Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Origins of Two Research Projects: LISA and Pro-LEAD

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Modeling School Leadership across Europe

  • 639 Accesses

Abstract

In this chapter, an examination of the origins of the LISA (Leadership Improvement for Student Achievement) and the Pro-LEAD (Uncovering the Complex Relation Between Principals’ Leadership Style and Epistemological Beliefs and its Implications for School Leadership Training) projects is presented. The basis of this review lies on the assumption that leadership approaches at the system level stimulate and foster institutional settings that can have a positive impact at the school level. In other words, within the LISA project an examination of how lower secondary school principals perceive their role, preferred leadership style(s), and their effectiveness in enhancing the overall quality of education is undertaken. Then, with regard to the Pro-LEAD project, an exploration of the relationship between the same leadership styles school principals adopt, their epistemological worldviews, and the contextual and governance structures in which they operate is the main focus. In order to achieve the goals of both projects, the Pashiardis-Brauckmann Holistic Leadership Framework was designed and utilized.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    PISA is a triennial survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds. It is the product of collaboration between participating countries and economies through the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and draws on leading international expertise to develop valid comparisons across countries and cultures. About 470,000 students from 65 countries making up close to 90 % of the world economy took part in PISA 2009. The focus was on reading but the assessment also included science and mathematics and collected data on student, family, and institutional factors that could help explaining differences in performance.

  2. 2.

    Throughout this book we use the term school leader as a synonym and substitute for the terms “school principal” and “head teacher” which are both used interchangeably.

  3. 3.

    With the term “system leaders” we mean leaders at the systemic level, such as Ministries of Education, Local Education Authorities, and district level officials.

  4. 4.

    With the term “we” the whole research team is included, meaning primarily the researchers who guided the project as well as the school principals in the seven EU countries which took part as our coresearchers alongside with the teachers in their schools.

References

  • Arredondo, D. E., & Rucinski, T. T. (1996, November 7–8). Epistemological beliefs of Chilean educators and school reform efforts. Paper presented at the Tercer Encuentro National de Enfoques Congiticos Actuales en Educacion, Santiago, Chile.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brauckmann, S., & Pashiardis, P. (2011). A validation study of the leadership styles of a holistic leadership theoretical framework. International Journal of Educational Management, 25(1), 11–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, D., & Smith, J. (2007). Evaluating the “Crazy Quilt”: Educational Governance in California. Retrieved July 20, 2008, from http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~dominicb/brief_eval.pdf

  • Chan, K. W., & Elliot, R. G. (2000). Exploratory study of epistemological beliefs of Hong Kong teacher education students: resolving conceptual and empirical issues. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 28(3), 225–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gronn, P., & Ribbins, P. (2003). Evolving formations: The making of secondary school principals on selected small islands. In P. Pashiardis & P. Ribbins (Eds.), International studies in educational administration. Special Issue on the Making of Secondary School Principals on Selected Small Islands, 31(2), 76–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. (1996). The principal’s role in school effectiveness: An assessment of methodological progress, 1980–1995. In K. Leithwood, J. Chapman, D. Corson, P. Hallinger, & A. Hart (Eds.), International handbook of educational leadership and administration, part 2. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. (1998). Exploring the principals’ contribution to school effectiveness: 1980–1995. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 9(2), 157–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hashweh, M. Z. (1996). Effects of science teachers’ epistemological beliefs in teaching. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33, 47–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heck, R. H., & Moriyama, K. (2010). Examining relationships among elementary schools’ contexts, leadership, instructional practices, and added-year outcomes: A regression discontinuity approach. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21, 377–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofer, B. K., & Pintrich, P. R. (1997). The development of epistemological theories: Beliefs about knowledge and knowing and their relation to learning. Review of Educational Research, 67, 88–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kythreotis, A., Pashiardis, P., & Kyriakides, L. (2010). The influence of school leadership styles and school culture on students’ achievement in Cyprus primary schools. Journal of Educational Administration, 48(2), 218–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lashway, L. (2003). Improving principal evaluation. Clearinghouse on educational policy management. Eric Digest, 172, 1–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens, L. M. (1992). Inhibitors to implementing a problem solving approach to teaching elementary science: Case study of a teacher in change. School Science and Mathematics, 93, 150–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works. From research to results. Alexandria, VA/Denver, CO: ASCD/MCREL.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, J. (2012). Homeschooling in America. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Center on Education and the Economy. (2006). Tough choices or tough times: The report on the new commission on the skills of the American workforce. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pashiardis, P. (2004). Educational leadership: From the era of benevolent neglect to the current era. Athens, Greece: Metaichmio Publications [in Greek].

    Google Scholar 

  • Pashiardis, P. (2012). Successful school principals: International research and Greek reality. Athens, Greece: Ion Publishing House (in Greek).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pashiardis, P., & Brauckmann, S. (2008, November 13–15). Introduction to the LISA framework from a social system’s perspective. Paper presented during the LISA conference, Budapest, Hungary.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pashiardis, P., Thody, A., Papanaoum, Z., & Johansson, O. (2003). European educational leadership. A search for consensus in diversity. Nicosia, Cyprus: Digiword Limited.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pintrich, P. R. (1990). Implications of psychological research on student learning and college teaching for teacher education. In W. R. Houston (Ed.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 826–857). New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ritzer, G. (2000). The McDonaldization of society (New Century ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, V. M. J., Lloyd, C., & Rowe, K. J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership type. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44, 635–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(3), 498–504.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teddlie, C., & Reynolds, D. (2000). The international handbook of school effectiveness research. London: Falmer Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tickle, E. L., Brownlee, J., & Nailon, D. (2005). Personal epistemological beliefs and transformational leadership behaviors. The Journal of Management Development, 24, 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (2012a). Education for all: Beyond 2015. Mapping current international actions to define the post-2015 education and development agendas. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved November 7, 2011, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002179/217935e.pdf

  • UNESCO. (2012b). Shaping the education of tomorrow: 2012 report on the UN Decade of education for sustainable development, abridged. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002166/216606e.pdf

  • UNESCO. (2012c). Youth and skills: Putting education to work. EFA Global monitoring report 2012. Paris: UNESCO. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002180/218003e.pdf

  • UNESCO. (2012d). 2013 Education for all Global monitoring report: Teaching and learning for development. Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/ED/pdf/gmr2013-thematic-notev2.pdf

  • Weindling, D., & Dimmock, C. (2006). Sitting in the “Hot Seat”. New head teachers in the UK. Journal of Educational Administration, 44(4), 326–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Witziers, B., Bosker, R. J., & KrĂĽger, M. L. (2003). Educational leadership and student achievement: The elusive search for an association. Educational Administration Quarterly, 39(3), 398–425.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Educational Leadership, Center for Research and Training in Educational Leadership and Policy (CERTELP), Open University of Cyprus, Latsia, 12794, 2252, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Petros Pashiardis

Authors
  1. Petros Pashiardis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petros Pashiardis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Program in Educational Studies, Professor of Educational Leadership, Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Petros Pashiardis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pashiardis, P. (2014). The Origins of Two Research Projects: LISA and Pro-LEAD. In: Pashiardis, P. (eds) Modeling School Leadership across Europe. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7290-8_1

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation