Typology of "Tough Love" Leadership in Urban Schools Facing Challenging Circumstances

• In Event: Park Central Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: School Leadership in Underserved Contexts

Abstract

The myth of "tough love" leadership emerges in cultural narratives as a superior approach to improve students' educational opportunities in schools facing challenging circumstances. However, the conceptualization of this model, and consequently its empirical research, are lacking. Drawing on multidimensional perspective, we formulated a typology conceptualized "tough love" leadership as mix of four behaviors that combine "tough" and "loving" approaches that focus on crisis management and on positive school vision. The qualitative study uses the "tough love" leadership conceptualization to explore different mixes of "tough love" leadership manifesting in four schools facing challenging circumstances. The qualitative analysis is complemented by effectiveness data (climate and pedagogy) from the ministry of education survey. The results and their implications are discussed.

Authors

• Izhak Berkovich, The Open University of Israel

• Yael Grinshtain, Tel-Hai College and The Open University of Israel