Abstract
This chapter attempts to review research in school leadership in India, particularly with reference to the position of headmasters (principals). Impact of its educational history, bygone and current educational policies, and the country’s switch to market economy in the 1990s are all shaping the direction India is taking toward schooling and educational research. Characteristics of school headmasters – their recruitment, training, and their roles and responsibilities – are still steeped in many of the old practices. Empirical studies on school principals and their impact on student outcomes are limited. On the positive side, there is an emergent national consensus to revamp school leadership and to advance best practices in school administration and governance. Effective national policies are also necessary to professionalize school leadership. It is hoped such improvements will pave way for more rigorous examinations of contextually appropriate leadership theories and their relevant application to school leadership practice.
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Saravanabhavan, R., Pushpanadham, K., Saravanabhavan, S. (2016). India: School Leadership, India at the Crossroads. In: Ärlestig, H., Day, C., Johansson, O. (eds) A Decade of Research on School Principals. Studies in Educational Leadership, vol 21. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23027-6_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23027-6_22
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