Successful principalship of high‐performance schools in high‐poverty communities

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this article is to review literature in certain areas and report on related results from a study of successful school principalship in the Australian state of Tasmania. Design/methodology/approach -Surveys on successful school principalship were distributed to a population of 195 government schools (excluding colleges and special schools) in Tasmania with a return rate of 67 per cent. Surveys sought responses in areas such as demographic characteristics (including a measure of school poverty), leadership characteristics, values and beliefs, tensions and dilemmas, learning and development, school capacity building, decision making, evaluation and accountability, and perceptions of school success. In addition, details of actual student performance on literacy and numeracy tests were supplied by the Department of Education. Findings -The literature reviewed in this article indicated that world-wide poverty is a major issue and that there is a nexus between poverty and education. While questions may be raised about the effectiveness of schools as institutions in serving those in high-poverty communities, as well as problems in labelling a school as high-poverty, evidence has emerged of high-performing schools in high-poverty communities. A common characteristic of these schools is successful, high-performing leadership. Practical implications -Evidence is provided on the nature of successful principalship of high-performance schools in high-poverty communities. Originality/value -World-wide poverty is a major and growing social and economic issue. Yet, material available in the area, including research reported here, leads one to conclude that the research on successful principalship in high-performance schools in high-poverty communities needs to be given greater priority.

Multiple-Oriented Leadership Behavior and School Performance: A Multiple-Case Study

“…Leadership to effect school success and performance needs to be adaptive and multiple-oriented (Mulford et al, 2008;Yukl, 2004). This article aimed at exploring the leadership behaviors in selected high-performing GBHS in Quetta.…”

“…School leaders share leadership responsibilities with teachers. They organize professional development activities for teachers by creating professional communities and facilitate group learning (Mulford et al, 2008). They create a culture of trust, honesty, loyalty, and sharing in the school (Crum & Sherman, 2008;Crum et al, 2009;Sanzo et al, 2011).…”

“…Based on what we know, very little research has been done on leadership behaviors in the context of Pakistan. Some studies on leadership have been conducted in business organizations (Chaudhry, Javed, & Sabir, 2012;Ghulam, Javed, Ajmal, & M. Naveed, 2012;Sabir, Iqbal, Rehamn, Shah, & Yasmeen, 2012;Tipu, Ryan, & Fantazy, 2012), in Europe or in countries such as USA, Malaysia, or Australia (Crum & Sherman, 2008;Crum et al, 2009;Mulford et al, 2008;Sufean, 2014). These works are tenuously related to the school environment in Pakistan.…”

Effects of poverty on education

“…The stress brought on by such conditions can contribute to mental health issues and affect decision making by the members of these communities. Social immobility and the passing of disadvantage through families is clearly linked to family background and personal skills (Mulford, Kendall, Ewington, Edmunds, & Kendall, 2008). Other lifestyle issues can also arise from these conditions, including obesity (Deutsch & Hetland, 2012).…”

Leadership Behaviour in High- Performing Government Boys Secondary Schools in Quetta: A Grounded Theory Analysis

“…According to the researcher's knowledge, there are a handful of studies on leadership behaviours of school principals in Pakistan in general and in Balochistan in particular. Among the available studies, many are done in business organisations (Chaudhry, Javed, & Sabir, 2012;Ghulam, Javed, Ajmal, & Naveed, 2012;Tipu, Ryan, & Fantazy, 2012), or in countries other than Pakistan (Crum & Sherman, 2008;Crum, Sherman, & Myran, 2009;Mulford et al, 2008). The aim of this study is to explore leadership behaviour in selected high-performing government Boys' Secondary High Schools (GBHS) in Quetta, Balochistan through in-depth qualitative approach.…”