A dominant aspect of the current educational environment in East Asia is the multiple education reforms which have assailed schools since the early 1990s. Another is the long-held cultural values that principals embrace as part of a broader social group and which underpin the construction of personal, societal, relational, and organisational norms and behaviours. Reform demands and cultural values converge at the school level to shape a constantly shifting environment. The associated fluidity of this environment, in effect, expresses principals’ lives and work to form and transform what they do. As this process unfolds, principals find themselves navigating an unpredictable path to school improvement and the very meaning of leadership becomes confused (Bottery, 2004). This context challenges principals to construct a new role that is personally authentic and which attends to the core values of stakeholders, community needs, and system requirements.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abdullah, A.S. (1999). The School Management and Leadership Directions in Malaysia for the 21st Century. Paper presented at the 3rd Annual Asian Symposium on Educational Management and Leadership, Penang, Malaysia.
Bajunid, I.A. (1996). Preliminary Explorations of Indigenous Perspectives of Educational Management: The Evolving Malaysian Experience. Journal of Educational Administration 34(5): 50–73.
Bottery, M. (2004). The Challenges of Educational Leadership: Values in a Globalised Age. Paul Chapman: London; Thousand Oaks: CA.
Cheng, Y.C. (1995). The Neglected Dimension: Cultural Comparison in Educational Administration. In: K. C. Wong and K. M. Cheng (eds) Educational Leadership and Change: An International Perspective. Hong Kong University Press: Hong Kong, pp. 87–104.
Cheng, Y.C. (2000). Cultural factors in educational effectiveness: A framework for comparative research. School Leadership and Management 20(2): 207–226.
Cheng, Y.C., and T. Townsend (2000). Educational change and development in the Asia Pacific region: Trend and issues. In: T. Townsend and Y. C. Cheng (eds) Educational Change and Development in the Asia Pacific: Challenges for the Future. Swets & Zeitlinger: Lisse, The Netherlands, pp. 317–344.
Dimmock, C., and A. Walker (1998). Comparative educational administration: Developing a cross-cultural conceptual framework. Educational Administration Quarterly 34(4): 558–595.
Dimmock, C., and A. Walker (2002). Embedding societal culture in the study of educational leadership. In: A. Walker, and C. Dimmock (eds) School Leadership and Administration: Adopting a Cultural Perspective Routledge Falmer: New York, pp. 223–234.
Dimmock, C., and A. Walker (2004). A new approach to strategic leadership: Learning-centredness, connectivity and cultural context in school design. School Leadership and Management 24(1): 39–56.
Economist. (1994). Teaching Asia to stay Asian. The Economist p. 32.
Fullan, M. (1999). Change Forces. Falmer Press: London.
Fwu, B.J., and H.H. Wang (2001). Principals at the Crossroads: Profiles, Preparation and Role Perceptions of Secondary School Principals in Taiwan. Paper presented at the International Conference on School Leaders Preparation, Licensure, Certification, Selection, Evaluation and Professional Development: Taipei, Taiwan.
Gopinathan, S., and W.K. Ho (2000). Educational Change and Development in Singapore. In: Y. C. Cheng and T. Townsend (eds) Educational Change and Development in the Asia-Pacific Region: Challenges for the Future. Swets & Zeitinger: Lisse, The Netherlands, pp. 163–184.
Gordon, R.D. (2002). Conceptualising leadership with respect to its historical-contextual antecedents to power. The Leadership Quarterly 13: 151–167.
Hallinger, P. (1998a). Educational change in the Asia-Pacific region: The challenge of creating learning systems. Journal of Educational Administration 36(5): 492–509.
Hallinger, P. (1998b). Educational reform in the Asia Pacific. Journal of Educational Administration 36(5): 417–425.
Hallinger, P. (2001). Leading Educational Change in Southeast Asia: The Challenge of Creating Learning Systems. In: C. Dimmock and A. Walker (eds) Future School Administration: Western and Asian perspectives. The Chinese University Press: Hong Kong, pp. 169–190.
Hallinger, P. (2004a). Meeting the challenges of cultural leadership: The changing role of principals in Thailand. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 25(1): 61–73.
Hallinger, P. (2004b). Making Education Reform Happen: Is there an “Asian” Way? Paper presented at the International Conference, “Making Change Happen: Learning from the Asian Experience”, Bangkok, Thailand, 22–24 September 2004.
Hallinger, P., P. Chantarapanya, U. Sriboonma, and P. Kantamara (2000). The Challenge of Educational Reform in Thailand: Jing jai, Jing jung, and Nae norn. In: Y. C. Cheng and T. Townsend (eds) Educational Change and Development in the Asia-Pacific Region: Challenges for the Future. Swets & Zeitinger: Lisse, The Netherlands, pp. 208–226.
Ho Y.K. (2005). Teachers’ lives and struggle in a context of education reforms. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Hofstede, G.H. (1991). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill: London.
Hughes, P. (1998). School leadership in a time of unplanned revolution. Journal of Basic Education, Hong Kong Institute of Educational Research 7(2).
Hughes, P. (2001). Secondary education reform: issues for the Asia-Pacific region. Prospects 31(1).
Kantamara, P., P. Hallinger, and M. Jatiket (in press). Scaling-up educational reform in Thailand: Context, collaboration, networks and change. Planning and Changing.
Lambert, L. (2005). Constructivist Leadership. In: B. Davies (ed.) The Essentials of School Leadership. Paul Chapman and Corwin Press: London, pp. 93–109.
Lau, S.K. (1982). Society and Politics in Hong Kong. The Chinese University Press: Hong Kong.
Leung, B.K.P. (1996). Perspectives on Hong Kong Society. Oxford University Press: Hong Kong.
Leung, J.Y.H., and H.M. Chan (2001). The School Management Reform in Hong Kong: Administrative Control in a New Cloak of Managerialism. In: B. L. Cheung and J. C. Y. Lee (eds) Public Sector Reform in Hong Kong into the 21st Century. The Chinese University Press: Hong Kong, pp. 229–260.
Lin, J. (2000). Reform in Primary and Secondary Administration in China. In: C. Dimmock and A. Walker (eds) Future School Administration: Western and Eastern Perspectives. The Chinese University Press: Hong Kong, pp. 291–310.
Lindsay, S. (2000). Culture, Mental Models, and National Prosperity, In: L. Harrison and S. Huntington (eds) Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress. Basic Books: New York, pp. 158–177.
Lo, N.S.K. (2002). Globalization, Educational Reform and the Dilemmas of Chinese Teachers. Keynote address at the Hong Kong Educational Research Association Conference, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
MOE-ROC (1998). Towards a Learning Society. Ministry of Education, Taipei: Republic of China.
Muta, H. (2000). Deregulation and decentralization of education in Japan. Journal of Educational Administration 38(5): 455–467.
Nieto, S. (2005). Cultural Difference and Educational Change in a Socio-political Context. In: A. Hargreaves (ed.) Extending Educational Change: International Handbook of Educational Change. Springer: The Netherlands, pp. 138–159.
Nisbett, R.E. (2003). The Geography of Thought. The Free Press: New York.
Phillips, D., and K. Ochs (2003). Processes of policy borrowing in education: Some explanatory and analytical devices. Comparative Education 39(4): 451–461.
Rahimah, H.A. (1998). Educational development and reformation in Malaysia: Past, present and future. Journal of Educational Administration 36(5): 432–475.
Rizvi, F. (1997). Beyond the East-West Divide: Education and the Dynamics of Australia-Asia Relations. In: J. Blackmore and K.A. Toh (eds) Educational Research: Building New Partnerships–A Collection of Selected Papers. Educational Research Association: Singapore, pp. 13–26.
Shaw, Sin-ming. (1999). It’s true. Asians can’t think. Time, 23.
Shen, W.J. (2001). Centralization or Decentralization: International Experiences and the Implications for Taiwan. Paper presented at the International Forum on Educational Reforms in the Asia-Pacific Region, Hong Kong.
Shweder, T. (2000). Moral Maps, “First world” Conceits and the New Evangelists. In: L. Harrison and S. Huntington (eds) Culture Matters: How Values Shape Human Progress. Basic Books: New York, pp. 158–177.
Tang, X. (2001). Education Reform and Development in the People Republic of China: Issues and Trends. Paper presented at the International Forum on Educational Reforms in the Asia-Pacific Region, Hong Kong.
Tharp, R.G. (1989). Psychological variables and constants: Effects on teaching and learning in schools. American Psychologist 44(2): 349–359.
Walker, A. (2004). Constitution and Culture: Exploring the deep leadership structures of Hong Kong schools. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 25(1): 75–94.
Walker, A. (2005). Leading Authentically at the Crossroads of Culture and Context. Keynote address at the 10th annual values and leadership conference, 13–15 October, Pennsylvania, USA.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (2000a). Leadership dilemmas of Hong Kong principals: Sources, perceptions and outcomes. Australian Journal of Education 44(1): 5–25.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (2000b). One size fits all? Teacher appraisal in a Chinese culture. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education 14(2): 155–178.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (2002a). Development of a Cross-Cultural Framework and Accompanying Instrumentation for Comparative Analysis in Educational Administration–RGC Final Report. [Confidential] Research Report: Hong Kong, pp. 244.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (2002b). Cross-cultural and Comparative Insights into Educational Administration and Leadership: An Initial Framework. In: A. Walker, and C. Dimmock (eds) School Leadership and Administration: Adopting a Cultural Perspective. Routledge-Falmer: New York, pp. 13–32.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock, C. (2002c). Moving School Leadership Beyond its Narrow Boundaries: Developing a Cross-cultural Approach. In: K. Leithwood and P. Hallinger (eds) Second International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration. Kluwer Press: Netherlands, pp. 167–204.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (eds) (2002d). School Leadership and Administration: The Cultural Context. Routledge-Falmer: New York.
Walker, A., and C. Dimmock (2004). The international role of the NCSL: Tourist, colporteur or confrere? Educational Management Administration and Leadership 32(3): 236–287.
Wong, K.C. (1998). Culture and moral leadership in education. Peabody Journal of Education 73(2): 106–125.
Zhang, M.N. (1999). Research on School Education and Administration Improvement. Shida Shuyuan Publisher: Taipei. (In Chinese).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Walker, A., Hallinger, P. (2007). Navigating Culture and Context: The Principalship in East and South-East Asia. In: Maclean, R. (eds) Learning and Teaching for the Twenty-First Century. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5773-1_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5773-1_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5772-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5773-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)