TY - JOUR
T1 - Mapping instructional leadership in Thailand: Has education reform impacted principal practice?
AU - Hallinger, Philip
AU - LEE, Moo Sung
N1 - Funding Information:
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 841711).
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Over the past two decades a growing body of international research suggests that instructional leadership from the principal is essential for the improvement of teaching and learning in schools. However, in many parts of the world, the practice of instructional leadership remains both poorly understood and outside the main job description of the principal. Thus, in many nations, the expectation for principals to act as instructional leaders represents a major change from traditional practice. The current study explores the principal's changing role as an instructional leader in Thailand, where education reforms adopted in 1999 sought to change modal approaches to teaching and learning as well as school management. The study employed surveys of principal instructional leadership conducted prior to and following adoption of Thailand's National Education Act 1999 to assess change in principal practice. The results suggest that despite new system expectations for principal to act as instructional leaders, the predominant orientation of Thai principals remains largely unchanged. The authors recommend that more systematic and substantial steps are needed to train and support principals in making this change in their role.
AB - Over the past two decades a growing body of international research suggests that instructional leadership from the principal is essential for the improvement of teaching and learning in schools. However, in many parts of the world, the practice of instructional leadership remains both poorly understood and outside the main job description of the principal. Thus, in many nations, the expectation for principals to act as instructional leaders represents a major change from traditional practice. The current study explores the principal's changing role as an instructional leader in Thailand, where education reforms adopted in 1999 sought to change modal approaches to teaching and learning as well as school management. The study employed surveys of principal instructional leadership conducted prior to and following adoption of Thailand's National Education Act 1999 to assess change in principal practice. The results suggest that despite new system expectations for principal to act as instructional leaders, the predominant orientation of Thai principals remains largely unchanged. The authors recommend that more systematic and substantial steps are needed to train and support principals in making this change in their role.
KW - education reforms
KW - instructional leadership
KW - schools leadership
KW - Thailand
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892456599&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/mapping-instructional-leadership-thailand-education-reform-impacted-principal-practice
U2 - 10.1177/1741143213502196
DO - 10.1177/1741143213502196
M3 - Article
SN - 1741-1432
VL - 42
SP - 6
EP - 29
JO - Educational Management Administration and Leadership
JF - Educational Management Administration and Leadership
IS - 1
ER -