TRANSFORMING THE LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS USING A BLENDED LEADERSHIP MODEL

Principals are responsible for ensuring and enhancing the quality of schools. As such, many previous scholars have examined the role of the principal and the role professional development plays in the professionalization of aspiring and established principals. The effective school movement heavily influenced the role of the principal and gave birth to the instructional leadership model. Practices and policies of school districts were realigned in hopes that effective instructional leaders with deep knowledge of the instructional curriculum would be able to analyze data and use the data to address root causes that impact student learning. The instructional leadership model continues to influence policy, research, principal preparation programs, practices, and management even today. In the era of school reform, another educational leadership model has emerged—transformational leadership—which has caused the role of the principal to embrace the theory of change. Few principal preparation programs have merged these two leadership models and prepared principals with the knowledge of the practices associated with both models. The researcher utilized a mixed methods design to analyze qualitative and quantitative data on principals’ perceptions and beliefs regarding practices in each model based on the use of professional development sessions that embodied instructional and transformational leadership practices. The findings suggest principal professional development programs that focus on both models can reshape how principals are prepared to lead school organizations