Session Information
26 SES 09 A, School Leadership and Student Achievement: Cross Cultural Perspectives
Symposium
Contribution
ECER abstract University of Tartu Estonian School Heads Time Spent for Different Activities Hasso Kukemelk School heads have a key role in running educational institutions efficiently. Several studies indicate that school heads are often overloaded and lack of time for leadership can be one of the reasons for poor decisions and a none conducive school climate (e.g. Hendriks & Scheerens, 2013; Türk, Haldma, Kukemelk, Ploom, Irs & Pukkonen, 2011). School heads are the target group for school improvement in Estonia for the coming years according to national developmental plans. School heads have a high level of autonomy in Estonia and this is reflected in their responsibility for school efficiency and climate (Kukemelk & Lillemaa, 2010). Therefore heads are under high public pressure from the media and administrative pressure from the school system. This creates a large list of duties and responsibilities to fulfil and effective time management is a crucial skill. A study of school heads and deputies across Estonia examined their activities and related time allocation. An electronic questionnaire (partly 5-point Likert type scale and partly respondents’ evaluations of time spent on activities in their last working week) was developed (based and adopted from Stephan Huber’s earlier study carried out in German language speaking countries). All heads and deputies from lower and upper secondary schools were asked to respond by e-mail through school heads lists. This was repeated twice. Data was collected from the total population of 400 such schools in December 2014, with more than 300 responses. Descriptive statistics of the study and comparisons of different groups (heads from lower secondary to upper secondary, heads from rural area to heads from towns, heads with short experience in the position to heads with extensive experience, heads from small schools to large ones, etc.) will be discussed in the conference presentation along with conclusions of the study and suggestions for school improvement.
References
Hendriks, M. A. & Scheerens, J. (2013). School leadership effects revisited: a review of empirical studies guided by indirect-effect models. School Leadership & Management, Vol. 33( 4), 373-394 Kukemelk, H.; Lillemaa, T. (2010). Some school management issues in Estonia. Šventickas, A.; Dukšinska, O.; Kukemelk, H. (Ed-s.). Mokyklu Vadybos Tobulinimas Baltijos Regione/Development of School Management in the Baltic Region. Vilnius: Vilnius Pedagogical University, 116 - 120 Türk, K.; Haldma, T.; Kukemelk, H.; Ploom, K.; Irs, R.; Pukkonen, L. (2011). Üldharidus- ja kutsekoolide tulemuslikkus ja seda mõjutavad tegurid. Tartu: Tartu Ülikool, 424p.
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