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Leadership and distribution of responsibilities by school principals: (Master thesis)

Λιναρίτη, Κατερίνα/ Linariti, Katerina/ Στελέχη Εκπαίδευσης στις Επιστήμες της Αγωγής/ Educational Leadership, Management and Administration

The purpose of this master's dissertation is to investigate the priorities and leadership behavior of primary school headteachers in Greece, paying special attention to the distribution of responsibilities within the school institution. The research is concerned with the transition from traditional, hierarchical leadership to more collaborative and shared models of leadership. Design/Methodology: An exploratory qualitative approach was used, drawing on multiple case studies and involving semi-structured interviews with 18 school principals located in different geographical areas. The results show variation of practice in the delegation of tasks, support for teaching staff, and the difficulties involved in distributed leadership. Emphasis is placed on organizational culture, trust and professionalism among staff. The research profiled the inhibiting factors in the Greek education system by drawing attention to the limits of its institutional and cultural framework that hinder the implementation of participatory practices in collaborative school culture. The thesis improves our understanding of educational leadership as a complex phenomenon, both in theory and empirically. It can be of use to an understanding of the relationship between leadership, organizational culture, and professional empowerment. Thus, in a scenario where the implications of school leadership for instructional leadership are complex, the findings lead to recommendations of policy aligned with promotion of good practices in school leadership through institutional changes, school leader training, and the fomentation of shared decision-making process in school units.