Strategic leadership and school reform in Taiwan

Abstract

This article examines school leadership in the context of Taiwanese educational reform since the mid-1990s. The goal of the inquiry is twofold: to explore the conflicts that school administrators have confronted in facilitating school reform and to analyze the strategic and innovative leadership practices that have facilitated improvements in school effectiveness in Taiwan. A case study of a secondary school is used to illustrate how leadership efforts can move schools forward to achieve a balanced transformation. The research lasted 3 years. The school principal and 15 other participants were interviewed. This case study revealed 4 themes of strategic leadership in coping with the conflicts accompanying school reform in Taiwan: (1) educational values, (2) timeframe for change, (3) capacity building, and (4) community involvement. Three of the school's program initiatives are described and analyzed in detail in order to illustrate the dynamic relation between strategic leadership practices and the goal of school transformation.

Keywords:

• educational leadership
• school principals
• school improvement
• educational reform
• Taiwan

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the National Science Council in Taiwan for funding this project. I wish to thank the principal, teachers, staff, and parents who participated in this research and kindly shared their ideas and experiences with me. I also thank the two referees for insightful comments that improved the manuscript. Special thanks go to Joel Stocker and my research assistant, Minxu Chan, for their support in completing this article.

Notes

1. Chinese paternalistic leadership can be categorized into three types of leadership behavior: authoritarian, moral, and benevolent. These three styles of traditional leadership are embedded in the cultural practices of Confucianism. Authoritarian leadership has its root in Chinese imperial rule and politicized Confucianism, emphasizing centralized power and legal authority, as well as tactics of control. Moral leadership is based in cultural Confucianism and emphasizes governance by virtue, moral example, and propriety. Benevolent leadership originates from the Confucian ideal type of the ruler and superior, who shows caring, kindness, and gentleness to subordinates in exchange for their loyalty and obedience. The norm of reciprocity is enacted by such an exchange (Cheng et al., 2002).