This paper utilises an interpretivist framework and recent developments in practice theory to examine the conditions which influence practices of socialising into the role of school principal in Trinidad and Tobago. The results indicate that for the 11 early career primary school principals, role socialisation occurs within complex "practice…

This paper examines the agentive role of the colonial administration in accessing formal education for Africans in North Nyanza, Kenya from 1890 to 1920. It demonstrates the complexities of the colonial experience in which the ultimate application of policy and practice was shaped by the overriding principle of protection of the economic and…

Given that elevation to permanent secretary is widely recognised as the apotheosis of a career in the Whitehall bureaucracy, it is remarkable that so few have been the subject of sustained biographical research and that this key role remains largely un-theorised. As such, this paper reports on aspects of a longitudinal study which set out to…

In changing times for higher education that are dominated by a neoliberal ideology, we set out to uncover how Heads of Departments (HoDs) perceive their role with respect to supporting their staff and their academic freedom. Freedom to pursue academic research is seen as key to the generation of new knowledge yet it is potentially constrained by…

The preparation of educational leaders is a global phenomenon. Education systems have developed numerous means by which current and aspiring leaders are prepared for the role. Through the example of a large public school system in Australia, this paper argues that the doxa of school leadership establishes a particular identity of the…

This article analyses the changing role of the principal in Mexico, during a period, 1921-1934, in which the configurations sustaining and surrounding schooling were profoundly transformed. It compares the experience of three "directores" working in towns that differed in their expectations and relationship to state and federal government. In this…

This article explores governors' perceptions of the role played by school principals in the democratic governance of secondary schools in South Africa. The South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996 has mandated that all public schools in South Africa must have democratically elected school governing bodies, comprised of the principal (in his or her…

Policy changes in higher education internationally have led to greater institutional competition and performativity and a shift from academic to business management for institutional leaders. Major changes to tertiary education management in New Zealand, legislated in 1990, had a particularly marked impact on teacher education institutions,…

This paper reviews the historical development of the secondary principalship in the US and examines how the current role of the principal is a result of historical forces. The authors consider a preferred future for the principalship and present recommendations for change. (Contains 120 notes.)

Queen's College in London's Harley Street was founded in 1848 by Frederick Denison Maurice. Together with other professors from King's College London he began the venture for the education of middle-class girls, which was "greeted with prejudice and ridicule." Originally planned as an institution for training governesses, it was decided at the…

The school as an organization has certain peculiarities which pose particular problems of management. There are a number of interlinked problems which need analysis: control over 'work flow', structural looseness, a professional work-force, 'information flow', boundaries control, and management of innovation. (Author)

Given the entrenchment of professional dominance and the decrease in lay influence, the establishment of School Site Councils in California will probably not radically alter the structure of educational governance. The author suggests that if professional power continues to grow unchecked, it will pose a threat to democratic principles. (Author/WD)

Because of increased government control over schools, a two-tier school administration has developed, including a rule-making tier for finance administration and a rule-implementing tier for personnel administration. Their evaluative role pressures school administrators into politically based decisions in both tiers in order to survive. (JW)

In a large and complicated school, good teaching can only be based on good organization. A disturbingly large number of able pupils and teachers in English comprehensive schools fail to realize their full potentials. This situation is primarily the result of poor organization, especially poor departmental organization. (Author)