Name: James Ashaley Kotey

Module: Researching Educational Leadership and Management

‘Leadership’- Succession, Preparation, Selection, Induction, Development process.

1.0 Introduction

There is significant interest in educational leadership at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

This is as a result of the widespread belief that leadership quality has a significant impact on

school and student performance. Many parts of the world, including both developed and

developing nations, acknowledge that schools must have effective leaders and managers in order

to provide their students and learners with the best possible education (Bush, 2010). As the

global economy accelerates, an increasing number of governments recognise that their most

valuable assets are their citizens, and that maintaining or gaining competitiveness depends

increasingly on the development of a highly qualified workforce. This necessitates qualified and

devoted teachers, who, in turn, necessitate the leadership of highly effective administrators and

the assistance of other senior and intermediate managers.

1.1 Direction and Administration

Educational leadership and management are fields of study and practise pertaining to the

operation of schools and other educational institutions. According to Bolam (1999), educational

management is the executive function of implementing policy that has been approved. The

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author differentiates management from educational leadership, which he defines as having at its

core the responsibility of policy formulation and, when necessary, organisational transformation.

Sapre (2002), writing from an Indian perspective, defines management as a series of activities

geared toward the efficient and effective utilisation of organisational resources to achieve

organisational objectives. According to Glatter (1979), management studies focus on the internal

operation of educational institutions, as well as their relationships with their environment, that is,

the communities in which they are established, and the governing bodies to which they are

formally accountable. In leading their respective institutions before other external audiences.

This statement defines the boundaries of educational management while leaving questions about

the subject's nature unanswered (Bush, 2010). Governments have the constitutional authority to

impose their will, but successful innovations require the commitment of those who must

implement these modifications. If teachers and leaders deem an activity inappropriate for their

students or children, they are unlikely to enthusiastically implement it. Therefore, governments

favour visionary leadership in schools so long as the visions do not deviate significantly from

government mandates (Bush 2003).

A key component of numerous definitions of leadership is the ability to persuade (Bush, 2010).

Leadership can be defined as 'influence,' but this concept is ambiguous because it does not

specify the goals or actions that should be pursued through this process. Certain alternative

theories of leadership, on the other hand, emphasise the significance of leadership being founded

on strong personal and professional values. According to Wasserberg (2000), the most important

responsibility of a leader is to unite individuals behind fundamental principles. In their study of

12 "effective" schools in England and Wales, Day et al. (2001) discovered that excellent school

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leaders are guided by and communicate clear personal and pedagogical values that embody their

moral intentions for the school.

Vision is increasingly acknowledged as an essential element of effective leadership. Beare et al.

(1992) use the research of Bennis and Nanus (1985) to establish ten "developing generalisations"

about leadership, four of which are directly related to vision:

i. Exemplary leaders have a vision for their companies.

ii. The organization's vision must be communicated in a manner that inspires member

commitment. Communication of meaning is necessary for the transmission of vision. If

leadership is to be successful

iv. focus should be placed on institutionalising vision.

Although it is evident that articulating a clear vision has the potential to expand schools,

evidence of its utility is inconsistent. Given the government's involvement in numerous aspects

of curriculum and administration, a larger concern is whether school leaders can articulate a

vision for their schools.

1.2 Succession to the Leadership

Succession is defined as the process of preparing individuals within an institution for future

leadership roles (Succession Planning, 2015). Succession is a "disruptive event [that] changes the

line of communication, realigns relationships of power, affects decision making, and generally

disturbs the equilibrium of normal activities" that alters the flow of communication, realigns

power relationships, influences decision-making, and disrupts the equilibrium of normal

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activities (Miskel & Cosgrove, 1985, p. 88). According to Rothwell (2015), many institutions

and management executives mistakenly believe they are planning for succession when, in fact,

they are planning for replacement. The difference between replacement planning and succession

planning is that replacement planning focuses on filling vacancies on an individual basis in the

present, while succession planning is a more holistic approach to planning for the future by

training and replacing a large number of individuals (Fusarelli et al., 2018; Rothwell, 2015).

Globally, educational leaders at all levels have begun to recognise the significance of academic

leadership development (Ladyshewsky & Flavell, 2012). Because it directly affects student

learning, the issue is of particular concern in education. In addition, potential candidates are

unwilling to apply for or accept principalships at schools with high staff turnover, limited

resources, and low student achievement (Browne-Ferrigno, 2007). These obstacles may make the

position seem insurmountable, and qualified candidates may not see the value in pursuing this

career path. Successful educational leadership candidates require assistance and direction in

order to see the big picture (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 2013).

1.3 Leadership Preparation

It takes time and deliberate effort to build and prepare effective school leaders, with the typical

process involving obstacles associated with self-identification and the pursuit of support and

learning experiences to enable and assist the development of essential leadership traits

(Williams, 2018). It is even more challenging for an education system to actively participate in

the identification of future potential leaders, to foster an aspirational culture, to provide support

and learning opportunities for aspirants along the way, and to continue to provide quality

development opportunities and support for new or novice school leaders. Consequently, it is not

surprising that much contemporary research has centred on school leadership development and

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preparation programmes (Williams, 2018). However, while the majority of the literature on

school leadership preparation and development focuses on programmes available to current

principals and assistant principals, there is comparatively little literature on the leadership

development elements that teachers would like to see incorporated into leadership preparation

and development programmes. While a growing number of research studies are incorporating

participant perspectives on leadership preparation, few include participant perspectives on the

items that should be provided prior to their participation in leadership programmes.

Incorporating these perspectives into these programmes would likely encourage and increase the

participation of individuals who are most likely to assume future positions of school leadership.

School and community (working with community partners and the local school staff), working

with and through others (effective leadership is based on effective relationships), and special

character traits were mentioned by classroom teachers and current school leaders as

characteristics that they would like to see incorporated into school leadership preparation and

development programmes for aspiring and novice school leaders in one faith-based education

system. Previous research conducted within the system under consideration for this study

revealed that only 1.8% of education system employees are actively seeking school leadership

positions, while an additional 19% are open to the possibility of pursuing school leadership

positions in the future (Williams & Morey, 2018).

1.4 Selection for Leadership

The demand for school administrators has increased over the past decade. The Baby Boomer

generation of educators is on the verge of retirement. Before the end of this decade, nearly

100,000 Baby Boomers, including those in school leadership roles, will leave the labour force

(The Motley Fool, 2016). This exodus entails providing current teacher leaders with a bachelor's

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degree and/or a standards-based licensure preparation programme, resulting in a pool of well-

prepared, credentialed candidates. Despite growing recognition that teacher-leaders can play an

important role in assisting their peers' development, little empirical research has focused on

selecting teacher-leaders (Agustina et al., 2020). Consequently, our understanding of essential

aspects of teacher-leader selection, such as how to design the selection process, what criteria to

use, and who should be involved in selection decisions, is grounded in intuition and experience

rather than empirical data (Agustina et al., 2020). Educators and policymakers can define job

selection criteria and methods based on cross-sector research and experience until additional

information is available on how to identify teacher-leaders who are likely to be effective at

leading their peers. Selection Procedure According to research and practical human resource

guidelines, three factors should be evaluated during the hiring process

(swww.teacherledprofessionallearning.org):

i. Job Competence Demonstrated. The candidate should demonstrate the skills necessary to

perform the duties specified in the job description.

ii. Perceptible Behavioural Competencies. Has the candidate demonstrated that he or she

consistently employs the behavioural competencies and habits of conduct that serve as predictors

of job performance at the required level?

iii) Prior Success Demonstrations. Has the individual demonstrated the ability to meet the

outcome goals associated with success in the new position (such as high-progress student

learning outcomes, improved school conditions such as behaviour and attendance, and

contributions to the work of other teachers)? And that he can achieve objectives by working in a

group?

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These three primary categories are adaptable enough to accommodate a vast array of teacher-

leader roles. There are a variety of methods for evaluating the characteristics of job prospects,

but a review of the relevant literature reveals that even the most promising methods can only

predict future work performance with limited accuracy. In spite of this, research indicates that

behavioural interviews that ask candidates to describe past events in detail have a high potential

for identifying whether a candidate possesses the competencies that are predictive of superior

performance in a particular job if they are designed and administered correctly. Instead of asking

for thoughts or philosophies about job success, the past-event interviewing style invites

candidates to provide examples of how they thought, felt, and acted in the context of a specific,

real-world incident that occurred in the past.

1.5 Induction to Leadership

Principal decisions and behaviours that support the ultimate objective of enhancing

organisational learning are crucial to the success of induction. The principal plays a significant

role in the lives of freshmen, mentoring them in a variety of direct and indirect ways through the

school's culture (Cherian & Daniel, 2008). The principle enables new educators to view teaching

as an opportunity for inquiry, critique, care, and social justice, in addition to curriculum and

technical knowledge. In addition, the principle is crucial for fostering a genuine sense of care

among instructors, who are similarly motivated and expected to provide professional care for

their students (Jazzar & Algozzine, 2006). The fact that new teachers are influenced more by the

atmosphere and support in their first school settings than by their teacher preparation

programmes highlights the crucial role that administrators play in the induction of new teachers.

Many aspiring teachers and novice educators view on-the-job training as the most important

aspect of their education (Britzman, 1991). Working conditions such as time, observation,

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subject matter, and schedule (TOSS) (Angelle, 2002), over which principals have a great deal of

control, do affect student achievement. A lack of support from the school principal is one of the

most common reasons teachers leave the profession (Richards, 2004). Successful school leaders

must use effective strategies to address at least some aspects of their organisation, such as

structures, purpose, politics, and symbolic awareness, in order to create a positive culture that

influences teacher retention and enables teachers to not only survive but thrive in their first years.

Principal leadership is essential for establishing a collaborative learning environment that

contributes not only to the retention of new teachers but also to the growth of teachers who can

meet the demands of working in a complex setting characterised by change and variety (Feiman-

Nemser, 2001;Wayne, 2005).

According to Wood (2005), principals have five crucial leadership responsibilities during the

induction process: (1) culture builder, (2) instructional leader, (3) mentor facilitator, (4) recruiter

of new teachers, and (5) advocate for new teachers. As instructional leaders, principals are

responsible for cultivating an induction and support culture in their schools. It is their

responsibility to investigate the structure and politics of the school's culture that pose obstacles to

the induction of new teachers. In general, three major issues regarding the principal's role have

emerged: working conditions for new teachers, time and resources, and a new induction role

(Cherian & Daniel, 2008).

1.6 Leadership Development

Leadership development is the process of enhancing an individual's capacity to assume

leadership roles within organisations (Rommin Adl, 2013). Leader development can also be

understood as the expansion of a person's capacity to be effective in a leadership role and process

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(Van Velsor et al., 2010). Additionally, it helps an institution maintain a solid pipeline of future

leaders. The evolution and success of any institution are inextricably linked to the leadership's

growth and development. Leadership responsibilities contribute to the implementation of an

organization's plan by fostering alignment, gaining mindshare, and developing others' skills.

Creating a solid leadership development process outlines precise strategies to identify and

cultivate an organization's future leaders. Leadership roles can be formal, with the ability to

make decisions and accept responsibility, or informal, with little official authority (e.g., a team

member who influences team engagement, purpose, and direction; a lateral peer who must

negotiate through influence) (Rommin Adl, 2013). The leadership development approach

uncovered six categories and various ways of interpreting leadership development: one's own

development, fulfilling a leadership role, personal development, leader and organisational

development, collective leadership development, and human development.

The essence of leadership development is an individual's improvement as a leader, but its

meaning varies from an initial emphasis on an individual's development to a broader way of

linking individual development to organisational goals and visions, as well as leadership

development as a group achievement. The complexity of understanding leadership development

has the potential to fundamentally alter leadership development. It can be used to improve the

design of leadership development activities and to inform the practise of adapting leadership

development activities to better suit the needs and circumstances of individuals in the education

sector. This requires not only meeting individuals where they are, but also creating designs that

sequence the beliefs and expectations of leadership development.

2.0 The role of Content and process in Management Development.

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Introduction

The process of learning and growth as a whole is a crucial component of human development,

and management development is a part of this larger process. An ongoing cycle of exploration,

discovery, and the accumulation of new information underpins the human society's unending

capacity for expansion, which is fuelled by the human race's insatiable curiosity. When we talk

about management development, it's easy to forget about the overall process of development,

which takes into account the growth of every employee. But that's exactly what we should be

doing. It is a method of arranging educational and theoretical knowledge as well as

administrative abilities in a structured fashion. The primary goal of this education is to improve

the managerial capabilities of those who participate in it. The term "management development"

refers to all of the several ways in which those in management might learn to enhance their

performance and behaviour.

Those who work in the field of organisational behaviour have a propensity to be overly

conscious of the requirements for management development without – paying significant

attention to ensure that the entirety of the industrial and business activity is viewed as a

development process and is in tune with the overarching goals of the society.

It is true that the development of leadership is an essential topic, and it has vital ties in the

process of mobilising the resources of an organisation. One of the most important links is the

relationship between leadership and innovation. It is not possible to immediately utilise resources

in order to plan a comprehensive development activity; however, an organisation will try its best

to allocate to its own resources over such a lengthy period of time. This is a cause for concern

since it is fundamentally necessary to ensure that individuals participating in the activities of a

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greater proportion of the industrial world have received adequate and efficient training. In order

for an organisation to benefit from the potential of these men, it is necessary to provide them

with opportunities to develop their skills.

The role of Content and Process in Management Development

"Content and process management occurs when teachers manage space, materials, equipment,

the movement of people, and lessons that are part of a curriculum or programme of studies"

(Froyen & Iverson, 1999, p. 128). Some of the other aspects of management development

include the management of movement, the maintenance of group focus, the prevention of

satiation, the management of daily review sessions, the management of daily preview sessions,

the management of lectures and presentation sessions, the management of individual and group

work done in class, and the management of homework. For instance, Kwame Adjoa exemplifies

the development of content management by starting the day by guiding her students in a very

short hand routine. The gestures of the teacher's hands draw the attention of the class to the

instructor and indicate that it is time to begin a new educational exercise. Then, before departing

on a field trip, Adjoa briefs the children on the many activities that they will participate in

throughout the day. Her administration of a daily preview session is beneficial to her students

since it helps them get ready for the experiences they will have. This also highlights Adjoa's

content management evolution (Kjellstrom et al., 2020). On the other hand, the process of

developing capable managers through an organised method is referred to as management

development (Cherian & Daniel, 2008). Managers have the responsibility of translating the goals

of leadership and shareholders (or establishing them on their own if they do not come from

above) into activities that are both legal and successful in order to achieve those goals. In this

function, school managers act as facilitators and problem solvers for the students and staff.

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Leaders in education have the ability to inspire and direct their respective teaching staffs. On the

other hand, teachers are responsible with applying notions of aspiration and strategy to the day-

to-day process of getting the job done in an effective, appropriate, and timely manner (Williams,

2018).

The process of management development involves a combination of academic study and hands-

on experience. According to Kjellstrom et al2020 .'s research, the management development

strategy of an institution should include a number of different strategies for continuously

expanding a manager's existing knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). It is not uncommon for

educational leaders to have risen through the ranks after demonstrating exceptional performance

as individual contributors to the institution. On occasion, a manager will go above and beyond

the expectations of their position to take on the role of an organisational leader. The goal of

management development is to assist managers at all levels in becoming more capable business

leaders and advancing their careers within companies. It is usual for managers, regardless of

whether they were promoted from below or brought in laterally, to require ongoing training in

order to continue to be effective in their professions over the course of their careers (Agustina et

al., 2020). A lack of educational expertise across all levels leads to subpar decision-making and

communication. Knowledge, skills, and abilities in a range of fields are expected of managers.

The capabilities of the educational leader are either innate or existed prior to the educational

leader assuming their role. In a similar vein, each leader contributes a one-of-a-kind collection of

skills and areas of knowledge. The key difference is that both knowledge and abilities may be

acquired through study. Components based on one's knowledge as well as those based on one's

abilities make up organisational training. In order to be successful, managers need to possess a

variety of skills, including those in the areas of leadership and supervision, communication,

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general business, and technology. They are required to have a comprehensive understanding of

the organisation in which they are employed, as well as the organisational makeup and day-to-

day operations of the school. Regardless of the particular area of expertise they bring to the table,

they are required to be well-versed in, and at ease with, the school's overall administrative

procedures. They are also required to have a solid understanding of the institution's history,

values, policies, and procedures. (Bush, 2010).

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