A synthesis of reviews of research on principal leadership in East Asia
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from five systematic reviews of research on principal leadership in East Asia contained in this special issue. The goal is to identify commonalities as well as differences concerning both approaches to research and the enactment of school leadership within this rapidly developing and increasingly influential region of the world.
Design/methodology/approach
The review uses thematic analysis of both structural elements and substantive findings drawn from the composite review papers.
Findings
The synthesis of the research reviews found considerable variability across the five societies in terms of the volume of work accessible to international audiences, topical foci, the conceptual and methodological sophistication, and findings. Three content patterns were discerned via the thematic analysis of the five reviews: first, influences on the principalship (incorporating personal, cultural and political sub themes); second, principal leadership practices (including qualities and styles, vision, indirect influence on student learning and shared decision making); and third, principal development (including preparation, training and professional development).
Research limitations/implications
In a broader sense, this synthesis paper seeks to assess the development of the field of applied study in East Asia over the past two decades. As such, the paper highlights implications for further building the knowledge base both in the region and globally.
Originality/value
This synthesis, as well as the five reviews, represent the first effort to mark the boundaries of knowledge about school leadership in these East Asian societies. As such, they lay a foundation for the future development of the field in the region, and in so doing also make a contribution to a more diverse global literature in the field.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the funding support of the Research Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong for its support through the General Research Fund (GRF 841512). The authors also wish to acknowledge the contributions of Maddie Nguyen Thi Thinh, Rebecca Li Jia and Helen Hoi Ling Tam for their assistance in conducting this literature review.
Citation
Walker, A. and Hallinger, P. (2015), "A synthesis of reviews of research on principal leadership in East Asia", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 53 No. 4, pp. 554-570. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2015-0038
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited