Skip to main content

Exploring a New Cocktail Mix in Cyprus: School Principals’ Epistemological Beliefs and Leadership Styles

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Modeling School Leadership across Europe

Abstract

In this chapter, an exploration of a new cocktail leadership mix among school principals’ epistemological beliefs and leadership practices in Cyprus is undertaken. The main objective of this chapter is to explore the relationship between the leadership styles school principals adopt and their epistemological worldviews within the contextual and governance structures in which they operate. To achieve this goal, a presentation and discussion of the results of the Pro-LEAD main study (methodology was described in Chap. 3) is offered. Again, as with the LISA study, the Pashiardis-Brauckmann Holistic Leadership Framework was utilized as the guiding model through which the relationship between school leaders’ epistemological beliefs and their leadership styles were explored. In summary, the findings showed that there was a relationship between the Entrepreneurial and Participative Leadership Styles and the Relativism Epistemological Worldviews. The practical applications of these results are discussed specifically with regard to their implications for the design of evidence-based school leadership training programs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anders, P. L., & Evans, R. S. (1994). Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their instructional practice in reading. In R. Garner & P. A. Alexander (Eds.), Beliefs about text and instruction with text (pp. 137–153). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arredondo, D. E., & Rucinski, T. T. (1996a). Epistemological beliefs of Chilean educators and school reform efforts. Paper presented at the Tercer Encuentro Nacional de Enfoques Cognitivos Actuales en Educacion, Santiago, Chile.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, G. D. (1989). Epistemology and science curriculum. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 21, 329–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanco, R., & Niaz, M. (1997). Epistemological beliefs of students and teachers about the nature of science: From ‘baconian inductive ascent’ to the ‘irrelevance’ of scientific laws. Instructional Science, 25, 203–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolden, D. S., & Newton, L. D. (2008). Primary teachers’ epistemological beliefs: Some perceived barriers to investigative teaching in primary mathematics. Educational Studies, 34, 419–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brauckmann, S., & Pashiardis, P. (2011). A validation study of the leadership styles of a holistic leadership theoretical framework. International Journal of Educational Management, 25(1), 11–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brickhouse, N. W. (1990). Teachers’ beliefs about the nature of science and their relationship to classroom practice. Journal of Teacher Education, 41, 53–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brownlee, J. (2001). Knowing and learning in teacher education: A theoretical framework of core and peripheral epistemological beliefs. Asia Pacific Journal of Teacher Education and Development, 4(1), 167–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brownlee, J., Purdie, N., & Boulton-Lewis, G. (2001). Changing epistemological beliefs in pre-service teacher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 6, 247–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. W., & Elliot, R. G. (2000). Exploratory study of epistemological beliefs of Hong Kong teacher education students: Resolving conceptual and empirical issues. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 28(3), 225–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dirkx, J. M. (1999). Invited reaction: Managers as facilitators of learning in learning organizations. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(2), 127–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drake, P., Pair, C., Ross, K., Postlethwaite, T., & Ziogas, G. (1997). Appraisal study on the Cyprus educational system. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. A., & Wright, E. (1989). A case study of high school teachers’ decision making models for planning and teaching science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 26, 547–559.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., & Bostrom, R. P. (1999). Managers as facilitators of learning in learning organizations. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 10(2), 105–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, K. E., & Bostrom, R. P. (2000). Managers as facilitators of learning in learning organizations: A rejoinder to Dirkx’s invited reaction. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 11(4), 403–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, D. J., & Porter, A. C. (1989). Do textbooks dictate the content of mathematics instruction in elementary schools? American Educational Research Journal, 6, 207–226.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hashweh, M. Z. (1996). Effects of science teachers’ epistemological beliefs in teaching. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33, 47–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard, B. C., McGee, S., Schwartz, N., & Purcell, S. (2000). The experience of constructivism: Transforming teacher epistemology. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 32, 455–466.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, P., Woodside-Jiron, H., & Day, J. (2001). Teaching and learning literate epistemologies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 223–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kang, N., & Wallace, C. (2004). Secondary science teachers’ use of laboratory activities: Linking epistemological beliefs, goals, and practices. Science Education, 89, 140–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lederman, N. G. (1999). Teachers’ understanding of the nature of science and classroom practice: Factors that facilitate or impede the relationship. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(8), 916–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2005). A review of transformational school leadership research 1996–2005. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 4(3), 177–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Louca, L., Elby, A., Hammer, D., & Kagey, T. (2004). Epistemological resources: Applying a new epistemological framework to science instruction. Educational Psychologist, 39(1), 57–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maggioni, L., & Parkinson, M. M. (2008). The role of teacher epistemic cognition, epistemic beliefs, and calibration of instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 20, 445–461.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Many, J. E., Howard, F., & Hoge, P. (1998). Personal literacy and literature-based instruction: Exploring pre-service teachers’ views of themselves as readers. In T. Shanahan & F. V. Rodriguez-Brown (Eds.), The 47th yearbook of the National Reading Conference (pp. 496–507). Chicago: National Reading Conference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maor, D., & Taylor, P. C. (1995). Teacher epistemology and scientific inquiry in computerized classroom environment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32, 839–854.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martens, L. M. (1992). Inhibitors to implementing a problem solving approach to teaching elementary science: Case study of a teacher in change. School Science and Mathematics, 93, 150–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muis, K. R. (2007). The role of epistemic beliefs in self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 42, 173–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muis, K. R., Kendeou, P., & Franco, G. M. (2011). Consistent results in the consistency hypothesis? The effects of epistemic beliefs on metacognitive processing. Metacognition Learning. doi:10.1007/s11409-010-9066-0.

    Google Scholar 

  • Olafson, L., & Schraw, G. (2006). Teachers’ beliefs and practices within and across domains. International Journal of Educational Research, 45(1–2), 71–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pajares, F. (1992). Teachers’ beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62, 307–332.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pashiardis, P., & Brauckmann, S. (2008, November 13–15). Introduction to the LISA framework from a social systems perspective. Paper presented during the LISA conference, Budapest, Hungary.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prawat, R. S. (1992). Are changes in views about mathematics sufficient? The case of a fifth grade teacher. The Elementary School Journal, 93, 195–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoenfeld, A. H. (1988). When good teaching leads to bad results: The disasters of “well-taught” mathematics classes. Educational Psychologist, 23, 145–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schraw, G., & Olafson, L. (2002). Teachers’ epistemological world views and educational practices. Issues in Education, 8, 99–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinatra, G., & Kardash, C. (2004). Teacher candidates’ epistemological beliefs, dispositions, and views on teaching as persuasion. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 29, 483–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, B. C. (2000). Pre-service teachers’ epistemology viewed through perspectives on problematic classroom situations. Journal of Education for Teaching, 26(3), 279–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox-Herzog, A. (2002). Is there a link between teachers’ beliefs and behaviors? Early Education and Development, 26, 279–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yadav, A., & Koehler, M. (2007). The role of epistemological beliefs in pre-service teachers’ interpretation of video cases of early-grade literacy instruction. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 15, 335–361.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Petros Pashiardis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pashiardis, P., Kendeou, P., Michaelidou, A., Lytra, E. (2014). Exploring a New Cocktail Mix in Cyprus: School Principals’ Epistemological Beliefs and Leadership Styles. In: Pashiardis, P. (eds) Modeling School Leadership across Europe. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7290-8_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics