Enacting distributed leadership in the Republic of Ireland: Assessing primary school principals’ developmental needs using constructive developmental theory

Author:

Murphy GavinORCID,Brennan Thomas

Abstract

In the Republic of Ireland, school leadership policy adopts a distributed leadership model nationally. Given that this is a relatively recent policy development, research conducted on distributed leadership to date has highlighted that there are particular challenges for school leaders in enacting this model in practice and, more significantly, that principals have signalled their need for further leadership development in its enactment. In this study, we contribute to the growing national research on this leadership model. We chart the development of this policy and, drawing on primary school principals’ perspectives, also explore opportunities and challenges in this context at school and system levels, illustrated richly through two participant vignettes and more generally in the discussion. We argue that constructive-developmental theory, a theory that acknowledges developmental diversity and richly theorises professional growth and development, offers school and system leaders a nuanced, differentiated, and transformative approach through which leadership development activities are led at school and system levels can support principals to enact distributed leadership in practice. We conclude by describing developmental supports for leaders and considerations for system leaders and policymakers, which are also likely to be of interest beyond the Irish context given the rise of distributed leadership internationally.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Strategy and Management,Education

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3