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Centering on cognitive and reflective development of pre-service primary school teachers, this study aimed to contribute new understanding of how teacher identity is formed through increased teache...

KEYWORDS Leadership Behaviors. Reflective Management. Higher Education. Middle Administrators. Evaluation ABSTRACT We live in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, where universities try to keep up with all kinds of developments and developing and implementing new and diversified curricula. Moreover, the way department heads exhibit their leadership practices is becoming more and more complicated because universities keep struggling for their own survival as a result of these changes. At universities, department heads often perform a middle-management role depending on the organizational structure of each university and this role is usually taken for granted and is unquestioned. The goal of this study was to evaluate the leadership practices and behaviors exhibited by the middle level administrators including department heads, supervisors and coordinators at universities in North Cyprus.The research approach was both quantitive and qualitative including a variety of data sources including open-ended surveys, interviews used together with the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI).

This chapter mainly focuses on the concept of reflection as a process, both individual and collaborative, involving experience and uncertainty under the theme of reflective leadership. This type of leadership basically means learning to manage and lead human organizations. It originates from the concept of reflection defining leadership roles and responsibilities in all types of organizations. Focusing on reflection for learning in an effort to create reflective learning communities for all stakeholders taking part in both administrative and executive positions in organizations, this chapter is expected to contribute to leadership theories, to link theory and practice in concrete terms describing new leadership roles and responsibilities under the reflective thought considering its unique impact on organizational functioning.

Focusing on the promotion of reflectivity during practice teaching amongst teachers, this study aims to explore the impact of a reflective teacher supervision model (RTSM) developed by Goker (2006a) on the development of instructional skills of teachers. Two groups of elementary and secondary school teachers from different fields (24 in total) registered for an MA course, American University, Cyprus were compared to their development of instructional skills. The research approach used for this study was both quantitive and qualitative, which included: (a) conducting a sample lesson based on the pinciples of reflective teaching, (b) expessing results both with statistical data obtained from the pre test and post test results of the Clarity Observation Instrument (Metcalf, 1989) and using interviews and surveys, and anecdotal data. Findings have significant implications for how reflective supervision can be a means to develop instructional skills. Recommendations for teacher education programs and the student teachers are also made.