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Cited by 109Education in Rural ContextsEducational Leadership and PracticesSchool Leadership and Teacher Performance

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Successful Leadership in Rural Schools: Cultivating Collaboration

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Preston, Jane, Barnes, Kristopher E. R.·2018·The Rural Educator
DOI 10.35608/ruraled.v38i1.231
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Abstract

This article is a literature review of the professional competencies and personal qualities commonly associated with successful leadership in rural schools. Multiple definitions of the term rural are provided. A delimitation of this research is that findings reflect literature published from 2005–2015, positioning this document as a current analysis of rural leadership. A limitation of the article is that the research predominantly emanates from rural American, Canadian, and Australian settings, restricting a global application of results. The findings are represented via two overarching themes. Successful rural principals promote people focused relationships with staff, students, parents, and community members. Second, rural principals have the opportunity to be agents of change through balancing local and district policies and through enacting instructional leadership. At the root, both of these themes reveal the importance of rich collaboration with members of the school community. This research is pertinent to researchers, government leaders, policymakers, school leaders, teachers, parents, and community members interested in understanding and responding to the demands of rural schools.

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Metadata

Authors
Preston, J., & Barnes, K. E. R.
Affiliations
University of Prince Edward Island (CA)
Venue
The Rural Educator
Publisher
Mississippi State University Libraries - DIGITAL COMMONS JOURNALS
Published
2018-11-09
Volume
38
Issue
1
ISSN
  • 0273-446X (ISSN-L)
  • 2643-9662
DOI
10.35608/ruraled.v38i1.231
OpenAlex
W2628916925
Cited by
109
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 4
FWCI
37.37
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • The rural educator (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education in Rural Contexts
  • Social Sciences › Education › Educational Leadership and Practices
  • Social Sciences › Education › School Leadership and Teacher Performance
Keywords
principal leadership, professional competence, leadership qualities, school-community partnership, instructional leadership, change agents, rural schools

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