The purposes of this paper are twofold: (1) to propose a dual perspective combining cultural and political concepts as a basis for developing sociological understanding of teamwork in school leadership; and (2) to apply this perspective to examples from the interim findings of the research into senior management teams (SMT) in English secondary…

Examines implications for teamwork and school management, based on findings from a two-year study of senior management teams in British secondary schools. Discusses valuable lessons about teamwork's strains and gains, using a dual theoretical perspective encompassing both power and culture. Shows how the conflict between hierarchy and equal…

This paper discusses the concept of a dual cultural and political perspective for analyzing interaction. It also illustrates how this dual perspective can explain how senior management teams (SMTs) operate in English secondary schools, in which senior faculty profess commitment to teamwork. Methodology included: (1) case studies of six secondary…

Ideally, school leadership should be shared among staff. However, the extent of justifiable sharing in actual practice depends on diverse contexts and consequent risks for headteachers. Research on management teams at four British primary schools shows how principals variably shared leadership by setting parameters for teamwork. (Contains 42…

Virtually all British secondary (high) schools and many primary (elementary) schools feature what is called a senior management team (SMT), typically consisting of the headteacher (principal), one or more deputy heads (vice principals), and other teachers. To explore how SMTs are working, a survey questionnaire was mailed to 150 headteachers in…

This paper briefly describes two projects--one in the United States, one in England--that studied professional learning communities (PLCs). Part I of the paper describes the two projects. The American project is called the Creating Communities of Continuous Inquiry and Improvement project. The purpose of this study was to document and examine…