Conference Agenda

Contemporary principals lead schools for success amidst rapidly changing and complex national, state, district/municipality and community contexts with success defined by wellbeing and equity as well as academic outcomes. Complexities in a rapidly changing society require a multi-layered perspective (Author, 2020a) where schools are complex adaptive systems and societal institutions (Author, 2020b; Morrison, 2010). The conceptualization by the International Successful School Principalship Project is underpinned by complexity theory and ecological systems theory.

Complexity theory (e.g., Byrne & Callaghan, 2013) recognizes that organizations operate in a rapidly changing, globalized world. Closely related, ecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) posits that individuals (children) typically find themselves in various interconnected ecosystems from the most intimate (home) system to the larger school system and then to the most expansive system which includes society and culture. Together, our Project conceptualization considers schools as adaptive organizations that work within contexts of multiple changes and nested influences that are culturally and historically situated. It has enabled us to construct an analytical framework which has informed new research questions and a comparative, mixed methods case study methodology. This methodology employs a systems-oriented approach in investigating successful leadership. Key areas of focus include contexts of change that influence leadership values, efficacy and practices, how they mediate organizational change and ultimately, school improvement outcomes and sustained success

Research Questions

RQ1: To what extent, and in what ways, is ‘success’ in schools perceived and measured [similarly and/or differently within and across different countries]?

RQ2: What are the key enablers and constraints for achieving school ‘success’ in different contexts?

RQ3: To what extent, and in what ways, do diverse socioeconomic, cultural, political, and professional contexts at different levels of the education system influence systems in which schools operate?

RQ4: Are there similar and/or different personal dispositions and professional knowledge, qualities and capabilities needed in enabling leaders to be(come) successful in different contexts [within and across different countries]?

RQ5: What similarities and differences can be identified in the values, beliefs, and behaviors of successful school principals across different schools in the same country, [and across national cultures and policy contexts]?

RQ6: How do different key stakeholders within and outside the school community and at different levels of the education system define successful school leadership practices [within and across different countries]?

RQ7: Is each leadership practice identified by different key stakeholders within and outside the school community and at different levels of the education system truly essential for achieving and sustaining ‘success’ [across different schools within each country and across different countries; and over time]? In what ways?

RQ8: [How do different education systems support school principals to learn to become successful, and to sustain their success over time?]

RQ9: To what extent, and in what ways, do school principals contribute to the ‘success’ of their schools (and/or groups of schools) similarly or differently [ within and across different countries]?

Methodology

We utilize a comparative mixed methods design with a variety of data sources in order to bring multiple perspectives to bear in the inquiry (Creswell & Creswell, 2017; Patton, 2002). Sources include semi-structured qualitative interviews with the district/municipality, governors, principal, teachers, parents, students, and a whole school teacher survey. The comparative analysis of these data sources within and across different schools and countries (Authors, 2021) enables trustworthiness and enhances rigour (Denzin, 2012).

The first paper presents the new theoretical framing as well as the analytical framework and methodology. The next three papers present cases that draw upon the theoretical framing, analytical framework, and comparative mixed methods in England, Sweden, and the United States.

This paper presents the theoretical and analytical frameworks and comparative mixed methods research methodology for the new phase of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). In so doing, the paper provides a rationale for the use of ecological systems theory in research on successful school leadership, as they lead and manage the complex interactions within and between micro, meso, macro, exon and chrono level systems (Bronfenbrenner, 2009). This paper then unpacks the comparative design and multi-perspective, multi-level approach to conducting research that enables multiple causalities, multiple perspectives, and multiple effects to be charted (Cohen et. al., 2011). The new ISSPP comparative methodology is grounded in four conceptual and methodological considerations. First, context in education is multidimensional and fluid – encompassing not only multi-layered social ecological systems of education, but also how such systems influence each other to bring about change in values and behaviour over time. Second, how context matters finds its scholarly roots in educational researchers’ intellectual, disciplinary, and professional insights, as well as their positionality and reflexivity from sociocultural and sociopolitical insider/outsider perspectives. Third, assessing the comparability of educational systems, practices, processes, and outcomes both within and across countries matters. Fourth, our comparative approach not only recognizes differences in world views, forms of knowledge and practices between different cultures but also recognizes the reality that there are also important similarities in how children are motivated to learn, how committed and enthusiastic teachers teach, and how successful leaders create and sustain the contextually relevant conditions and cultures for the learning and growth of children and adults in their schools. Methodologically, the selection of the case sites uses a purposive sampling of schools that controls for differences in accountability standards and evidence of improved student performance during the tenure of the principal under study in each national context. Data sources include semi-structured qualitative interviews with the district/municipality, governors, principal, teachers, parents, and students and a validated teacher survey in order to provide a more elaborated understanding of the phenomena i.e., school success and the principal’s leadership contribution to that success. The comparative analytical process, theoretical positioning, and comparative mixed methods provide a coherent but contextually sensitive data analysis approach. Finally, this paper previews the other papers that present findings using the new ISSPP frameworks and methodology in England, Sweden, and USA .

Authors, 2021. Author, 2020a Author, 2020b Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press. Byrne, D., & Callaghan, G. (2013). Complexity theory and the social sciences: The state of the art. Routledge. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Denzin, N. K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0. Journal of mixed methods research, 6(2), 80-88. Manu, A. (2022). The Philosophy of Disruption. Bingley, Emerald Publishing. Morrison, K. (2010). Complexity theory, school leadership and management: Questions for theory and practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(3), 374-393. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Sage.

Schools in England have undergone considerable reform over the past two decades and their principals have had to learn to manage increased volumes of government educational-policy initiatives designed to raise standards of teaching, learning, and academic outcomes for all students. Although these initiatives are seen by governments as a means of building human, economic, and social capital in increasingly competitive and socially turbulent global environments, there are continuing concerns over how effectively they are being implemented by school leaders and teachers. The analysis of the English case study is informed by the philosophy of disruption which is deeply concerned with social changes that enhance and transform the practice and experience of everyday life of individuals and their institution (Manu, 2022). This philosophical and analytical approach sees the principal as a positive disruptor who is able to embrace external policy reforms as “opportunities” for change, aligning resources in ways that has enabled her to harness knowledge, skills and capacity of the staff and create educationally equitable, and values-based “landscapes of success” over time. In this inner-city primary school which serves a socioeconomically highly disadvantaged community, policy shifts are perceived as unavailable political realities of education. Success is not simply defined in relation to its sustained academic performance over a ten-year period – rising from one of the bottom 200 underperforming schools nationally to become a National Support School. Most importantly, it is about how the principal has incorporated and used externally generated policies to enact and reinforce her own educational agendas in the process of school improvement, and transform the mindset and culture of teachers and students who feel empowered and confident to embrace change and make the right decisions for the right reasons. Key in regard is how she has broadened and deepened the organisational, social, and intellectual capacities that for the improvement of quality and standards in teaching and learning, despite rather than because of externally generated reforms.

Authors, 2021. Author, 2020a Author, 2020b Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press. Byrne, D., & Callaghan, G. (2013). Complexity theory and the social sciences: The state of the art. Routledge. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Denzin, N. K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0. Journal of mixed methods research, 6(2), 80-88. Manu, A. (2022). The Philosophy of Disruption. Bingley, Emerald Publishing. Morrison, K. (2010). Complexity theory, school leadership and management: Questions for theory and practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(3), 374-393. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Sage.

In Sweden as in many other countries, there is increasing segregation due to students' socio–economic background since most students go to the school closest to home. This study is done in a socioeconomic segregated area in a large city in Sweden to find out how they work towards success. The school has a history of low results and a high number of newly immigrated students. For several years there has been a high turnover of principals and teachers. The current principal is described as driven by a desire to be successful by the superintendent. Multiple aims and a fast-changing society require that we look at principals and school leadership from several perspectives (Shaked & Schechter, 2017; Johansson & Ärlestig, 2020) as schools are complex adaptive systems with prerequisites and change processes that are, nonlinear, unstable, and constantly changing (Morrison, 2002) at the same time as some of their culture and attitudes are stable and hard to change. What characterizes a successful principal in a low socio-economic area? The study seeks answers on how the principal promotes equity, equality, well-being, teacher quality, and academic optimism to create a successful school. Local actors must navigate in complexity, understand and measure improvement, to make change sustainable (Glickman, 2010). We used a mixed methods approach for interviews and a survey based on the revised ISSPP protocol. In total, one principal, five assistant principals, and six teachers were interviewed. An online survey following the revised ISSPP protocol was distributed to all to all 55 teachers with a response of 89 % (n=49) Preliminary results show that the principal communicates academic optimism (Hoy 2014) to convince her personnel of the over-arching aim for the school that every child in their school has the right to the best possible education (SOU 2010:800). This has evoked an emphasis on what is happening inside the classroom and on ways to improve teaching. The principal gives during the interview examples of multiple change processes, outlining that several small steps and processes can lead forward to better teaching and learning. Our measurements of success will be linked to changes in culture, structure, and every child’s learning optimism as well as principals' leadership.

Authors, 2021. Author, 2020a Author, 2020b Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press. Byrne, D., & Callaghan, G. (2013). Complexity theory and the social sciences: The state of the art. Routledge. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Denzin, N. K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0. Journal of mixed methods research, 6(2), 80-88. Manu, A. (2022). The Philosophy of Disruption. Bingley, Emerald Publishing. Morrison, K. (2010). Complexity theory, school leadership and management: Questions for theory and practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(3), 374-393. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Sage. (112 words)

The United States, like many nation states, has recently experienced internal demographic shifts and global population migrations contributing to increased student diversity. Such increased diversity exists in perennial and new tensions with federal and state policies that legislate increased commonality or centralization. U.S. schools are culturally and historically situated and exist within a complex interplay among federal and state policies, schools, districts, and communities with increasingly diverse students. Additionally, all schools experienced health and social emotional concerns from the pandemic, rapid shift to online education and digitalization, and intensifying concerns about equity. The U.S. case studies in this paper utilize the new ISSPP research methodology which was recently revised to include a comparative mixed methods approach to construct mixed methods case studies of schools in diverse cultural regions of the U.S, including Alabama, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Texas. Some research teams focus on public schools while others include religious schools; some schools are situated in districts that have tighter coupling with support within accountability mandates and district systems while others have more loose coupling whereby schools seek out programs and innovations on their own initiative. Data sources include semi-structured qualitative interviews with the district leaders, principal, teachers, parents, and students in order to provide a more elaborated understanding of the phenomena i.e., school success and the principal’s leadership contribution to that success. Additionally, a survey was administered to all teachers in each of seven schools. Preliminary findings indicate schools were complex, adaptive systems and principals led change processes in ways that were non-linear and adaptive to constant changes (Morrision, 2010). Moreover, principals and other interviewees recognized that they needed to ground their work in understanding the humanistic needs of children (e.g. wellbeing, social emotional health) as well as academic needs. In other words, teachers and principals focused on pedagogical relationships as a constant but kept school improvement plans fluid in order to adapt to multiple complexities. In the final section of the paper, we consider school success in relation to complexity theory, the principal’s habitus, identity, and a language of education and pedagogy. Further, we consider more deeply educational theorizing in relation to the principal’s habitus, school, and community fields, as well as the broader complex systems in which schools and leaders educate for success. The paper concludes with implications for theorizing educational leadership, future research, leadership preparation, and development.

Authors, 2021. Author, 2020a Author, 2020b Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard university press. Byrne, D., & Callaghan, G. (2013). Complexity theory and the social sciences: The state of the art. Routledge. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications. Denzin, N. K. (2012). Triangulation 2.0. Journal of mixed methods research, 6(2), 80-88. Manu, A. (2022). The Philosophy of Disruption. Bingley, Emerald Publishing. Morrison, K. (2010). Complexity theory, school leadership and management: Questions for theory and practice. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(3), 374-393. Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods. Sage.