Successful School Leadership: International Perspectives

Abstract

Successful School Leadership identifies the characteristics, behaviours and practices of successful and effective school leaders through the adoption of a systemic view of the quality of school organizations. Edited by Petros Pashiardis and Olof Johansson, chapters explore the similarities and differences between successful and effective school leaders and across various socioeconomic contexts. Capitalizing on the experiences of the international contributor team, this book will inform the preparation and further development provided to school leaders in an era where ministries of education, universities and multinational organisations (such as the OECD) are increasingly interested in the leadership of our schools. Systematic analyses of multi-perspective data provided from around the world and offers the readers a comprehensive picture of the key behaviours and practices central to successful and effective school leadership. An original contribution to the theoretical perspectives on the subject is derived through insights from empirical research, case studies, and bibliographical literature from the field. This book constitutes an exploration of the characteristics, behaviours and practices of successful and effective school leaders through the adoption of a systemic view of the quality of school organizations. Similarities and differences between successful and effective school leaders and across various socioeconomic contexts are also addressed. Moreover, an attempt is made to inform the preparation and further development provided to school leaders in an era where Ministries of Education, universities and multinational organisations are increasingly interested in the leadership of schools. It is argued that this interest did not come about by accident and it is certainly not ephemeral; it is the result of ample research worldwide during the last few decades, which indicates that school leadership is probably the single most important factor for excellence in schools, after teachers are taken into consideration. Systematic analyses of multi-perspective data provided by the various authors from around the world offer the readers a comprehensive picture of the key behaviours and practices central to successful and effective school leadership. This book encompasses an original contribution to the theoretical perspectives on successful and effective school leadership through insights derived from empirical research, case studies, and bibliographical literature from the field in a comparative and international perspective. Finally, an important aspect examined in this book is the combination of the idea of a successful and effective school leader with what constitutes successful and effective schools in the various parts of the world being examined.