Abstract
This study aimed at investigating teachers’ perceptions of their principals’ leadership effectiveness in emergency remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic. The study was guided by three research questions on the type of leadership style school leaders exhibited in response to COVID-19, how the principals led their teachers in emergency remote learning and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of integrating emergency remote learning in schools in Jamaica. A cross-sectional survey research design was used for this study. A total of 140 teachers were purposefully selected from across different school levels (early childhood, primary, and secondary). An e-questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. The results showed that a majority of the teachers chose distributed leadership as the style displayed by their school leaders. A majority of the teachers were of the view that their principals provided them with an opportunity to connect with the school’s vision/plan, made them feel proud to be associated with the school, and gave them information about what was to be done in their schools during emergency remote learning. The teachers indicated that by using emergency remote learning, they felt safe from getting the virus, and that they did not have to commute regularly to their schools to teach. A number of challenges with emergency remote learning were identified, including lack of collaborative planning, not being a part of the decision-making process, and lack of clear expectations on how to work together. Based on the limitations of the study, a number of suggestions were made for future research studies.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abu-Tineh, A. M., Khasawneh, S. A., & Al-Omari, A. A. (2008). Kouzes and Posner’s transformational leadership model in practice: The case of Jordanian schools. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 29(8), 648–660. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730810916613
Ahern, S., & Loh, E. (2020). Leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: Building and sustaining trust in times of uncertainty. British Medical Journal Leader. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2020-000271
Ali, W. (2020). Online and remote learning in higher education institutes: A necessity in light of COVID-19 pandemic. Higher Education Studies, 10(3), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v10n3p16
Avolioi, B. J., Walumbwa, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 421–449.
Azorín, C. (2020). Beyond COVID-19 supernova. Is another education coming? Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 5(3–4), 381–390.
Azorín, C., Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2020). Taking a distributed perspective on leading professional learning networks. School Leadership & Management, 40(2–3), 111–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2019.1647418
Blanchard, K. (1997). Getting to know the LBA11 (4th ed.). Blanchard Training and Development.
Bush, T., & Glover, D. (2003). School leadership: Concepts and evidence. National College for School Leadership.
Bush, T. (2008). Leadership and management development in education. Sage.
Coman, C., Tîru, L. G., Mesesan-Schmitz, L., Stanciu, C., & Bularca, M. C. (2020). Online teaching and learning in higher education during the coronavirus pandemic: Students’ perspective. Sustainability, 12, 10367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410367
Cuban, L. (1988). The managerial imperative and the practice of leadership in schools. SUNY Press.
Darling-Hammond, L., & Hyler, M. E. (2020). Preparing educators for the time of COVID … and beyond. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(4), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2020.1816961
Day, C., Harris, A., Hadfield, M., Tolley, H., & Beresford, J. (2000). Leading schools in times of change. Open University Press.
Day, C., Harris, A., & Hadfield, M. (2001). Challenging the orthodoxy of effective school leadership. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 4(1), 39–56.
Di Pietro, G., Biagi, F., Costa, P., Karpiński, Z., & Mazza, J. (2020). The likely impact of COVID-19 on education: Reflections based on the existing literature and recent international datasets. European Commission. https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC121071/jrc121071.pdf
Dimmock, C. (1999). Principals and school restructuring: Conceptualising challenges as dilemmas. Journal of Educational Administration, 37(5), 441–62.
Dobson, Y. (2020). COVID-19 is challenging me to become a better teacher. https://blogs.unicef.org/jamaica/covid-19-is-challenging-me-to-become-a-better-teacher/
Eyles, A., Gibbons, S., & Montebruno, P. (2020). Covid-19 school shutdowns: What will they do to our children’s education? A CEP Covid-19 analysis Briefing note [No. 001. 2020]. http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cepcovid-19-001.pdf
Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., & Guzzo, T. (2020). Online learning and emergency remote teaching: Opportunities and challenges in emergency situations. Societies, 10, 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc10040086
Fidler, B. (1997). School Leadership: Some Key Ideas. School Leadership and Management, 17, 23–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632439770140
Fogarty, L. (2020). Leading in the early childhood education and care sector in England during a Pandemic: Reality, relationships and ruminations. International Studies in Educational Administration, 48(3), 45–50. https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/docs/other/pollock/School-Leaders-Work-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-A-Two-Pronged-Approach.pdf
Göksoy, S. (2015). Distributed Leadership in Educational Institutions. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(4), 110–118. http://jets.redfame.com
Goldring, E. B. (1992). System-wide diversity in Israel. Journal of Educational Administration, 30(3), 49–62.
Halverson, R. (2007). Systems of practice and professional community: The Adams case. In J. P. Spillane (Ed.), Distributed leadership in practice (pp. 35–62). Teachers College Press.
Harms, V., & Leise, C. (2011). Ecological leadership (pp. 33–41). http://www.ijpe.online//2011/ecological.pdf
Harris, A. (2001). Department improvement and school improvement: A missing link? British Educational Research Journal, 27(4), 477–487.
Harris, A. (2012). Leadership system transformation. School Leadership and Management, 3, 179–209.
Harris, A. (2014). Distributed leadership matters: Perspectives, practicalities, and potential. Corwin Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781483332574
Harris, A. (2020). COVID-19 – School leadership in crisis? Journal of Professional Capital and Community, 5(3/4), 321–326. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-06-2020-0045
Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2020). COVID 19 – School leadership in disruptive times. School Leadership & Management, 40(4), 243–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2020.1811479
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online learning?utm_source=Selligent&utm_medium=email&utm _campaign=tl_newsletter&utm_content=4-7-20&utm_term=button_&m_ i=Mf2icLLwMxCE9XqZjyWe8X3254ngmsv7ZbIy8X2AOEsVHi3Uz5q_yZ3Z0TZZxKFqV8c5Xc0Z%2BuMqBUvXsgOnun4pzhbiX2LMMe
Iandoli, L., & Zollo, G. (2008). Organisational cognition and learning. Idea Group Incorporated.
Ionescu, C. A., Paschia, L., Gudanescu, N., Stanescu, S. G., Stancesc, V. M. N., Coman, M. D., & Uzlau, M. C. (2020). Sustainability analysis of the e-learning education system during pandemic period—COVID-19 in Romania. Sustainability, 12(21), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219030
Iyiomo, O. A. (2020). Managing the costs of online teaching in a free secondary education programme during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. International Studies in Educational Administration, 48(3), 66–72. https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/docs/other/pollock/School-Leaders-Work-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-A-Two-Pronged-Approach.pdf
Janetius, S. T., Mini, C. T., & Sarkar, N. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and challenges to emergency remote learning in India: An exploratory analysis. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research, 9(7), 106–209.
Kabeyi, M. J. B. (2018). Transformational vs transactional leadership with examples. The International Journal of Business & Management, 6(5), 191–193.
Kapucu, N. & Van Wart, M. (2006). The evolving role of the public sector in manging catastrophic disasters: Lessons learned. Administration & Society, 38(3), 279–308. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399706289718.
Kapucu, N. & Van Wart, M. (2008). Making matters worse: An anatomy of leadership failures in managing catastrophic events. Administration & Society, 40(7), 711–740. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399708323143.
Karaca, H., Kapucu, N., & Montgomery Van Wart, M. (2013). Examining the role of transformational leadership in emergency management: The case of FEMA. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, 3(3), 19–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.10
Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 18(3), 178–183.
Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2012). Practical research: Planning and design (10th ed.). Pearson Education Inc..
Leithwood, K. (1994). Leadership for school restructuring. Educational Administration Quarterly, 30(4), 498–518. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013161X94030004006
Leithwood, K. (2001). School leadership in the context of accountability policies. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 4, 217–235. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603120110057082
Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D., & Steinbach, R. (1999). Changing leadership for changing times. Open University Press.
Malloy, J. P. (2012). Effects of distributed leadership on teachers’ academic optimism and student achievement. [Doctoral Dissertation]. University of Toronto.
Miller, T. & Miller, J. M. (2001). Educational leadership in the new millennium: A vision for 2020. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 4, 181–189.
Milman, N. B. (2020). Pandemic pedagogy. Phi Delta Kappan. https://kappanonline.org/pandemic-pedagogy-covid-19-online-milman/
Minja, D. (2010). Leadership practices: A case of selected corporate institutions in Nairobi-Kenya. Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa, 2(2), 1–3.
Mohmmed, A. O., Khhidhir, B. A., Nazeer, A., & Vijayan, V. J. (2020). Emergency remote teaching during Coronavirus pandemic: The current trend and future directive at Middle East College Oman. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 5, 72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-020-00326-7
Moyi, P. (2020). Out of classroom learning: A brief look at Kenya’s COVID-19 education response plan. International Studies in Educational Administration, 48(3), 59–65. https://www.edu.uwo.ca/faculty-profiles/docs/other/pollock/School-Leaders-Work-During-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-A-Two-Pronged-Approach.pdf
Munirat Yusuf-Habeeb & Yusuf Ibrahim. (2017). Effects of leadership style on employee performance in Nigerian universities. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 17(7). https://journalofbusiness.org/index.php/GJMBR/article/view/2376.
Ndahi, H. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the delivery of TVET in CARICOM Member States. International Labour Organization. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/%2D%2D-americas/%2D%2D-ro-lima/%2D%2D-sro-port_of_spain/documents/publication/wcms_755060.pdf?fbclid=IwAR37fK-oVHK7u1AUIlM05XQS5yemdqEQYsgLehy8xlLE5q8i37MirbjEHPM
Nelson, T., & Squires, V. (2017). Addressing complex challenges through adaptive leadership: A promising approach to collaborative problem-solving. Journal of Leadership Education, 16(4), 111–123. https://doi.org/10.12806/V16/I4/T2
Netolicky, D. M. (2020). School leadership during a pandemic: Navigating tensions. Journal of Professional Capital and Community. https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/2056-9548#earlycite
Nurce Arifiatib, F., Nurkhayatic, E., Nurdiawatid, E., Giantoro Pamungkasf, F., Adhag, S., Purwantoi, I. A., Julyantoj, O., & Azizi, E. (2020). University students’ online learning system during Covid-19 Pandemic: Advantages, constraints and solutions. Systematic Reviews in Pharmacy, 11(7), 570–576. https://doi.org/10.31838/srp.2020.7.81
Otieno, B. N., & Njoroge, J. G. (2019). Effects of leadership styles on employee performance: Case of Technical University of Kenya. International Journal of Educational Research, 7(6), 115–132.
Price-Dowd, C. F. J. (2020). Your leadership style: Why understanding yourself matters. British Medical Journal Leader, 4, 165–167. https://doi.org/10.1136/leader-2020-000218
Raza, S. A., Qazi, W., Khan, K. A., & Salam, J. (2020). Social isolation and acceptance of the learning management system (LMS) in the time of COVID-19 Pandemic: An expansion of the UTAUT model. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 59, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633120960421
Shava, G. N., & Tlou, F. N. (2018). Distributed leadership in education, contemporary issues in educational leadership. African Educational Research Journal, 6(4), 279–287. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.64.18.097
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed leadership. Jossey Bass.
Stoll, L., & Fink, D. (1996). Changing our schools: Linking school effectiveness and school improvement. Open University Press.
Storey, J. & Hotlti, R. (2013). Towards a new model of leadership for the NHS. https://www.leadrshipacademy.nhs.uk
Tharnpas, S., & Boon-itt, S. (2015). A study of CEO transformational leadership, organisational factors and product innovation performance: Scale development and a theoretical framework. International Journal of Innovation Science, 7(2), 107–125. https://doi.org/10.1260/1757-2223.7.2.107
Turnbull, D., Chugh, R., & Luck, J. (2019). Learning management systems: An overview. In Encyclopedia of education and information technologies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60013-0_248-1
United Nations. (2020 August). Policy brief report: Education during COVID-19 and beyond. https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2020/08/sg_policy_brief_covid-19_and_education_august_2020.pdf
United Nations Children’s Fund, & Caribbean Policy Research Institute. (2020 September). The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Jamaican children preliminary results. https://www.unicef.org/jamaica/reports/effect-covid-19-pandemic-jamaican-children-preliminary-results
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization, Cluster Office of the Caribbean. (n.d.). Teacher development for online and blended learning to ensure quality education during COVID-19 in Jamaica. https://en.unesco.org/news/teacher-development-online-and-blended-learning-ensure-quality-education-during-covid-19
United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) & International Bureau of Education. (n. d.). Basic learning needs. http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/glossary-curriculum-terminology/b/basic-learning-needs
Vegas, E. (2020, April 14). School closures, government responses, and learning inequality around the world during COVID-19. https://www.brookings.edu/research/school-closures-government-responses-and-learning-inequality-around-the-world-during-covid-19/
Wielkiewicz, R. M., & Steizner, S. P. (2005). An ecological perspective on leadership theory, research and practice. Review of General Psychology, 9(4), 326–341. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.4.326
World Health Organization. (2020a, Coronavirus update 40). Overview of the covid-19 pandemic: The latest on the covid-19 global situation & how the pandemic spread. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/risk-comms-updates/epi-win-update40-overview-of-the-pandemic.pdf?sfvrsn=8d355bcd_4
World Health Organization. (2020b, March 11). WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19. https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19%2D%2D-11-march-2020
Yukl, G. A. (2002). Leadership in organizations (5th ed.). Prentice Hall.
Yukl, G. & Mahsud, R. (2010). Why flexible and adaptive leadership is essential. Consulting Psychology Journal Practice and Research, 62(2), 81–93.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Onyefulu, C. (2021). Perceived Effectiveness of School Leadership in Emergency Remote Learning During the Coronavirus Pandemic. In: Bissessar, C. (eds) Emergency Remote Learning, Teaching and Leading: Global Perspectives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76591-0_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76591-0_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-76590-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-76591-0
eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)