Sustainable leadership in small rural schools: Selected Australian vignettes

Clarke, Simon; Stevens, Elizabeth

doi:10.1007/s10833-008-9076-8

Cited by 37 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…This factor requires the attention of researchers and policymakers (Clarke & Wildy, 2006;Ewington et al, 2008) as a small school principal's leadership practice is uncertain (Clarke, 2002). This uncertainty may be due to multiple specific challenges (Catterson, 2017) that must be addressed by small school principals as the instructional leader, compared to non-small school principals (Clarke & Stevens, 2009). On the other hand, it was found that a principal must demonstrate high an internal locus of control and confidence for successful management (Hoog & Johansson, 2005).…”

Section: B Instructional Leadership Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Dual Role Teaching Principals in Small Schools

Medina

Mansor²,

Wahab

et al. 2019

IJRTE

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Teaching principals exist in small schools. These principals have classroom responsibilities, administration duties, and educational instructor duties simultaneously. There are still some uncertainties on the dual role of school principals in small schools due to the lack of studies in this area. It is well-known that principals’ instructional leadership practices are an imperative predictor to the success of small schools. Following this concern, the dual responsibilities taken by principals in small schools must be understood comprehensively. This paper discusses the excellent role of teaching principals in small schools. The objective of this qualitative research is to determine the dimensions of principal’s teaching practices that influence the transformation of ordinary small schools into excellent small schools. Three principals in excellent small schools were interviewed and the themes that emerged from the interviews were matched with the dimensions drawn from the instructional leadership model used in this study. The results suggested that although a dual role teaching principal seemed to be burdened with responsibilities, the principals interviewed took the roles positively and excelled as instructional leaders. The teaching principals interviewed stated that their dual role increased their abilities in providing instructional leadership from many dimensions. The outcomes of this study may assist district school superintendents and preparatory program personnel in developing the right knowledge and in constructing a framework to support teaching principals in small schools in fulfilling their dual responsibilities.

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Section: B Instructional Leadership Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Dual Role Teaching Principals in Small Schools

Medina

Mansor²,

Wahab

et al. 2019

IJRTE

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“…Wildy and S. Clarke remote communities and some of these present challenging circumstances, frequently isolated from peer networks and professional support, and, in some jurisdictions, these school leaders are in their first appointment (Clarke and Stevens 2009;Clarke, Wildy, and Pepper 2007). For many school leaders, the culture of the community in which they take up their appointments presents challenges: for example, the leader is highly visible; the community has expectations for the leader which may not be shared or valued by the leader; or the norms of the community are not understood by the leader (Clarke, Stevens, and Wildy 2006).…”

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confidence: 99%

Leading a small remote school: in the face of a culture of acceptance

Wildy

Clarke

2012

Education 3-13

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This article presents a case study of one very small school in a remote location of Western Australia. The study is part of a larger programme, International Study of Principal Preparation, investigating the challenges facing novice principals in the first 3 years of appointment and the extent to which they felt they were adequately prepared to deal with the challenges they faced. The international study, of which this is part, involves cross-cultural comparisons of the experiences of novice principals in 13 different countries. The research described in this article addresses the question: What are the distinctive challenges facing leaders of small schools in bringing about changes to school cultures to improve student learning achievements? Two theoretical constructs were used as the lens through which to examine the culture of this small and isolated school: a culture of acceptance and a culture of inquiry. Using an interpretivist approach, data from interviews and observations were constructed into narrative accounts. These accounts demonstrate how the culture of this small remote school can be characterised as having low expectations of student learning low; staffing profiles that were likely to limit the potential of students to achieve at an national age-equivalent level; fragmented parent engagement with student learning and little evidence of innovative practice to challenge the culture of acceptance of low student achievement. The study indicates that close attention to processes devoted to the professional formation of school leaders is vital to promoting a culture of inquiry rather than one of acceptance for informing school improvement.

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“…Research studies were analyzed regarding homegrown leaders from Australia (Clarke & Stevens, 2009) and Canada (Foster & Goddard, 2003). The lack of literature on homegrown leaders in rural areas and transformational leadership specific to rural districts indicates a need in the educational leadership field for additional research on these topics.…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Building trust with the community is also important for the success of a principal. This process does not happen overnight and requires the district leader to be effective in communication; visible in the community; and comfortable with the community's views, culture, and values (Clarke & Stevens, 2009). Therefore, it appears that principals who have been socialized in the community have less work to do in building community trust because they already have built relationships with members of the community (Duncan & Stock, 2010).…”

Section: Trustmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies conducted in Australia addressed how context plays an important role in rural leadership. These authors posited that rural leaders who are from the district they lead as well as understand the community norms and values are better able to lead in rural areas (Clarke & Stevens, 2009;Clarke & Wildy, 2004). Likewise, Foster and Goddard (2003) revealed in their research of Canadian principals that principals who were raised in the district they now lead are better equipped to manage the challenges and tensions of rural districts.…”

Section: Chapter I: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Homegrown rural school leaders

Olsen¹

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always there to help with whatever I needed whether that be child care, dog sitting, warm dinners, help with yard work, or just encouraging words, support and prayers when I was feeling frustrated and defeated. My fiancé Seth who came into my life during the last couple years of this journey, and has provided love, support, a new computer when mine crashed during comprehensive exams, and encouragement to help get me through. He brought hope, positivity, and love into my world that also helped propel me to persist. Their understanding, love, and their support is why I am here today. My friends and colleagues were also an influential part of this endeavor. Having peers who have shared the same experiences is great support. Thank you to all my friends who were there to listen, proofread , bounce ideas off of, and cheer me on. A special thank you goes to Asih, a dear friend and office mate, who I would have been lost without the last 4 years. From showing me where to get coffee in the dean's office on the first day, reading drafts, debriefing, and sharing frustrations and celebrations, knowing you were always there with an understanding ear and honest advice was monumental.

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Sustainable leadership in small rural schools: Selected Australian vignettes

Cited by 37 publications

References 15 publications

The Impact of Dual Role Teaching Principals in Small Schools

The Impact of Dual Role Teaching Principals in Small Schools

Leading a small remote school: in the face of a culture of acceptance

Homegrown rural school leaders

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