Global Research on Principal Leadership

Abstract

Large, sustained, multinational, and collaborative research networks are becoming more popular because of their power to produce findings that generalize across contexts as well as to provide contextually nuanced views of a phenomenon. In educational leadership, four major projects have been initiated since the beginning of the 21st century: The International Successful School Principalship Project; the International Study of the Preparation of Principals; Leadership for Learning; and the International School Leadership Development. These projects cover from seven to more than 20 countries and have run for 5 or more years. The discussion of these projects provides insight into principal effectiveness research and some guidance to those who seek to collaborate with colleagues nationally and internationally. International projects like these bring the interplay of leadership and context into focus and show that context is important in terms of educational success and how leadership is enacted. Despite the complexity in considering leadership and context, a standout feature of the projects is that across different contexts, there are general findings that emerge, either confirming contemporary understandings or proposing new views through the construction of leadership models, and recommendations emerge that can transcend contexts (such as the need for high-quality but contextually relevant leadership preparation programs). These international comparative projects are important works, as they endeavor to counter the blancmange view of education that comes through the pervasiveness of things like international testing programs and the reliance on meta-analyses.

Getting Off the List: Leadership, Learning, and Context in Two Rural, High-Needs Schools

“…In both case studies, culture and climate, a data-informed environment, high expectations, professional learning opportunities, strong relationships, and valuing the total child were key factors in fostering student learning in these high-needs schools. Many of these practices are reflective of core leadership practices (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005) and consistent with findings from Gurr’s meta-analyses of ISSPP and ISLDN case studies (Gurr, 2015; Gurr & Drysdale, 2018; Gurr et al, in press).…”

“…Scholars associated with the ISSPP extended the literature on effective school leadership to an international level, examining similarities and differences among the ways principals contribute to school success (see, e.g., Jacobson & Day, 2007; Johnson, 2007; Murakami-Ramalho, Garza, & Merchant, 2010; Ylimaki, Bennett, Fan, & Villasenor, 2012). In reviews of ISSPP (Gurr, 2015) and ISLDN research (Gurr & Drysdale, 2018; Gurr et al, in press), Gurr and his colleagues identified that effective principals adapted core leadership practices in accord with their school contexts. Importantly, they found, like Clarke and O’Donoghue (2017) and Bredeson et al (2011), that leaders of high-needs schools adapt their leadership practices in contextually responsive ways.…”

“…Some of the more recent scholarship has emanated from international research networks such as the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP; https://www.uv.uio.no/ils/english/research/projects/isspp/) and the International School Leadership Development Network (ISLDN; https://isldn.weebly.com). Scholars within these networks have sought to identify generalized, yet nationally relevant, effective school leadership practices (Gurr, Drysdale, & Goode, in press). Although numerous scholars associated with the ISSPP and the ISLDN have conducted research on effective leadership in high-needs schools, few of these scholars have focused specifically on successful leadership in rural contexts, where leaders encounter unique affordances and challenges (Preston, Jakubiec, & Kooymans, 2013).…”

Successful principal leadership in challenging American public schools: a brief history of ISSPP research in the United States and its major findings

“…Housed at the University at Buffalo (UB) at the State University of New York, the original team included Stephen Jacobson, Lauri Johnson, Corrie Giles, Rose Ylimaki, and Sharon Brooks. From 2005 to 09, this group published study findings often, including Jacobson et al (2005), Gurr et al . (in press) and Jacobson et al (2009), to name just a few.…”

Guest editorial The International Successful School Principalship Project: reflections and possibilities

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RationaleLarge, sustained, multi-nation and collaborative research networks are becoming more popular because of their power to produce findings that generalise across contexts and provide contextually nuanced views of a phenomenon (Day and Gurr, 2018). There have been four major projects of this type in educational leadership since the beginning of this century: The International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP); the International Study of the Preparation of Principals; Leadership for Learning and the International School Leadership Development (Gurr et al, 2020). Whilst there are other projects emerging (Gurr et al, 2021), the ISSPP has the broadest scope and is by far the most comprehensive.

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