Leadership and management in public schools: Opportunities and challenges faced by school leaders in Punjab

Abstract

Punjab has been undergoing radical changes in transforming school education. Especially the governance structures (school being unit of analysis for improvement) influencing school and learning atmosphere. The proposed study focuses on scrutinizing these changes regarding school leadership in the era of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in Pakistan. Leadership is concerned with how Head Teachers (HTs) promote, manage, and monitor the teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and skills using ICT to support student learning. These structural changes have created an engaging, prolific, and fruitful rationale for researchers to discuss how the policy-mandated initiatives impact leadership for learning mainly in primary schools. A qualitative case study of district Hafizabad opted as the methodology. Thirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted, twenty-five with the HTs, seven with Assistant Education Officers, and the district supervisory staff. Thematic analysis was applied to reduce data and reach conclusions. There was an improvement in teaching-learning practices in school, but the pace of development could be faster. As a precursor to further research, this article highlighted gaps in policy and implementation for school improvement.

An Investigation of Brain-Based Learning Principles in Today's Changing Conditions

“…Although classes are crowded in some underdeveloped societies (Agbor & Ashabua, 2018), most schools have started to provide education with fewer students in today's developing conditions (Alfaraidy, 2020;Béteille et al, 2012;Kingdon, 2020). Educational environments that serve fewer students are more sensitive to studentoriented differences, resulting in more positive academic outcomes (Batool et al, 2022). Thus, brainbased learning can be facilitated in today's conditions that respect learners' differences and allow the creation of learning environments that are sensitive to these differences.…”

Excellence in healthcare: nurturing servant leadership, fostering collaborative culture and promoting social sustainability in the UAE – strategies for transformation

“…By putting their team members' development first, servant leaders can build trust across organizational ranks in cultures where authority is highly valued. This, in turn, aids in the development of a cooperative culture where people are more open to exchanging ideas, cooperating to achieve shared objectives, and communicating honestly (Batool et al, 2022). There is a perfect fit between the collectivist UAE culture and the servant leadership tenets.…”

Perceived Effectiveness of Leadership Styles for Improvement in Public Schools of Punjab

“…Even though there are no specific criteria for selecting school principals, they are selected only based on the promotion system, neglecting the leadership diploma or course requirements. This negatively impacted the efficiency and quality of the educational system (Batool et al, 2022).…”

“…While the culture of accountability, ownership, and workplace autonomy can empower employees to accept change through transformational leadership (Anderson, 2017). Some researchers, Batool et al, (2022) and Uslu (2019), explained that no single style works well in every context. When utilized interchangeably, these tools offer positive results while considering the unique circumstances and people you are interacting with.…”

“…The education system in Pakistan is an aggregation of multiple issues like gender discrimination, poor quality education, inconsistent policies, and high dropout rates (Batool et al, 2022). A sustainable and progressive society demands children be prepared for future challenges and market demand, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic (Kasim, 2022).…”