Leadership preparation in China: participants perspectives

ABSTRACT

The concern about the quality of preservice preparation programs provided for new and aspiring principals in China have led to calls to evaluate current programs through participant perspectives. This paper addresses this research gap by reporting research with participants on one national training program in a Southern province of China. A mixed methods study has been conducted, including survey and interviews, to provide both quantitative and qualitative data. Documentary analysis, including relevant policies and program information, were also included as supplementary resources. The findings show that the program offered a wide- ranging learning spectrum for participants, including comprehensive knowledge construction and a variety of training approaches. It was, however, criticized by the participants for its limited attention to practice-based knowledge and skills, leading to modest engagement and motivation during the learning process and impact on practice. It is proposed that policy makers and researchers may need to develop a more comprehensive and longitudinal evaluation system, that includes participant feedback, to develop and improve existing school leadership preservice- preparation programs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Notes

1. MOE: Ministry of Education

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Education Sciences Planning Project for Young Scholar [CFA140141].

Notes on contributors

Sarah Shan Xue

Shan Xue is PhD in School of Education in the University of Nottingham. She is also responsible for teachers’ and principals’professional training all around China, including National Training Plans, Famous Principal Workshop, and Target Porverty Alleviation Training Plans for principals and teachers in underprivileged area in China. Her research interests are in the aspects of education leadership and management, including school effectiveness and improvement, principal preparation and development, and educational policy analysis. Email: [email protected]

Tony Bush

Tony Bush is Professor of Education in the School of Education in the University of Nottingham, UK. He is also responsible for liaison between the UK and Malaysia campuses for the School of Education. He has published more than 30 books, including his best-selling ‘Theories of Educational Leadership and Management’, which is now in its fourth edition, and more that 80 refereed journal articles. He is editor of the leading SSCI journal, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership (EMAL). He has been a consultant, external examiner or invited keynote speaker in more than 20 countries. Email: [email protected]