How Successful Secondary School Principals in England Respond to Policy Reforms: The Influence of Biography

Day, Christopher; Gu, Qing

Abstract

© 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This article examines how values embedded in the biographies of principals of successful schools influence their responses to systemic policy reforms. Drawing on examples from two secondary principals with similarly strong moral purposes but contrasting value positions, the research found that, despite differences in the cultures, practices, and students’ learning experiences in their schools, they directed and shaped—in remarkably similar ways—how and to what extent external policies were incorporated in preferred, values-led cultures and practices; and that leadership and school-improvement realities in their schools were different from those portrayed in “policy enactment” research in so-called “ordinary” schools.

Citation

Day, C., & Gu, Q. (2018). How Successful Secondary School Principals in England Respond to Policy Reforms: The Influence of Biography. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 17(3), 332-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2018.1496339

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 30, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 20, 2018
• Publication Date: Aug 20, 2018
• Deposit Date: Nov 7, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 9, 2018
• Journal: Leadership and Policy in Schools
• Print ISSN: 1570-0763
• Electronic ISSN: 1744-5043
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 332-344
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2018.1496339
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1221388
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15700763.2018.1496339
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=nlps20
• Contract Date: Nov 9, 2018