Case Study on School Leaders’ Impact on English Language Acquisition Programs (Published)
This case study aims to understand the role played by school leaders in the management and administration of English language acquisition (ELA) programs. The researchers interviewed several educational faculty from three school districts in the state of Colorado. By applying the leadership framework of inspirational motivation (Northouse, 2015), the researchers examine to what extent principals, teachers, and other educators are involved in the ELA programs within their respective schools and districts. The findings of this research demonstrate the importance of preparation for school leaders, ELA teachers, and content teachers alike in order to better support English language learners. Additionally, this case study identifies a need for collaboration between teachers and school leaders to facilitate a stronger understanding of the purpose, function, and importance of ELA programs.
Keywords: English language acquisition, English language proficiency, educational leadership, inspirational motivation
Gendered Perceptions and Challenges Facing Females in Educational Leadership Positions (Published)
Since the coming into force of the 1992 Republican Constitution of Ghana, women are being encouraged and empowered to take up leadership position and to take active part in decision making process like their male counterparts. However, women leaders are faced with many challenges in the performance of their responsibilities. This study, therefore, sought to find out the female leaders’ gendered perceptions and challenges facing them in educational leadership positions in the Sunyani West District of Ghana. The qualitative research approach was adopted using the case study design. The study was guided by these questions: (1) How do females in educational leadership positions perceive leaders?, and (2) What are the challenges facing women in school leadership positions? The study is delimited to perception of women in leadership and their challenges in educational setting in the Sunyani West District. Twenty participants comprising heads of senior high schools, departmental heads, senior housemistresses and female circuit supervisors were purposively sampled for the study. Interview and observation were employed for the data collection. Triangulation was employed to test the consistency of findings obtained through the different instruments used. The data was analysed through thematic approach. The findings of the study revealed that family factors and traditional male / female power relations constitute serious challenges to female educational leaders. Women in educational leadership positions are facing challenges due to roles conflict resulting from roles they play as mothers, wives, daughters and managers. Cultural beliefs and traditional perceptions on gender roles continue to serve as a barrier to women leaders. These challenges constitute social constraints that overshadow their leadership qualities. Negative self-judgement and its associated stereotypic conceptions of females in leadership dampen their competencies and make them feel inadequate. It therefore became evident that, there should be an urgent need to discourage the unfair, unjust and unequal treatment sometimes meted out on women when opportunity is given to them to become leaders. Women leaders should be encouraged by society to face and surmount these challenging realities in order to take their rightful place in leadership arena.
Keywords: Female Leaders, Gendered Perceptions, Leadership Positions, educational leadership
Leadership and Supervision in Saudi Arabian Educational Context (Published)
The Saudi Arabian Educational system shared the philosophical principles, in its foundation, which concentrated on the achievement of goals, thereby taking up authoritative styles of leadership. However, organisations are beginning to be more liberal in today’s environment than in the 1940s and 1950s, and appealing to emotional intelligence as a tool and skill is needed for effective leadership. In the Saudi Arabian case, such developments are characterised by changes such as that of the educational supervisor having the role redefined to that of a director. This review tracks several parts; the first section helps western reader to understand the subtleties, complexities and intricacies of the Saudi Arabia education system and its approach to leadership system of education, history, culture and political contribution. This can lead to the larger extent understand if Emotional Intelligence is a provocation for better leadership of Saudi Arabian education sector or not. The second part is the growth of educational supervision in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the education system, and evaluates the impact of emotional intelligence as a necessary skill in leadership
Keywords: Educational Administration, Emotional Intelligence, educational leadership, educational supervision