Elements of strength-based pedagogy are evident in current practices being implemented in Canadian schools as well as internationally. Classroom teachers appreciate the importance of creating a positive learning environment for students where the latter feel a sense of belonging, choice, and self-efficacy toward their learning (Deci & Ryan,…

The purpose of this study was to explore the multifaceted leadership role an effective principal assumed in the deployment of evidence-based literacy practices in her school. We conducted a mixed methods case study integrating the lived experiences of 11 school staff (principal, learning support teacher, and classroom teachers) with the reading…

A three-year collaborative research project in a K-6 elementary school is underway. The collaboration entails participating educators and their students exploring curricular enactment that embraces critical and creative thinking within its conduct. This article reveals whole-school efforts over Year One to build educators' and students' confidence…

Hiring preferences can often determine the amount and kind of consideration shown to candidates for teaching positions, and therefore can have a profound impact on school culture, but have been largely unexplored. This paper describes how one group of principals in Manitoba approach hiring decisions when assessing prospective teachers for…

There are unique moments in curriculum development when an opportunity for a fresh start or a major turn in design fleetingly presents itself. These moments opened up in different locations across McMaster University at different times and eventually led to several quite different initiatives in inquiry-guided learning (IGL). Well-travelled…

Background/Context: Over four decades ago, Arnold van Gennep used the term rites of passage to describe the ceremonial and ritualistic behaviors that marked the passage between social roles. Although the transition from teaching to administration is not as clearly delineated as passages in traditional societies, it is also characterized by…

This paper presents findings from a funded case study research project conducted in Ontario, Canada during the 2007-2008 school year. Together with the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the researchers undertook a qualitative investigation to identify and describe success stories from a diverse sample of 11 Ontario elementary…

Because collaborative school cultures seem essential for better schools, culture-building should be a primary role for principals. Data from two comprehensive studies of school improvement in Canada suggest that principals foster collaborative cultures by applying certain strategies, depending on the degree of teacher motivation and commitment and…

Based on 135 empirical studies conducted since 1974, research is needed on the principal's impact on student outcomes, characteristics of teachers' practices generated from theories of teacher development, and school culture. Further research should also explore the relative cost effectiveness of further efforts to increase administrator…

To study elementary school principals' understandings and enactments of instructional leadership, we collected data through individual interviews, focus-group discussions, and in-school observations. Three categories captured principals' conceptualizations of instructional leadership: curriculum expertise, formal delivery of professional…

This study examines the impact of secondary school culture on the dual student outcomes of academic achievement and engagement with the institution attended. Elements of school culture were identified, specifically the roles played by administrators, the professional teaching staff, and the adolescent peer group. A mixed-method research design was…

New Norway, a small rural Alberta school, has few dropouts, and half its graduates enter postsecondary education. Case study in Canada's Exemplary Schools Project outlines elements of school culture contributing to success: close community connections; principal's role; individual support for students; focus on independent study skills and task…

A study of school-level change in 13 Newfoundland schools found a positive relationship among team leadership, organizational learning, and classroom practices. Subsequent research found that within team leadership, at least one leader must be recognized as a champion for change; external interventions may be necessary in schools without team…

Writing teams composed of school administrators and university personnel in Western Australia, Ontario, and the Northwest Territories developed regional profiles of effective principalships for use as a resource in developing effective school leadership programs. Common components of profiles included effective practices relating to school culture…

This research inquiry explored the factors influencing successful science program delivery among early- and middle-years schools within a rural school division in central Canada. The study is framed by the author's personal inquiry into how psycho-social factors at the classroom, school and school division level influence science program delivery.…