The aim of this study is to explore what happened -- and why -- in a collaboration between ourselves as researchers and school leaders from two different schools in Sweden. The theory of practice architectures is used to frame the study. The goal of the collaboration was to enhance the scientific foundation of school practices, which motivated the…

There is a growing body of action research on school improvement and development. Many of these studies have found the use of critical friendship valuable in relation to teachers' or principals' practice. Yet, little attention has been paid to critical friendship at the school district level. This study explores how a superintendent and three…

The contribution of Action Research (AR) to school improvement is well-documented. This study records the accounts of two primary school leaders, involved in AR projects that focused on the development of students' oral communication skills. Drawing data from diaries with fieldnotes and systematic reflections, the study presents leaders'…

The purpose of this study was to examine the practices and challenges of school-based teachers' continuous professional development implementation in secondary schools of Hawassa City Administration. The study employed a descriptive survey design with both quantitative and qualitative method. The sampling technique used in the study was…

With the challenges facing principals today, the question of how best to support new principals in meeting these challenges remains. The leadership abilities of new school leaders matter more today than ever with increasing accountability and additional responsibilities. The focus of this study was to determine participants' perceptions of the…

With this practitioner action research study, I describe what happened when I, serving as an elementary school principal, disrupted the typical faculty meeting schedule with a structure called Design Your Own Learning. Here teachers were responsible for planning and carrying out professional learning based upon their own inquiry into their daily…

A questionnaire was used to determine the individual and collective teacher supervision practices of school principals and vice-principals in Québec (n = 39) who participated in a research-action study on pedagogical supervision. These practices were then analyzed in terms of the principals' sociodemographic and socioprofessional characteristics…

In this paper a former middle school principal and his dissertation chair look back at the research process envisioned and carried out against the neo-positivist grain aggressively put forward by the government and espoused in school districts across the United States. We revisit the meaning of data and show how they emerged from the paradigmatic…

Practices such as formal focused professional dialogue groups, coaching conversations, mentoring conversations and professional learning staff meetings have been taken up in schools and pre-schools as part of long-term action research and development activities to improve the learning and teaching practices. The development of relational trust has…

In Australia, recent policies for educational development have emphasised the importance of stakeholder involvement and advocacy in the promotion of student outcomes. There is robust support for the promotion and development of inclusive educational communities able to respond to the various educational needs of students, communities and staff.…

This action research explored how Year 12 achievement data were used by school personnel to inform practice within seven Catholic secondary schools. Deputy Principals of Curriculum from participating schools were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the improvement of Year 12 student achievement outcomes, and their insights into how to…

This study focused on the impact of a new observation tool for principals to utilize and the effects it has on improving teachers' instruction and influencing best practices. The action research project explored the impact and influence that a well-developed observation tool could possess to help address areas of need; essentially, focusing on how…

The school principal's role is demanding. Responsible for complex systems impacting student learning, the principal must possess knowledge in varied areas of the educational system. Rising from the roots of the teaching principal, the leadership paradigm of modern school principals has evolved over time. With the integration of digital…

In this article we investigate educational leadership as a site of practice, utilising the notion of "practice architectures" as our lens. The latter shifts Etienne Wenger's more individualising notion of 'learning architectures' to a broader study of the systems and organisations that prefigure educational practices and potentially,…

The purpose of this case study was to understand engagement in action research as a form of professional development for practicing principals and the subsequent knowledge constructed as a result. The research team followed five principals through 1 year of professional development, which focused on supporting each principal in the design and…