The Nature, Causes and Consequences of Principals′ Practices: An Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

Growing appreciation for the potential impact of principals on their schools has stimulated a significant body of research concerning the principalship. While many aspects of the principalship have been the object of study, it is often difficult to determine the relationship among these studies and how these studies, as a whole, contribute to a better understanding of the principalship. It is also difficult to judge which aspects of the principalship would provide the most productive focus for subsequent research. The review reported in this article addressed both sets of difficulties by analysing a total of 135 empirical studies conducted between 1974 and 1988; 60 of these studies were reported between 1985 and 1988 and received more attention than the earlier 75. Results of the analysis identify aspects of the principalship about which much is known, approaches to research which appear to have exhausted their usefulness and areas in which further study seems likely to be of most value. One major conclusion from the analysis is that we know most about effective principal practices and least about how such practices develop.

Curriculum and School Leadership – Adjusting School Leadership to Curriculum

“…This led to increased research efforts in this area, characterising effective instructional principals also focused mostly on improving student outcomes (Hallinger and Murphy 1986;Leithwood et al 1990). This was complemented by research on the work activity as well as the time-use of school principals (Kmetz and Willower 1982;Martin and Willower 1981), indicating that principals typically actually spend quite a scarce amount of time on instructional leadership due to a myriad of other activities and thus dampening the enthusiasm for the principal as omnipresent chief instructor (among many other things).…”

When Teachers' and Parents' Values Differ: Teachers' Ratings of Academic Competence in Children From Low-Income Families.

“…Consistent with this view, relatively low expectations exist in many schools serving lowincome students (Hallinger, Bickman, & Davis, 1996;Hallinger & Murphy, 1986;Kennedy, 1995;Leithwood, Begley, & Cousins, 1990;McLoyd, 1998). Kennedy (1995), for example, analyzed data on the academic climate of 250 third-grade classrooms in a stratified sample of 76 schools in Louisiana.…”

School Management Positions and Women Empowerment – A Rwandan Case

“…Instructional and administrative leadership is demanded in order to monitor school effectiveness. Leithwood, Begley and Cousins, 1990 are of the opinion that Principals spend more time on instructional matters and in actual practice occupied with administrative tasks.…”