Conference Agenda

In Africa, progress towards equitable access to high-quality education has been slow. This has been attributed to education systems' inability to address factors underlying the learning crisis such as underprepared students, low teaching quality, a focus on educational resources that do not foster learning, and ineffective school leadership. Effective school leadership is considered essential in addressing all four elements because its key role in influencing education actors to strive towards greater learning and more resilient education systems. To ignite the potential of school leadership on the African continent, the Rwandan government, the Association for Development of Education in Africa, and VVOB - education for development, initiated the African Centre for School Leadership (ACSL) to assist governments in developing supportive school leadership systems with the goal of improving teaching and, as a result, learning outcomes.

Two studies were carried out to lay the theoretical groundwork for the Centre. The first study was a review of empirical research on school leadership in Africa that provided insights into what constituted effective school leadership on the continent. In this paper, we complement the findings of the review with the opinion of a panel of experts and the consensus that was built amongst these experts on the topic of school leadership in Africa. The findings of the scoping review were rewritten into statements on school leadership in Africa, organized around nine topics. The Delphi method is a group approach that involves a series of surveys between the researchers and a group of selected experts on a certain issue. This study brought together government partners, policymakers, researchers, development partners, and providers of CPD services to African school leaders to collect data in three survey rounds utilizing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

The results of the first Delphi round, in which the panel of experts was given the opportunity to add additional statements about school leadership and school leadership professional development in Africa, revealed a strong interest in school leadership and school leadership professional development in Africa. In Delphi rounds 2 and 3, most statements and declared aims of the Centre received broad agreement and consensus. This indicates that the examination of empirical research on the subject accurately represents the viewpoints of experts from various countries as well as personal experiences. Statements on which no agreement was reached present prospects for additional analysis, investigation, and research. Of special interest are the statements regarding the potential interplay between gender and school leadership, and statements regarding Ubuntu school leadership as a potential model for effective school leadership, rooted in the African context. Both research avenues offer significant opportunities for exploratory and ground-breaking research.

In conclusion, this study emphasizes the upside of involving policymakers and practitioners in the validation of literature and the initiation of initiatives supporting school leader development, which is aligned with the conference theme, specifically on the subtheme on policy and practice learning to support teacher and school leader development.

Due to various reforms, efforts must be taken to make schools more inclusive. Although countries have different historically developed educational contexts, similar regulations must be implemented internationally. School principals play a major role in this chain of international guidelines, national and finally local implementation (Abrahamsen & Aas, 2019). However, due to different definitions of inclusion and the importance of local contexts, it is not exactly clear what this role looks like (Wermke & Prøitz, 2019). These ambiguities show that it is not possible to clarify what principals should be educated for in terms of designing inclusive schools. In order to give an impetus for this and improve schools on the long term, the study reveals:

1) How is school principals’ responsibility depicted in policy documents in Germany and Norway regarding the implementation of inclusion policies since 1994?

For investigating if the results are relevant for principals, the following question is further examined:

2) How is the discourse of school principals’ responsibility discussed in school leaders’ professional journals in Germany and Norway, regarding the implementation of inclusion policies since 1994?

Due to the Salamanca Declaration and subsequent efforts for more inclusive school systems, the analysis begins in the 1990s. Germany and Norway are particularly interesting for a comparison as both countries have different historically developed educational traditions, but similarities in recent educational reforms, with greater room for maneuver for principals on local level (Wermke & Prøitz, 2021).

For the analysis of legislation and journals, qualitative content document analysis (Bowen, 2009) in the further development of Prøitz (2015) was used. For the first part, school laws and their guiding documents regarding inclusive education were investigated. Principals in both countries are obliged to follow the law and justify their decisions based on the Education Act (Møller & Skedsmo, 2013), so principals’ responsibilities are specified here. The second part of the analysis worked with journals, partially written from principals for principals. The journals show how political implementations arrive in professional daily work life and how policies are understood and interpreted by principals and their associations. The material presents furthermore the interface between intentions and practice.

Preliminary results indicate that principals in Norway have more possibilities for shaping inclusive schools. This is seen in a wider room for maneuver and trust in their decisions. German principals instead are restricted by requirements of school authorities. While the analysis of the Norwegian journals reveals satisfaction on the whole and just some slight adjustments and requested support, German journals show job dissatisfaction in general but are still under more detailed analysis.

The results show what policies in various times and contexts imply for school principals in the implementation of schools for all children. Since the analysis is furthermore not just conducted over time but also during an acute crisis like the COVID-19-pandemic, it will reveal challenges principals are facing in their leadership autonomy on long- and short-term issues. The study can finally present an important source for the education of principals and collaboration between different educational leaders.

This narrative literature review explores the interrelationship between digital exclusion, self-efficacy, and Parental Involvement (PI) in the context of home-based digital learning within European and Irish educational settings. The review critically examines extant literature, identifies gaps in knowledge, and proposes considerations for schools to increase PI in children's digital learning through Digital Technology (DT) based initiatives.

The problem addressed in this review pertains to the concept of digital exclusion, which stems from the theory of the digital divide and its consequent impact on parental involvement (PI) in children's digital learning. While the integration of DT in education has accelerated, a significant portion of parents and families face digital exclusion due to various socio-cultural, socio-demographic, and socio-economic factors. This review seeks to understand the consequences of digital exclusion, particularly on Parental Self-Efficacy (PSE) (Wittkowski et al., 2017), Computer Self-Efficacy (CSE) (Compeau & Higgins, 1995), and their influence on PI, which is crucial for student engagement and outcomes.

Accordingly, this paper addresses the following research questions: How does digital exclusion influence PSE and CSE, and subsequently affect PI in their children's home-based digital learning? What initiatives and approaches can foster digital inclusion and support increased PI in children's digital learning?

The review employs a comprehensive search for pertinent literature, followed by rigorous critical appraisal and synthesis of identified studies. The review incorporates a diverse range of perspectives, drawing on research conducted within International, European and Irish contexts. A reflexive approach is taken to critically examine the limitations of existing literature and identify gaps in knowledge. This approach allows for a coherent and nuanced understanding of the interrelationships between digital exclusion, self-efficacy, and PI. The primary data sources for this review are scholarly articles, research studies, and policy documents related to digital exclusion, digital inclusion, self-efficacy, and PI in education. The theoretical framework encompasses the concepts of social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1986), digital exclusion (Van Dijk, 2005; Helsper, 2012), and the parental involvement process model (Hoover Dempsey et al., 2005).

This narrative literature review contributes to the theoretical understanding of digital inclusion, self-efficacy, and PI within educational settings. It explores initiatives focused on fostering digital inclusion and PI though school-based interventions while acknowledging existing barriers. The findings will provide insights into the complex relationship between digital technologies, parental involvement, and educational outcomes. The results and recommendations will inform practitioners, policymakers, and educators on strategies to foster digital inclusion the digital divide and foster an inclusive approach to DT-based education.

This review aligns with the conference theme of quality professional education for enhanced school effectiveness and improvement by addressing the crucial aspects of equity, inclusion, and diversity within the context of DT integration. By exploring the interrelationship between digital exclusion, self-efficacy, and PI, this review contributes to the understanding and implementation of effective strategies for promoting equity and enhancing school effectiveness in a digitally evolving educational landscape.