Successful principals: telling or selling? On the importance of context for school leadership

Leadership Characteristics of An Excellent Principal in Malaysia

“…This is underlined by her explicit wish that the school has a vision that is agreed by all. The result supported the principals' study in Tasmania and Victoria in Australia by Moos, Krejsler and Kofod (2008). Stoll and Fink (1996) describe 'invitational leadership' as a form of leadership where leaders place a high premium upon personal values and inter-relationships with others.…”

Composition of the OECD Review Team

“…Danish research indicates that the national goals seem to be implemented only to a limited degree at the school level found that a trend could be observed towards a more uniform, low-trust model between the school authorities (central and local) and schools, related to detailed standards for student achievement and a strict testing system. The studies also indicated that successful school leaders were able to challenge the narrow focus of assessment on basic academic skills and to point to the tension between such a focus and the general purpose of the Folkeskole regarding all-rounded student development and inclusiveness (Moos et al, 2008).…”

Teacher Change in an Era of Neo-Liberal Policies: A Neo-Institutional Analysis of Teachers' Perceptions of Their Professional Change

“…counties and municipalities. Second, the emphasis on pupils' learning outcomes is closely related to the promotion of equality and quality, and not only as a means to enhance transparency and efficiency (Moos et al, 2008). Third, incentives central to a market-oriented education system, such as parental choice, various forms of vouchers, and per capita funding, are so far only present to a minor degree in Norway.…”

“…Guskey's model is thus based upon the idea that change primarily is an experience-driven learning process for teachers, similar to the argument made in this study regarding how the regulative pressures seem to be endorsed by the teachers on the basis that they contribute to pupils' learning processes in positive ways. [6] Finally, the apparent impact of the regulative pressures and possible interactions between the three pillars in teachers' work has to be viewed in light of the distinctive aspects of the Norwegian education system, for instance, the long-standing tradition of a School for All, and how the emphasis on pupils' learning outcomes, as mentioned earlier, is closely related to the promotion of equality and quality, and not only as a means to enhance transparency and efficiency (Moos et al, 2008). That is, fruitful interactions between the pillars may have occurred because the neo-liberal foci on mechanisms such as competency aims, assessment and learning outcomes are coupled with more 'softer' notions of equality and quality in the Norwegian case, and when these mechanisms have been mediated through teachers' perspectives, they have thus been considered a 'good fit' with teachers' normative expectations of teaching and learning and the pre-existing, cultural constitutive scripts that shape their practices.…”