Leading School to Successful Change: A Meta-Synthesis of 20 Years of International Case Studies

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 1:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Educational Leadership and Policy for Systemic Change

Abstract

This meta-synthesis examines International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) case studies from 11 countries to explore how school principals lead successful school change (SSC). Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study analyzes 88 cases demonstrating improvements in organizational capacity and student learning. Findings reveal that SSC is a dynamic, multi-stage process involving assessment, initiation, implementation, and continuation, with principals employing contextually grounded, socially collaborative practices. Context acts both as an enabler and constraint, influencing leadership strategies and outcomes. Successful principals balance autonomy and collective responsibility, leveraging crises as opportunities for transformation. This synthesis advances a global framework for understanding educational change, emphasizing the principal’s pivotal role and the necessity of addressing multi-layered contextual factors for equitable and sustained school improvement.

Authors

• Junqi Lin, University of Alabama

• Huaiyue Zhang, University of Alabama

• Rong Zhang, University of Alabama

• Ting Huang, University of Alabama