Shaping the image of the great headmaster

Protherough, Robert

doi:10.1080/00071005.1984.9973690

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The rise of mass public schooling in the nineteenth century was closely linked to the emergence of nation states and allied to the needs of emerging industrial economies. European school systems were framed on monocultural assumptions and imperial ambitions, and borrowed leadership practice from aristocratic and military traditions (Protherough, 1984). Public systems in the USA mimicked Taylor's principles for the production line (Tyack, 1974).…”

Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Constructing theory for leadership in intercultural contexts

Collard

2007

Journal of Educational Administration

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PurposeEstablished educational leadership discourse has been dominated by Anglo‐American perspectives oblivious to the cultural diversity that characterizes the contemporary world. It has frequently privileged mono‐cultural, mainstream values which have meant indigenous and ethnic groups have suffered alienation, exclusion and disadvantage. Western‐led educational interventions in developing nations also frequently fail to acknowledge the rich cultural traditions of recipient societies and theories and practice are rarely appropriately scrutinized for “cultural fit”. The purpose of this paper is to construct a theory for leadership in intercultural contexts.Design/methodology/approachThe article reviews how monocultural assumptions of colonial and national leadership cultures in the past were frequently inappropriate for the diverse populations they were intended to serve. The global era has witnessed the emergence of cross‐cultural theory and research paradigms to combat cultural blindness and develop cultural sensitivities. While applauding these developments, the epistemological assumptions that underlie such research are questioned. A case for more nuanced theory, which acknowledges complex interactions between agents from different cultures, is developed. This includes a call for more dynamic research tools based upon constructivist and phenomenological premises.FindingsCross‐cultural research has generated territorial maps that promote insight and mutual understandings. However, it relies upon essentialist stereotypes that mask the existence of complex sub‐cultures and dynamic forces of change within national cultures. Case study research which taps the subjective understandings of cultural actors is cited to reveal a more complex process of interaction between cultural agents.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a theoretical exploration, not an empirical report. It is limited by the scarcity of existing research in a fledgling field.Practical implicationsThe article encourages researchers to move from observationally based, stereotypical portraits to more nuanced concepts of cultures as complex, multi‐layered and changing phenomena. It establishes the epistemological foundations for future research in inter‐cultural contexts.Originality/valueThe paper develops new directions for future theory and research.

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Section: Historical Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Constructing theory for leadership in intercultural contexts

Collard

2007

Journal of Educational Administration

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Learners, initiators, servants: The self-images of victorian principals in the 1990s

Collard

2004

Aust. Educ. Res.

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The professional self-images of principals are integrally related to how they perceive and exercise leadership in specific school settings. This study of a balanced sample of male and female leaders from a cross-section of Victorian schools in the late 1990s reveals that there are key variations related to sectorial identity, level and scale of school, institutional histories and even student gender. It supports the development of nuanced theories about leadership and gender that combat essentialist stereotypes which have dominated in past discourse. It also combats simplistic claims based on school level, sector and student gender. The findings carry implications for principal selection and development which require fine-grained discernment by practitioners and theorists in the future.

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Shaping the image of the great headmaster

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Constructing theory for leadership in intercultural contexts

Constructing theory for leadership in intercultural contexts

Learners, initiators, servants: The self-images of victorian principals in the 1990s

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