International Teacher Education Conference 2014 1

International Teacher Education Conference 2014
Research Question.
What are the perceptions of members of the cohort group of candidates for the vice-principalship who are
involved in the [XXXX] Professional Development Program, regarding the effectiveness of the program?
Sub-Questions are:
1) What are participants’ perceptions about the cultural appropriateness of the [XXXX] Professional
Development Program?
2) What are participants’ perceptions about the relevance of the information presented in the [XXXX]
Professional Development Program, as it relates to their experience in the UAE context?
The researcher will utilize a qualitative research design, with a narrative approach, using a semi-structured
interview protocol.
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Leadership Development Programs—Best Practices from a Western Perspective.
Effective professional development for school leaders begins with effective professional development
practices for educators, overall. Research suggests that effective professional development must be of an
adequate duration (both within the session and across sessions) to allow educators to utilize the information
effectively (Garet, et al, 2001; Cocoran, 1995; Hunzicker, 2011). High-quality professional development must
also be aligned to the improvement goals of the individual and the organization (Garet, et al, 2001; Guskey,
2009; Cororan, 1995; Hunzicker, 2011). Active learning and opportunities for collaboration are also noted as
keys to successful professional development for educators (Garet, et al, 2001; Guskey, 2009; Cororan, 1995;
Hunzicker, 2011).
Hess and Kelly (2007) undertake a large-scale review of syllabi of various principal preparation programs to
ascertain their content. They state, “School leadership is the key to school improvement. In a new era of
accountability, where school leaders are expected to demonstrate bottom-line results and use data to drive
decisions, the skill and knowledge of principals matter more than ever” (Hess & Kelly, 2007, p. 1). They
endeavor to answer an important question—one that has been long ignored by educational scholars: What is
taught in principal preparation programs? The authors identify “seven areas of principal responsibility […]
[which] are: managing for results, managing personnel, technical knowledge, external leadership, norms and
values, managing classroom instruction, and leadership and school culture” (p. 4). Results show that educational
leadership programs in the U.S. remain, as in the 1980s, heavily weighted toward day-to-day management tasks
of the school (i.e., technical knowledge), rather than instructional leadership. Hess and Kelly’s work highlights
disparities between the current educational landscape and administrator preparation programs.
In Turnaround Leadership, Fullan states that for turnaround to be successful, “a culture of distributed
leadership that grooms new leaders for the next phase must be established” (Fullan, 2006, p. 31). He identifies a
model of “capacity building with a focus on results” (Fullan, 2006, p. 31). A culture that promotes capacity
building, Fullan states, is in accordance with Kanter’s turnaround solutions model and includes three essential
elements: accountability, collaboration, and initiative. In these environments, people “share information and take
responsibility”; work together”; and “feel what they do matters, that they can make a difference in outcomes.”
Fullan’s work highlights the importance of successful succession planning to foster long-lasting positive
turnaround outcomes.
The authors of the School Leadership Study from Stanford identify features of effective principal preparation
and development programs, which include content (i.e., research-based, coherent curriculum), methods (i.e.,
field-based internships, problem-based learning, cohort groups, mentors), and structure (i.e., collaborative
partnerships between university programs and school districts). They state that no matter what type of program,
“context is found to be important for key functions of schools, such as instruction, community-building, and
change management” (Davis et al. 2005, p. 7). They state that “principal preparation and professional
development programs [are] both more productive for schools and more sustainable for those who aspire to
lead” (Davis et al. 2005, p. 20).
In an article promoting mentorships, Brown University cites research that shows benefits of mentoring, which
include increased confidence, job satisfaction, recognition among peers, and productivity among those who have
been mentored (Brown, 2003, p. 11). Characteristics of successful mentoring programs include organizational
support; clearly defined outcomes; screening, selection, and pairing; training mentors and protégés; a learnercentered
focus; adequate time allotment; and a focus on building a mutually enhancing relationship (Brown,
2003, p. 16). Ultimately, the conclusion of the authors is, “When it comes to training principals, there really is
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