Distributed Leadership and Middle Leadership Practice in Schools: A Disconnect?

Autor/inn/en	Lárusdóttir, Steinunn Helga; O'Connor, Eileen
Titel	Distributed Leadership and Middle Leadership Practice in Schools: A Disconnect?
Quelle	In: Irish Educational Studies, 36 (2017) 4, S.423-438 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0332 3315
DOI	10.1080/03323315.2017.1333444
Schlagwörter	Middle Management; Participative Decision Making; Transformational Leadership; Leadership Styles; Semi Structured Interviews; Focus Groups; School Culture; Leadership Role; Trust (Psychology); Collegiality; Administrator Surveys; Foreign Countries; Iceland; Ireland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mittlere Führungskraft; Führungsstil; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Kollegialität; Ausland; Island; Irland
Abstract	This article reports on a small-scale collaborative research study on middle leadership (ML) in Iceland and Ireland. It explores the ML role using the theoretical lens of distributed leadership (DL). The majority of DL studies to date examine leadership as an organisational resource that can be cultivated and utilised to serve school improvement. This research, however, situates the teacher at the core of DL and commences a discourse on how MLs experience their leadership practice from a DL perspective. The empirical investigation is based on semi-structured focus group interviews across the range of schools in both education contexts. The findings indicate a disconnect between DL theory as outlined in the literature and ML practice as currently experienced in Ireland and Iceland. While a form of DL exists in both contexts, this is strictly at the gift of the Principal rather than a reciprocal relationship with teachers in relation to leading school activities. The findings also signal a need for a proactive approach in School Leadership Preparation Programmes and in Initial Teacher Education to facilitate school leaders and teachers in understanding and adopting a distributed mindset. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01