The Link between Distributed Leadership and Educational Outcomes: An Overview of Research
School leadership is commonly considered to have a
significant influence on school effectiveness and improvement.
Effective school leaders are expected to successfully introduce and
support change and innovation at the school unit. Despite an
abundance of studies on educational leadership, very few studies
have provided evidence on the link between leadership models, and
specific educational and school outcomes. This is true of a popular
contemporary approach to leadership, namely, distributed leadership.
The paper provides an overview of research findings on the effect of
distributed leadership on educational outcomes. The theoretical basis
for this approach to leadership is presented, with reference to
methodological and research limitations. The paper discusses
research findings and draws their implications for educational
research on school leadership.
[1] C. A. Gibb, "Leadership," in Handbook of Social Psychology, G.
Lindzey, Ed. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, pp. 877-917.
[2] A. Harris, K. Leithwood, C. Day, P. Sammons, and D. Hopkins,
"Distributed leadership and organizational change: Reviewing the
evidence," Journal of Educational Change, vol. 8, pp. 337-347, 2007.
[3] P. Gronn, "Distributed properties: A new architecture for leadership,"
Educational Management Administration and Leadership, vol. 28, pp.
317-338, 2000.
[4] V. M. J. Robinson, "Forging the links between distributed leadership
and educational outcomes," Journal of Educational Administration, vol.
46, pp. 241-256, 2008.
[5] J. P. Spillane, R. Halverson, and J. B. Diamond, "Towards a theory of
leadership practice: A distributed perspective," Journal of Curriculum
Studies, vol. 36, pp. 3-34, 2004.
[6] J. P. Spillane, Distributed Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass,
2006.
[7] J. P. Spillane, and J. B. Diamond, Distributed Leadership in Practice.
New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2007.
[8] P. Gronn, "Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis," Leadership
Quarterly, vol. 13, pp. 423-451, 2002a.
[9] P. Gronn, "Distributed leadership," in Second International Handbook of
Educational Leadership and Administration, K. Leithwood and P.
Hallinger, Eds. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002b, pp.
653-696.
[10] P. Gronn, "Distributing and intensifying school leadership," in
Rethinking Educational Leadership: Challenging the Conventions, N.
Bennett, and L. Anderson, Eds. London: Sage, pp. 60-73.
[11] P. Gronn, "The future of distributed leadership," Journal of Educational
Administration, vol. 46, pp. 141-158, 2008.
[12] H. S. Timperley, "Distributed leadership: Developing theory from
practice," Journal of Curriculum Studies, vol. 37, pp. 395-420, 2005.
[13] D. Mayrowetz, "Making sense of distributed leadership: Exploring the
multiple usages of the concept in the field," Educational Administration
Quarterly, vol. 4, pp. 424-435, 2008.
[14] P. A. Woods, N. Bennett, J. A. Harvey, and C. Wise, "Variabilities and
dualities in distributed leadership: Findings from a systematic literature
review," Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, vol.
32, pp. 439-457, 2004.
[15] K. Leithwood, and D. Jantzi, "The relative effects of principal and
teacher sources of leadership on student engagement with school,"
Educational Administration Quarterly, vol. 35, pp. 679-706, 1999.
[16] K. Leithwood, and D. Jantzi, "The effects of different sources of
leadership on student engagement in school," in, Leadership for Change
and School Reform, K. Riley, and K. Louis, Eds. London: Routledge,
2000, pp. 50-66.
[17] H. Sillins, and W. Mulford, Leadership and School Results. Dordrecht,
The Netherlands: Kluwer, 2002.
[18] K. Leithwood, and B. Mascall, "Collective leadership effects on student
achievement," Educational Administration Quarterly, vol. 44, pp. 529-
561, 2008.
[19] J. Spillane, and J. Zoltners Sherer, "A distributed perspective on school
leadership: Leadership practice as stretched over people and place,"
Paper presented at The Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, San Diego, CA, Apr. 2004.
[20] A. Harris, and D. Muijs, Improving Schools through Teacher
Leadership. London: Open University Press, 2004.
[21] A. Harris, Distributed School Leadership: Developing Tomorrow-s
Leaders. London: Routledge, 2008.
[22] B. Mascall, K. Leithwood, T. Straus, and R. Sacks, "The relationship
between distributed leadership and teachers- academic optimism,"
Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 46, pp. 214-228, 2008.
[23] H. Hulpia, and G. Devos, "How distributed leadership can make a
difference in teachers- organizational commitment? A qualitative study,"
Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 26, pp. 565-575, 2010.
[24] H. Hulpia, G. Devos, and Y. Rosseel, "Development and validation of
scores on the distributed leadership inventory," Educational and
Psychological Measurement, vol. XX, pp. 1-22, 2009.
[25] W. K. Hoy, and C. G. Miskel, Educational Administration: Theory,
Research and Practice, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.
[26] P. Hallinger, "Leading educational change: Reflections on the practice
of instructional and transformational leadership," Cambridge Journal of
Education, vol. 33, pp. 329-351, 2003.
[1] C. A. Gibb, "Leadership," in Handbook of Social Psychology, G.
Lindzey, Ed. Cambridge, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1954, pp. 877-917.
[2] A. Harris, K. Leithwood, C. Day, P. Sammons, and D. Hopkins,
"Distributed leadership and organizational change: Reviewing the
evidence," Journal of Educational Change, vol. 8, pp. 337-347, 2007.
[3] P. Gronn, "Distributed properties: A new architecture for leadership,"
Educational Management Administration and Leadership, vol. 28, pp.
317-338, 2000.
[4] V. M. J. Robinson, "Forging the links between distributed leadership
and educational outcomes," Journal of Educational Administration, vol.
46, pp. 241-256, 2008.
[5] J. P. Spillane, R. Halverson, and J. B. Diamond, "Towards a theory of
leadership practice: A distributed perspective," Journal of Curriculum
Studies, vol. 36, pp. 3-34, 2004.
[6] J. P. Spillane, Distributed Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass,
2006.
[7] J. P. Spillane, and J. B. Diamond, Distributed Leadership in Practice.
New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2007.
[8] P. Gronn, "Distributed leadership as a unit of analysis," Leadership
Quarterly, vol. 13, pp. 423-451, 2002a.
[9] P. Gronn, "Distributed leadership," in Second International Handbook of
Educational Leadership and Administration, K. Leithwood and P.
Hallinger, Eds. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002b, pp.
653-696.
[10] P. Gronn, "Distributing and intensifying school leadership," in
Rethinking Educational Leadership: Challenging the Conventions, N.
Bennett, and L. Anderson, Eds. London: Sage, pp. 60-73.
[11] P. Gronn, "The future of distributed leadership," Journal of Educational
Administration, vol. 46, pp. 141-158, 2008.
[12] H. S. Timperley, "Distributed leadership: Developing theory from
practice," Journal of Curriculum Studies, vol. 37, pp. 395-420, 2005.
[13] D. Mayrowetz, "Making sense of distributed leadership: Exploring the
multiple usages of the concept in the field," Educational Administration
Quarterly, vol. 4, pp. 424-435, 2008.
[14] P. A. Woods, N. Bennett, J. A. Harvey, and C. Wise, "Variabilities and
dualities in distributed leadership: Findings from a systematic literature
review," Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, vol.
32, pp. 439-457, 2004.
[15] K. Leithwood, and D. Jantzi, "The relative effects of principal and
teacher sources of leadership on student engagement with school,"
Educational Administration Quarterly, vol. 35, pp. 679-706, 1999.
[16] K. Leithwood, and D. Jantzi, "The effects of different sources of
leadership on student engagement in school," in, Leadership for Change
and School Reform, K. Riley, and K. Louis, Eds. London: Routledge,
2000, pp. 50-66.
[17] H. Sillins, and W. Mulford, Leadership and School Results. Dordrecht,
The Netherlands: Kluwer, 2002.
[18] K. Leithwood, and B. Mascall, "Collective leadership effects on student
achievement," Educational Administration Quarterly, vol. 44, pp. 529-
561, 2008.
[19] J. Spillane, and J. Zoltners Sherer, "A distributed perspective on school
leadership: Leadership practice as stretched over people and place,"
Paper presented at The Annual Meeting of the American Educational
Research Association, San Diego, CA, Apr. 2004.
[20] A. Harris, and D. Muijs, Improving Schools through Teacher
Leadership. London: Open University Press, 2004.
[21] A. Harris, Distributed School Leadership: Developing Tomorrow-s
Leaders. London: Routledge, 2008.
[22] B. Mascall, K. Leithwood, T. Straus, and R. Sacks, "The relationship
between distributed leadership and teachers- academic optimism,"
Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 46, pp. 214-228, 2008.
[23] H. Hulpia, and G. Devos, "How distributed leadership can make a
difference in teachers- organizational commitment? A qualitative study,"
Teaching and Teacher Education, vol. 26, pp. 565-575, 2010.
[24] H. Hulpia, G. Devos, and Y. Rosseel, "Development and validation of
scores on the distributed leadership inventory," Educational and
Psychological Measurement, vol. XX, pp. 1-22, 2009.
[25] W. K. Hoy, and C. G. Miskel, Educational Administration: Theory,
Research and Practice, 9th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2013.
[26] P. Hallinger, "Leading educational change: Reflections on the practice
of instructional and transformational leadership," Cambridge Journal of
Education, vol. 33, pp. 329-351, 2003.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:51403", author = "Maria Eliophotou Menon", title = "The Link between Distributed Leadership and Educational Outcomes: An Overview of Research", abstract = "School leadership is commonly considered to have a
significant influence on school effectiveness and improvement.
Effective school leaders are expected to successfully introduce and
support change and innovation at the school unit. Despite an
abundance of studies on educational leadership, very few studies
have provided evidence on the link between leadership models, and
specific educational and school outcomes. This is true of a popular
contemporary approach to leadership, namely, distributed leadership.
The paper provides an overview of research findings on the effect of
distributed leadership on educational outcomes. The theoretical basis
for this approach to leadership is presented, with reference to
methodological and research limitations. The paper discusses
research findings and draws their implications for educational
research on school leadership.", keywords = "Distributed leadership, educational outcomes,
leadership research.", volume = "7", number = "1", pages = "39-5", }