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Abstract
Although arguments in the educational literature claim the leadership of the principal is critical in the development and maintenance of effective schools and underscore the importance of professional development for principals, there is ambiguity surrounding approaches which successfully meet the professional development needs and preferences of school principals. This case study reports on a year-long investigation of principals' perspectives of the strengths and limitations of the Principal Reflections on Practice (PROP) institute for school leaders, in an Alberta school jurisdiction, and how this experience impacted their understandings and practices of leadership. This study documents and analyzes principals' (a) perceptions of the professional development approaches that are supports for, and barriers to improved leadership practice; and (b) constructions of the concept and practice of leadership and how their understandings changed as a result of participating within PROP. Major findings centred on principal professional growth as facilitated by the very collaborative nature of PROP as well as developing a better grasp of principals' understandings and practices of school leadership. Based on the findings and conclusions of this study, nine recommendations for practice and five recommendations for further research are provided. Theoretical recommendations focus generally on: (a) the need for further research problematizing traditional understandings of, and approaches for, professional development; (b) re-conceptualizing leadership at the school level rather than the individual level; and (c) investigating specific conditions supporting and addressing the professional needs of principals charged with improving teaching and learning.
Keywords: professional development, leadership, principalship
Introduction and Purposes
More than three decades ago, Barth (1986) argued that education reform reflects pervasive social change a nd rapid globalization, t hereby creating "a pressing need both for different conceptualizations of sta ff-development programs for principals and for a wider variety of interventive models for promoting principals' professiona l grow th" (p. 485). Little has changed since then. Principa l succession and training is a prominent issue, and recent government interest demonstrates unprecedented interest in professional development as a means for developing leaders responsible for school improvement. Whereas there have been numerous calls for reform requiring principals to become effective leaders, there is a relative paucit y of empirica l research and discussion entailing in-depth examination of practices and procedures for professiona l development specific to...