Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from studies of principal instructional leadership conducted in five East Asian societies. The authors first identify similarities and then differences in approaches to instructional leadership across the societies. Then the findings of the synthesis are compared with broad findings from…

Purpose: The extant literature on school leadership development is dominated by conceptual analysis, descriptive studies of current practice, critiques of current practice, and prescriptions for better ways to approach practice. Relatively few studies have examined impact of leadership development using experimental methods, among which even fewer…

The role of school leadership in educational reform has reached the status of a truism, and led to major changes in school leader recruitment, selection, training and appraisal. While similar policy trends are evident in East Asia, the empirical knowledge base underlying these measures is distorted and lacking in validation. This paper begins by…

The current focus on school leader preparation reflects the importance societies around the world are placing upon the goal of improving their educational systems. The investment of substantial new resources into leadership preparation and development activities is based upon "the belief that school leaders make a difference" in both the…

Eleven staff development programs for school administrators are analyzed, emphasizing the principles and characteristics which distinguish these programs from past practice. Differences are classified into the headings of focus, content, and program delivery. (MT)

Problem-based learning represents one approach to reforming leadership education. This paper discusses what problem-based learning is (offering an example, and noting how it differs from the case method); describes the theoretical underpinnings of this approach; examines research on its effectiveness; presents three major implementation issues;…

Over the past 20 years two lines of argument have fostered global interest and investment in the preparation and development of school leaders. First, policymakers have increasingly come to the conclusion that education is a critical lever in social, economic, and cultural development, and that leadership is a necessary factor in creating quality…

Analysts have recently identified features such as program content that distinguish emerging administrator training programs from traditional ones. To examine variations in current approaches to school administrator training, three questions are addressed: (1) What are the variations in program content and organizational processes among emerging…

This paper adapts the framework developed by J. Murphy and P. Hallinger (1987) in a conceptual analysis of current approaches to educational leadership development. Murphy and Hallinger identified differentiating patterns of program operation in the areas of program content, program process, program focus, and what this referred to as "supporting…

Describes a computer simulation which enables principals to understand how to implement instructional leadership practices. The article recommends that staff developers view instructional leadership from the perspective of problem solving and strategic thinking. Six suggestions for leadership development are provided. (SM)

This comprehensive guide explores Problem-Based Learning (PBL), an innovative approach to leadership training. PBL has been adapted from its original use in medical school training into a tool for administrator preparation. In PBL, a real-life scenario with an open-ended problem or question for which there is no single right solution is presented.…

Describes the development and use of a problem-based computer management simulation called In the Center of Things (ITCOT). Used to develop instructional leadership for school principals, the system is based on direct problem solving instead of traditional classroom coursework. (GH)

Articles in this issue are among the first published findings from empirical evaluations of administrator training programs begun in the 1980s. This introduction presents background information on the leadership development movement in which these program evaluations occurred. Themes emerging from these studies are synthesized. (SLD)

Emerging research on instructional leadership is examined in this paper, with a focus on the new perspective on strategic thinking. The main theme is that research must address the reasoning that underlies the exercise of leadership rather than describe discrete behaviors of effective leaders. A computer simulation designed to facilitate the…

Results from an exploratory evaluation of the Indiana Principals' Leadership Academy (IPLA) over its first four years are reported. Interviews with 30 principals (20 IPLA graduates and 10 current participants) and review of IPLA documents reflect favorable responses to the program by principals and its strengths and weaknesses. (SLD)