Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of socially distributed leadership in Denmark and the USA, specifically teacher and staff leadership practices distributed in schools. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a confirmatory factor analysis and a second-order factor analysis to examine elementary USA and 0-9 Danish…

This article scrutinises the gaps in supervision practices in primary schools in Ethiopia. It examines the support being provided to teachers by supervisors, in three areas, teaching principles, teaching methods, and professional development. A mixed-methods design was used with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Questionnaires were…

Considering Butcher et al.'s (2011) call to create more transformational school-university partnerships that are truly collaborative and mutually beneficial, the purpose of this study was to document classroom teachers' perceptions of their partnership with a large, research intensive university. Utilizing survey methodology, 156 teachers across…

Increasingly, educational systems are appreciating the importance of middle leaders leading educational improvement in schools. Schools depend on middle leaders to lead site-based educational development in areas including curriculum development, teacher professional learning and student learning improvement. Middle leaders are in a unique but…

This paper investigates the capacity of primary school principals with regard to literacy instructional leadership. I argue that specific capacities related to literacy instructional leadership include principals' knowledge of the literacy curriculum, supervision of the literacy instructional programme, empowerment of literacy teachers through…

School-based research and practice in international education has emphasized academic outcomes, to the exclusion of other important aspects of education, such as caring in schools. In this case study, we consider the role of caring in a successful Tanzanian primary school. The practice of caring promoted by the school's leadership, rooted in…

Education systems across the globe have enacted national testing regimes to monitor and report student achievement progress as an outcome of teaching performance. This paper reports on an investigation of strategies that Principals of high achieving schools use to achieve school results, based on NAPLAN reports (the National Assessment Program in…

In 2013, the Donald McKay K-8 School in East Boston, was among the lowest-performing schools in Massachusetts, ranked in the bottom 6 percent of schools statewide. The McKay's journey to the school it is today was made possible by a significant shift in adult culture at the school. A learner mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement are…

This multiple case study examined the role of four US state-recognized high-quality principals in the implementation of change initiatives in their Midwestern schools. Participants were selected based on nomination by the state department of education and district superintendents. The research question guiding the study was: how do principals…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the various ways in which a group of principals conceptualize the power basis of teachers within teacher-principal interactions. Design/methodology/approach: The present study takes power as a potential to influence people as it was conceptualized in the taxonomy developed by French and Raven…

Although used in teacher education at the preservice level and with in-service teachers with their students, less is known about the influence of digital storytelling created by teachers themselves. Furthermore, capstone research mostly focuses on more traditional text-driven products and the experiences of preservice teachers. The capstone…

School principals can play an important role in promoting teacher leadership by delegating authority and empowering teachers in ways that allow them influence in key organizational decisions and processes. However, it is unclear whether instruction and student learning are enhanced by promoting teacher influence in all aspects of school…

There is an ongoing tension within educational policy worldwide between countries that seek to reduce the opportunities for teachers to exert judgement and control over their own work, and those who seek to promote it. Some see teacher agency as a weakness within the operation of schools and seek to replace it with evidence-based and data-driven…

This study looks deeply inside 17 schools that stand at the vanguard of the current revolution in teaching. This new National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) report reveals the substantive ways in which these schools are providing their teachers with more time to reflect on, develop, and hone their craft, by very explicitly leveraging an…

This study reflects the voice of school leaders (principals) in a Norwegian school development project focusing on assessment for learning (AfL). The central role of the principal in school improvement is well documented, however, less is written about how the principals themselves see their roles. The voices presented belong to two experienced…