Faculty of Education - Theses

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Author: Doherty, Joy Louisa. × End date: 2009 × Start date: 1980 × Type: thesis ×

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    Successful principal leadership of an independent school in Victoria, Australia
    Doherty, Joy Louisa. (University of Melbourne, 2008)
    The aim of this case study was to identify and explore the qualities, values, beliefs, vision, and practices of successful principal leadership in an independent school in Victoria, Australia. The results contribute to the findings of the larger international comparative project, the International Successful Schools Principalship Project (ISSPP) of which this study is a part. To achieve this aim, a qualitative approach was taken that utilised multiple perspective interviews, observation of school activities and events, and school documents and documentation. Through the process of data analysis, the characteristics and practices of principal leadership of the school were identified, and five key strands of successful principal leadership emerged. The study defined a principal who clearly articulated and modelled a strong educational philosophy of teaching and learning that focused on providing an environment in which each student could achieve above what they would hope to achieve. The principal nurtured and empowered staff capacity for teaching, and student capacity for learning, through affirmation, motivation, encouragement, the provision of effective resources and facilities, and by modelling person to person relationships based on trust and respect. He understood the role of principal in the school, built on the work of his predecessors, and laid foundations for the school's future sustainability. From the study's results, a model showing successful school principalship as a process of reciprocal influence was developed.