Abstract:PurposeThe purpose of this article is to present the results obtained from the investigations that have been carried out within the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) project in the Spanish for social justice.Design/methodology/approachTwelve case studies have been carried out within the three lines of research proposed by ISSPP: successful principals, underperforming principals and principal leadership identity. All but one school were in challenging contexts. The methodological app… Show more
“…The critical literature review has been carried out on publications in Spanish and English language journals related to ISSPP Spanish case studies of successful and unsuccessful schools in disadvantaged and heterogeneous contexts, covering all the ISSPP lines and branches of research. Specifically, twelve case studies have been carried out by different research groups belonging to the universities of Huelva, Madrid, and Granada [37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. All case studies have been published in peer-reviewed high impact journals and have passed the required validity criteria for publication.…”
Section: Description Of Reported School Case Studies and Review Metho...mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The research carried out in the papers selected for the analysis of the critical review of Spanish ISSPP studies uses the methodological basis of case studies [46]. The case study protocols and questionnaires provided by the ISSPP have been used to conduct the Spanish case studies [37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. In particular, to carry out the Spanish ISSPP, the case studies used individual interviews with principals, teachers (3 to 6 teachers in each case study), and educational inspectors/counsellors; group interviews with teachers, students and parents; and document analysis, as per the core research tools, supplemented by questionnaires and observations of school life in some cases [44,47].…”
Section: Data Collection and Analysis Proceduresmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The motto is 'excellence and quality through equity' [21,23], terms that seem to conflict, as they can be seen as opposites [55], but which successful principals manage to fit together suitably. The explanation that one of the successful principals interviewed considers to be the reason for being able to maintain the slogan 'excellence and quality through equity' is that in the school, there are agenda and people [43]. Firstly, for a school to be successful, there must be an agenda that functions as a brain, which provides meaning, direction, and vision and sets the course for where the school is heading.…”
Section: How Has Success Been Defined In These Case Studies?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This agenda is elaborated and sustained by the principal and the management team. It also needs enthusiastic and passionate teachers who share the responsibility of providing quality education for all pupils equally [56] to make the agenda a reality [43].…”
Section: How Has Success Been Defined In These Case Studies?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, what we have learned since the time of the Spanish ISSPP research is that the relationships that are established between these successful practices are not linear, they are complex, and a type of leadership capable of understanding this complex process is required [43]. The leadership model recommended by the Spanish Framework for Good Leadership [6,7] is conceived as a model for direct application of pedagogical leadership.…”
Section: How Have Principals Contributed To Their Schools' Success?mentioning
Successful school leadership in disadvantaged contexts is a topic of debate in the context of the Spanish education system. There needs to be clear identification of the concept of school success and what successful school leadership means. Thanks to the research carried out within the ISSPP project in Spain, we have been able to expand our knowledge on how success is defined in disadvantaged contexts: How have principals contributed to their school’s success? How has success grown and been sustained? And how have successful principals overcome internal and external factors to build a strong professional identity that enables them to fight for social justice? The ISSPP research in Spain finally concludes that the leadership variable may be considered decisive in the learning outcomes of pupils. It is not only the context variable that would be decisive in academic results, but rather leadership capable of making the moral purpose of education a reality.
“…The critical literature review has been carried out on publications in Spanish and English language journals related to ISSPP Spanish case studies of successful and unsuccessful schools in disadvantaged and heterogeneous contexts, covering all the ISSPP lines and branches of research. Specifically, twelve case studies have been carried out by different research groups belonging to the universities of Huelva, Madrid, and Granada [37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. All case studies have been published in peer-reviewed high impact journals and have passed the required validity criteria for publication.…”
Section: Description Of Reported School Case Studies and Review Metho...mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The research carried out in the papers selected for the analysis of the critical review of Spanish ISSPP studies uses the methodological basis of case studies [46]. The case study protocols and questionnaires provided by the ISSPP have been used to conduct the Spanish case studies [37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. In particular, to carry out the Spanish ISSPP, the case studies used individual interviews with principals, teachers (3 to 6 teachers in each case study), and educational inspectors/counsellors; group interviews with teachers, students and parents; and document analysis, as per the core research tools, supplemented by questionnaires and observations of school life in some cases [44,47].…”
Section: Data Collection and Analysis Proceduresmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The motto is 'excellence and quality through equity' [21,23], terms that seem to conflict, as they can be seen as opposites [55], but which successful principals manage to fit together suitably. The explanation that one of the successful principals interviewed considers to be the reason for being able to maintain the slogan 'excellence and quality through equity' is that in the school, there are agenda and people [43]. Firstly, for a school to be successful, there must be an agenda that functions as a brain, which provides meaning, direction, and vision and sets the course for where the school is heading.…”
Section: How Has Success Been Defined In These Case Studies?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…This agenda is elaborated and sustained by the principal and the management team. It also needs enthusiastic and passionate teachers who share the responsibility of providing quality education for all pupils equally [56] to make the agenda a reality [43].…”
Section: How Has Success Been Defined In These Case Studies?mentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, what we have learned since the time of the Spanish ISSPP research is that the relationships that are established between these successful practices are not linear, they are complex, and a type of leadership capable of understanding this complex process is required [43]. The leadership model recommended by the Spanish Framework for Good Leadership [6,7] is conceived as a model for direct application of pedagogical leadership.…”
Section: How Have Principals Contributed To Their Schools' Success?mentioning
Successful school leadership in disadvantaged contexts is a topic of debate in the context of the Spanish education system. There needs to be clear identification of the concept of school success and what successful school leadership means. Thanks to the research carried out within the ISSPP project in Spain, we have been able to expand our knowledge on how success is defined in disadvantaged contexts: How have principals contributed to their school’s success? How has success grown and been sustained? And how have successful principals overcome internal and external factors to build a strong professional identity that enables them to fight for social justice? The ISSPP research in Spain finally concludes that the leadership variable may be considered decisive in the learning outcomes of pupils. It is not only the context variable that would be decisive in academic results, but rather leadership capable of making the moral purpose of education a reality.
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