School leader perception of control and professional learning decision-making influences.

Improving schooling outcomes is a preoccupation facing school leaders globally. At the heart of such an agenda is the school leader's capacity to make professional learning decisions that best support the professional learning needs of their teachers. Thus, this paper investigates the extent to which principals' control to make professional learning decisions for the teachers in their schools is influenced by confidence in their understanding of professional learning and by four decision-making influences. To achieve such ends, 73 principals who were members of a large state-based cross-sectorial professional association for school leaders accepted an invitation to be surveyed concerning professional learning for teachers in their school regarding control, confidence in understanding professional learning, accountability, organisational constraints and school system influences. Key among the findings were that principals' sense of control to provide their teachers with effective professional learning was positively predicted by three factors: their own engagement in ongoing professional learning; the experience of fewer organisational constraints; and confidence in their understanding of what constitutes efficacious professional learning. School system influences such as regional office priorities were found to predict a negative impact on control. The article concludes by offering three recommendations to improve principals' control regarding the provision of professional learning for their teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]