Why is school leadership key to transforming education? Structural and cultural assumptions for quality education in diverse contexts

Abstract

Failing to recognize the role of leaders in quality and equitable schooling is unfortunate and must be redressed. Leadership is fundamentally about organized agency and collective vision, not managerialism, since it is an organizational quality, not merely a positionality attribute. Most important, if change is to be systemic and transformative, it cannot occur uniquely at the individual teachers’ level. School organization is fundamental to circulating and consolidating new innovative actions, cognitive schemes, and behaviors in coherent collective practices. This article engages with the relevance of governance patterns, school organization, and wider cultural and pedagogical factors that shape various leadership configurations. It formulates several assumptions that clarify the importance of leadership in any organized change. The way teachers act and represent their reality is strongly influenced by the architecture of their organization, while their ability to act with agency is directly linked to the existence of flat or prominent hierarchies, both potentially problematic for deep and systemic change. A hierarchical imposition from above as well as a lack of leadership vision in fragmented school cultures cannot determine any transformation.

Stakeholder Engagement and Determination of Priority Strategies in Quality Improvement in Higher Education

“…Developing a more collegial academic culture is considered one of the strategies for improving the quality of leadership and governance (Mincu, 2022). The development and strengthening of this academic, cultural orientation in higher education institutions can, in turn, become the foundation for sustainable governance.…”

Pelatihan Kader Sekolah Sehat Jiwa (SEHATI) dalam Deteksi Dini Kesehatan Jiwa di SMA

“…Hal ini konsisten dengan bukti empiris bahwa pemimpin sekolah (kepala sekolah) adalah kunci untuk memaksimalkan manfaat keikutsertaan sekolah dalam pembelajaran yang profesional. Pemimpin sekolah memiliki peran substantif dalam meningkatkan hasil bagi anak-anak dan remaja (Brown & Flood, 2020;Mincu, 2022;Nooruddin & Bhamani, 2019). Program pelatihan telah terbukti meningkatkan pengetahuan guru secara signifikan dibandingkan intervensi kesehatan mental berbasis sekolah sebelumnya (Ryan et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2023).…”

Determinantes da melhoria contínua nas instituições de ensino superior: uma análise multidimensional

“…Para isso, é fundamental a participação ativa da liderança da IES, propiciando o treinamento adequado e buscando o envolvimento de todos os servidores, fatores necessários ao processo de melhoria contínua. O líder deve conhecer seus limites, ou seja, possuir uma abordagem de liderança que não reconhece a inevitabilidade do fracasso do líder simplesmente não está enraizada na realidade (BENOLIEL; BERKOVICH, 2021;MINCU, 2022).…”