Structural prerequisites for principals' and teachers' communication about teaching and learning issues

Abstract

The common view of a successful school includes a visible principal who communicates frequently about the school's pedagogical tasks, teaching and learning. In this article, a study about principals' communication with their teachers is presented. Twenty-four Swedish secondary schools are divided into four groups depending on how they meet academic and social objectives. Questionnaires about teachers' and principals' views on the structural aspects of the communication process and regarding teaching and learning issues were analysed. Principals in the successful schools used communication in a more multidimensional way and communicated more often about issues related to pedagogical tasks. However, principals in all schools conducted few classroom visits and rarely gave teachers feedback. Even though all principals attended many meetings, the organizational structures did not support communication about teaching and learning issues and student outcomes, which indicates a widespread weakness in pedagogical leadership.

The directive communication of Australian primary school principals

“…These were either staff meetings (most commonly) or informal conversations and face-to-face formal meetings. This finding is in line with previous research (Arlestig, 2008;Bredeson, 1987). These studies reported a preference by principals for dyadic interactions (formal and informal).…”

“…A later study by Arlestig (2008) involving many schools also reported that teachers were receiving messages from their principals mostly about procedures associated with daily work. However, that study also found that interactions about student behaviour and school improvement were more frequent than other issues such as teaching and learning.…”

Examining Administrators’ Instructional Feedback to High School Math and Science Teachers

“…Numerous studies of principal feedback to classroom teachers have been conducted (Arlestig, 2008; Blase & Blase, 1999; Kelley & Maslow, 2005; Kimball, 2002) Most of these studies indicate that principals spend too little time observing classroom instruction and providing teachers with detailed feedback about their instruction. Blase and Blase (1999) reported that teachers perceived that feedback should focus on observable classroom practices.…”

Hiding in plain sight: systems thinking and school organization

“…Research about school structures that support improvement efforts has long focused on conditions such as interdependent teaching roles (Fullan et al , 2000; Scheerens, 2019), reciprocal communication structures (Arlestig, 2008), positive school culture and climate (Kruse and Louis, 2009; Louis, 2006), relevant teacher pedagogical learning (Boyce et al , 2018; Rigby, 2014) and the development of trust (Hoy et al , 1999; Tschannan-Moran, 2014) as substantive contributors to school success. Motivated by questions that probed how teacher engagement in decisions related to schools' instructional programs, reform efforts and teacher professional community were developed, this literature sought to determine how effective principal-teacher relationships might be developed and sustained and under what conditions those relationships thrived.…”