Successful leadership practices of head teachers for school improvement. Some evidence from Pakistan
| Pages | 414-432 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231111146489 |
| Date | 05 July 2011 |
| Published date | 05 July 2011 |
| Author | Naseer Ahmad Salfi |
| Subject Matter | Education |
Successful leadership practices of
head teachers for school
improvement
Some evidence from Pakistan
Naseer Ahmad Salfi
Division of Education, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to identify the successful leadership practices of head
teachers for school improvement at secondary level in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach – The study was descriptive (survey type) in nature. It was
conducted on a sample of 351 secondary school head teachers, 702 elementary and secondary school
teachers working in the government secondary schools of Punjab province. Data were collected using
a mixed-methods research design that included: review of related literature, documents indicating
school achievements and student attainment, questionnaires and in-depth semi-structured interviews
with different stakeholders including the head teachers, teachers, parents and students. The validity
and reliability of the instruments was ensured through experts’ opinions and pilot testing in mid-2007;
the overall reliability was established at 0.923 alpha level.
Findings – The findings of the study revealed that the majority of the head teachers of successful
schools developed a common and shared school vision and promoted a culture of collaboration,
support and trust. They empowered others to lead and distributed leadership responsibilities
throughout the school; involved different stakeholders in the process of decision making; developed
and maintained good relationships among different personnel of school community. They emphasised
the professional development of teachers as well as themselves, and involved parents and community
in the process of school improvement.
Practical implications – The findings of this article may be useful for other countries of almost
similar socio-economic status, to improve quality of teaching and learning at secondary level.
Originality/value – The paper shows that policy makers, administrators, managers and head
teachers at secondary school level may improve school performance by adopting effective strategies
for school improvement in Pakistan.
Keywords Successful leadership, Leadership practices, Principals, Schoolimprovement,
Secondary schools,Empowerment, Pakistan
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The highest quality of education at all levels is, undoubtedly, a goal aspired to in all
countries. The achievement of such is dependent on many factors including numerous
personnel within each education system. In particular, leaders in educational
institutions assume essential roles in achieving the measure of quality to which all
aspire. Research on effective and successful schools, for example, has shown the
importance of effective leadership. Hughes and Ubben (1989) have emphasised
Edmonds’ observation that “there may be some bad schools here and there with good
head teachers but I have never seen an effective school that had a bad head teacher”.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0957-8234.htm
JEA
49,4
414
Received March 2010
Revised May 2010
Accepted July 2010
Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 49 No. 4, 2011
pp. 414-432
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/09578231111146489
Importance of school leadership for school effectiveness and school improvement has
been the subject of research throughout the countries. Different countries and education
systems have introduced educational reforms from time to time and emphasised on the
importance of leadership for school effectiveness and improvement. Researchers and
practitioners from the international field of school effectiveness and improvement have
constantly highlighted the important role of school leadership for school improvement
(Gurr et al., 2005; Hargreaves et al., 1998; Van Velzen et al., 1985; West et al., 2000).
Different researchers have identified strong leadership as one of the most important
factors of effective and successful schools (Bell et al., 2003; Dinham, 2005; Fullan, 2001;
Mortimore, 1993; Townsend, 2007). Day et al. (2006) found the quality of school leadership
as one of the major factors which affected teachers’ commitment and their motivation to
remain at or leave a school. Hopkins (2001) and Sammons (1999) argued that quality of
leadership positively enhances teaching and learning. Wallace (2002) stated that school
leadership has a significant impact upon school effectiveness and school improvement.
Similarly, there is a plethora of research that indicates the significant effect of school
leadership on students’ outcomes (Bishop, 2004; Leithwood et al., 2006; Leithwood et al.,
2004; Marzano et al., 2005; Mulford, 2003; Mulford and Silins, 2003). Leithwood and Jantzi
(2000) argued that effective leaders employed an indirect but powerful influence on school
effectiveness and students’ achievement. Caldwell (1998) demonstrated that head teachers
played a key strategic and empowering role in linking structural aspect of reform to
teaching learning process and students’ outcomes. Ainley et al. (2005, p. 12) also noted
that principals play a key role in establishing cultures that are professionally stimulating
for teachers which increase theirs sense of efficacy and beliefs that have the capacity to
make a difference to students’ learning. Looking into literature, an agreement seems
among researchers that leadership is one of the significant factors for school effectiveness
and successful schools are associated with the activities of effective leadership.
Despite the importan ce of leadership for sch ool effectiveness an d school
improvement, a key question always remains in the mind of researchers that what
are effective leadership and what type of leadership contributes more effectively
towards school improvement (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003). The researchers studied this
phenomenon from different angles and presented different models and approaches of
leadership for school effectiveness and improvement (Bush and Glover, 2003). In the
early, the emphasis of school leadership research was focused on the activities of
individuals (Bridges, 1982) and successful leadership practices were associated with
these individuals (Leithwood, 2005). But with the increase of educational reforms like
site-based management, career ladders for teachers and mentor teacher programmes,
the focus of school leadership research has been changed and researchers started to
focus not only on the leadership activities of school heads, but also on the leadership
employed by other stakeholders of school community (Weiss and Cambone, 1994).
In view of the above literature review, it is evident that effective and successful
schools are associated with the activities of effective leadership of head teachers. It is
needed to identify the successful and effective leadership practices of head teachers in
different context. The researcher, therefore, intended to identify the leadership
practices of head teachers of successful schools at secondary level in Pakistan. The
primary aim of this study is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of
successful leadership practices in schools through literature review and evidence
obtained by this study. To achieve the objective of the study “to identify the successful
Successful
leadership
practices
415
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