Abstract
A practice-grounded and research-validated reinterpretation is presented of the ways in which values and ethics influence administrative practices in schools. The basic proposition is that acquiring administrative sophistication is a function of understanding the influence of personal values on the actions of individuals and the influence of values on organizational and social practices. A values perspective is used to link theory and practice with the objective of promoting authentic leadership and democracy in schools. The perennial challenges of leadership are discussed together with the special circumstances of our times. The following are then proposed: the pursuit of personal sophistication, sensitivity to others, and the promotion of reflective professional practice. Examples of findings from recent research that demonstrate the utility and relevance of values and valuation processes as guides to educational leadership are presented. These findings are used to reinterpret key values theories in ways that increase their relevance to school leadership practices. Specifically, the values typology of Hodgkinson is reconceptualized and informed by the accumulated findings of research on administrative valuation processes in schools conducted since 1988. This reconceptualization of theory also reflects efforts to integrate cognitive theory perspectives, together with experiences working with groups of school administrators in Canada, Barbados, Sweden, Australia, and Russia.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Beck, C. (1990). Better schools: A values perspective. New York: Falmer Press.
Beck, C. (1993). Learning to live the good life. Toronto: OISE Press.
Beck, C. (1999). Values, leadership and school renewal. In P.T. Begley & P.E. Leonard (Eds.) (1999) The values of educational administration(pp. 223–321). London: Falmer Press.
Begley, P.T. (1996). Cognitive perspectives on values in administration: A quest for coherence and relevance. Educational Administration Quarterly, 32(3), 403–426.
Begley, P.T. (Ed.) (1999). Values and educational leadership. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Begley, P.T. (2000). Values and leadership: Theory development, new research, and an agenda for the future. The Alberta Journal Of Educational Research, 46(3), 233–249.
Begley, P.T., & Johansson, O. (1998). The values of school administration: Preferences, ethics and conflicts. The Journal of School Leadership, 8(4), 399–422.
Begley, P.T., & Leonard, P. (1999). The values of educational administration. London: Falmer.
Campbell-Evans, G.H. (1991). Nature and influence of values in principal decision-making. The Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 37(2), 167–178.
Cohen, B. (1982). Means and ends in education. London: George Allen & Unwin.
Evers, C.W., & Lakomski, G. (1996). Exploring educational administration. Toronto: Pergamon Press.
Frankena, W.K. (1973). Ethics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Grogan, M., & Smith, F. (1999). A feminist perspective of women superintendents’ approaches to moral dilemmas. In P.T. Begley (Ed.), Values and educational leadership(pp. 273–288). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Hodgkinson, C. (1991). Educational leadership: The moral art. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Hodgkinson, C. (1996). Administrative philosophy. Oxford, UK: Elsevier-Pergamon.
Leithwood, K.A., Begley, P.T., & Cousins, J.B. (1992). Developing expert leadership for future schools. London: Falmer Press.
Leithwood, K.A., & Montgomery, D. (1986). Improving principal effectiveness: The principal profile. Toronto: OISE Press.
Leithwood, K.A., & Steinbach, R. (1995). Expert problem solving. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Leonard, P. (1999). Examining educational purposes and underlying value orientations in schools. In P.T. Begley (Ed.), Values and educational leadership(pp. 217–236). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Lindle, J. (1994). Surviving school micropolitics; Strategies for administrators. Lancaster, PA: Technomic.
Parsons, T., & Shils, E.A. (Eds.) (1962). Towards a general theory of action. New York: Harper.
Pirsig, R. (1991). Lila: An inquiry into morals. New York: Bantam Books.
Sergiovanni, T.J. (1992). Moral leadership: Getting to the heart of school improvement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Shapiro, J., & Stefkovich, J. (2000). Ethical leadership and decision making in education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Strike, K.A. (1990). The ethics of educational evaluation. In J. Millman, & L. Darling-Hammond (Eds.), Teacher evaluation: Assessing elementary and secondary school teachers(pp. 356–373). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Strike, K. (1999). Can schools be communities? The tension between shared values and inclusion. Educational Administration Quarterly, 35(1),46–70.
Willower, D. (1992). Educational administration: Intellectual trends. In Encyclopedia of educational research, 6th edition(pp. 364–375). Toronto: Macmillan Publishing.
Willower, D. (1994). Educational administration: Inquiry, Values, Practice. Lancaster, PA: Technomic.
Willower, D. (1999). Values and valuation: A naturalistic approach. In P.T. Begley (Ed.), Values and educational leadership(pp. 121–138). Albany, NY: SUNY Press.
Wilson, E.O. (1998). Consilience. New York: Alfred P. Knopf.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2003 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Begley, P.T. (2003). In Pursuit of Authentic School Leadership Practices. In: Begley, P.T., Johansson, O. (eds) The Ethical Dimensions of School Leadership. Studies in Educational Leadership, vol 1. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48203-7_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-48203-7_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-1159-7
Online ISBN: 978-0-306-48203-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive