Keyword

Professional Development, Professionalism, Pre-service training, In-service training, mentoring, coaching, principalship.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to systematically review the literature on the professional development of educational administrators in the world, based on empirical and theoretical evidence with special reference to educational administrators and school principals in several countries.

Design/Methodology: An interpretative analysis on literature covering professional development, pre-service training, in-service training programmes, mentoring, models of education leaders, coaching and the history of education in Sri Lanka and also the background information of the Education Administrative Service in Sri Lanka is carried out.

Findings:  Training and professional development date back to several centuries and it was found that the influence of imperialists, mainly the British was dominant in the Sri Lankan modern education system and professional development programmes. Sri Lanka continues to implement training and development with the least changes in contents and scopes compared to the past.  It was further found that authorities paid little attention to the effectiveness of the training and development but rather were concerned about the compliance requirements. At present, education leaders undergo training programmes, and improvements in leaders are also seen at varying degrees. The study finds that educational leaders who are good at leadership skills and competencies produce better results in terms of both students’ performances and school management.

However, though the use of technology in training was trivial, the need for more sophisticated, comprehensive, and sustainable training for educational leaders for better performance is highlighted.

Practical implications: Provision of training and development is perceived by authorities as a practice and not as a key driver of improving school performance and effective management. The outcome of the study can be used to further enhance and implement professional development and training programmes for educational leaders with an outcome-oriented approach. Therefore, the findings will help lay a foundation for policymaking and their implementation can be broadened to enhance the quality of education in Sri Lanka.


Full Text : PDF

References
  • Aho, E., Pitkanen, P., & Sahlberg, P. (2006). Policy Development and Reform Principles of Basic and Secondary Education in Finland since 1968. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
  • Aseltine, J. M., Faryniarz, J. O., & Rigazio-DiGilio, A. J. (2006). Supervision for learning: A performance-based approach to teacher development and school improvement. ASCD.
  • Beyer, B. (2009). An Imperative for Leadership Preparation Programs: Preparing Future Leaders to Meet the Needs of Students, Schools, and Communities. International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, 4(1), 1-12.
  • Bottoms, G., & O'Neill, K. (2001). Preparing a new breed of school principals: It's time for action. ERICa
  • Bottoms, G., & O'Neill, K. (2001). Preparing a new breed of school principals: It's time for action.
  • Branch, G. F., Hanushek, E. A., & Rivkin, S. G. (2013). Measuring the impact of effective principals. School Leaders Matter, 13(1), 62-69.
  • Browne-Ferrigno, T., & Muth, R. (2004). Leadership mentoring in clinical practice: Role socialization, professional development, and capacity building. Educational administration quarterly, 40(4), 468-494.
  • Bubb, S., & Earley, P. (2010). Helping staff develop in schools. Sage.
  • Busch, J. R., O’Brien, T. P., & Spangler, W. D. (2005). Increasing the Quantity and Quality of School Leadership Candidates Through Formation Experiences. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11(3), 95-108.
  • Bush, T., Kiggundu, E., & Mooros, P. (2011). Preparing new principals in South Africa: the ACE: School Leadership Programme1. South African Journal of Education, 31(1).
  • Caldwell, B., Calnin, G., & Cahill, W. (2003). Analysis of Headteacher/Principal Training. Effective educational leadership, 1, 111.
  • Clotfelter, C. T., Ladd, H. F., & Vigdor, J. L. (2007). Teacher credentials and student achievement: Longitudinal analysis with student fixed effects. Economics of Education Review, 26(6), 673-682.
  • Clotfelter, C. T., Ladd, H. F., Vigdor, J. L., & Wheeler, J. (2007). High-poverty schools and the distribution of teachers and principals (CALDER Working Paper 1). Washington, DC: Urban Institute.
  • Coffin, C. (1997). Constructing and giving value to the past: An investigation into secondary school history. Genre and institutions: Social processes in the workplace and school, 196-230.
  • Colenso, P. (2005). Education and social cohesion: developing a framework for education sector reform in Sri Lanka Compare, 35(4), 411-428. 
  • Cosner, S., & Jones, M. F. (2016). Leading school-wide improvement in low-performing schools facing conditions of accountability. Journal of Educational Administration.
  • Crow, G. M., & Matthews, L. J. (1998). Finding one's way: How mentoring can lead to dynamic leadership. Corwin Press, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218.
  • Daresh, J. (2004). Mentoring school leaders: Professional promise or predictable problems? Educational administration quarterly, 40(4), 495-517.
  • Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (Eds.). (2007). Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. John Wiley & Sons.
  • Darling-Hammond, L., Orphanos, S., LaPointe, M., & Weeks, S. (2007). Leadership development in California.
  • Day, C., & Sachs, J. (2004). Professionalism, performativity, and empowerment: Discourses in the politics, policies, and purposes of continuing professional development. International handbook on the continuing professional development of teachers, 3-32.
  • De Silva, K. M. (1981). History of Sri Lanka: Univ. of California Press.
  • Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: 
  • Toward better conceptualizations and measures. Educational researcher, 38(3), 181-199.
  • DeVita, C. (2005). Getting the Facts on School Leadership Preparation. In S. Davis, L. Darling-Hammond, M. LaPointe, & D. Meyerson. School leadership study: Developing successful principals (Review of Research). Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Stanford Educational Leadership Institute.
  • Dimmock, C., & Hattie, J. (1994). Principals' and teachers' reactions to school restructuring. Australian Journal of Education, 38(1), 36-55.
  • Division, OECD, for the Activity Attracting, Developing, and Retaining Effective Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/61/2635399.pdf
  • Drake, T. L., & Roe, W. H. (1986). The principalship. Macmillan College.
  • Drew, G. (2009). Leadership and Organizational Culture: Can the CEO and Senior Executive Teams in Bureaucratic Organisations Influence Organizational Culture? Academic Leadership Journal, 7(1), 1-11.
  • DuFour, D. (2006). Eaker, & Many. (2006). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work.
  • Elmore, R. F. (2000). Building a new structure for school leadership. Albert Shanker Institute.
  • Gunawardena, G. B., et. al. (2009). Final Report of New Education Act for General Education in Sri Lanka: Context, Issues and Proposals, National Committee for Formulation a New Education Act for General Education