Supporting the development and professional growth of middle space educational leaders through mentoring

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce readers to the special issue on “middle space” education leaders (those individuals who are second-in-command in schools). The special issue contains papers pertaining to mentoring those preparing for and aspiring to the assistant school leader role, as well as papers on programs that support new assistant principals/vice-principals through mentoring and coaching. The authors provide background on middle space leadership and mentoring from existing research literature, introduce the international papers selected for the issue, and identify unifying themes across the papers. Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide highlights of relevant research literature on the importance of mentoring for school leaders in general, but also specifically address the need for mentoring for middle space leaders from the scant literature that exists on the topic. After reviewing the relevant literature, the authors provide an overview of the seven papers that were chosen for the issue through a rigorous peer-review process. Findings – The co-editors of this special issue identify common themes that emerged from the papers chosen for the issue. In general, authors note that middle space leaders have unique mentoring and coaching needs, and there are few formal programs that address their needs. However, there is a growing awareness of the need to support assistant principals through structured mentoring programs, as well as preparing and mentoring those who aspire to the position. Research limitations/implications – The seven papers chosen for the special issue represent a variety of research methodologies. A limitation is that the majority of the studies are qualitative, with small sample populations. However, even with small sample sizes, commonalities can be seen across the studies and across international contexts. Practical implications – This review summarizes the issues facing middle space leaders in education and how they can be effectively addressed. The global audience that can benefit from engaging with the papers in this special issue includes educational leadership faculty, educational governing bodies, policymakers, school district central office personnel, senior principals, and assistant principals themselves. Originality/value – This paper and the seven that follow extend the scant research literature in the realm of middle space leaders in education. They provide unique insights – from different international contexts including the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, and New Zealand – into the need for and potential benefits of mentoring and coaching aspiring and new middle space leaders.

Intercultural communication experiences among students and teachers: implication to in-service teacher professional development

“…From the above principles, it can be concluded that the activities of professional learning must be grounded in the multicultural context that promotes collaborative interaction, shared discussion, expands professional knowledge of sociocultural dimensions, cultural perspectives and the practices of professional learning. This is in line with Searby and Armstrong’s (2016) recommendation of the importance of mentoring and coaching in school leadership development. In fact, mentoring and coaching aspire racialized teachers to be more open to the cultural school environment.…”

Mobbing (bullying at work) in Italy: characteristics of successful court cases

“…In the second case, it is a matter of being in training that is not only cultural, as teachers are also mentors. 22 Additionally, teachers contribute to personal growth and the sphere of values. If health care professionals and teachers are mobbing victims, then the consequences also spill over into the quality of their work, creating a difficult or tense climate.…”

Architecture of innovative internship coaching models within US principal preparation programs

“…In the USA and other countries, increasingly, principal preparation programs and school districts are utilizing leadership coaches to help grow and sustain high-quality school leaders (Barnett and O'Mahony, 2013; Fletcher and Mullen, 2012; Rhodes and Fletcher, 2013). There is strong consensus among scholars that coaching is an exemplary feature of leadership onboarding and ongoing capacity development for practicing assistant principals and principals (Barnett and O'Mahony, 2013; Bickman et al , 2012; Cardno and Youngs, 2013; Crow and Whiteman, 2016; Duncan et al , 2011; Farver and Holt, 2015; Forde et al , 2013; Goff et al , 2014; Gordon et al , 2016; Huff et al , 2013; Knight, 2006; Liang and Augustine-Shaw, 2016; Schön, 1983; Searby et al , 2016). Coaching is viewed as effective because it helps aspiring leaders internalize their learning.…”

“…In response, more and more principal preparation programs across the USA have intentionally transitioned from conventional, course-based programming to more comprehensive models. These include practice, or field-based leadership development, in the form of principal internships, with coaching (Baron and Haller, 2010) and reflective practice (Orr, 2006) for leaders who, upon entry into administration, usually first occupy “middle space” leadership positions, such as assistant principals (Searby and Armstrong, 2016). Characteristics of highly effective principal preparation programs include authentic learning through field-based experiences, along with individualized coaching (Fletcher and Mullen, 2012; Jackson and Remer, 2014).…”