedback.
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