Doubting Leadership: Principals Shaping a School Doubting Process Within a National Curriculum Reform

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Changing Mindsets and Practices: School Leaders' Implementation Successes and Challenges (Table 7)

Abstract

Success of curriculum reforms calls for collaborative unlearning processes through which educators question existing mind-sets and unfreeze old approaches to teaching and learning. This qualitative study explored how school leaders shape a school doubting process during the implementation of a national curriculum reform. Data were collected through a homogenous sampling via semi-structured interviews with 22 Israeli high school principals. Findings indicate two major themes and sub-themes: (1) Nurturing a collective unlearning culture: (a) restructuring school thinking; and (b) creating safe time and space for school doubting; (2) Building school capacity: (a) creating collective opportunities for knowledge and skill development; and (b) encouraging shared responsibility for innovation. Doubting leadership can serve policymakers and principals as a framework for implementing curriculum reforms.

Authors

• Sherry Ganon Shilon, Achva Academic College
  Presenting Author

• Chen Schechter, Bar-Ilan University
  Non-Presenting Author