Pedagogical Coordination in Secondary Schools from a Distributed Perspective. Adaptation of the Distributed Leadership Inventory (DLI) in the Spanish Context

• Published in: Education sciences 2020-07, Vol.10 (7), p.175
• Main Authors: García-Martínez, Inmaculada, Tadeu, Pedro J. Arrifano, Ubago-Jiménez, José Luis, Brigas, Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; adaptation; Administrative Organization; Coordination; Cultural Context; Department Heads; distributed leadership; Educational Change; Educational Environment; Educational Improvement; Educational leadership; Evaluation; High Schools; Instructional Leadership; Job satisfaction; Leaders; Leadership; Leadership Effectiveness; Learning; Methods; pedagogical coordination; Pedagogy; Principals; Professional Identity; Psychological tests; Quality of Working Life; questionnaire; Questionnaires; Research Administration; Sampling; School environment; Secondary education; Secondary schools; Student Improvement; Studies; Study and teaching; Teacher Improvement; Teacher Qualifications; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 2227-7102; 2227-7102
• DOI: 10.3390/educsci10070175

Introduction: Leadership as the second factor in school improvement needs potential leaders to be effective. Method: The present study aimed to know the potential capacity of leaders in Spanish secondary schools through the adaptation of the DLI questionnaire to Spanish. To accurately adapt this questionnaire, the present research group conducted content validity processes in 2017, using the Delphi Method, in which eight experts from the Spanish Network for Research into Leadership and Academic Improvement were invited to participate (RILME). As part of a pilot test, preliminary tools were administered to 547 participants from secondary schools in Granada and Jaén (Spain). Results: The present study reports on the adaptation of the DLI instrument within the Spanish context. Acceptably high values were obtained in the analysis of reliability and internal consistency, suggesting that this item can be reliably utilised for the exploration of the dynamics of internal functioning in secondary education and the evaluation of the distribution of leadership characteristics. Conclusions: The pilot study highlights how heads of studies and department heads are potential leaders, making it easier to set up and sustain educational projects in schools.