Successful School Principalship: A Meta-Synthesis of 20 Years of International Case Studies

• In Event: Cases of Principals Leading Improvement and Reform

Abstract

This paper meta-analyzes 83 publications derived from the International Successful School Principalship Project, reporting on successful principalship in 113 case schools from 17 countries. Employing meta-synthesis and meta-ethnography techniques, we investigate the definition of success, contributors to success, successful principalship leadership practices, and the internal leadership qualities of principals that shape their practices within diverse contexts. Successful principals achieve success through combinations of leadership qualities, decisions, relationships, and context-sensitive actions. Such meta-analysis helps to provide robust claims, optimize findings, unveil context influence patterns, resolve conflicting results, and paint a comprehensive and cohesive picture of what successful principalship looks like at the global level, rarely obtained before. This meta-analysis also informs leader preparation, policymakers, and future research on the topic.

Authors

• Jingping Sun, University of Alabama

• Christopher W. Day, University of Nottingham

• Huaiyue Zhang, University of Alabama

• Rong Zhang, University of Alabama

• Ting Huang, University of Alabama

• David M. Gurr, University of Melbourne

• Rose M. Ylimaki, Northern Arizona University

• Qing Gu, University College London

• Junqi Lin, University of Alabama