Rozprawy doktorskie na temat „Catholic school principals”

In light of the challenges faced by post-modern principals, and the changes in the Catholic Church and in Catholic education, this study aimed to analyse and identify the work of the principal in a Catholic school in the late 1990s. This meant examining the perceptions of the principal's work as identified by principals themselves, and those key players who work with them in Catholic schools. The study identified the key behaviours of principals in Catholic schools, and the factors that tend to enhance or inhibit their work. In the initial phase of the research, the instrument used in the study was a self administered questionnaire that consisted of 123 key behaviours which respondents were asked to rate according to degree of importance. The second instrument used was a semi-structured interview with a sample of principals. This methodology was designed as a further check on reliability and validity of the questionnaire. It was apparent from this research that in the late 1990s, it was essential that the principal in a Catholic school be committed to creating an authentic Catholic school where a climate of care prevailed, and where respect and privacy for families was upheld. The principal must be committed to whole school philosophy, orientated toward servant leadership, and able to articulate and bring into practice the ethos of a Catholic school. As well, the study showed that it was crucial for the Catholic school principal to ensure appropriate staffing, and that an atmosphere of co-operation and communication existed within the school community. In developing policies that incorporated the ideals of the Vision Statement, the study suggests that the Catholic school principal ensured that excellence in all areas of human growth is treasured. Bearing in mind that each participating group indicated different priorities, support for the principal and the development of skills, is essential for their work to be effective in Catholic schools of the new millennium.

The focus of this research project was the changing perception amongst practising Catholic school principals of the nature and purpose of the contemporary Catholic school. This examination was set within the changing social, ecclesial and educational contexts within which the Catholic school has operated in the decades following the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). The research which was conducted amongst principals in the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia, was focused by two research questions. These were:How do principals currently perceive the purpose of Catholic schools? How do they perceive Catholic schools changing? The review of the literature examined elements of the changing environment of the contemporary Catholic school. It also surveyed the ways in which that literature described the effects of changing social, ecclesial and educational contexts upon the sense of purpose amongst principals of Catholic schools. The demise of “inherited meanings” and the reconstruction or reimagining of a new meaning structure provided the conceptual template for the study. Since the study explores the perceptions of leaders concerning their schools in times of extensive and foundational contextual change, it involved an interpretive research design. An epistemological stance of constructionism was adopted because it acknowledges the impact which engagement with the research exerts upon participants’ construction of meaning. An interpretivist theoretical perspective served to structure the research in a manner that was congruent with the philosophical foundations of the research questions. The employment of the research orientation of symbolic interactionism was appropriate because it holds that meaning and interpretation of phenomena are to be understood by listening to the voices and perspectives of the participants within a given context. A case study approach was utilised in the execution of the research design which allowed for flexible, systematic and continuing data collection, analysis and participant feedback. Data were collected through the use of personal, open-ended questionnaire, semistructured interviews, critical review interviews, focus groups and independent review and were analysed using constant comparative method. The research led to the conclusion that in the contemporary Catholic school, a high priority is given to the offering of a holistic educational experience to students. This, in turn, is predicated upon an anthropology which adopts a more unitive rather than dualistic view of the human person. This represents a significant conceptual movement within the period under study. A greater emphasis is also placed upon the evangelising role the Catholic school, which, in turn, acknowledges the increasingly secular environment within which it operates. At the same time, there is a strong, expressed belief amongst its leaders that the contemporary Catholic school offers an experience of a redemptive community in which its members can find acceptance, inclusion and a sense of the spiritual dimension of life which transcends the status of affiliation with the institutional Church.

This study details the background to the establishment of Parish School Boards in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and reports and analyses the perceptions of all ACT Catholic, systemic, primary school Principals who operated with a Parish School Board in 1993. The movement towards Parish School Boards finds its genesis in the Second Vatican Council where the Church was invited to collaborate in decision-making based on the belief that all the faithful have gifts, knowledge and a share of the wisdom to bring to the building of the Church. The nature and structure of Catholic education was seen as a suitable vehicle for encouraging communities to engage in shared decision-making and in participatory democracy under the Church model of subsidiarity, collegiality and collaboration. The introduction of Parish School Boards into the Archdiocese can be seen as the implementation of a radical change to the educational mission of the Church and the educational leadership of the faith community. Reflecting 'new management theory' in both the secular and Church worlds, a key stakeholder is the school Principal whose role and relationships change as he or she learns to work within a team, sharing leadership. This study examines the responses of nineteen Principals who were interviewed by the researcher in order to determine how they work with a Parish School Board and what effects the board has on their work. Research studies in the area of School-Based Management and Shared Decision-Making have informed the review, and the Principals' responses from this study have been analysed in the light of secular and Church literature on leadership, devolution and change. The respondents of this study, the school Principals, report the benefits of collegiality and collaboration but their unresolved tensions relate to work overload, lack of clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the various local level decision-making groups, increased administrative complexity, community demand for ever widening consultation and the challenge of consensus decision-making. All Principals report an urgent need for professional development for themselves and for the system to provide a more explicit focus on parish and community formation with the commitment of the necessary resources to sustain this radical change.

This study explored the interface between the leadership of Catholic schools and the legal framework of the social/cultural context of Australian Society. Specifically, the study investigated the legal issues impacting on Catholic schools, principals’ understandings of these legal issues and the sources used in gaining these understandings. The congruency between these understandings and the current interpretations of areas of the law were also examined, along with the influence legal issues have on principals; in particular, their perceptions of how these legal issues relate to carrying out their leadership roles aligned with the characteristics and ethos of the Catholic school. In this overall context, the influence of a number of variables such as school complexity, location, and primary and secondary school environments was also examined. The study commenced with an examination of the development of Catholic schools within the Australian social/cultural context, an exploration of leadership as it relates to Catholic schools and a survey of the literature indicating the scope and nature of the legal matters impacting on schools within the Australian legal framework. To gather data relevant to the purposes of the study, a Survey Questionnaire was constructed and distributed to principals of all systemic Catholic schools administered by the Brisbane Catholic Education Centre. The quantitative and qualitative data provided via this instrument was supplemented and corroborated by information gathered through discussions, observations, and reference to documentation and records. The findings of the study confirmed that Catholic schools were involved with a wide range of legal issues, involvement being more pronounced in some areas than others, and like all legal issues within the Australian social/cultural context, those impacting on schools were subject to regular renewal and development. In relation to the latter, participants identified emerging areas of the law which were starting to have an impact on their schools. Principals’ overall understandings of current interpretations of legal issues were not of a high standard. However, some understandings, particularly relating to statue law were more accurate than understandings of common law issues. Principals used a wide range of sources to gain legal understandings, and interactions with fellow principals and personnel within the Brisbane Catholic Education System who supported and supervised principals, featured prominently. However, access for principals to designated legal practitioners for advice on legal matters was a need revealed. Involvement of principals in formal and less formal professional learning experiences relating to legal matters was limited, and participation did not have a significant influence on developing more accurate understandings of legal issues. Nevertheless, the need for continued personal and professional learning with regard to legal issues was highlighted by this study, especially considering the continued renewal and development of the law, and the stress created by the lack of legal understandings. The findings indicated legal matters were having a large impact on Catholic schools; 90% of participants experienced stress associated with legal matters, and 70% saw this as an increasing phenomena. While a number of variables inter-relate to form a cumulative effect contributing to stress, participants ranked the most prominent source of stress as lack of legal knowledge. The impact of legal matters was not confined to addressing legal matters per se, but a constant threat of legalism overshadowing principals in their leadership roles. Overall, there was a high compatibility between the ethos of the Catholic school and the resolutions reached, and the process used in coming to a resolution of legal matters. However, participants were more confident in their perceptions of a high compatibility with the resolutions reached than with the processes used.No one variable examined, had an overall significant influence on the understandings, involvement and impact of legal issues on the leadership of Catholic schools. However, a number of significant relationships were identified with particular aspects of the study. Surprisingly, the study did not reveal a significant relationship between the length of time spent as a principal in a Catholic school and the accuracy of understandings of legal issues impacting on schools. It was suggested that the development of principals’ understandings of legal issues could be closely related to the continued personal and professional learning and growth of leaders within Catholic schools, particularly within School Leadership Teams. Suggestions to support this growth and learning were offered as part of the overall development of leadership within Catholic schools.

The role of a Catholic school principal is complex and includes promoting Catholic faith and spirituality throughout the school community. The additional job requirements of spiritual leadership are intentional formation for prospective and novice principals and efforts to sustain spirituality for experienced principals. This qualitative study explored the perceptions held by experienced lay elementary principals of their role as spiritual leader as well as how prepared they felt to serve in this role. Additionally, the study explored suggestions for sustaining principals in their role as spiritual leader. Participants were six lay Catholic elementary principals working in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Data were collected in the form of written reflections, interviews, and a focus group. There were three rounds of written reflections and interviews. A focus group was conducted after the three rounds of data collection. Initial analysis was conducted by identifying emerging themes for each research question. The Four Pillars of Jesuit Leadership Framework was used to discuss the findings. Findings indicated the need for formation and training programs for lay Catholic elementary school principals specifically focused on their role as spiritual leader. Additionally, principals need more supports and opportunities to renew themselves to continue serving as spiritual leaders. These findings support the need for the archdiocese to take responsibility for training and forming lay principals as this responsibility is beyond the scope of the Department of Catholic Schools.

Catholic schools in the United States have experienced daunting challenges since Vatican II (1962-1965) with a 45% decrease in number attributed to decisions made by Church leaders. Traditionally led by religious, the National Catholic Education Association (2010) reported 97% of Catholic schools are now staffed by lay people. This research details the importance of Catholic schools to the evangelizing mission of the Church, defines the role of laity, and acknowledges a lack of programs that support lay Catholic principals. Past studies provide a snapshot of trends, list expected competencies, and compare their positions to public school counterparts. The literature review indicates little attention has focused on lived experiences of lay Catholic principals. This study presents the stories of six female Catholic principals in an effort to provide a greater understanding of the responsibilities associated with their roles. Using narrative case study design, this research reveals aspects of their lives, careers, and families as it pertains to their experiences as Catholic principals. Six major themes emerged from the analysis of data: (1) the unwavering link between the Catholic Church and school; (2) the call for leadership that deepens the faith of their constituencies; (3) the importance of building community as a dimension of the principal’s role as faith leader; (4) the requisite for principals to model faith in action; (5) the need for spiritual and professional development to support principals as faith leaders; and, (6) the negotiation of tensions in their personal and professional lives. Results provide a richer understanding of the complexity associated with lay leadership and informs the reader of areas in need of further research to assure the future of Catholic education in the United States. Specifically, findings suggest Church leadership structure programs that adequately prepare lay Catholic principals for their roles, perform studies focused on the multifaceted roles associated with Catholic school leadership, and create opportunities for spiritual and professional development for those who currently serve in these positions. The study confirms priests as the link between the Catholic Church and school, and suggests their preparation, as well as desire to oversee a Catholic school, as critical.

The purposes of the study were to identify leadership styles of principals as perceived by teachers in selected Catholic schools of Indiana, and to determine if leadership styles of principals were correlated with achievement of seventh-grade students. Participants were selected from a population of 140 elementary schools of the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, the Diocese of Gary, and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The instruments used to collect data were the Leader Effectiveness and Adaptability Description (LEAD-Other), and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). The LEAD-Other was used to measure teacher judgments of principal leadership style, and the ITBS was used to measure academic growth of seventh-grade students.The sources of data for the study were 22 principals, 135 teachers and 2,134 students of the 22 schools. The distribution of leadership styles of the 22 principals was: 2 principals as Style 1 (Telling); 13 principals as Style 2 (Selling); 6 principals as Style 3 (Participating), and 1 principal as Style 4 (Delegating). The 2,134 students, with their respective grade equivalent means, were distributed among the four styles of principal leadership as: Style 1, 193 students with a mean of 9.04; Style 2, 1,261 students with a mean of 8.98; Style 3, 602 students with a mean of 8.86; and style 4, 78 students with a mean of 9.42. An ex post facto research design was used for the study. A single classification analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a multiple comparison procedure were used to analyze data. Seventh-grade students differing on independent variables of leadership styles of the principal, gender of student, and enrollment size of school were compared on the dependent variable of student achievement scores. Analysis of variance findings indicated significant differences existed between comprehensive score gains for seventh-grade students and leadership style of principals, based on an F value of 5.69 that was significant at the .05 alpha level. Data from the Newman-Keuls procedure indicated the Style 4 mean of 9.42 was significantly higher at the .05 level than the means for Style 1, Style 2, and Style 3 respectively. Analysis of variance findings indicated significant differences did not exist between comprehensive score gains for seventh-grade students and size of enrollment, based on an F value of .41 that was not significant at the .05 alpha level. Analysis of variance findings indicated significant differences did not exist between comprehensive score gains for seventh-grade students and gender of students, based on an F value of .07 that was not significant at the .05 alpha level.These data indicated seventh-grade students in schools where the principal was perceived by teachers as being Style 4 (Delegating) have significantly higher mean test scores than dostudents in schools where the principal was perceived by teachers as being Style 1, Style 2, or Style 3. Neither size of enrollment nor gender of student revealed a significant relationship upon the achievement of students.
Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this research was to determine how the role of the principal in the Catholic school could be redesigned so that more quality applicants are prepared to seek principalship and principals already in the role could be retained. The catalyst for this study derived from the shortage of suitable applicants for the position of principal, a problem that exists not only in Australia, but also in many Western countries. An exploratory mixed method design was chosen for the study with the data gathering divided into two phases. The first phase was the qualitative phase during which the data were gathered using focus group interviews and analysed using QSR N6. The second phase was the quantitative phase, where the data were collected using a survey constructed from the data gathered and analysed in the first phase. This research project asked the question, how can the principalship be redesigned to attract more quality applicants to the role and retain incumbents already in the role? The research revealed that, to answer the question a fundamental rethinking of the principalship is necessary and that such momentous change requires nothing less than a paradigm shift. The new paradigm would be based on sharing leadership rather than on an hierarchical approach. It would have structures that are flexible and customised to the local needs of the school and school community. Learning would be central and a work/life balance would be essential, for all principals. The new paradigm would also offer enough flexibility to encourage women to both take up, and remain in, principalship. The findings from this research led to the development of nine propositions, which, it is suggested, should inform and influence the new paradigm of principalship. Together with the recommendations, they provide a scaffold and a guide to action for redesigning the principalship.

The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of six successful Blue Ribbon Catholic schools to determine the relationship between principal's leadership behaviors, teacher's perceptions of principals and resulting school culture within six successful Blue Ribbon schools. A mixed methods approach for analysis was used through both qualitative and quantitative methods by means of principal interview data, observations, survey data, principal survey, and teacher survey. Participants in the survey included six principals and 80 teachers from elementary and high schools from rural as well as urban schools. The six schools in the study were all co-educational and ranged in size from 450 students to 1,200 students, with an average of 36 teachers per school and a 16:1 student teacher ratio.;The Bolman and Deal Four Frame Model (2008) provided the basis for the questions and surveys used to collect data concerning principal leadership, teacher's perceptions of principal leadership and overall school culture. The four frame organizational theory model components are described as: the Structural Frame, which focused on goals, rules, and policies; the Human Resource Frame, which addressed roles, norms, and relationships; the Political Frame, which focused on power, self-interest and aspirations; and the Symbolic Frame, which provided a view of culture, norms and values. Constraints included deviation from normal school schedules due to significant weather-related school closures and limited time for long term classroom observation. A correlation between principal leadership and overall school culture was validated overall but there was no significant statistical difference among the values of the frames as they apply to impact on school culture.

This thesis explores the religious dimension of the role of the principal in the Catholic Secondary Schools of South Australia. The study is set in the context of a complex and changing environment. Society is becoming increasingly secular, and religious values are on the wane. The role of the principal has become progressively more encumbered by government regulation and policy and an increased level of accountability for a wide range of school outcomes, many of these outside the core purposes of the school (Fullan, 2003). In Catholic schools, the numbers of the professed religious men and women, traditionally the backbone of those schools, has declined dramatically in the last two decades and lay persons have taken over from members of religious congregations as principals in most Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia This represents a paradigm shift in leadership in the Catholic schools. It has resulted in an increased focus from within both the Church and the Catholic Education System on the essential Catholic nature of those schools, and the role of the Principal in nurturing and managing this. The study found that principals had a deep sense of the importance of this dimension of their role, but that they felt a real need for more support and formation, especially in the scriptural and theological aspects of leadership. Most felt pressured by the ‘normal’ routine of principalship, and were looking for ways to ‘make time’ for reflection in order to better ground their actions and decisions in the core values of the schools, the System and the Church. As a result of this research, a series of recommendations are offered to Church and System authorities, to principals and to those aspiring to be principals in the Catholic Secondary Schools in South Australia. These relate to professional practice in such areas as defining the nature of the Catholic schools, and recognizing their particular charisms; developing leadership succession strategies and preparation courses for aspiring leaders; exploring alternative approaches to the principal selection process, and developing a mentoring program and professional support networks.

How do the Catholic Schools Consultants through their leadership and relationship with Principals influence the outcomes of Catholic systemic schools in New South Wales (NSW)? This research question has been of considerable interest to the professional communities of Catholic educators. Throughout NSW there are eleven diocesan Catholic school systems, each led by a Director assisted by senior field officers called Consultants, the equivalent position of Area superintendents or inspectors in other school systems. The leadership of these Consultants is considered critical for the effectiveness of the school systems especially through their influence on and with Principals. Within this survey research study, the total population of Consultants and Principals was invited to participate, and 45 Consultants (90%) and 365 Principals (76%) responded. The research study was based on the assumption that a ‘classical’ view of leadership should be augmented by a more complex, interactive view of leadership as relationship that influenced outcomes in school systems. The study was operationalized in three dimensions. Leadership was described by ten variables, derived from Sashkin’s (1998) Visionary Leadership Theory. The relationship between Consultant and Principals was posited as a composite of two variables, Interpersonal Relation and Shared Catholic Leadership Mindset, that are viewed as explanatory, mediating variables. Three selected outcome variables are posited – Educational Outcomes, School Outcomes and Spiritual Outcomes. The fifteen variables so described were developed and/or validated for this study using confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the impact of three demographic background factors of gender, school type, and years of networking association between Consultant and Principals on the main variables in the study was examined. A mediated – effects survey research design was used. Survey questionnaires were sent from the local Catholic Education Office to each volunteer Consultant and to her/his associated network of Principals on a confidential basis and returned directly to the researcher. At no stage did the researcher know the identity of the respondents. Data analysis methods included comparative means analysis of Consultants’ and Principals’ perceptions of the variables; multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling to examine the associations between variables; MANOVA analysis to examine demographic background factors; and finally some descriptive analysis of survey data to provide validation or further insights. The study results showed that both Consultants and Principals agreed that the Consultants demonstrated visionary leadership as defined by Sashkin (1998) although there were significant differences on seven leadership factors. There was high level agreement that Consultants and Principals exhibited a shared mindset, described as Shared Catholic Leadership Mindset, and outstanding interpersonal relationships. Findings about the associations between variables showed different results for Principals and Consultants. The ‘Principals’ model suggested that the two relationship variables acted as mediators between some of the ten leadership variables and the three outcome variables. On the other hand, the ‘Consultants’ model suggested that neither of the two relationship variables acted as mediators, but that only two leadership variables, Capable Management and Creative Leadership, had any influence on Outcomes. There were no significant differences on results due to gender, school type or years of networking association for either Principals or Consultants. These results, supplemented by qualitative findings, led to the conclusion that there was a need for system policy makers to reconceptualise the leadership of such Consultants to emphasise the importance of the shared mindset, and the synergistic element in the relationship between Consultant and Principals. There was a recommendation that further research replicate this study with other Catholic, Government and independent education systems. The use of structural equation modelling analysis in similar future research was also recommended.

This study traces the development of the system of Catholic systemic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney from early colonial times to the present, and analyses the perceptions and expectations that a sample of secondary school principals in the System had of the systems level administration in 1985. The development of Catholic schools in the penal colony of New South Wales was extremely slow. The first Catholic school was opened in 1817, and from 1833 to the 'free, secular, and compulsory' education act in New South Wales in 1880, denominational schools received some government grants. When 'state-aid' was withdrawn in 1880, the wonder of education history in Australia was that a separate Catholic school 'system' emerged. This was brought about in large measure by the ability of the Bishops and Clergy to activate the Catholic community, which had been generally apathetic religiously and educationally, and by their recruiting teachers who were members of Religious Congregations both from abroad and locally. The Religious carried the Catholic Schools 'system' in Sydney for some seventy-five years (1880-1955). However, the recruiting of Religious teachers declined from the 1950s. This, together with rapid increases in school population, widening of the curriculum, decreased class sizes and lighter teaching loads brought on a crisis of survival for the Catholic schools. It was averted by the reintroduction of 'State-Aid' and the recruiting and training of lay teachers. Following the Karmel Report of 1973, Commonwealth Government grants and programs grew many fold. In order to cope with the new organisational complexities, including both financial and educational accountability requirements of the government, many of the Catholic schools, which had previously been organised on an individual parish or Religious Congregation basis, joined together to form systems. These Catholic Education Office systems (or CEO systems) rapidly developed administrative bureaucracies. The Sydney CEO System is the largest in Australia with nearly 6000 teachers and over 110,000 pupils. In this process of building an organisational system, the vital role of the school principal is changing. This study examines the responses of twenty-four secondary school principals, in the interview situation, to questions on their perceptions and expectations of the systems level administration. The researcher has analysed the data in the light of some of the literature on motivation theory and theories about complex organisations and has suggested some facets of the systems level administration that need to be addressed if the system is to grow in effectiveness.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, School of Education, 2006.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Dec. 1, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-10, Section: A, page: 3662. Adviser: Ronald E. Barnes.

This study arose out of experiences within the Parramatta Diocese, a large diocese located on the western edge of Sydney, associated with spiritual formation programs and initiatives within the diocese between 4 990 and 2004. These experiences reinforced the pivotal role of principals in encouraging and facilitating teacher spiritual formation and also identified a lack of role definition for principals in this area. The importance of the spiritual formation of teachers to the authenticity and vitality of Catholic schools signalled a need to clarify the principal's leadership role in the spiritual formation of teachers in Catholic schools in the Parramatta Diocese. The case study methodology utilised different data collecting methods including individual and group interviews, survey, document analysis and observation to draw different perspectives from teachers, principals, and personnel from the Catholic Education Office, Parramatta. The research explored the range of spiritual formation experiences valued by teachers, both within structured programs and in the day-to-day experiences within schools. It identified responses of teachers to spiritual formation, the challenges in this area, and the role of principals. The research findings suggest that the principal's leadership roles in the spiritual formation of teachers apply at the every-day cultural level of school experiences for teachers, where the principal shapes and strengthens experiences of Catholic culture for teachers, and the school community; at the whole school level, where the principal has a key role in strategic planning in relation to spiritual formation, in extending individual consideration to teachers, and in nurturing teacher leadership and co-leadership; and finally, at the diocesan level, where the principal has a stewardship role with other principals in relation to the long term spiritual formation of teachers. At the diocesan level the principal also participates in collaborative alliances with diocesan personnel which increase opportunities for teacher spiritual formation A fundamental leadership responsibility for principals is to nurture a spiritual base to their own leadership. Support for the spiritual formation of newly appointed principals and those aspiring to the role should be a system priority and would augment initiatives currently in place for experienced principals in the diocese. The research findings point to multiple leadership roles for principals in the spiritual formation of teachers. These findings expand and elaborate the existing role description for principals in Catholic schools in the Parramatta Diocese.

Up until the 1950s, Catholic school principals were mainly priests, sisters, and brothers who were well grounded in theology, scripture, catechesis, and the Catholic social teachings they received during their formation. Conversely, lay principals who currently staff most Catholic high schools may not have this same Catholic formational training that helped to form the religious mission of schools in earlier years. Hence, this study was developed to investigate current Catholic school leadership models and the way principals' perceptions of leadership may impact the religious missions of Catholic schools. Additionally, the factor of generational diversity may contribute to differences in principal's perceptions of leadership. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate how current lay principals from two generational cohorts perceive their roles as leaders and how such perceptions impact the religious mission of their schools. To accomplish this investigation, the researcher employed three elements of the Catholic school leadership framework designated by the United States Catholic Conference (USCC), including educational, managerial, and spiritual leadership. These concepts constitute the framework through which this study examined the principals' perceptions of leadership in Catholic high schools. To collect the data and answer the research questions, this study utilized a qualitative methodology consisting of document analysis, observations, and interviews. To conduct the study, six principals from two generations were selected from Catholic high schools in a large diocese on the West Coast of the United States. Based on the research results, differences were discovered between the generational cohort known as the Baby Boomers and those known as the Xers, where Baby Boomers exhibited more future-focused perspectives and Xers demonstrated a strong focus on values. Baby Boomers also connected the religious mission of the school to the charisma of the founding order or congregation of their school, while Xers relied exclusively on the identity of the diocese. However, despite these generational differences, the study results show that the current principals have not only maintained and preserved the religious mission to a new level of forming peer Christian leadership among students and teachers.

This research concerns how lay principals are negotiating the nurturing of authentic Edmund Rice education in their schools within a period of organisational change in the 21st century. The context of this research is Queensland Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition, once more commonly known as Christian Brothers’ schools. These schools claim to carry on the educational charism of Edmund Rice (1762-1844), Founder of the Christian Brothers, who began schools in Ireland to provide a holistic education for boys, especially those who were marginalised by poverty and social stigma. Christian Brothers’ tradition purports that the Edmund Rice educational charism was handed on to successive Christian Brothers’ schools by Christian Brothers; however, research indicated that there were clear deviations from the original charism just prior to and following the death of Edmund Rice, raising questions of whether these schools remained authentic carriers of the original charism. Research also suggests that these deviations resulted in number of instances when the original charism of Edmund Rice was, at best, muted, or, at worst, distorted beyond recognition. Additional investigation also demonstrates that these departures from Rice’s charism resulted in a culture that differed from Edmund Rice’s original vision for education thus raising issues of authenticity for schools in the 21st century. Since Vatican II the Congregation of Christian Brothers has undergone significant changes. Most notable has been the reduction in Brothers in leadership positions in schools. Edmund Rice’s beatification in 1996 sparked renewed interest in his original educational vision, and The Congregation of Christian Brothers world wide began to explore what this charism might mean in contemporary times. In Australia, schools changed their name from Christian Brothers’ schools to Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition, as part of an attempt to develop an authentic educational vision for contemporary Australian schools. At the time of this research, there were ten schools in Queensland, all led by lay principals, within a subset of forty or more schools across Australia. In Queensland, these schools encompass a wide socio-economic spectrum and offer differing educational offerings ranging from a totally traditional curriculum, to a comprehensive curriculum, to more flexible offerings for disengaged and marginal youth; the majority of these boys’ schools are single sex schools. This researcher identified that there was lack of clarity as to what constitutes an authentic Edmund Rice school and that a lacuna existed between the organisational rhetoric and the reality of principals. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to explore what lay principals perceived to be the essential features or ethos of this educational vision and the ways they developed this ethos into an authentic Edmund Rice culture in order to determine whether these schools are authentic to the original vision of Edmund Rice. Because the purpose of this research was to explore perceptions, the epistemological position of Constructionism, using an interpretivist perspective was adopted for this research. The methodology of Case Study was utilised as it allowed for the exploration of the world of Queensland Catholic schools in the Edmund Rice tradition from the perspectives of principals: nine current principals and one past principal were studied. The literature review generated the following research questions: 1.What do principals consider are the essential features of the Edmund Rice ethos? 2.How do principals ensure that the ethos of Edmund Rice is an integral element of school culture? 3.What aspects of leadership do principals consider important in ensuring that the Edmund Rice ethos is developed into an authentic culture? The findings of this research indicated that principals perceived that the essential features of ethos were found in: providing values based education; ensuring that young people were liberated from factors which marginalised them; ensuring that their schools were places of Diversity and Inclusivity; undertaking the development of Right Relationships; and developing a strong sense of community. Principals ensured that the Edmund Rice ethos was authentically connected to school culture through: providing Social Justice Initiatives; developing spirituality and sense of the sacred; providing flexible options for a diverse range of students; and ensuring that structures and formation experiences were provided to support the development of ethos. Finally, principals articulated their leadership role: in ensuring the embedding of ethos in culture was one of cultural change agent; as a spiritual and prophetic leader; developing a student centred focus; and being a role model for leadership within the totality of the school community. The research concluded that, for these principals, the development of an authentic Edmund Rice school was embedded in these three issues: 1.Ethos: A Catholic education with values based on Edmund Rice and his educational mission; 2.Culture: A positive environment which enables and encourages the development of structures and formation experiences to support ethos; 3.Leadership: Leadership led by a principal who understands ethos and is committed to a role model of the development of an authentic culture. However, the research also concluded that, while lay principals were committed to the development of an authentic Edmund Rice school and were committed to the organisational change needed to achieve this goal, they were constrained by a variety of factors including: school context; school tradition and history; the traditions and expectations of the Christian Brothers; the financial situation of the school; support or lack of support from the college community and Edmund Rice Education. These factors make the realisation of authenticity a goal to be worked towards, rather than a concrete reality. In essence, this study concluded that, one overriding dilemma for principals was whether they were prepared to make the sometimes difficult decisions needed to ensure authenticity to the original Edmund Rice educational charism, or retain the status quo, with the knowledge that, in so doing, they may be militating against authenticity to the Edmund Rice educational vision.

The purpose of this study was to explore personal and organizational values, their influence and alignment, in the ethical decision-making of Catholic school principals. Semi-structured interviews allowed the 12 participants to explore personal and school values, areas of congruence and dissonance, methods for resolving dissonance, the process of values alignment, and the influence of the Catholic school culture. Site observations and analyses of mission statements provided insight as to community values for each of the participating schools.

The review of the literature yielded a means by which to connect values of the principal with those of the school community. The individual level examined the formation of the school leader through personal values, professional preparation programs, and ongoing self-reflection. The communal level analyzed the nature of school culture, namely the Catholic school framework, and how community members perceived their organizational climate. The process of ethical decision-making through multiple paradigms formed the active connection relating individual and communal value sets.

The conceptual framework depicted the aforementioned values relationship. Values alignment and values congruence formed the theoretical framework, exploring how to bring personal and organizational values into alignment and the resulting congruence or dissonance between them. Although prevalent in the business sector, this study’s application of the theory in education suggested ramifications for decision-making, job satisfaction, and professional success.

Findings showed salient values across participant responses, observations, and documents and highlighted concepts of organizational fit, prayer as process of reflection, and individual versus communal goods. Further, values awareness and values negotiation were found to be layers in the dynamic process of alignment by which an appreciation of pre-existing stakeholder values could be brought to bear in discerning potential success or failure of change through ethical decision-making. The Catholic school culture, consisting of a seemingly unified values framework, provided a common sense of mission, vernacular, and expression through artifacts and décor. Recommendations were posited for “match” programs that could connect aspiring principals with schools of similar values. Delving more deeply into values awareness and negotiation by further examining principal motive and collecting broader stakeholder feedback could stimulate additional research.

Research on school leadership speaks to the importance of evaluating school administrators. Evidence suggests that involving school leaders in the design of the evaluation process as well as including feedback from stakeholders in the school community as part of the evaluation process can positively impact administrators' professional practice. Effective assessment supports the continued development and growth of school leaders.

In the local archdiocese the pastor evaluates the parish school administrator, using a standard form based on the job description and issued by the superintendent's office. The same self-evaluation is completed by the principal and discussed with the pastor. Since the pastor is typically not an educator, questions arise about the accuracy and usefulness of the data generated by the evaluation. These questions lead to discussions about the efficacy of the process and generate ideas for improvement and a willingness to effect change.

This dissertation study seeks to identify perceptions of Catholic elementary school principals about the current evaluation process in their diocese, exposes administrators to research into best practice in leadership evaluation, and shows how these principals collaboratively designed an evaluation tool and process. This action research process tracked changes in attitudes and beliefs about effective evaluation that occurred as the administrators designed a new tool and method for potential implementation in their diocese. Trends were identified and coded utilizing the research questions and the theoretical framework of Organization Governance, Leadership Theory, Evaluation Theory and Change Theory. This qualitative research study adds administrator voices to the developing professional dialogue about effective leadership evaluation.

In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, principals are often ill prepared for the demands of the job. According to Baxter (2012), every year in the Archdiocese approximately 30 principal vacancies are filled. Many of the Pastors who hire for these vacancies do not have an educational background, nor do they have much experience in hiring practices. With the increase of lay educators leading Catholic schools, not only are competent principals needed, but principals who can be Pastoral, educational, and managerial leaders (Manno, 1985). To increase the probability of hiring strong candidates for the principal vacancies in schools across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, a hiring protocol is needed to standardize the process, while encouraging collaboration and input from multiple stakeholders. This case study implemented and evaluated a hiring protocol at one school site within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The protocol was designed to help Catholic schools hire qualified principals, and its development was guided by previous research on effective hiring procedures for such positions. The case-study data collected provides insight into the benefits and of using this specialized hiring protocol while also identifying potential changes to further strengthen the protocol. The results of the case study will be shared with the Department of Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to provide a framework for a principal hiring protocol that can be used at all school sites.

The Holy See (2008) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (1995) stated that all students, including those with disabilities, have the right to a quality education and special attention should be given to those who are disenfranchised by having a disability (National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1972). Based on a literature review of characteristics that embrace inclusive Catholic school leadership in elementary schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the following research question was developed and used as the focus for this study: How prepared do Catholic elementary school principals see themselves in carrying out the responsibilities of an inclusive leader, in relation to the four identified characteristics of justice, ethics of care, moral imperative and trust? This quantitative study examined perceptions of Catholic elementary school principals and their preparedness as inclusive leaders to serve students with disabilities. Elementary principals in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles responded to an on-line survey, which utilized a framework that noted four characteristics that embrace social justice and confirm inclusive school leadership, those being justice, ethics of care, moral imperative, and trust. Principal preparedness was also assessed via the survey. Results of the survey indicated that elementary principals in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles did perceive themselves as inclusive leaders, prepared to serve students with disabilities with the study examining the prevalence of justice, ethics of care, moral imperative, and trust among principals. Further, this research investigated the changing responsibilities of principals and the need for principals to embrace a collaborative approach to school leadership.

This study examined principals’ perceptions of faith-based schools in Southern California. A 6-item survey was distributed by hard copy to 217 Catholic principals affiliated with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and by e-mail to 218 Protestant school principals affiliated with the Association of Christian School International. The survey was completed by 148 principals (101 from Catholic schools and 47 from Protestant schools, 34% of population), suggesting that hand-delivered surveys yielded a higher return. However, the Protestant principals who responded exclusively online completed significantly more comprehensive written comments or transcripts to the survey.

Both groups of principals revealed high parent engagement in both types of schools and the selection by parents of a faith-based school was based upon personal values. However, highlights revealed that these administrators placed a high level of importance on open and consistent communication with parents and being visibly present on the campus. Principals were present at morning drop-off, visible on-site throughout the day, and at pick-up. In addition, the schools maintained a current website, frequent parent conferences by teachers and principals, and weekly or daily messages using various technological forms. Principals commented that they desired that every interaction with the school was positive and informative. Principals indicated that parent volunteer activity tended to be different in the two types of schools. Catholic school parents were expected to volunteer to work at the school, and participate in fund raising activities for the school. These parental expectations were vital to the school’s financial base, as nuns continue to be replaced by lay teachers. In addition, Catholic school parents were required to supervise completion of a child’s homework and support school rules, such as children wearing uniforms. Protestant school principals indicated that their parents were active in school-based activities such as sports, the performing arts, classroom support, as well as in school-wide activities such as open houses and fundraisers. Although the Catholic and Protestant schools provided opportunities for parents to participate in the school decision-making process, few principals reported all parent school boards or parents making the primary decisions beyond participation in the selection of the school principal.

Catholic schools are in need of innovative change. The problem lies in how to construct the elements of change to create viability for a school in the face of rapid declining enrollment. Responding to this type of environment as an educational leader requires qualities and characteristics similar to those of first responders in a medical emergency, a term I coined as the triage principal. This autoethnographic research study was designed to answer three research questions: 1. As a new principal at Michael, the Archangel School (MAS), a Catholic school in danger of closing, what challenges did I experience? 2. As a new leader, how did I respond to the challenges to bring about change at MAS? 3. What did I learn from this first year leadership experience? This autoethnographic study is constructed from my voice as a first year, first time principal, using several data sources: my blog, my archival field notes, and three interviews from archdiocesan leaders. Each of the given data sources had contained a data collection procedure resulting in overarching thematic patterns that led to generalizations based on the past experiences at MAS and my review of the literature. The weaving of the past and present of my life's leadership journey in combination with the culture and the people that surround me for this study, has made me realize that I do have a story worth sharing, a story that can potentially help others who might find themselves seemingly lost and alone.

The purpose of this research study was to consider the understanding and experience of a selected number of lay principals of diocesan secondary Catholic schools in Victoria as to the religious and spiritual dimensions of their leadership role and to identify what supported them in the discharge of their responsibilities in these domains of their leadership. Based on this purpose, I identified three research questions: 1. What is the understanding of lay Catholic secondary principals in Victoria, of their role as a ministry within the Catholic Church? 2. In what ways have principals experienced the spiritual and religious dimensions of their leadership role? 3. In what ways have principals sought and/or experienced formation beyond academic study which has enriched their practice of principalship? The theoretical perspective of the research is Interpretative Constructionism and the methodology adopted is Multiple Informant Case Study. The researcher has taken the stance of ‘interrogatory fellow traveller’ in relation to the research informants. The methods used to gather data are (a) focus group, (b) biographical written statements, (c) document analysis and (d) personal reflection in response to the previous three methods. In general, the findings of this research study suggest that lay principals of Catholic secondary schools who were informants in the study understand the role of principal of a diocesan secondary school as a ministry within the Catholic Church. While the informants did not use overtly theological terms to articulate this understanding, the accounts of their experience in principalship and the insights gained through reflection on their leadership behaviour have led them to believe that they are in fact exercising a legitimate ministry within the field of Catholic secondary education in Victoria. This research has brought to light a body of knowledge about the work of a group of principals which has not previously been subject to critical scrutiny. While the study is of intrinsic merit in recognising and describing the work of secondary lay principals, from an instrumental perspective these findings raise a number of issues relating to the preparation, induction and support available to newly appointed and continuing principals in diocesan Catholic secondary schools in Victoria. As a consequence the following propositions are offered: Further study using a wider informant group of principals is warranted to confirm the findings of this enquiry and to expand on the knowledge already gained. Such study might include parallel studies of lay principals in congregation-owned schools, in other states of Australia or in other countries where the Catholic Church has established schools as an agency of its evangelising mission in education. This study is of potential assistance to aspiring principals, principals and system authorities in the planning and development of appropriate professional learning and support, including formal academic study and formational opportunities. The findings confirm the importance for leaders and aspiring leaders in Catholic education of sound theological and spiritual education as a necessary part of their preparation for leadership, both pre-service and in-service. The findings confirm the significance of appropriate liturgical induction or commissioning for principals. It is suggested that one practical form of support for principals is the provision of access to regular professional supervision and spiritual direction. It is recommended that the process of appointment and induction of principals be undertaken more systematically, perhaps using the principles of project management, especially in relation to the identification of enhancing and inhibiting factors present within the staff community at the time of the appointment of a new principal. The findings indicate that schools have had varied experiences of developing a distinctive ethos and charism, based on a particular founder or group of founders. It is recommended that all diocesan secondary schools be encouraged to develop an appropriate charism and spirituality, based on the character of the local faith community and the history of the particular school. The findings point to the need for further development of an authentic spirituality of educational and faith leadership, based in the reality of principals’ lives as family and community members and educators in faith of their staff and wider community. Informants to the study indicated their awareness of the tension between occupying a leadership role in the Church and personal positions in conscience on matters of Church teaching. Some further study of this issue may be warranted.

Since the mid 1970s student experience of gender at school has been the focus of intense media scrutiny, academic research and policy development for schools in Australia. This study took as its focus the role of the school principal as a leader for gender equity in schools. It set out to determine the response of 35 Catholic K-6 schools to gender policy directions as contained in gender policy documents published for Australian schools between 1975 and 1997 and to use these findings to determine implications for school leadership for gender equity. The study encompassed three interlinked research phases which contributed to specific learnings about leadership for gender equity. The first research phase entailed a critical analysis of gender policy documents for Australian schools leading to the development of a Policy Analysis Template. Utilisation of the template resulted in a synthesis of gender policy implications which formed the basis for examination of school practice in a sample of K-6 Catholic schools in the next two research phases. The second research phase examined student experience of gender at school using a questionnaire and the third research phase studied teacher and principal experience of gender reform utilising questionnaires. Data analysis methods included content analysis of policy documents, statistical analysis of questionnaire responses to determine particular connections and to identify emerging trends in the data and analysis of the qualitative responses to provide validation and further insights. The research tools developed for this study provide possibilities for future work in gaining insights into policy implementation in schools. The research results confirmed the findings of the implementation literature in terms of leadership. The response of schools to gender policy directions was strongly influenced by a principal who could not only articulate a vision of gender equity but who also had a commitment to translating this vision into practice. The findings also demonstrated a clear link between a school’s commitment to its proclaimed values, formed and shaped by its Catholic ethos and its response to gender equity issues through actual practice. Thus school responses to gender policy directions were seen to be informed and influenced by their articulated vision and mission. Furthermore, results demonstrated that specific gender policy directions had been adopted by schools whereas others had resulted in little or no impact at all. It was beyond the scope of this study to investigate the factors that enabled or inhibited school response to particular gender policy directions although specific gender policy reform priorities were signalled for principal attention. The focus of this study was on the emerging connections and relationships between gender policy directions, student experience of gender at school and teacher and principal experience of gender reform. The recommendations of the study addressed the role of the principal in fostering school commitment to equity practices. The study which utilised a sample of 35 Catholic K-6 schools demonstrated the significant role of the principal in gender reform. The impact of gender policy directions on actual school practice was seen to be dependent on the vision for gender equity and commitment to implement this into practice that the school principal brings to the role of leadership for gender equity.

This thesis questions to what extent Catholic schools in Australia, England and Wales, and the United States are being able to form their pupils in Catholic social principles today. Catholic schools, because of what they are and of what they purport to be, must always be open to questions of authenticity. Over recent years there has been a steady and subtle, but very significant, increase in the role of governments in non-government education in Australia, England and Wales and the United States. There is concern that non-government schools, particularly Catholic schools, may be becoming unwitting and complacent vehicles of government policy, whether it be a Labour government in Australia, a Conservative government in England and Wales, or a Republican government in the United States. The thesis examines the nature of this government intervention in Catholic schools in these countries over recent years, and considers whether such intervention has been antithetical to the school's capacity to develop the pupils in a sound understanding of Catholic social justice principles. It looks at reasons why Catholic schools in these countries today have difficulty reconciling their aims for social justice with prevailing government's economic and social policies. It is a comparative study, to see how an analysis of such developments in England, Wales and the United States can illuminate these issues in Australia. The thesis attempts to locate, evaluate and synthesise evidence to give a much clearer picture of the difficulties Catholic schools have to face in their call to evangelise modern youth. The investigative method used is essentially a historical analysis of policy documents of the Catholic Church, of the popes, bishops and Catholic education bodies, of the governments and Courts of the countries concerned, of recent statistical data, and of a series of informal interviews. Visits were made to a number of Catholic tertiary institutions to estimate current input in terms of modern Catholic social teaching. In the conclusion the thesis offers strategies to current Catholic educational administrators which may help improve the effectiveness of their Catholic social justice teaching.

This qualitative study investigated parents’ and principals’ expectations of their roles in the parent-school relationship and how they defined, encouraged, and realized parental involvement within an urban Catholic high school setting. Through pattern analysis and axial coding of the data collected from parents and principal interviews, documents, and observations at parent-school meetings and events, four patterns emerged: (a) the underlying child-centered mission, (b) the parents’ role in supporting the student, (c) the parent-school relationship created to support the student, and (d) the principals’ role in creating a trusting environment that promotes parental involvement. Further analysis was guided by the parental involvement frameworks of Epstein (2001) and Barton, Drake, Perez, St. Louis, and George (2004) and the Catholic school mission. The findings revealed that the child-centered goal guided the parents’ and principals’ expectations of shared responsibilities, although the parents varied in how they defined parental involvement activities. Parents expressed the importance of the school’s role in creating a caring and respectful environment that encouraged a strong parent-school relationship. The principals addressed the Catholic school mission and how they developed the school culture, climate, and environment to support that mission. This study author concluded that Catholic schools have the opportunity to create strong parent-school relationships that encourage differentiated parental involvement. In addition, she concluded that the role of all schools is to provide a relationship built on trust and the knowledge that parental involvement requires consideration of the varied types of involvement and ways in which parents choose to mediate the types of parental involvement.

The principal plays a key role in establishing a culture of collaboration and ongoing learning, and his/her actions related to effecting change are vital to the success of the school. A principal can contribute to the advancement of teacher expertise by engaging in specific behaviors. One such behavior is focused feedback, which leads teachers to reflect on their instructional routines. Given with intentionality, it is a powerful tool. Therein lies the motivation for this study.

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to examine the practices in which principals engage during classroom post-observation feedback, and their effect on teacher professional growth. Seven teachers at 2 Southern California Catholic high schools were interviewed to capture their perceptions of the effect that principal feedback has had on their professional growth. Although much research has revolved around the impact that principals' actions have on the enhancement of teacher practice, very little research has focused on these effects from the perspective of the teacher. Capturing teachers' perceptions about the way their principals' actions impact their instructional practice may add to the existing body of knowledge in the field of education related to the way principals promote the use of effective practices at their schools. It may also shed light on the need for the teacher's voice to be heard and taken into consideration when making decisions on and implementing policies that are directly related to improving teacher practice.

Three main ideas emerged from a review of the existing literature: (a) there is a direct connection between the principal's actions and teachers' professional growth; (b) principal feedback produces lasting changes in instructional practice, especially when given immediately following the teaching; and (c) teachers are reflective practitioners seeking to improve their practice on an ongoing basis. Educational institutions may be able to utilize the findings of this study to inform their practice, and or to re-examine their policy on evaluation processes.

The aim of this research was to examine the perceptions of principals, literacy co-ordinators and teachers on the implementation of Children’s Literacy Success Strategy (CLaSS) as a literacy and professional development strategy and their insights for future literacy innovation. CLaSS is a whole-school and sector approach to literacy for the early years of schooling. Introduced in 1998 to Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, schools implementing CLaSS were supported by a professional development model throughout the implementation. CLaSS introduced to many schools a two-hour daily literacy block, data-driven instruction and the incorporation of professional learning teams within the professional development model. Eleven participants from two Catholic primary schools in the Archdiocese of Melbourne formed a case study for this research. The participants’ perceptions were captured qualitatively and viewed interpretively based on a phenomenological approach. The research had significant findings. Participants endorsed the literacy strategy and the professional development model as an effective approach. In particular, the findings identified that the professional learning teams played a key role in developing and maintaining a culture of learning within the literacy team. This culture of learning assisted in improving learning outcomes for their students. While there was an endorsement of CLaSS, the findings also showed that there were some significant issues raised by participants. This included issues in professional development and student achievement in the areas of comprehension and writing. The findings indicated that professional understanding and student improvement in these areas were not as developed as those for decoding words in reading. Participants also indicated that assessment of student writing was limited by the absence of sector-wide assessment of different genres and, therefore, they were not confident in measuring student improvement in writing. The findings also identified some areas of difficulty within the professional development model, such as catering for individual learning styles and the addition of new team members to the literacy team. The findings indicated that for future literacy innovation, participants would prefer an approach that encompassed literacy and teacher development across the whole school. Based on the participants’ responses, the research also provided recommendations and suggestions for further research in literacy. The recommendations included examining ways in which oral language and new literacies could have more prominence in the literacy block and providing a sector approach to assessment and specific professional development on comprehension and writing. The recommendations also suggested further research could be conducted as to ascertain the extent to which teachers require further professional development in comprehension and writing, how oral language is developed in other schools, and whether leadership has been the significant factor in sustaining the success of the literacy strategy.

The main aim of this thesis centred on what made effective professional development programs. As a particular case study data was collected on those programs sponsored by the Melbourne Catholic Education Office. Teachers from three schools in the North Western Metropolitan Zone of Melbourne, Australia, the principals from the three participating schools and training staff from the Catholic Education Office in Melbourne became the subjects of the study. The data collected from questionnaires was analysed in order to ascertain whether there were any common trends as to what the teachers thought was needed in effective professional development programs. The interviews with the participating principals and training staff were taped and later analysed in order to determine what they believed was the purpose of professional development and whether the programs currently being offered were effective. In addition, a list of characteristics of effective professional development was developed from the relevant research literature. The analysis of the above data was used to develop a model of effective professional development. The design of this model is cyclical. A main characteristic of the model promotes the reflection by both the participants and the training providers on what has occurred during the program and this process of reflection contributes in later development of programs in similar areas. It was also concluded that the needs and expectations from professional development of teachers and principals were different to what has been expected in past research projects. Both the teachers and principals expected that they would not be solely immersed in theory or in activities that may be used in the classroom. Instead they hoped to gain a knowledge of activities that are based on theory and develop an understanding of how these activities may be used and how they will assist in student learning. Hence, the link between the theory and its application was believed by teachers and principals to be of primary importance in professional development in order to maintain high teaching practices and in turn result in improved student learning.

Šio darbo tikslas - suformuluoti krikščioniškos antropologijos principus ir jais pagrįsti naujos Šv. Juozapo katalikiškos mokyklos koncepciją. Pirmoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėjami penki Bažnyčios dokumentai, aptariantys katalikiškos mokyklos misiją ir prasmę. Juose matyti aiški Bažnyčios nuostata, kad katalikiška mokykla yra ypatinga misijų vieta, savo veikla atliepianti į kiekvieno laikmečio iššūkius. Darbe aptarta katalikiškos mokyklos raida Lietuvoje XX a. ir XXI a. pradžioje. Katalikiška mokykla, atskleidžiama kaip išskirtinis edukacinis reiškinio, kreipiantis link visuminio asmens ugdymo. Pateikiamas Šv. Juozapo mokyklos gimimo kontekstas, pabrėžiant šeimų bendruomenės siekį tinkamai atlikti savo pareigą auklėti ir mokyti vaikus, bei gyventi vientisą ir nepadalintą gyvenimą. Krikščioniškomis vertybėmis persmelkti visą ugdymo procesą, ugdyti žmogų kaip visumą, stiprinant žmogaus kaip asmens vertingumą, kuriant bendravimo ir bendradarbiavimo kultūrą, galutinai vienovę atrandant Kristuje. Antroje darbo dalyje įvardijami ir išnagrinėjami krikščioniškos antropologijos principai, leidžiantys į žmogų žvelgti visuminiu žvilgsniu, matant jį kaip nuostabų Dievo kūrinį, sukurtą pagal Dievo paveikslą ir panašumą, vienintelį, kurio Dievas norėjo dėl jo paties. Šis žvilgsnis kreipia į teisingą santykį su žmogumi visuomet matant jį kaip tikslą savyje. Žmogus, būdamas laisvas ir protingas, gebantis mylėti yra pašauktas dalyvauti dieviškoje misijose atsakingai tęsti kūrimo darbą, teikti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
The aim of this work is to formulate the principles of the Christian anthropology and thus ground the conception of a newly born Catholic School of St Joseph. The first part of the work deals with the analysis of five documents of the Church, where mission and meaning of a Catholic school has been discussed. It has been claimed by the Church that a Catholic school is a special place of missions and its activities correspond to arising challenges of every epoch. The analysis of the evolution of Catholic schools in Lithuania in the XX and XXI centuries is also provided. Catholic school is revealed as an exclusive educational phenomenon directing towards the whole and unified upbringing of a human being. The background of the birth of St Joseph’s School is presented, emphasizing the aim of the family community to fulfil its duty to raise and educate their children and to lead a solid and undivided life of integrity. The school has been founded while having purpose to integrate the whole of educational process with Christian values, to educate a human being as a whole, stressing the value of a person, supporting culture of communication and cooperation and discovering the final unity in Jesus Christ. The second part of the work deals with the analysis of the principles of Christian anthropology, which enables one to see another human being with a unifying outlook and recognize him as a remarkable work of God, created after the image of God, unique and desired by God for his own... [to full text]

This ex post facto piece of research, conducted in Catholic voluntary secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland, and Catholic grant maintained and voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland, is an exploration of contemporary leadership succession challenges. There would seem to be an impending shortage of applicants for school principalship- this research establishes empirical evidence as to the situation in the Irish context, North and South. Research questions include: what personal and work related characteristics of senior teachers predispose them to see certain features of the principalship as attractive or unattractive? What conditions associated with the principalship do senior teachers see as objectionable/attractive, i.e. what are the disincentives/incentives associated with the position? What are the specific career intentions of the respondents with regard to principalship in particular? 326 teacher questionnaires were used for analysis. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of 94 fixed-response items. These are used to identify the perceived disincentives and incentives to applying for principalship. Two open-ended statements invite teachers' personal comments on the factors that would influence their decision to apply or not to apply for school leadership. The qualitative data from these two items was used to nuance the quantitative findings. The fixed response items are preceded by 12 items relating to the personal and work-related characteristics of the respondents, with one item relating to their career aspirations. This study, after providing validation data, provides a necessary overview/profile of the study population. This is prior to the employment of inferential statistical analysis using the logistic regression technique. This method of analysis leads to an exploration of the impact of predictor variables on the outcome variable- career intention, which is dichotomous in nature. Results from the univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis are presented. The study's research objective is the identification of those common or indeed, divergent factors that impact on senior teachers' decision to apply or not to apply for principalship. Six independent variables remain in the final regression model as having statistical significance in the determination of career intention. These include the age group of the respondents, their highest level of education achieved and the school type in which they work. It also includes their perceived lack of expertise, loss of close relationships and the perceived internal rewards connected with the position. It is concluded that there is association between these variables and career intention which is not accounted for by the covariates.

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CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
INEP - Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira
Este estudo teve por objetivo problematizar a avaliação em larga escala na Rede de Colégios Maristas RS (RCMRS). Instituição católica confessional, alicerçada em princípios humanistas e relacionada à Província Marista do Rio Grande do Sul (PMRS), uma das associadas da União Marista do Brasil (UMBRASIL), pertencente ao Instituto Marista. Rede de Ensino privada com referência no cenário educacional gaúcho, traçou metas no Planejamento Estratégico (PE) 2012-2022 estabelecidas a partir dos apelos do 21º Capítulo Geral do Instituto Marista com vistas ao objetivo de sustentabilidade social e financeira. Como um dos meios para alcançar esse objetivo, implementam-se Documentos Norteadores como o Projeto Educativo Marista (PEM) e as Matrizes Curriculares do Brasil Marista se utilizando de instrumentos de avaliação em larga escala para avaliar a aprendizagem e a gestão da Rede e das Unidades. Este estudo se fundamenta em metodologia de Pesquisa quanti-qualitativa, no campo da Educação. Os dados do estudo empírico foram levantados por meio de documentos da PMRS, dados de relatórios e boletins das avaliações em larga escala Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem), Sistema Marista de Avaliação (SIMA) 2010 a 2014 e questionários aplicados aos gestores da RCMRS. A partir da análise de dados, demonstramos que a Rede de Colégios, mesmo servindo-se de estratégias de avaliação da aprendizagem e de gestão que apresentem também perspectiva de lógica mercantilista educacional, vem conseguindo trabalhar os resultados das avaliações em larga escala na dimensão diagnóstica, por meio de Planos de Ação Locais com vistas à melhoria da qualidade educacional das Unidades e, em consequência, da Rede. Na lógica das matrizes de referência das avaliações em larga escala, os resultados que estão sendo obtidos pela maioria dos Colégios da Rede Marista RS ainda não expressam melhoria na qualidade da educação que está sendo promovida e que está no horizonte estratégico da instituição. Por outro lado, constata-se que a Instituição vem crescendo nos últimos anos em número de estudantes, principalmente nos níveis iniciais, e que indicadores da identidade da Instituição também estão agregados na construção cultural das famílias, como indicadores de qualidade da educação. As lógicas humanista e neoliberal presentes no atual cenário das instituições católicas confessionais privadas, em especial da Instituição Marista, apontam que há uma problematização, no mínimo, inadiável de ser promovida.
This study had the aim to discuss about the evaluation in large-scale of Rede de Colégios Maristas - RS (RCMRS), a Catholic Confessional Institution that is grounded in human principles and that is related to the Província Marista do Rio Grande do Sul (PMRS), associated to the União Marista do Brasil (UMBRASIL), belonging to the Instituto Marista. This private school system with great reference in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS) educational scenery, traced goals in the Strategic Planning (PE) 2012-2022 established from the appeals of the 21st General Chapter of the Instituto Marista with views to the aim of social and financial sustainability. As a form to reach this goal, Guiding Documents as the Projeto Educativo Marista (PEM) and the Matrizes Curriculares do Brasil Marista are implemented by using the evaluation instrument in large-scale to evaluate the learning and the management of the network and its units.The study is based on the methodology of a quantitative and qualitative research. The data of the empiric study were collected through documents from PMRS, data of reports and bulletins of large-scale assessments like National High School Exam (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio - Enem) and Marist Evaluation System (Sistema Marista de Avaliação - SIMA) 2010 to 2014 and questionnaires answered by managers of RCMRS. From the data analysis we demonstrate that this school system, even taking advantages from evaluations strategies of learning and management that also presents a logical and mercantilist educational perspective, has been able to work the results of the evaluations in a large-scale of diagnostic dimension, by the action local plans with the aim to improve the educational quality of the units and by this, to improve the network educational quality. In the line of the reference arrays of the assessments in large-scale, the results that are been obtained by the majority of the Rede de Colégios Marista in RS haven’t show the improvement on educational quality that has been promoted and that is the strategic horizon of the institution yet. In the other side, we note that the institution has been growing in recent years in the number of students, especially in the early levels and that the quality indicators of the institution also are aggregated in the family’s cultural construction, as indicators of quality education. The Humanist and Neoliberal logics present in the current scenario of private confessional catholic institutions, especially in Instituição Marista, show that, at least, there is an urgent problematic to be promoted.

Thesis (EdD) -- Australian Catholic University, 2004.
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Bibliography: p. 204-228. Also available in an electronic format via the internet.

Thesis (EdD ) -- Australian Catholic University, 2006.
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Bibliography: p. 122-126. Also available in an electronic version via the internet.

Thesis (EdD) -- Australian Catholic University, 2005.
Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Bibliography: p. 363-388. Also available in an electronic version via the internet.

In the past, Catholic schools have made a significant contribution to educational provision in Lebanon. In the restructuring of society in post-war Lebanon, Catholic schools are called on to continue to provide academic excellence. To meet this need, principals of Catholic schools are challenged to provide instructional leadership and manage schools effectively. Against this background, this study explores the Catholic school principal's role with regard to its management and leadership capacity. A literature study investigates theories of management and leadership as applied to the principal. An overview of the Catholic school system in Lebanon is given against the backdrop of historical, social, political and economic factors. The role and tasks of the Catholic school principal are examined with particular focus upon the unique spiritual dimension of the role. From this theoretical and descriptive base, the research design is described. A qualitative investigation of the principal's role was conducted. Data gathering was done by means of an preliminary questionnaire, individual interviews and a focus group interview as well as participant observation in a Catholic school in Lebanon. The interviews explored the themes of management and leadership as experienced by a small sample of principals of Catholic schools. Data was analysed, discussed and synthesised. Significant issues discussed included management topics such as delegation, strategic planning, time management, financial management and the evaluation and staff development of teachers; leadership topics comprised vision, mission, faith formation, and school culture. The findings provide a basis for a recommended profile and model for the Catholic school principal. The study suggests that the future effectiveness of the principalship rests upon the clear conceptualisation and implementation of both management and leadership functions. In the light of this, the present formation and training of the principal may fall short in meeting the increasingly complex demands of Lebanese Catholic schools. Without strong endorsement and training for educational management and leadership principals in Catholic schools could face a precarious future. Further research and management training and formation is needed to lead Catholic school principals into a steadfast future.
Educational Leadership and Management
D.Ed. (Educational Management)

碩士
國立政治大學
學校行政碩士在職專班
104
This study aims to examine the relationship among the principals’ moral leadership, school organization health, and school effectiveness in Taiwan Catholic secondary schools. Through the organization status description, comparison between different teacher background variables, the correlation with the principals’ moral leadership, school organizational health to forecast school effectiveness was discussed. Finally, it proposes suggestions for Taiwan's Catholic secondary school boards, school authorities, educators and subsequent researchers for further improvement of school effectiveness. This study uses questionnaires survey, t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson product-moment correlation, multiple regression and other statistical methods to explore Taiwan's Catholic secondary school moral leadership, the organizational health and schools' effectiveness. Through the collection and discussion of the literature, this study proposes the study frmaework. The questionnaire interviewing 435 Taiwan Catholic secondary school faculties, is developed by the results of moral leadership, school organization and school effectiveness relationship of health from the research of Chen, Qin, and Tsai. Through statistical analysis and discussion, this study obtains the following conclusions: 1. Taiwan Catholic secondary school staff has medium-to-high perception of moral leadership, organizational status of school health and school performance. 2. Taiwan Catholic secondary school faculty staff’s background variancees show insignificant differences in surveying the principals’ moral leadership of principals, school organization and school effectiveness of health. 3. Taiwan Catholic secondary school moral leadership, school health and school performance of the organizations have a positive correlation. 4. Taiwan Catholic secondary school moral leadership and school organization health have a positive predictive power for the effectiveness of school.

The purposes of this study are to first investigate various leadership and management styles of Catholic secondary school principals and their impact on school discipline and secondly to determine whether there is a correlation between leadership and management styles of secondary school principals and discipline in the school. The rationale behind the research topic is that the researcher has realised that many black public schools in South Africa are dysfunctional and cannot deliver quality learning and teaching. The reason for this sorry state of affairs is historical and well known. Most of these schools, to make the transition from dysfunctional to effectiveness, do not require courses in the market. What they require, and it is sorely missing, is strong and effective leadership. The role of a principal in a school is crucial. The success of the process of restoring the culture of teaching and learning rests to a large extent on the principal. This is mainly because he/she is the one who has to lead the entire school community in implementing whatever plans and programmes are to be put in place. Teaching is like riding a wild horse. Even though you're in the saddle it sometimes feels as if you're only barely in control and, if you stop paying attention for just one second, you will end up in the mud. One of the greatest challenges that teachers face when starting out in their careers is learning how to deal with unruly and badly behaved learners so that the rest of the class can get on with the lesson. Teachers often say that they are not paid to discipline learners they are paid to teach them. However, without discipline there can be little learning. Without discipline education is not possible. Discipline is the very foundation on which education should seek to build. Many of our secondary schools are still in crisis today because discipline is undermined. In Chapter one the problem to be researched, the statement of the problem and the purpose of study, general assumptions of study and definitions of terms were introduced. Chapter two examined the literature available. That was done to expand upon the context and the background of this study and to further define the problem and provide an empirical basis for the development of the hypothesis. Chapter two also examined the Leadership Traits theory, the Situational Contingency theory, the Pathgoal theory, Collaborative, Democratic or Participative leadership styles, Autocratic leadership style, Laissez Faire leadership style and leadership according to Gospel values. The Democratic and Situational contingency leadership styles were singled out as the styles of leadership applied most often in a number of organisations. Leadership according to Gospel values will be the most suitable, especially for principals in Catholic schools. It is very much intertwined with the democratic leadership style. There was strong evidence from the literature studied that these styles, if properly applied, can go a long way in helping the principals of schools to live up to the challenges they are facing in education. It is these leadership styles coupled with an understanding of transformation issues in education such as: new principles and values of education systems in South Africa; teaching and learning as the main aims of the education and management, self-reliant schools (self-managed), governance, building schools as learning organisations, and certain skills that could enable principals to be effective leaders in their schools. In order for principals to provide proper and effective leadership, they should be competent in the following aspects: • Stakeholders' involvement in the management of schools • the use of different leadership styles as propounded by the Situational Contingency Theory • team work, and • effective and efficient communication with stakeholders. Chapter three examined the overview of Catholic Education in South Africa, The distinctive Religious character of the Catholic school, Characteristics of a Catholic school, school discipline and how poor school discipline can be prevented and a model for effective discipline in a school. It also focused briefly on the impact of the South African Schools Act No 84 of 1996 and the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa on school discipline. In Chapter four the research methodology was examined. This included the structuring of the questionnaire to try to get factual information, opinions and attitudes about the problem. The questionnaire focused on the following: • stakeholders' involvement in management tasks • the leadership and management styles of principals • how the principal is perceived by stakeholders • communication with stakeholders • teamwork • parental involvement and • how discipline in the school is perceived by stakeholders. The questionnaire was then administered to all educators, members of the school governing bodies, members of the Representative Council of Learners and principals of all Secondary Catholic schools in Limpopo. Chapter five deals with data analysis, interpretation, findings and recommendations. In conclusion, of all the leadership styles discussed, the Situational Contingency, and emerging participatory democracy and leadership according to Gospel values appear to be the most appropriate styles of leadership in South African Education today. The three leadership styles are like rosebuds in that they bring forth positive results but also have associated thorns and dangers. If we can locate the thorns, then we can learn how to hold the flower without injury. Different leaders and managers adopt different styles of leading and managing their organisation (school). As a result there is no single perfect leadership or management style. It is, however, important that leaders must be able to weigh and consider ensuing or confronting situations and circumstances and to adapt accordingly. Good educational establishments require disciplined environments. Teachers, parents and students need clear strategies and guidelines that encourage learning. They need to ensure that learning is well structured and orderly. Good relationships need to be maintained in learning institutions to improve motivation and raise the quality of education for all.
Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2003.

碩士
輔仁大學
教育領導與發展研究所碩士班
102
By its focus on and learning from a school principal at Mater Amabilis Vocational School (MA SMK) in Surabaya, East Java – Indonesia, this phenomenological case study investigates the strategies of the school principal in transforming MA SMK into a high-performance school, while considering the impact of and the perception of the local school community towards these strategies. The findings reveal thirteen strategies, nine of them positively relevant to the previous study of Shannon and Bylsma (2007): (1) a clear and shared focus, (2) expecting all students to achieve high standards, (3) effective leadership, (4) collaboration and communication, (5) curriculum, instruction and assessment beyond standards, (6) developing of learning and teaching, (7) fostering professional development, (8) supportive learning condition, and (9) family and community involvement. Four other strategies are specifically used by the school principal at MA SMK: (10) shaping school culture, (11) using SWOT analysis, (12) product marketing, and (13) school promotion. The results of 12 participants’ interviews have shown that seven strategies significantly impact on the school community, whereas, the greatest impact results from school promotion and product marketing. Moreover, the school community’s perceptions are associated with the role of the school principal. By clustering and coding interview results, the researcher finds seven special names, namely: motivator, visionary, moral agent, charismatic leader and organizer, empowerer of talents, team builder, and communicator. Discussion and recommendations are provided.

碩士
輔仁大學
教育領導與發展研究所
97
In the past, principals of Catholic high schools in Tiawan were generally positioned by the clergy; however, there are two impacts which these private Catholic high schools are facing currently. First, the background of the principal is changed because of the decreasing number of clergy. Second, the trend of having fewer children which has strong impact on education environment. Therefore, the roles of principals in these schools are becoming more and more important. This study was conducted to understand the beginning principals’ inner world on managing and leading Catholic high school in their first year. The data is gathered from the two principals with totally different backgrounds and genders in two private Catholic High Schools by using semi-structured interview and participant observation. Then, we got the following conclusions: 1. Beginning principal is aware that his/her own innate character of being a leader is fixed, but their actions are changed depending on contingency. 2. Beginning principal is active and positive, and they move school affairs in high execution. 3. Beginning principal holds the rationale of holistic-human education on school establishment. 4. Beginning principal tries hard to have cultural transformation in Catholic private school. 5. Beginning principal considers that the school is student-centered and should promote the growth of teacher professional development. 6. Beginning principal has high emotional management and self-reflection. 7. The responsibility and mission of beginning principals are to overcome difficulties and challenges in their first year. 8. The highest principle of beginning principals is to “Set examples by themselves.” Based on the above conclusions, we provide the following suggestions: 1. We suggest that beginning principals should understand deeply and give feedback to their staff, use their words carefully under self-emotion management and give their staff more approval and compliments, and increase social network of beginning principals which can be used to transmit messages and share experiences with other beginning principals in Catholic high schools. 2. We suggest that staff should give beginning principals more support, provide their comments voluntarily in a rational and objective way; understand the need of school organization transformation and then behave actively and positively toward this. 3. We suggest that subsequent researches about beginning principals can delve into different topics and angles, and study in a team. By such means, we can integrate different facets of beginning principals completely.