Principal instructional leadership for teacher participation in professional development: evidence from Japan, Singapore, and South Korea

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between principal instructional leadership and teacher participation in multiple types of professional development in Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Using the Teaching and Learning International Survey dataset of 2013, we employed two-level logistic regression models to estimate the rigorous effects of principal instructional leadership that were separated out from teacher-level effects. We found that the influence of principal instructional leadership on teachers' participation in professional development varied across types of learning activities and countries. Our analysis suggests that principal instructional leadership can influence teachers' participation in mentoring, mentoring, peer observation, and coaching compared to the other types of professional development. Our study builds on and extends research on cross-national characteristics of teacher learning by adding evidence about the relations between principal leadership and teacher professional development in the three Asian countries.

Troubling Unintended Harm of Heroic Discourses in Social Justice Leadership

“…As shown in our findings, with the principal-centered school model, leaders can easily reinforce "power over" approaches to teachers, parents, and families, by positioning principals as a central source of leadership thus neglecting the critical insights and vantage points these communities bring. Moreover, compared to other countries where school systems are well invested in shared leadership through policies, resource coordination, and professional teaching culture (Kim and Lee, 2020;Kim et al, 2021), school systems in the US demand school principals take on multiple roles and responsibilities. Although researchers have pushed against such a trend by advocating for distributed or shared leadership (e.g., Marks & Printy, 2003;Spillane, 2005;Harris, 2013), the reality of US school systems is one that does not fully support a distributed leadership amongst multiple stakeholders but one that positions an individual at the top with both management and instructional leadership responsibilities.…”

School-Based Professional Learning Communities as a Means for Curriculum Development: A Case Study from Taiwan

“…For instance, Korean teachers, according to Korean appraisal and promotion policies, have to participate in professional development (PD) for 60 hours every year. Various types of PD have increased, such as online modules, long-term workshops and school-based activities (Kim & Lee, 2020). Among them, school-based PLCs have developed as a bottom-up force for teacher professional development in Korea (Lee & Kim, 2016).…”

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