Applying the Rasch model to investigate Singapore principals’ instructional leadership practices

Nguyen, T. D. and Ng, D. F. S. (2014) Applying the Rasch model to investigate Singapore principals’ instructional leadership practices. Leading and Managing, 20(2), pp. 1-26.

Abstract

Principal leadership has long been documented as a critical factor in educational reforms and school instructional improvement. The roles of a principal had changed much over time: from a ‘values broker’ in the 1920s to a ‘democratic leader’ in the 1940s, a ‘bureaucratic executive’ in the 1960s, and an ‘instructional leader’ in the 1980s onwards (Beck & Murphy, 1993). While instructional leadership is contextualised, most of the literature on this concept has been based on data drawn from a predominantly Anglo-American context. This quantitative study applied the Rasch model to investigate Singapore principals’ instructional leadership practices, using the four broad dimensions of instructional leadership, namely, (1) aligning teaching practices to school vision; (2) leading teaching and learning; (3) developing conducive environments for teaching and learning; and (4) promoting professional development. The findings revealed that both primary and secondary Singapore principals were generally perceived to be strong instructional leaders. Besides, this study highlighted at least two worthwhile consideration points with regards to teacher evaluation and utilising research-based practices as well as suggestions for further research.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Nguyen, Dr Dong
• Authors: Nguyen, T. D., and Ng, D. F. S.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Robert Owen Centre; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy
• Journal Name: Leading and Managing
• Publisher: The Australian Council for Educational Leaders
• ISSN: 1329-4539