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Purpose: Educational technology ("EdTech") served a pivotal role in keeping schools functioning during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about EdTech leaders' roles in shaping this response. This study explores EdTech leaders' perspectives and backgrounds, their response to the pandemic, how they envision their roles as educators, and their perspectives about how technology facilitates educational innovation. Design/Approach/Methods: This study uses a qualitative, phenomenological approach to understand how 11 EdTech leaders experienced the pandemic. Participants were recruited for interviews in summer 2021 via purposive sampling to include diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Data were analyzed inductively. Findings: The findings show that a four-category typology can be used to describe EdTech leaders' diverse backgrounds and experiences. Leaders emphasized equity and open collaboration in their pandemic responses, by expanding access to their tools and adapting their products as users' needs evolved. EdTech leaders anticipate streamlined user experiences, improvements in online learning, and increased adoption of artificial intelligence and simulated learning environments. Originality/Value: This study addresses a gap in the research concerning EdTech leaders' perspectives on their efforts to support educators and their experiences during the pandemic. We hope this study sparks additional research on EdTech leaders' experiences and roles in education.

This paper examines the influence of Iranian teacher unions on educational policy reforms, focusing on the evolution of teacher unions over the past two decades. Our key finding reveals a shift in the discourse and mental model of Iranian teacher unions, with an increased emphasis on education policy changes for quality and equity education. However, the unions have not yet been able to advocate successfully for educational policy reforms due to the country's changing political and social climate, limited resources, and lack of access to international networks. Our study has revealed key factors that have contributed to a shift in Iranian teachers' attitudes from bread-and-butter unionism to social justice unionism. These include the creation of more inclusive unions, the decentralisation and democratisation of union structures, the use of social media to amplify their message, and the formation of coalitions with social justice groups. Despite encountering challenges, our findings suggest that teacher unions can be crucial in advocating educational policy reforms in countries facing significant obstacles.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain insights from educational leaders who had participated in a larger study and received extensive practice-based professional development on an evidence-based practice, self-regulated strategy development for informative writing. The participants also previously implemented the self-regulated strategy development strategies with elementary students with high incidence disabilities during a summer tutoring program. The current study included one-on-one video conferencing interviews with six educational leaders: a principal, a complex area specialist, three complex area coaches, and a student services coordinator about their reported impact of the practice-based professional development on implementation of self-regulated strategy development during a regular school year given their current job descriptions. Open coding of the transcripts resulted in five descriptive codes detailing the participants' intention for enrolling, application of self-regulated strategy development, additional supports, barriers, and the impact of the evidence-based practice. Implications discussed include post-intervention supports needed to help educational leaders guide the sustained implementation of an evidence-based practice for writing instruction.

In spring 2020, nearly every U.S. public school closed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing evidence suggests that local political partisanship was a better predictor of in-person instruction than COVID case and death rates in fall 2020. We replicate and extend these analyses using data collected over the entirety of the 2020-21 academic year. We affirm that local political partisanship was an important initial predictor of county-level in-person instruction rates. We also demonstrate that, under certain conditions, COVID case and death rates were meaningfully associated with initial rates of in-person instruction. We reveal that partisanship became less predictive--and prior average student achievement became more predictive--of in-person instruction as the school year continued. We then leverage data from two nationally representative surveys of Americans' attitudes toward education and identify an as-yet-undiscussed factor that predicts in-person instruction: public support for increasing teachers' salaries.

This study aims to examine which middle leaders' distributed leadership factors (cohesive leadership team, participative decision-making, leadership support and leadership supervision) are sufficient and to what degree these four factors are necessary for fostering high teacher commitment to change (TCTC). Data were gathered from 1018 Malaysian primary school teachers. The partial least squares analysis indicated positive relationships between the four middle leaders' distributed leadership factors and TCTC. The necessary condition analysis revealed that cohesive leadership team and participative decision-making are necessary and sufficient conditions for fostering TCTC. While leadership support and leadership supervision were identified as necessary conditions, they were deemed less important. This study shifts the focus from principal-centric distributed leadership to middle leaders' distributed leadership. This theoretical shift underscores the unique contributions of middle leaders' distributed leadership in driving TCTC in primary school settings by employing an expanded analytical approach.

Leaders from marginalized groups disproportionately shoulder emotional labor resulting from the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. This emotional burden can lead to stress and mental health consequences. Institutions bear the responsibility of addressing the emotional burden. This multiple-case qualitative study aimed to identify effective institutional strategies to alleviate emotional labor. We interviewed 107 leaders at eight institutions to examine their experiences with emotional labor and institutional support. We selected institutions based on their progress toward DEI. Leaders were chosen based on being involved directly in the DEI work within a shared leadership effort. Drawing on Ahmed's theory of diversity work and Zembylas's critical emotional praxis, we identified the following themes: sharing DEI responsibilities with many leaders, creating spaces for emotions, and role-modeling the desired behaviors to build positive relationships and trust. Through these strategies, institutions can reduce emotional labor and create equitable environments for DEI leaders.

Micro-credentials are certifications that evaluate knowledge and skills acquired through specific learning experiences. This research explores the perceptions of education and industry leaders in Mauritius regarding recognition, ease of application, and value of micro-credentials in higher education. Interviews were conducted with 10 education and four industry leaders. The findings indicated that while the respondents lacked a deep understanding of micro-credentials as an educational model, they recognised the need to formalise its adoption within frameworks such as the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and a National Credit System. Additionally, there is a pressing need for reliable, competency-based assessments and structured pathways to map micro-credentials to university credits, leading to recognised qualifications. These insights from Mauritius can provide valuable lessons for other developing nations seeking to integrate micro-credentials into their higher education systems, helping to address skills gaps, promote lifelong learning, and create flexible educational pathways that align with local and global workforce demands.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand, from the perspective of students with disabilities, what special education leaders and their respective classroom educators should consider in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) features and tools to support individualized instruction. This study utilized an immersive and interactive personalized learning environment, virtual reality, to engage students with disabilities as they consider AI tools, features, and supports that are currently needed to enhance their learning experience. The five primary themes for AI integration that building and instructional special education leaders should consider included: (1) response options; (2) content; (3) learning environment and virtual characters; (4) visuals; and (5) sound or auditory supports. As special education leaders seek to determine how best to navigate growing AI tools and how and when to implement, this study, coming from the voice of students with disabilities, offers some immediate and pertinent suggestions within the context of current personalized learning efforts.

Research shows that oral dialogue has a positive impact on educational leadership wellness and practice. Having regular focused and informal conversations about educational issues and daily challenges is instrumental in reducing stress, anxiety, and emotional distress among educational leaders. However, diverse tensions related to personal and professional situations, along with the lack of conversational competence, can affect educational leaders' wellness and practice. This article presents solid elements that demonstrate how constructive dialogue, through oral conversations with open-ended inquiries to understand perspectives, can positively impact educational leaders' well-being and, consequently, their professional performance. [Note: The issue number (1) shown in the footer on the PDF is incorrect. The correct issue number is 2.]

Given the substantial impact school leaders have on school improvement, the imperative for continuous professional learning for leaders is evident. In this two-year action research study, researchers collaborated with a school division, forming a research-practice partnership, to design and explore a collaborative professional learning and coaching program. The primary objective of this program was to align with local leadership standards and foster leadership development. The central research question was: How does implementation of a collaborative professional learning and coaching program contribute to leadership development? Data were collected from district and school leaders and included pre and post surveys, interviews, and focus groups. The findings of this study indicate that district leadership practices show promising potential in fostering inservice opportunities for leadership development. These practices include the following: (a) ensure programs are sustained with a consistent focus, (b) utilize collaborative learning approaches, (c) assess growth through reflection and feedback, and (d) use action research to support continual improvement. This study aims to provide valuable insights to school districts and researchers regarding the implementation of sustained and job-embedded professional development for school leaders, with a specific focus on leadership development.

While males have predominantly held leadership positions in national-level parliaments, the rising visibility of females as heads of government, despite their underrepresentation, is a significant trend. This study investigated the political resignation speeches of four female leaders in national parliaments: Australia, England, New Zealand, and Scotland. Examining their speeches revealed a strategic utilization of self-praise to construct their identity as effective leaders. A comparative analysis of these speeches highlighted distinct self-praise strategies employed. These speakers interacted with varied levels of familiarity with their audience influencing their self-praise strategies. Addressing familiar individuals prompted the use of diverse strategies, notably emphasizing direct self-praise with modifications. In contrast, when addressing less familiar recipients, leaders tended to lean more towards straightforward strategies. Across these speeches, a multimodal discourse analysis uncovered the diverse communication modes utilized by leaders including variations in bodily movements, hand gestures, and eye contact. These modes of communication reflected the perceived social distance between the speakers and their audience.

The 4-H program is America's largest youth development organization (National 4-H Council, 2019). The 4-H program is part of the Cooperative Extension system, which provides unbiased, research-based educational programming to communities through the land grant university system (USDA, 2019). Volunteers play a major role in the delivery and functioning of Cooperative Extension's 4-H Youth Development program. 4-H volunteer leaders serve in various capacities (Radhakrishna & Ewing, 2011), including leading 4-H clubs, organizing educational clinics for youth members on various topics, and assisting with educational events and camps. Around ten thousand volunteers currently serve the Pennsylvania 4-H program. 1, 2018). In the 4-H program, volunteers often spend more time with youth and families than 4-H Extension educators and paid program staff, as they are the adults teaching and working with the youth. This can lead to volunteers having a closer relationship with 4-H members than 4-H staff. Despite volunteers' integral role in maintaining the 4-H program, Penn State Extension has not recently examined 4-H volunteer leaders' satisfaction (Dr. Josh Rice, , October 1, 2018 personal communication), reasons for volunteering, and turnover intention. Ensuring volunteers are satisfied and provided with conditions to thrive and grow through their work is vital to 4-H and the Cooperative Extension system. 4-H educators must understand volunteer service motivators (Cleveland & Thompson, 2007) to recruit and maintain dedicated and fulfilled volunteers. Therefore, the authors examined Pennsylvania 4-H Extension volunteers' experience with volunteering in a twenty-first century context. Results will help improve Pennsylvania Extension's 4-H program's service for volunteers, enhance volunteers' effectiveness in the Pennsylvania 4-H program, and improve clientele satisfaction. Services for volunteers include training and recognition programs. If volunteer feedback data support volunteer programming, they will likely make volunteers feel more satisfied with their experience (Pascuet et al., 2012).

The 2023 Tribal Leaders qualitative study is an emergent perspective from twelve Tribal leaders on education, Tribal sovereignty, leadership, and change presented as a poster session at the 2023 NRMERA conference in Omaha, Nebraska. This conceptual paper presents a review of literature acknowledging a lack of research inclusive of the voice of Tribal leaders as well as research, particularly in the areas of Tribal-specific/Native-centered leadership models and change frameworks. The research findings are presented across the four focus areas and of note: In education, Tribal leaders indicated the need for Tribal voices to be heard, accurate American History to be taught, adequate funding to be provided, and more culturally relevant instruction provided inclusive of language and cultural teaching were among the more significant findings. In the area of Tribal sovereignty, Tribal leaders indicated that Tribal sovereignty was something they wanted. They were not convinced that Tribal sovereignty was something in reality that could be achieved and, once achieved, could be held onto. In terms of leadership, Tribal leaders indicated a preference for Servant Leadership and did not specify any specific Tribal leadership definitions, models, or frameworks. With regard to change, Tribal leaders discussed change with no specific Tribal leadership models or frameworks. The findings are discussed and interpreted through a TribalCrit lens (Brayboy, 2022), with a conclusion and next steps presented.

Is organizational performance likely to improve when an organization employs acolytes (i.e., individuals with considerable experience of working with high-reputation industry leaders)? Firms with able, motivated, and opportunity-seeking acolytes are likely to benefit more in terms of unobtrusive access to quality knowledge and improved performance. Through a detailed qualitative treatment, this work identifies high-reputation leaders, acolytes and 312 beauty salons that employed acolytes. An analysis of lagged survey responses of 286 senior managers at these beauty salons showed that the performance of salons improves, when acolytes high in knowledge-sharing competencies--i.e., ability, motivation, and opportunity-seeking--are employed. In line with social learning theory, acolytes acquire and display knowledge-sharing competencies due to their association and work experience with industry greats. This study found that these knowledge-sharing competencies help acolytes overcome the barriers to knowledge-sharing and make knowledge more deployable and redeemable for better performance. We also found that with high homophily between acolytes and fellow employees, knowledge-sharing competencies of acolytes work better and more knowledge is received by the firms.

The objective of this research is twofold: firstly, to examine the level of local food security and the community members' understanding of environmental education; and secondly, to develop a model that enhances local food security by implementing the environmental education practices of the community residents. Utilized mixed-methods research. Data were gathered via a questionnaire, a group discussion, and a workshop. A total of 378 respondents were chosen for the questionnaire using multi-stage selection, while 45 respondents were chosen using purposive sampling. Furthermore, a total of 32 community volunteers were extended an invitation to participate in the workshop. This study included descriptive statistics and content analysis. The findings indicate that the target communities have an average perception level of 3.19 regarding local food security, while their knowledge about the environment is at a high level of 4.01. The study identifies five key components for establishing local food security, namely: (1) learning local food identity; (2) inheriting local wisdom; (3) transmitting local food knowledge; (4) managing sources of local food; and (5) building local networks.

As new technologies and learning practices emerge, the way instructional design and learning technology (IDLT) professionals conduct their work evolves. With this constant evolution comes a change in employer expectations of IDLT professionals. This convergent mixed methods study analyzed 130 IDLT-related position descriptions and interviewed 12 IDLT leaders from the K12, nonprofit, higher education, and corporate sectors to identify current expectations related to degree qualifications, knowledge, skills, and abilities expected from IDLT professionals. Results included a preference for a master's degree-level qualification, at times due to bureaucracy, and an interest in the combination of academic preparation with instructional design experience. Additionally, employers shared that they were interested in an advanced understanding and adaptable application of IDLT theories, models, and frameworks, as well as a need for nonspecific IDLT skills (e.g., communication and collaboration) and familiarity with IDLT-related technologies (e.g., learning management system and course authoring software). These results provide valuable insight for those looking to join IDLT field, current IDLT professionals interested in upskilling, and educational programs preparing future IDLT professionals for the workforce.

In this practice-based essay, we illustrated how our program, a charter member of The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and a recipient of a CPED Program of the Year Award in 2018, has moved from reacting to pandemic-era needs, to reflecting on pandemic-era adaptations, to re-imagining our EdD program. Focusing on three areas: program growth, changes to students' professional contexts, and student well-being, we have reflected on our pandemic-era experiences and how we have drawn upon them as we re-imagined and advanced our program. We have included reflective questions for program coordinators and faculty members, with the hope that the information we have shared can help others consider how they might re-imagine aspects of their programs.

Background/purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the Learning Leader Competency Test in South Korean university students. Based on the analysis of previous studies, this study defined the concept of learning leader competencies, consisting of cognitive, motivational, and behavioral domains. Materials/methods. A total of 638 university students participated in the study and data were collected via online survey. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal axis factoring and Oblimin rotation. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using maximum likelihood and goodness indices such as IFI, TLI, CFI and RMSEA. Construct, convergent, discriminant, and cross-validities were tested. Results: The Learning Leader Competency Test consists of 23 items and three factors; knowledge, thinking, and problem solving; learning goal orientation and self-determination; and constructive self-expectation and caring for the community. The test's reliability (Cronbach's [alpha] = 0.856) and validity were confirmed. Conclusion: This study defines the concept of learning leader competency and identifies the subcomponents of learning leader competency into the cognitive, motivational, and behavioral domains. This test may be applied in order to determine the extent to which university students possess the competency of becoming a leader in learning.

Local leaders are essential for helping Michigan achieve its 30-year water strategy goals. The Michigan Water School is an Extension nonformal educational program to address the knowledge gap of local leaders. We evaluated programs conducted from 2017 to 2019. Results revealed program outcomes in knowledge, attitudes, perceptions of criticalness to work, and stewardship and behavioral intentions aligned to water quality, water quantity, and field experience units. Growth areas for program improvement include water policy, economics, planning, and finance as well as expanding the focus of the program for transformational leadership and to broaden recruitment efforts.

Voluntary donation is the ethically acceptable method for whole-body acquisition for anatomy education worldwide. In Africa, educational institutions struggle with this since many people remain unwilling to donate their bodies due to the strong influence of cultural and religious beliefs in decision-making. As part of wider efforts to improve the ethical sourcing of bodies in Zimbabwean medical schools, which are heavily reliant on unclaimed bodies, this study sought to determine the influences traditional and religious beliefs have on such decisions. We ascertained traditional and religious leaders' knowledge of whole-body donation, explored cultural and religious views toward death, dying and whole-body donation as well as their underlying reasons. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with traditional chiefs and Christian leaders who are considered the custodians of Zimbabwean traditional cultural and Christian values, respectively. Thematic analysis of traditional chiefs' interviews revealed that none of the chiefs had accurate knowledge regarding whole-body donation or the processes involved. Due to set traditional practices around death, most traditional chiefs viewed the practice as foreign with possible negative repercussions to the dissectors. Most of the Christian leaders had knowledge of whole-body donation. Their views were split between support for whole-body donation and regard as a religious and cultural misfit. Overall, both traditional chiefs and Christian leaders understood the importance of whole-body donation and requested further societal sensitization and education if the practice is to become socially acceptable.

In England, a substantial proportion of school inspections are conducted by current school leaders. This may lead to concerns that this gives their school (about 2% of schools) an advantage in the inspection process when it is their turn to be inspected. Yet scant evidence exists on this issue. This paper thus presents the first evidence on this matter, using data obtained via a freedom of information request and linking this with other publicly available information about England's schools. We find that schools where a member of staff also works for Ofsted receive better inspection outcomes than schools without an inspector on their payroll. Our findings nevertheless suggest that other schools may benefit from having access to the training material and professional development opportunities Ofsted provides to its inspectors.

Epidemiological research over the past two decades has highlighted substance use disparities that affect Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander youth, and the lack of effective approaches to address such disparities (Okamoto et al. in Asian American Journal of Psychology 10(3):239-248, 2019). The Ho'ouna Pono curriculum is a culturally grounded, teacher-implemented, video-enhanced substance use prevention program that has demonstrated efficacy in rural Hawai?i in a large-scale trial (Okamoto in Asian American Journal of Psychology 10(3):239-248, 2019). Despite its potential to ameliorate health disparities and address youth substance use, prevention programs such as Ho'ouna Pono have been poorly disseminated and implemented across Hawai?i, raising the question: "Why are effective prevention programs not used in communities that most need them?" The present study used concept mapping to understand previously identified implementation barriers and develop implementation strategies for Ho'ouna Pono. Seven Hawai?i Department of Education (HIDOE) educational leaders and administrators sorted Ho'ouna Pono implementation barriers (e.g., "There is a lack of HIDOE funding to support prevention curricula"), named concepts, and rated barriers' perceived impact and difficulty. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis yielded a five-cluster solution: (1) Kumu (Hawaiian word for teacher) Controlled, (2) School Level Buy-in, (3) Curriculum, (4) Student Attitudes + Mindsets (Family + Community), and (5) Policy. Participant ratings identified eight high-impact and low-difficulty barriers. Discussion revealed important intersections among barriers indicating the need for coordinated and cross-level implementation strategies to support Ho'ouna Pono sustainment. Brainstormed implementation strategies using participants' own language highlighted a need for participatory methods in school settings to bidirectionally share ways to best sustain substance use prevention programs.

Background: More women are going outdoors and menstrual hygiene is a concern for these women, we do not know how collegiate outdoor programs are addressing this topic, if at all. It is possible that feminine hygiene may not be adequately discussed in these settings. Because of this, the overall health and outdoor experiences of female participants are potentially at risk. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of current practices and potential barriers surrounding feminine hygiene and menstruation dialogs in college outdoor recreation programs in Texas. Methodology/Approach: An open-ended online survey was distributed to 36 schools with outdoor recreation programs in Texas. Responses were independently analyzed and coded for emergent themes. Findings/Conclusions: Thirty-eight percent of schools did not address feminine hygiene and menstruation in pretrip communications. Predominant themes consisted of an emphasis on health and hygiene, dependence on female leaders, a need for more knowledge and resources, and a desire for normalization. Implications: Most professionals expressed that resources to expand their knowledge on these topics can help to better prepare participants. Current practices surrounding these topics may be insufficient and able to improve. Further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of the curriculum and the preference of participants.

Technology has changed rapidly in recent years and higher education has struggled to keep up. This article draws upon the expertise of three leaders in the Educational Technology (EdTech) industry to better understand how technology can be infused at the course level and at the curricular level to improve student learning. Best practices in teaching and learning are considered through the filter of EdTech to better understand where faculty can start to implement change. It is also suggested that faculty reconsider their notions of personal development to include not just keeping up with content, but also keeping up with how technology can maximize the student learning experience.

What are the key challenges facing the field of gifted education? In this qualitative study, we posed this question to some of the field's eminent leaders and scholars. Overwhelmingly, our respondents mentioned problems of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). Respondents also discussed problems concerning identification, the limited use of research-based practices, and insufficient support from outside the field; they also touched upon larger theoretical issues like the lack of clarity surrounding our conceptions of giftedness and the purposes of gifted education. In this article, we trace a brief history of the problems and paradigms of our field, share our study's results, some theoretical and practical connections among the most pressing issues, and implications for moving our field forward.

Background: Despite representing half of approximately 1.5 million camp counsellors in the United States, women in outdoor experiential education (OEE) continually face barriers that constrain them to lead according to restrictive gendered expectations. While scholars have studied this issue across a variety of OEE contexts, summer day camps are largely absent from empirical dialogue about gender and leadership. Purpose: Presently, we explore the impact of gender stereotypes on women's experiences as leaders inside one summer day camp. Methodology/Approach: We employ a qualitative, single-case study to interview five camp professionals about their experiences with gender and leadership. Findings/Conclusions: We find the construction of leadership within the camp rewarded men's agentic behaviors and punished women who led similarly. In addition, men who showed communally-oriented leadership traits were recognized as exceptional leaders, while women lost promotions and were reprimanded for the same behaviors. This gendered construction of leadership manifested as women having inequitable access to leadership development pipelines compared to men, especially related to representation, informal mentoring, and promotion. Implications: Considering these biased constructions and their impact on women leaders, we present opportunities for organizational and systemic change within day camps.

Calls for evidence-based practice are pervasive. In response, extensive scholarship has employed four categories of research use--instrumental, symbolic, conceptual, and imposed--to examine how research is used in schools and districts. We draw on sociocultural learning theory and empirical data from one school district to newly theorize latent use as another category of research use. We define latent use as when educators participate with a research-embedded tool in ways that guide their work practice. We call this "latent" use because educators use research via their participation with tools embedded with research quotes, citations, and/or summaries rather than directly engaging with traditional research products (e.g., journal articles). We then discuss latent use's potential merits and limitations.

What kinds of leaders does the world need today to achieve a sustainable tomorrow? This article focuses on the importance of envisioning values-based leadership in a pursuit of collective well-being, in light of unprecedented change today, uncertainty about tomorrow, and a lack of clear vision of desired futures. The authors make the case for the importance of formal and informal leaders today and in the future understanding themselves as part of a broader system, and becoming aware of their own competencies, attributes, values, and limitations. The emerging aspects of what leadership can do to promote a sustainable future and lead on the path call for shifts in the current understanding of leadership roles and characteristics. More effective approaches may be found through exploring explicit, transparent values-based leadership as well as new forms of engaging in partnerships and addressing systems holistically. When engaged, higher education can play crucial new roles in preparing much-needed knowledgeable and compassionate leaders, fostering and influencing behavior across societies, and leading future generations to live life purposefully and skillfully in the global pursuit of a sustainable future for all.

After George Floyd was murdered by police, teachers, alongside the leaders of their unions and professional associations, confronted urgent calls to address racism in their communities, schools, and classrooms, just as they were concluding an academic year rendered chaotic by COVID-19. This article leverages four waves of semistructured interviews with teachers' union and association leaders embedded in 14 states and 45 school districts to investigate how and why teachers' unions responded to those calls during 2020 and 2021. Local leaders were more likely to have taken concrete steps if they were serving urban or suburban and predominantly Democratic communities. Most commonly, unions offered symbolic gestures of support or sought to develop their capacity to recognize and understand bias.

Higher education brings a catalog of peaks and valleys for students, staff, and faculty. These are heightened by global crises, challenging legislation, and exclusionary practices. These kinds of adversities influence how we show up in higher education spaces and impact both our leadership and well-being. As leadership reciprocally affects, and is affected by, one's well-being, the responsibility to cultivate both within higher education continuously increases. To consistently support and uplift our students and understand the intricate challenges higher education continues to face, we introduce the well-being & leadership transformation (WBLT) model. Informed by leadership and well-being frameworks, the WBLT model integrates leadership and well-being in an intentional and holistic way. This piece establishes the elements of the model and demonstrates the WBLT model in action through various examples.

Private school leaders weigh costs and benefits when deciding whether to participate in school voucher programs. Regulatory costs associated with accepting voucher funding could reduce private school leaders' willingness to participate. We test this hypothesis through the first random assignment analysis of the effects of various regulations on the expressed willingness of private school leaders to participate in hypothetical voucher programs that draws upon national data. We randomly assign different regulations to U.S. private school leaders and ask them whether they would participate in a hypothetical school voucher program during the following school year. Relative to no regulations, we find that open-enrollment mandates reduce the likelihood that private school leaders report being certain to participate in a hypothetical choice program by about 14 percentage points, or 67%. The requirement that private schools accept the voucher funding amount as payment-in-full reduces the likelihood that private school leaders report being certain to participate by 16 percentage points, or 77%. Some regulations are more likely to deter private schools with higher reported tuitions, higher enrollment trends, more specialization, and more climate problems.

University is a remarkable institution which is always expected to change the world through its constantly innovative technology and science advancement and civilization promotion. Academic institution relies on its efficacious leader with vision and implementation to fully accomplish its missions. However, limited attention goes to this crucial leader's requirements and characteristics, even faculty members in the higher education institutions studiously conduct research for external organizations. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis addressing innovative academic leader's characteristics based on the current global situation, university mission, and unique culture. Finally, this article concluds the competencies and characteristics of efficacious academic leader demands in this changing era: envisioning the institutional future, integrating social resources with reciprocity, modeling the way with morality and integrity, executing university missions with professions and humanity, empowering team members with full support, and inspiring students with humanity. Those integrated characters could effectively guide faculty members for their future self-development, and contribute to achieving university mission on science development, producing high-quality human resources, and contributing of the human civilization promotion. This conclusion retrospectively raises further suggestions for future study, how faculty members build these characters considering the unique and complex situation of interpersonal and external factors within the university.

The Ministry of Education document "Action Plan for Pacific Education" 2020-2030 is a government commitment to transform outcomes for Pacific learners and their families. Key Shift 5 of this Action Plan focuses on valuing, growing, and retaining "teachers, leaders, and educational professionals with diverse Pacific heritages" (Ministry of Education, 2020a, p. 38). This professional inquiry explored what Key Shift 5 looks like within the Resource Teaching service. A literature review examined ethnic minority leadership in education, specifically looking at the enablers and barriers. The Pacific research method, talanoa, was used to give voice to the lived experiences of four ex-Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). Findings from this inquiry acknowledge the misrepresentation of Pacific at decision making spaces and highlight benefits and advantages Pacific RTLB bring to their roles. The importance of support from senior management was indicated by all participants as a key factor in valuing, growing, and retaining "teachers, leaders, and educational professionals with diverse Pacific heritages".

This paper presents a qualitative pilot study program evaluation of the Leadership Initiative for Strategic (Bilingual) Teacher Acquisition (LISTA) program in a rural region of Texas. The LISTA program aimed to empower bilingual leaders in education by addressing the limited availability of leadership coaching, particularly tailored to recognize and affirm the cultural capital of Hispanic/Latino leaders. The sessions were organized and developed by an experienced leadership coach with a strong focus on equity and social justice in the education and nonprofit sectors. Through a methodology encompassing open-ended survey questions, focus groups, and reflective journals, this evaluation assesses the program's impact on the participants and explores their experiences and perspectives within the LISTA program. The findings shed light on the effectiveness and potential improvements of the program, providing valuable insights for future iterations.

Purpose: The challenges faced by universities in China have presented opportunities to enhance the leadership of educational leaders in universities. Little has been written about the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders in Chinese higher education (HE). The objective of this study is to provide an authentic understanding of 1) the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders as experienced by academic members, 2) experienced contextual factors related to the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders. Design: Qualitative research was conducted, and the perceptions of 13 academic members from nine universities in China were explored. Findings: This study revealed authoritarian leadership style was the most reported leadership style of the mid-level educational leaders, followed by transformational and transactional leadership styles. Participants suggested to minimise the adoption of authoritarian leadership style and to encourage the application of transformational leadership style. Regarding the factors that shape leadership style of mid-level educational leaders, this research supports the following factors: culture, organizational policies & administration, discipline, and incentive mechanism. Originality: We gained a deep understanding of the leadership styles of mid-level educational leaders and the contextual factors that shape the leadership styles in this study. The results can be conducive to future leadership training and to the mid-level educational leaders to create environments that facilitate the application of educational leadership practices.

Effective school leaders are essential to the success of the school environment. Teachers have left schools due to poor and ineffective campus leadership, but often do not report the reasons why they left or do not have a safe mechanism in place to support their claims and drive campus change. The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the perceptions of teachers who work in elementary, middle, and high schools in Texas on the qualities of ineffective principals and how these qualities affect teacher retention. Respondents in an open-ended survey reported that ineffective principals lacked character, professionalism, and ethics; exhibited poor leadership and management skills; did not practice active listening or effective communication; and lacked the capacity to develop and sustain a positive learning climate. From these findings, we offer recommendations for campus principals for improving their leadership and school climate to support and retain teachers.