From Leadership to School Improvement: The Mediating Role of a Professionalization Culture in Cultivating Academic Optimism

• In Event: Advancing Equity and Excellence: Unlocking the Potential of Struggling Students in Flanders Through Powerful Learning Environments

Abstract

This study explores the influence of principals' leadership styles on professionalization culture and how this culture impacts academic optimism, a key factor in creating more powerful learning environments. Academic optimism – comprising collective efficacy, faculty trust in students and parents, and high academic emphasis – significantly improves student performance, regardless of socioeconomic status or migrant background (Hoy, 2012). Cultivating academic optimism is crucial for driving school improvement, as it lays the foundation for learning environments that promote equity and excellence for all students. However, questions remain about how best to create the conditions that enable teachers to contribute effectively to such improvement initiatives. A systematic review underscores the pivotal role of principals in driving school effectiveness (Liebowitz & Porter, 2019). Teachers who view their principals as intellectually stimulating are more likely to engage in school improvement efforts (Rechsteiner et al., 2022). A meta-analysis on professional development highlights that principals who actively lead professional learning opportunities significantly enhance the success of these initiatives (Timperley et al., 2007). Together, these studies emphasize the importance of cultivating a professionalization culture that supports teachers’ professional development, which is essential for fostering positive change in schools (Vanlommel et al., 2023). Yet, it remains unclear which leadership styles are most effective in fostering such a professionalization culture and how this culture contributes to the development of academic optimism.

Authors

• Ruud Lelieur, University of Antwerp

• Noel Clycq, University of Antwerp

• Jan Vanhoof, Antwerp University