Looking back and forward: a critical review of the history and future progress of the ISSPP

PurposeThe purpose of the article is to examine knowledge about successful principalship and discuss the methodology that has emerged throughout the history of the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP) and their implications for future progress.Design/methodology/approachHistori...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of educational administration 2022-01, Vol.60 (1), p.5-20
Main Authors: Gunnulfsen, Ann Elisabeth, Jensen, Ruth, Møller, Jorunn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Administrator Effectiveness
Case studies
Context Effect
Cultural Differences
Educational History
Educational leadership
Educational Research
Foreign Countries
Instructional Leadership
Leadership Styles
Outcomes of Education
Parent Participation
Principals
Researchers
School principals
Socioeconomic Status
Students
Success
Values
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Summary:PurposeThe purpose of the article is to examine knowledge about successful principalship and discuss the methodology that has emerged throughout the history of the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP) and their implications for future progress.Design/methodology/approachHistorical analysis is used as a strategy for establishing the background, the expansion and the progress of ISSPP as a long-standing international research network and to discuss the development of three research strands and methodological variations over time. The analysis provides a basis for pointing at some areas that need more attention in the future.FindingsThe findings suggest multiple images of the meaning of key concepts in the project and multiple theoretical and methodological orientations. There is a need to pay more attention to methodologies to make the successful cases more comparable and also to clarify the underlying assumptions of the different approaches.Originality/valueSuccessful school principalship is a complex phenomenon. Therefore, future studies of successful schools and leadership would benefit from the use of knowledge that draws on sociology, cultural studies and politics.
ISSN:0957-8234
1758-7395
DOI:10.1108/JEA-04-2021-0088