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The main thrust of this paper is to explore factors from the business sector, which could inspire school leaders in terms of issue/problem formulation during their decision-making process. This conceptual paper examines diachronically and conceptually the issues of uncertainty, not only in terms of context and decision-making, but also having in mind leaders’ and leadership's main characteristics as well. The question remains whether concepts of uncertainty management practices from the business sector might offer insights for school principals in order to make connections between what is happening inside and outside the organization. The paper is organized around five sections dealing with the conceptual basis of the two main terms, crisis and uncertainty and how leaders in the business sector deal with these. Following, we focus on educational leaders and their ways of navigating through crisis and uncertainty and we conclude with some observations about how leaders make the best possible decisions under the circumstances. We end the paper by stressing that, perhaps, many of the leadership qualities and characteristics needed in times of “normality” are more or less similar to those needed in times of uncertainty. However, school leaders need to learn to act faster with clearer and constant communication.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore successful school principalship in Cyprus based on a ten-year research project, and in particular, by analysing leadership knowledge based on concrete actions of successful school principals derived from multiple case studies from the primary and secondary education sectors in Cyprus.Design/methodology/approachThe initial type of evidence was original qualitative empirical research undertaken through the examination of 11 case studies of successful primary and secondary school principals across Cyprus. Following, for the purposes of this paper a cross-case reanalysis was performed in order to extract successful actions from the participating school principals.FindingsBased on the emerging actions from the cross-case analysis, findings indicate that successful school principals, both in primary and secondary education, develop external relations, as well as networking with all relevant actors; create a collaborative and shared ownership feeling among their members and within their school organization; and finally promote a clear vision, based on a specific number of values.Originality/valueThis overall effort led us to the articulation of certain successful actions, which could be related and compared to the results in other successful school principalship contexts. Furthermore, it could contribute to the cross-country comparative knowledge body on successful school principalship, with different educational policies and different social contexts.

PurposeThis paper is derived from a thorough and systematic study, contributing to further understanding of the perception of authentic leadership in the context of Cyprus, by involving school principals' both espoused values and values in action coupled with their leadership styles.Design/methodology/approachData were drawn from a combination of methods, both quantitative (235 questionnaires) and qualitative (5 case studies), thus facilitating a more reliable and valid exploration of school principals' espoused values and values in action coupled with their leadership styles.FindingsSchool principals' values in action may be filtered by particular factors, which affect them, when they try to promote their espoused values during their leadership practice. In general, the findings indicated that practicing authentic leadership might be, in fact, impeded by specific factors connected to the broader context in which school principals operate.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not possible to draw concrete conclusions on relation between the espoused values and values in action, as only five school principals took part during the second research phase. However, in this study, the quantitative (first phase) and qualitative (second phase) research were combined in order to produce a general picture, with regards to the practice of authentic leadership.Originality/valueThe study of values has received an extensive research interest lately. In this study, it was approached collectively and cohesively by taking into consideration the differentiation between espoused values and values in action.

The relationship between education and organizational financial efficiency can be described as tense and ambiguous. Therefore, issues of educational leadership inspired by models stemming from the ...

The main purpose of this paper is to examine perspectives of successful and effective leadership as well as successful and effective schools in an effort to uncover the governance interventions which produce one or the other characterization. This examination is undertaken through the utilization of two guiding frameworks: the Pashiardis-Brauckmann Holistic Leadership Framework and the Bredeson and Johansson framework for principals’ functions. Additionally, views on success and effectiveness from around the world are utilized. Following this, in this theoretically focused paper we make the argument that successful schools institutionalize the right processes in order to achieve and sustain the desired results and thus become effective. Then, in an effort to bring context into the equation, we discuss what the context is for each education system and student and if schools can make up for the deficiencies of a student’s individual context. We end our discussion by stressing the fact that researchers, through their work, can inspire teachers and principals with their (often) simple descriptions of complex school improvement processes. These descriptions have a profound effect on the applied pedagogical work in schools, which is sometimes more influential than national policy decisions and educational reforms.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore a broader understanding of the role of Cypriot school principals’ personal identities, through a values system perspective, when exercising their leadership. Design/methodology/approach A multicase study methodology was followed with five school principals, representing five different leadership styles. In each case, an in-depth investigation of the school principal’s personal identity was undertaken. School principals’ personal values were explored during interviews, staff meetings and daily activities observations, as well as through the use of the think-aloud protocol method. This study utilized the Schwartz Theory of Basic Human Values, as well as the Pashiardis–Brauckmann Holistic Leadership Framework, as the guiding theoretical framework. Findings School principals’ personal identities in Cyprus seem to influence, to some extent, their daily leadership practice. However, particular factors associated with the context in which they live (social identity) and work (professional identity), seemed to be affecting the personal values embedded throughout their personal identities. Research limitations/implications Five school principals are not enough to make generalizations on the relationships between leadership styles and values. However, through this paper, the authors sought to provide examples on how school principals’ personal identities influence their leadership practice. Practical implications The findings highlight the important role and attention to school principals’ personal identities, beyond the core management and leadership courses. The findings also shed light on the importance of looking more closely at contextual elements “outside” and “inside” the school and to what extent these could influence school principals’ personal identities. Originality/value This paper offers insights into school principals’ personal identities, through a values system perspective, and how these personal identities influence their leadership practice.

Policy makers increasingly acknowledge that problems and challenges arising at the school level should be resolved on site. At the same time, the political expectation to delegate more responsibility to the individual school is rather heavily contrasted with the weak knowledge about how this new public management approach can be translated into successful leadership practices. Thus, considering that there is a close relationship between context and leadership, principal preparation programmes should be guided by a deeper examination of contextual factors. Against this background, we aim to critically examine existing views of practitioners and researchers on the challenge of establishing more context-sensitive school leadership preparation programmes in an era of New Public Management in Education. In doing so, we introduce the Swedish Model of principal preparation as an example for a more context-sensitive leadership preparation program. To that end, we argue that a differentiated perspective about contextual conditions and their role as facilitators or obstacles to effective leadership must be further explored. Moreover, school leaders should be encouraged to consider the relevance of such approaches to their own needs.

The leadership inside and outside the schools envisioned in the context of output-oriented new public management reforms reacts upon the complexity and visibility of changes in a school environment...

Context has a considerable effect on the role and responsibilities of school principals. The aim of this paper is to provide a holistic perspective of the effects of school principals’ involvement in two low performing schools with different contexts. A qualitative research approach was employed, with individual and focus groups interviews under a multi-actor perspective. Our results suggest that school leaders differ in the way they relate to the inner and outer environment of the school. We suggest that they have to acquire new skills that address entrepreneurial as well as pedagogical tasks, thus exercising edupreneurial leadership.

Purpose– Although school autonomy has been a matter of great interest during the last decades and several relevant measures have been implemented toward this end, the relation between school autonomy and school effectiveness has not been examined thoroughly. The purpose of this paper is to explore this relation and to propose an effective school autonomy model for Cyprus, a small European country with a highly centralized educational system. The suggested model indicates which decisions (related to various administrative, financial, academic, pedagogical and human resources matters) must be made at school level, which decisions can be made partly from the school with a higher level of control from the ministry and which decisions have to be made exclusively by a central authority, in order to enhance school effectiveness.Design/methodology/approach– An unusual methodological design is followed, using scenarios to examine hypothetical situations. Cypriot headteachers’ job satisfaction and work-related stress is examined in the case of full autonomy and in the opposite scenario of very limited autonomy. The results from this phase of the study lead to the design of the suggested school autonomy model, which is then tested in terms of effectiveness through a third scenario. The scenarios are given in questionnaires and the sample includes 300 out of a population of 350 primary school headteachers of Cyprus.Findings– The findings of the study suggest that headteachers’ job satisfaction and work-related stress is affected by the level of school autonomy that characterizes an educational system. The most effective scenario for the case of Cyprus does not refer to the existing situation of very limited autonomy, neither to the opposite scenario of full autonomy. The most effective scenario refers to the suggested model of school autonomy where all decisions related to various academic, managerial, financial and human resource matters are taken at school level, except for the decisions related to teaching materials and textbooks, teacher placements, promotions, payroll and dismissals. For these decisions the guidance, support and/or control from the educational authorities have to be enhanced.Research limitations/implications– In this study school effectiveness is examined through the headteachers’ job satisfaction and stress as the dependent variable, and not through the conventional student achievement variable. A part of the existing literature suggests that these variables affect school effectiveness in an indirect way. Taking into consideration student achievement was not possible for the case of Cyprus, since the only scenario currently existing refers to very limited or no school autonomy. Therefore, it is not possible to compare the academic results of students coming from schools with different levels of autonomy.Practical implications– The methodological approach of the study can be followed in other contexts as well, in order to design an effective school autonomy model for a different educational system, district or school. Scenarios can also be used to test and make corrections for a suggested educational reform, before this is implemented, in order to avoid waste of time and/or financial resources.Originality/value– The value of this study first lies in its attempt to design a school autonomy model, based on all the educational decisions and matters that can be affected from a school autonomy reform; this became possible through an extensive literature review. Second the study, does not only support some suggestions based on the results, but also tests the effectiveness of the suggestions before these are implemented, following the unusual methodological approach of scenarios. Moreover, the relation between school autonomy and school effectiveness has not been examined thoroughly in the existing literature and some conflicting opinions exist. The findings of the study can help us gain a better understanding of the above relation.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to explore direct and indirect relationships between Leadership and Student Citizenship Outcomes in Cyprus middle schools. In the case of indirect effects the mediating role of School Academic Optimism and Instructional Quality was examined. Method: The specific study adopted a value-added quantitative design. Student achievement data were collected at the beginning and end of the term during which the subject of Citizenship Education was taught. Students also provided data about the quality of instruction, whereas teachers provided data about leadership and school academic optimism. Overall, a multistage sample of 20 middle schools, 114 classes, and 1,596 students participated in the current study. Multilevel modelling and single-level regression techniques were used to identify the relationships between the main variables of this study. Findings: A number of contextual student variables and one classroom variable were found to have a direct effect on citizenship outcomes. Neither School Leadership nor School Academic Optimism were found to have any direct or indirect effect. However, school leadership, along with a number of contextual variables, was found to have statistically significant effects on School Academic Optimism. Implications: The findings highlight the importance of the learning domain when searching for effectiveness factors at the classroom and school level. It is suggested that the subject of citizenship education is upgraded and principals as well as teachers are substantially supported to promote the subject goals.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether emotional intelligence and political skill (PS) of school principals influence the way they exercise leadership and the job satisfaction of their teachers.Design/methodology/approach– As regards to the methodology, quantitative research methods were used to conduct the research. Specifically, the data analysis was performed with the statistical program SPSS and the EQS program for the development of structural equation models. Participants were 182 principals of Cyprus public elementary schools and 910 teachers.Findings– The findings indicated that the emotional intelligence and PS of school principals are related to the educational leadership styles they use and to teachers’ job satisfaction. Such a relationship highlights the social skills of principals as an important area for further research.Research limitations/implications– Future research may benefit from developing and validating an investigating tool which rates school principals’ Emotional-Political Capacity because, as revealed from the current research, this new construct directly affects the leadership radius and teachers’ job satisfaction.Practical implications– This research provides important feedback to those organizations interested in educational leadership and reform, as it can further illuminate (unknown until now) qualities that an effective school principal must have.Originality/value– The importance of this research and its contribution to science, is illustrated by the fact that this is one of the first research efforts undertaken, which indicates that the emotional and political skills may be factors that shape effective educational leadership styles.

This paper examines the school of the future, aiming to identify and aid the implementation of the most desired version of school autonomy in Cyprus. More specifically, the study initially forecasts the areas of financial decisions that the school of the future might autonomously manage, identifies the negative effects that may appear along the way and seeks support measures that could enhance an autonomous school’s efficiency and effectiveness. Moreover, after both the probable and the desired future emerge, the paper proceeds in examining the reasons causing the divergence between them, as well as ways in which the two futures may be better aligned.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a piece of research concerning the time management of Cypriot primary school principals. Time management refers to the interrelation of five independent variables: the various tasks principals perform, their frequency, the degree of accomplishment of those tasks, the use of time management techniques and time management style (from monochronic to polychronic). Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative methods were used (questionnaire) together with qualitative methods (observation, interviews, collection of artifacts), in order to obtain richer, deeper data and view multiple angles of the same phenomenon. Findings – The results of cluster analysis indicated three different time management profiles/types of principals: The Centralized Monochrons, the Procrastinative Managers and the Decentralized Polychrons. One basic conclusion is that the principals who adopt the practices of the Decentralized Polychrons manage better their time. Practical implications – The three time management profiles of principals are described, analysed, and discussed in order to reach conclusions about the selection, training, and placement of school principals. Through the description of the everyday practice of Cypriot principals useful information concerning school leadership and management are also provided. Finally, the conclusions of this research may prove useful for principals, because they are provided with the opportunity to rethink and evaluate their own time management and effectiveness of their daily practices. Originality/value – The creation and description of the three time management profiles is the main contribution of this piece of research, since there are not any time management types-profiles registered in the bibliography, which were produced with the use of scientific instruments and procedures.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into successful secondary school principals in Cyprus, focusing on identifying their actions and behaviours through the adoption of a systemic view of the quality of leadership in school organizations from multiple stakeholders (i.e. self, parents, students and teachers).Design/methodology/approachThis article is the sequel to another paper on successful principalship which was written about successful primary school principals in Cyprus. A multi‐case study methodology was followed where data were gathered from a wide range of school stakeholders such as the principal, teachers, students and parents employing a common, semi‐structured interview protocol developed specifically for the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) which was translated into Greek and adopted to Cyprus’ educational context.FindingsThis paper argues that the principals exhibit behaviors and actions such as developing relationships, being committed, being visionary and promoting a collaborative learning environment which, in combination with their passion, devotion and commitment, lead to successful principalship.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the implications for principals’ training by informing policies for recruitment and retention leading to the designing of more effective leadership training programs.

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how school principals combine instructional and entrepreneurial aspects of leadership in their effort to build capacity for student learning. Four cases of successful school principals in rural primary schools in Cyprus are described as part of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP). Purposive sampling was used in a multiperspective research methodology employing a semistructured interview protocol. The findings of the case studies formed the basis of a framework of successful school leadership, according to which instructional and entrepreneurial leadership are two vital and complementary constituents of successful leadership. The specific framework holds unique importance since it illustrates that successful leadership can promote learning both within the school itself but also through the utilization of its wider environment. Findings suggest that practitioners and policymakers need to think and act in a systemic manner by taking ...

The purpose of this article is twofold as it aims to compliment the effort of identifying the personal qualities and professional competencies generic to effective school leaders and to contribute to the comparison of effective leadership in diverse cultural contexts. Five examples of successful school principals in rural primary schools in Cyprus are described as part of the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP). Purposive sampling was used in a multi-perspective research methodology employing a semi-structured interview protocol. The findings of the case studies formed the basis of a framework of successful leadership according to which people-centered leadership, clearly communicated values and visions, a strong emphasis on the promotion of learning, the use of networked leadership as well as the creative management of competing values are all vital constituents of a successful leadership. The implications are significant both for practitioners and for policymakers since the framework demonstrates that successful leadership is effectuated through the realization of multiple intertwined leadership domains especially with regards to the specific context of rural primary schools in Cyprus.

PurposeThe overall purpose of the European Union‐funded Leadership Improvement for Student Achievement (LISA) project was to explore how leadership styles, as conceptualized in the developed dynamic holistic leadership framework, directly or indirectly affect student achievement at the lower secondary level of education in seven European countries. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachIn its methodological design the study is a mixture of research methods and collaborative action research shared by acting school leaders and researchers. A series of statistical analyses was carried out in order to gather evidence whether the data from the LISA project supported the initially developed holistic leadership theoretical framework. Consequently, first some descriptive statistics are introduced in order to acquaint the reader with the kind of data the survey used from the schoolteacher questionnaires. Further, some explanations are laid out with regard to the methodologies employed in order to analyze the data, such as the treatment of missing data and exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis structural equation models (SEM); then, a description of the main findings is offered through the analyses, which were conducted in order to predict school performance level from the relevant leadership style, followed by between‐countries comparisons and analyses. Finally, an in‐depth discussion and interpretations of the main findings – both integrative and concludive in nature – are offered.FindingsThe quantitative analyses stemming from confirmatory factor analysis and SEM identified five robust underlying dimensions of practised leadership styles across the seven participating European countries. Furthermore, the findings stemming from the logistic regression analyses pointed out clearly the complementary inter‐relationships of the main research questions of the study and analytical strands, especially with regard to the impact of certain intermediate variables on student achievement.Originality/valueThe expected results of this approach are predominantly assumed/seen as an enrichment in the grounding of hypothetical and theoretical ideas as well as professional development for both school principals and researchers. Such an equal contribution of school leaders and school leaders' organizations and researchers could probably provide a model for future professional development programs for both groups of professionals.

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to examine more closely the tension between, on the one hand, forms of internal school improvement based on internal evaluation measures and, on the other hand, control and legitimisation needs grounded on external evaluation measures.Design/methodology/approachThe clash of these forms of evaluation is at the core of the paper, dealing in particular with the changing evaluation systems in the Cypriot education system. Therefore, the case study approach is utilised here. More specifically, the case of Cyprus is used as a system under transition in order to move from a primarily teacher inspection system, which is externally driven, to a combination of a teacher/school inspection system, which is based on both external and internal processes and is directed at both formative and summative evaluation processes.FindingsIt is asserted that the new proposed appraisal system for Cyprus addresses the deficiencies of the current evaluation system and generally aims at achieving a balance between external and internal processes. Finally, the conditions for the acceptance and successful implementation of new evaluation systems are described.Originality/valueThe results of the study constitute a rich setting of future developments for Cyprus schools with regard to important issues such as school accountability, school improvement, teacher evaluation, internal school evaluation and external inspection, through the proposed appraisal system. Therefore, the paper provides an important source of information for those who have the responsibility of creating educational policy and planning for the years to come in the area of teacher appraisal.

School heads and assistant headteachers in Cyprus attend in‐service training programmes as part of their professional development, after they are promoted to their new leadership post. A review of the literature highlights the significance of a needs analysis when designing and/or reforming in‐service training programmes. Nevertheless, there seems to be a lack of studies focusing on the leaders’ views regarding their own professional development and needs. The present study investigates school leaders’ views regarding the in‐service training programmes they formally attend in Cyprus (both with regards to content as well as organizational aspects of the courses), and whether specific personal characteristics of school leaders are associated with their views. The research was based on both interviews with school leaders (assistant heads and school heads) and also a semi‐structured questionnaire. Content and statistical analysis of the participants’ views revealed that they prefer specific training, especial...

In this conceptual paper, an exploration of the leadership gap between theory and praxis, which manifests itself in three different kinds of fissure in current thinking and research in the field of educational leadership, management and administration, will be undertaken. It is argued that there is a public image/communication gap, which current research and thinking in educational leadership needs to fulfill. This leads to the second issue, which is the gap between what is said (the rhetoric) and what is done (the praxis). Leaders must strive to reduce the gap between rhetoric and reality. This leads us to the third gap, which is the values gap. The world is indeed full of antithetical and oftentimes conflicting and dilemmatic situations in which morality and ethical behaviour play an important role. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to provide an in‐depth exploration of the three gaps and in doing so to provide answers as to how to narrow these gaps in order for school leaders to improve their practic...

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the future of education (pre‐primary, primary and secondary education) in Cyprus until the year 2020.Design/methodology/approachA three‐round Delphi forecasting technique is used in order to make predictions about the future of schools and schooling in Cyprus based on the opinions of a panel of Cypriot experts.FindingsFuture problems and difficulties, strategies for anticipating the future and possible and desirable features of the Cyprus school until the year 2020 are identified. Among these features are: increased influence of the free market, compatibility of the school with the information society, keeping pace with developments in European schools, re‐planning of the school infrastructure and programs, the increase in pupil violence, emphasis on evaluation procedures and staff development, and increased school “openness” towards society.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited in the fact that the only way to verify predictions about the future is to wait until they occur. Moreover, since it is based on the opinions of a select panel of experts, generalization of results must be made with caution.Practical implicationsThe future characteristics of Cypriot schools that have been described and the specific predictions that have been made constitute a vast think‐tank of thoughts and opinions for the future state of schools and schooling in Cyprus.Originality/valueThe results of this study constitute a rich setting of future developments for Cyprus schools, which provides a particular source of information for those who have the responsibility of creating educational policy and planning for the years to come. Further, the value of the study as a comparative paper about how educational systems can cope with future challenges is great; additionally, the methodology used was technologically advanced and could easily be imitated by other researchers who would like to utilise it in future studies.

Purpose – This research, based on a case study carried out in a Portuguese public school, was undertaken with the main purpose of investigating the perceptions of secondary school teachers regarding their principal and his leadership style.Design/methodology/approach – Teachers received a questionnaire which included 57 items, grouped under the following nine areas: school climate, school leadership and management, curriculum development, personnel management, administration and fiscal management, student management, professional development and in‐service, relations with parents and the community, problem solving and decision making. After the questionnaires were collected, the semi‐structured interview process began with the principal. The areas that were discussed were identical to those of the questionnaire in order to be able to make certain comparisons and draw some conclusions about possible discrepancies between what the teachers perceived and what the principal thought of himself. In the case pre...

Life is lived in an era characterised by complexity and instability. Pedagogical ideals or educational goals are usually determined based on the socio‐political and cultural period in which people find themselves at a specific point in its history. Then, in what ways do people train their principals to be models of and act in line with those democratic values and ideals that aim at fostering good citizens? Furthermore, how do these goal statements fare in relation to the moral purpose of schools and especially focus on the social goals of schools? These and similar issues are dealt with in this paper. More specifically, there is a description of the major restructuring initiatives towards school empowerment and democracy introduced in the Cyprus education system. Further, an attempt is made in order to show how these changes have affected (or not) the education system with respect to personnel management, the power of the centre, democracy and the curriculum, and democracy and inspection.

Offers new insight in the case of educational evaluation in Greece by presenting the history and the current state of school effectiveness research (SER). From an historical perspective, presents the beginnings and the two generations of SER. A number of essential studies are reviewed. From a comparative perspective, examines the current advances of SER in many other parts of the world. Using these approaches, a number of theoretical and statistical issues are clarified. Examines the policy implications of SER in France, England and Greece. Expresses a number of thoughts for the future of SER and its contribution to the issue of educational evaluation.

The main goal of the present study was to investigate the perceptions of Cypriot teachers on the management of small primary schools. From the wide range of issues identified in the literature, seven areas were chosen for examination: management and leadership; teachers in small schools; advice and support; pupils in small schools; curriculum and resources; community and parents; and the future of small schools. The inquiry was carried out by studying the opinions, through a questionnaire, of 144 teachers, working in one, two and three-teacher schools. In addition, interviews were conducted with teachers working in each type of small school. The study showed that working or being educated in small schools has both benefits as well as difficulties for teachers and pupils and that the very smallness of these schools creates opportunities as well as problems. It was also shown that Cypriot teachers face more difficulties than principals working in small schools. This was more evident for teachers working in ...

Aims to examine whether strategic planning can be effectively implemented in the Cyprus educational system. Initially discusses the strategic planning process and what it is all about. Then examines the main elements of the process: strategic analysis, strategic choice and strategy implementation. Subsequently refers to the application of the process in education and attempts a comparison between business and education and, at the same time, examines the extent to which this process can be effectively used in educational institutions. A brief historical background of the Cyprus Educational System is also given and, finally, a strategic plan that can be adopted for the system is proposed. Investigates all these aspects by reviewing the pertinent literature and drawing from personal professional experience.

This paper reports a case study and comparative analysis of courses offered at the University of Cyprus. Four courses were surveyed using the Learning Improvement Strategies Questionnaire (LISQ). Three issues were investigated during analysis; the cross-cultural reliability of the LISQ instrument, the quality of four courses in the University of Cyprus, and how these courses compared with those at the University of Auckland. It was shown that the LISQ appears to be a reliable method of quickly indicating the quality of a one-semester course, the four courses were perceived to be of a uniformly high standard, and, they appear to compare favourably with equivalent courses in New Zealand. It is concluded that the LISQ can serve as an effective part of both summative and formative forms of evaluation.

Explores the perceptions of elementary school teachers regarding their principals and their leadership styles. The underlying and guiding) assumption for this project was that the effectiveness of a leader mainly depended on how others view him/her as a leader. As indicated in the results, teachers have a positive attitude towards their principals in general, but there are some areas where principals need to improve, such as, personnel management and professional growth and development. Furthermore, the bureaucratic and highly centralized structure of the Cyprus educational system proved to be ineffective and should be abandoned. Principals must be given motives for self‐improvement.

Provides an overview of some of the findings of a recently completed study of school choice in 33 local schools which may be indicative of the effect of an increase in the marketisation of schools. Since it is unlikely that debate over parental choice can be settled by theoretical argument alone and it may also be too early to understand the full implications of the relevant recent government reforms in the UK, results from research in other sectors of education can be used in the interim. Presents research which is partly based on a limited market model of cheap fee‐paying schools. This market has been established for a long time, and so some of the benefits or damage caused by markets in education may already be observable in operation.

This study uses the gap-analysis technique in order to investigate what the greatest needs of secondary school leaders in Cyprus are in terms of pre- and in-service education. More specifically, the study attempted to investigate the following three questions: (1) Which are the most important areas so that secondary school leaders can be considered effective? (2) Where do the greatest needs for improvement lie? (3) What suggestions can be made for improvements in the education and/or in-service training for these school leaders? Results indicated that the greatest needs for improvement exist in the following areas: programme and curriculum renewal and management; Special Education administration; school improvement; and the use of developmental evaluation techniques

The classical university is under attack because of the perception that it has not kept pace with technological advances in society and that it no longer serves societal needs. Therefore, as the argument goes, the university must change. This article, that is divided into two main parts, tackles these issues. The first part is a brief presentation of Cyprus and of its higher education system. The second part is a presentation of three dilemmas facing higher education: general versus specialized higher education, elite versus mass higher education, and the financing of higher education.

Suggests that, in today’s world of uncertainty, it is of vital importance for an individual or an educational institution to stay abreast of environmental changes which may affect their future. Presents up‐to‐date information on environmental scanning and how it can be used to benefit educational organizations. For modern educational institutions, it is necessary to establish a systematic method of collecting information regarding external influences on educational institutions. However, it is quite difficult for any individual to be knowledgeable about all occurrences that may affect an institution, and it often requires special expertise to realize how an event or trend might affect an institution in the future. An institution must tailor specific sources of external information, devise a method to collect the information, and use the information effectively in the planning process and in building the future. Argues that environmental scanning has proved to be successful for school systems and should be accorded the importance it deserves. Furthermore, scanning provides all individuals with the opportunity to contribute to the strategic planning process which is of vital importance for the survival of an organization.

Teachers can take a greater role in the overall success of the school when they commit to being active participants in the decision‐making process. Moreover, teachers need to feel they have more to offer to the school than just teaching within their classroom. Suggests that schools must understand that the entire system will benefit when teachers play an active role in controlling their work environment. Finally, everyone must be provided with as much recent research on participatory decision‐making processes as possible before implementation can be achieved successfully. At the same time, specific training should also be provided.

PurposeThis article seeks to centre on Cypriot, English, Greek and Swedish selection and training of principals. This was part of a 2001‐2002 European Union (EU) funded study which created a distance learning CD ROM for principals.Design/methodology/approachNational education systems and principals' selection and training were analysed and compared using documents, focus groups, principals' interviews and an international seminar.FindingsThe most centralised systems of Greece and Cyprus had less principal preparation, and more government involvement in principal selection, than the less centralised Sweden and England.Originality/valueThe extent of training was perceived to matter less in successful principalship than selecting the right people, although even a good leader can be improved through training and principals were concerned about their lack of formal training.

Explores the essence of strategic planning and the urgency for its implementation in the public school setting. Examines some critical elements for successful implementation of this relatively new field for education. Specific caveats are addressed that may lead to unsuccessful implementation. Also presents a brief review and critique of the strategic planning efforts of a Mid‐Western City School District in Texas so that the reader can see firsthand what some public schools in the United States are currently undertaking. Includes (in an Appendix) some of the parameters of the strategic plan that this school district wrote as a guide for itself.

There is a long body of research in the area of group decision making which is expanding constantly due to the growing importance which is placed now on participating models in most organizations. Views the role of the principal in three models of group decision making. The models examined are the Vroom‐Yetton decision‐making model, the Delphi Technique and the Nominal Group Technique (NGT). Recent research on effective school strategies emphatically states that school personnel must be a part of decisions affecting schools and that leaders must be strong decision makers. Effective schools research suggests that the principal′s leadership and decision‐making style is the most important factor in a school′s performance. Shows how this style can be implemented in reality.

There is a definite need to find out more about what factors are really important in predicting performance for future principals. Currently, the belief in the USA is that the 12 leadership indicators identified by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) constitute a good predictor for future levels of performance for newly hired administrators in education. The assessment centre is a growing trend currently used in different areas of the USA as a selection method for the new educational administrators. Therefore, the purpose here is to present different selection methods currently in use in the USA and to describe in detail the assessment centre focusing on the University of Texas at Austin Assessment Center where the author has participated both as a student and, later, as an evaluator.