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The Hong Kong authorities have been As a hub for international education,
closely following the global trend of schools in Hong Kong have been facing
educational reforms and initiatives in increasing pressure to be accountable for
order to enhance and monitor principal what they have done ??these pressures
leadership effects on promoting flow mainly through quality assurance
teaching effectiveness (e.g., Hallinger & policies mandated by the state (Cheng,
Lee, 2013; Pan & Chen, 2011; Walker, 2009; Cheng & Walker, 2008; Ho, 2010;
Hu, & Qian, 2012). Within the shifting Law, Galton, & Wan, 2007; Walker, 2004).
educational reform environment in Hong To meet the accountability demands,
Kong, two broad issues that have stood there have been calls for ?tudies that
out ??the quality of principal leadership examine policy prescriptions??for
and school effects. As identified by the leadership on the basis of empirical
local studies, teacher professional evidence (Heck & Hallinger, 2009, p. 3).
classroom instruction contributes the However, recent local output focuses
most to what students learn in exclusively on the relationships between
school; and principal leadership on principal leadership and school
instructional management enhances improvement (e.g., Walker & Ko, 2011).
student academic achievement (Walker et When the impact of principal leadership
al., 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). and school capacity are addressed
synergistically, the researchers were more
Also due to the shifting education reforms interested in school improvement over
and pressing accountability environment, time (Ko, Hallinger, & Walker, 2012; Lee,
most schools are still hierarchical Walker, & Chui, 2012; Walker, Lee, &
structures typified by top?own Bryant, 2014). Intermediary targets,
bureaucracies and led by the principal such as teacher learning and teaching
solely. In some sense, the tension that directly affects student outcome, are
between the centralization tradition and seldom considered. Therefore exploration
decentralization tendency in schools into principal and school factors that link
hinders teachers??professionalism. It also to teacher professional learning, which
affects how teachers treat their affects student outcomes, will be
?orkplace autonomy and discretion?? practically insightful.
(Pang, 2010, p. 352; see also Ingersoll,
1994). Therefore, in investigation of
leadership effects and school capacity,
school context as well as policy context
should be considered.
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