Principals can affect several consequential schooling processes and outcomes. However, their effectiveness varies substantially and is distributed across schools inequitably, underscoring the importance of effective principal professional development (PPD), which begins by using needs assessments to inform PPD content. A researcher-practitioner…

Failure and drop-out rate in rural high schools (RHSs) in South Africa remains a prevailing crisis. This has been attributed to issues such as poor/limited infrastructures, poverty, unemployment, among others. Thus, this case study explores the issue of a purposively selected South African Rural High School (RHS) with 15 years' success rate at…

This article focuses on Nordic school leaders and how rural principals experience autonomy and control in current governance regimes using a sample of principals in the very north of Norway and Sweden as a case. An analysis instrument constituting four different schooling domains (educational; social; developmental; administrative) and the ways in…

The 108 Curriculum Guidelines (108CG) were implemented in high schools in Taiwan in 2019 and have increased the flexibility of curriculum offerings. Schools must now offer diverse curricula, flexible options and self-directed learning courses based on students' needs and teachers' expertise. This study explores how rural high schools in Taiwan…

Previous studies suggest that small rural schools experience a range of challenges relating to their size, financial difficulties and geographical isolation, as well as potential opportunities relating to their position within their communities. In Northern Ireland, these schools are situated within the comparatively rare context of a religiously…

Since the arrival of COVID-19, schools have been confronted with complex problems, and the burden on women principals in rural schools has been enormous. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the workload of women principals, affecting both their work and home life. This study sought to explore how the leadership roles of female…

This qualitative study focuses on the intersectionality of race and rurality by looking at the responses of Wyoming principals and superintendents to the issues of diversity and social justice within Wyoming. The responses are presented and analyzed through a new framework called Cowboy Epistemology, and the Cultural Competency Continuum (Lindsey…

This paper aims to better delineate the patterns of mobility and turnover of rural principals in Texas. Specifically, the authors examine the patterns of movement into, within, and out of rural principal positions, as a means to gain a better understanding of the forces of 'draw' within rural areas and 'drain' out. The study consisted of a sample…

Purpose: This paper presents a case study of successful rural school leadership in Victoria, Australia. The purpose of the paper is to identify how particular leadership practices were adapted to secure rural school success. Design/methodology/approach: The author used the International Successful School Principalship Project research protocols to…

Public school campuses in rural South Texas are struggling to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Districts now have flexibility in hiring certified teachers, but the need for teachers continues to grow annually. The challenge lies in attracting teachers to smaller school districts, when there are larger districts throughout the State of…

Background: Race to the Top era teacher evaluation reforms sought to improve teacher effectiveness and, ultimately, student achievement through either accountability or developmental mechanisms (Donaldson, 2021). Quasi-experimental teacher evaluation studies find mixed results in urban and large-scale settings (Dee & Wyckoff, 2015; Steinberg…

The aim of this article is to analyze the perceptions on the local school and further education in the local community from a school leader's perspective. Another aim is to explore characteristics of sparsely populated rural areas. Data were derived from a survey on Swedish school leaders (n = 1,270). The results show significant variances between…

This paper explored the factors influencing the leadership strategies of school principals in rural primary schools regarding the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the process of teaching and learning in their schools. School principals are responsible for ensuring that there is ICTs integration in their schools'…

In this article, we reveal the complex and contested nature of principals' understandings of inclusion policy in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Drawing upon critical policy sociology, research into inclusion, and interviews with 18 principals from rural, regional and urban areas throughout the state, the research shows how principals…

Identification of learning barriers is a critical issue for support provision in inclusive classes, as it informs individualised support plans for each learner who experiences barriers to learning. However, the school support stakeholders in Quintile 1 rural schools in South Africa face challenges in identifying learning barriers experienced by…