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Becoming a Primary School Principal in Ireland: Deputy-Principalship As Preparation

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Becoming a Primary School Principal in Ireland: Deputy-Principalship As Preparation Becoming a Primary School Principal in Ireland: Deputy-Principalship as Preparation Derrick Grant A thesis submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Lincoln for the degree of: Doctor of Education – Education Leadership and Management Centre for Educational Research and Development, University of Lincoln 2013 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Howard Stevenson, for all his guidance and support, coupled with his patience and humour. I would also like to express a very special word of appreciation to Professor Emeritus Angela Thody for her invaluable help in shaping my study during the final stages of completion. Her support, guidance and comments came at a very important time on my research journey. I am very grateful to the twelve deputy-principals for taking the time and interest to make invaluable contributions to this thesis. The research could not have been completed without their willingness to reflect on their leadership role and career aspirations. Finally, I want to thank my wife, Amanda, who has come on this educational journey with me, undertaking her own doctoral research. We have met the challenges of the doctorate together, keeping each other grounded and focused through all the highs and lows. i Abstract This thesis investigated influences on primary school deputy-principals’ motivations to apply for principalship in the early twenty-first century in the Irish Republic. This required the exploration of both principals’ and deputy-principals’ roles in management and leadership to discover how better to prepare deputies to continue to the principalship. The research approach sat firmly within the qualitative paradigm, using semi-structured interviews with twelve primary deputy-principals exploring their construction of deputyship and principalship from their professional socialisation experiences. Findings revealed the complex relationship which exists between both roles and the extent to which the pervading school culture determines how much meaningful leadership opportunity is distributed beyond the principal. A major outcome of the study is a constructed knowledge of the nature and culture of Irish primary deputyship. Three new typologies of deputy-principalship provide a new perspective on the deputyship role, concluding that the gap in experiences and knowledge between deputyship and principalship is so great that energy should flow into the formation of formal, planned and structured preparation for a deputyship transition into principalship. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgements.............................................................................................................. i Abstract................................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents................................................................................................................. iii List of Figures...................................................................................................................... v List of Tables....................................................................................................................... v Abbreviations...................................................................................................................... vi Chapter One: Exploring the research dilemma and its rationale.......................... 1 Prologue............................................................................................... 1 Aims and research design of the study................................................. 3 The concept of distributed leadership.................................................. 7 Rationale............................................................................................... 9 Conclusion............................................................................................ 16 Chapter Two: Profiling deputyship and principalship: the literature................... 19 Introduction.......................................................................................... 19 The role of the deputy-principal........................................................... 20 The role of the principal....................................................................... 36 Conclusion............................................................................................ 46 Chapter Three: Motivating and preparing deputies for principalship: the literature.............................................................................................. 48 Introduction.......................................................................................... 48 Factors influencing deputy-principals’ motivation to apply for principalship......................................................................................... 48 Moving from deputy to principal: principalship preparation............... 70 Conclusion............................................................................................ 81 Chapter Four: Framing the research methodology.................................................. 83 Introduction.......................................................................................... 83 Philosophy and methodology............................................................... 83 Data collection...................................................................................... 90 The research sample........................................................ 90 Research instrument......................................................... 96 Data analysis......................................................................................... 100 Research quality................................................................................... 109 Ethics.................................................................................................... 112 Conclusion............................................................................................ 115 Chapter Five: Profiling deputyship and principalship: the research data............ 116 Introduction.......................................................................................... 116 Deputy-principals’ roles....................................................................... 116 Role perceptions.............................................................. 116 Preparation for deputyship............................................... 124 Positive and negative aspects of deputyship.................... 128 Principals’ roles.................................................................................... 133 Role perceptions.............................................................. 133 Positive and negative aspects of principalship................ 138 Conclusion............................................................................................ 143 iii Chapter Six: Motivating and preparing deputies for principalship: the research data....................................................................................... 145 Introduction.......................................................................................... 145 Preparing for principalship: motivation............................................... 146 Attractions........................................................................ 146 Disincentives.................................................................... 149 Preparing for principalship: training.................................................... 158 Desirable components...................................................... 165 Conclusion............................................................................................ 167 Chapter Seven: Towards a professionalised primary deputy-principalship............ 169 Introduction.......................................................................................... 169 Leadership roles, career motivation and preparation........................... 170 Nature and culture of Irish primary deputyship................................... 174 Emergent typologies of deputy-principalship...................................... 181 Towards a professional from of principalship preparation.................. 192 Epilogue................................................................................................ 202 Appendix 1: Interview schedule................................................................................ 206 Appendix 2: Information sheet for research study.................................................... 210 Appendix 3: Consent form........................................................................................ 211 Appendix 4: EA2 Ethical approval form: human research projects.......................... 212 References............................................................................................................................ 217 iv List of Figures Figure 2.1 Conceptualising ‘Role’: Katz and Kahn’s (1966, 438) framework..... 30 Figure 4.1 Formulating interview questions with Ireland’s primary deputies, 2011...................................................................................................... 98 Figure 4.2 Data analysis process for research into Ireland’s primary deputies, 2011 (Braun and Clarke, 2006, 87)...................................................... 102 Figure 7.1 Principalship preparation framework for deputy-principals in Irish primary schools, 2013.........................................................................
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