Educational Leadership and Management

This essay analyzes the diverse facets of the construct of leadership and management in the particular context of the contemporary educational system. It explores the importance of effective curriculum formulation and implementation, challenges faced by educational leaders, and the various theories and models of leadership. It also discusses the role of pedagogic leadership in imparting effective education.

Running head: EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Educational Leadership and Management
Name of the Student:
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Author’s Note:

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Shapiro and Stefkovich (2016) are of the viewpoint that the importance of the
construct of leadership is not only witnessed in the contemporary business world but at the
same time within the framework of the modern educational world as well. As opined by
Ribbins (2018), the contemporary educational leaders are increasingly playing an important
role in the different educational institutions not only for the formulation of new curriculums
but at the same time for the active use as well as implementation of them as well. More
importantly, within the spectrum of the contemporary educational system it is also seen that
these leaders also take on the job role of management as well for the effective co-ordination
of the different departments of the concerned educational institutions (Reeves, 2016).
However, as argued by Rodd (2013), “understanding leadership in early childhood has been
plagued by its confusion with the concept of management”. It is precisely here that the need
to understand the constructs of leadership and management in the particular context of the
educational world emerges. The educational leaders and the construct of leadership itself had
emerged as one of the indispensible parts of the modern educational system because of the
leadership and governance job roles that they perform within the various educational
institutions. This essay will analyze the diverse facets of the construct of leadership and
management in the particular context of the contemporary educational system.
Gkolia, Koustelios and Belias (2018) are of the viewpoint that the formulation of an
effective curriculum is perhaps one of the most important job roles of the contemporary
leaders related to the different educational institutions. More importantly, these individuals or
leaders needs to ensure the fact that the curriculum that they have formulated not only needs
to be in synchronicity with the demands of the contemporary educational world and also the
capabilities of the students (Bøe & Hognestad, 2017). For example, the leaders need to ensure
the fact that the curriculum that they have formulated is on the basis of the capabilities as
well as the mental age of the majority of the students of the classroom rather than just a few

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students (Giles, 2018). For the effective attainment of this process the different educational
leaders are required to work in close association with the diverse important officials of the
educational institutions like the Principal, Vice-Principal and others (Moyles, 2006). This is
important since it not only ensures the formulation of an effective curriculum but at the same
time its effective implementation as well (Kagan & Bowman, 1997). Thus, it can be said that
the effective usage of both the constructs of management and leadership is essential for the
formulation as well as implementation of the right kind of curriculum.
As opined by Orr and Cleveland-Innes (2015), the benefits as well as the functions
rendered by the contemporary educational leaders notwithstanding there are various
challenges that the different leaders related to the various educational institutions often face.
For example, one of the major challenges that the contemporary leaders related to the field of
education commonly face is the lack of support that they receive from the management team
of the educational institutions to which they are related (Rodd, 2013). In this regard, it needs
to be said that the educational leaders get very little support from the Principals, Vice-
Principals and others for the formulation of new kinds of curriculum, leading the teachers and
students and others (Johnson et al., 2016). Sumsion et al. (2009) have argued that the leaders
within the framework of the various educational institutions also play an integral role in
cascading different kinds of important information. In this role, they can also be seen as the
conveyor of important information and also as the linking bridge between the management
team of the educational institutions and the students as well as the entities of the educational
institutions (Rodd, 2012).
According to Tayler et al. (2013), one of the most important trends, which is being
seen within the spectrum of the contemporary educational institutions is the fact that the
leaders are required to undertake the job roles of the managers and oversee the aspect of
effective management as well. The net result of this is the fact that the different Principals,

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Vice-Principals and other individuals holding the diverse management positions within the
framework of the various educational institutions are required to act both as managers and
also as leaders (Waniganayake et al., 2012). The net result of this is these individuals are
required to have the character or personality attributes of both the managers and leaders so as
to dispense their job roles in an adequate as well as effective manner. More importantly, they
are not only required to motivate the various teachers as well as the students but at the same
time take an active interest for the management of the diverse aspects of the concerned
educational institution as well (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). For the effective completion of
the job roles of both the managers and the leaders these individuals are required to have
effective communication skills or inter-personal skills through which they positively affect
the behavior of the other individuals or entities related to the concerned educational
institution (Orr & Cleveland-Innes, 2015).
As opined by Reeves (2016), the prominence held by the construct of leadership
within the spectrum of the contemporary educational world becomes apparent in the plethora
of leadership theories and models which has gained prominence in the contemporary times.
In this regard, mention needs to be made of the diverse leadership theories and models like
the Trait theory, behavioral theory, transactional theory, transformational theory, distributed
leadership, socio-cultural leadership theory and others (Giles, 2018). It is pertinent to note
that most of these leadership theories dwell on the kind of relationship that the leaders share
with the followers and through this emphasizes the change which has taken place within the
concept of leadership (Orr & Cleveland-Innes, 2015). For example, the major precept of Trait
theory is the fact that the leaders are required to display certain character or personality traits
like effective communication, motivation, time management, critical decision making and
others so as to positively influence the behavior of the followers and thereby attain the
common goal or objective (Bøe & Hognestad, 2017).

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The Behavioral theory argues the fact that the leaders are not created but born and this
becomes apparent in the kind of behavior that they display. For example, the leaders are
required to display adequate or exemplary behavior through which they are expected to
influence the behavior as well as the moral of the followers in an effective manner so as to
attain the goal or objective that has been outlined for them (Gkolia, Koustelios & Belias,
2018). However, recent researches suggest that effective leaders can be created through
adequate training and the development of various kinds of skill sets which are required for
the completion of the job roles that they are required to complete (Ribbins, 2018). It is
precisely here that the transactional, transformation and other modern theories of leadership
gains prominence since they clearly hint that the effective leaders can be created. The leaders
taking the help of the construct of transactional leadership focus on the concept of reward and
punishment for the enhancement or the improvement of the diverse entities, who are related
to the educational institutions (Reeves, 2016). For example, the teachers or the other staff
members who are performing as per the expectation as well as the requirements of the
concerned educational institution are rewarded whereas the entities who are not performing
as per their expectations are being punished (Bøe & Hognestad, 2017). On the other hand, the
educational leaders who take the help of the construct of transformational leadership are
required to lead the teachers and the other staff members of the educational institution
through example (Gkolia, Koustelios & Belias, 2018).
The change that the contemporary educational world has undergone also becomes
evident in the prominence that the distributed and socio-cultural theories of leadership had
gained. For example, it is seen that the leaders taking the help of the construct of distributive
leadership are required to understand the manner in which they should work in synchronicity
with the demands of the people and also the organization with which they are related (Giles,
2018). This is often seen as an analytical model and has emerged as one of the most widely

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used models within the framework of the contemporary educational system. The net result of
this is the fact that the leaders taking the help of this model rather than focusing on their
individual character or personality traits focus on the manner in which the different actors
engage in the completion of different kinds of tasks. The socio-cultural theory of leadership,
on the other hand, requires the leaders to take into effective consideration the social as well as
the cultural background of the different followers who are related to them and thereby modify
their leadership style on the basis of this fact (Orr & Cleveland-Innes, 2015).
Johnson et al. (2016) are of the viewpoint that the construct of pedagogy can be
defined as an analysis of the manner in which learning within the various educational
institutions along with an understanding of the theories as well as philosophies that support
the same. In this regard, it needs to be said that the framework of leadership which is required
to support this process of learning is completely different from the ones that are applicable as
well as effective in the world of business (Giles, 2018). This can be explained on the basis of
the fact that the canon of early childhood education is more complex than the business world
and this greatly explains the prominence that the concept of pedagogical leadership has
attained in the contemporary educational world. As opined by Ribbins (2018), an individual
having an extensive knowledge or information regarding the precepts of early childhood
education and the philosophies, policies and other attributes that are needed to support this
process of education can take on the role of pedagogic leader. The notion of pedagogic
leadership can be explained as the form or the type of leadership which is mainly concerned
with the construct of imparting effective education not only to the young children but at the
same time to the adults as well (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016). More importantly, it is seen
that the construct of pedagogic leadership had attained a substantial amount of prominence
within the cannon of the contemporary educational world because of the diverging needs of
the children and also their diverging capabilities. However, in the majority of the educational

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institutions it is seen that there are no special pedagogic leaders and the various teachers,
Principals, Vice-Principals and others undertake the job role of the pedagogic leaders.
The pedagogic leaders are required to have various kinds of skill sets so as to not only
effectively lead the diverse entities of the educational institutions but at the same time to
manage diverse aspects of the concerned institution as well. For example, the pedagogic
leaders are required to undertake the take on the job role of effective management as well as
governance of the educational institutions and thereby find out the limitations of the existing
curriculum as well as educational framework followed by the concerned institutions (Bøe &
Hognestad, 2017). In this capacity, they are not only required to act as the leaders as well as
the managers but at the same time as researchers and foster the desired change in the
framework of the educational system (Gkolia, Koustelios & Belias, 2018). More importantly,
they are required to collaborate in an effective manner with the diverse entities of the
educational institutions like Principal, Vice-Principal, Administrative officer and others not
only for the effective governance as well as management of the concerned institution but at
the same time for the improvement of the educational system (Orr & Cleveland-Innes, 2015).
In this regard, it needs to be said that along with the key skills or the attributes of the
managers as well as the leaders they are required to have various kinds of additional skill sets
like the skills of researching, analyzing, fostering changing, critical decision making and
others (Reeves, 2016). It is the conglomeration of all these skill sets which renders
effectiveness to the work done by the various pedagogic as well as other kinds of leaders
within the framework of the contemporary educational system.
To conclude, the landscape of the contemporary educational world has changed in a
substantial manner and one of the most important aspects of this is the fact that the different
kinds of leaders are playing an important role within the same. More importantly, the leaders
as well as the followers who are related to them are getting equal amount of prominence

7EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
within the same and it is also seen that the notion that the leaders are born and not created has
at the same time undergone a significant amount of change. In this regard, it needs to be said
that the contemporary leaders related to the field of education are required to undertake the
job roles of both the leaders and the managers and thereby not only lead but at the same time
manage as well as govern. This is perhaps one of the major reasons why the different
educational institutions are increasingly relying on the diverse kinds of pedagogic leaders for
offering effective leadership and also governance.

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