Developing primary leadership in England: adopting an interpretivist perspective

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the perceptions of primary school leaders about the efficacy of the National College programmes. The findings from six contextually different primary schools reveal that the programmes were perceived to have exerted the least influence on school leaders' personality change and pupil outcomes because many generalised programmes discount schools' contextual complexity and phase difference. It also identifies the gaps among the government initiatives; and between the positivist and interpretivist paradigms adopted in the field. The evidence suggests that the College should work collaboratively with higher educational institutions (HEIs) to encourage research activities and support knowledge creation.

Keywords:

• National College
• leadership development
• context
• phase