What makes a good senior secondary school?

Abstract

Identifies characteristics of good senior secondary schools when defined as those providing post‐school options for students. The most successful schools were found to be the larger independent girls’ schools with predominantly transformational leadership practices that promoted positive teacher perceptions of school organisation and of students’ learning, attitudes, and school involvement. Path analysis was used to test a model of school effectiveness involving seven variables: sector, type size, and teacher views of leadership effects, school and student effects. The impact on school performance of school leadership and teachers’ strong sense of involvement in curriculum planning, teacher development and school culture was indirect and mediated through teachers’ assessment of students’ participation in learning and students’ attitudes to school. Raises issues about the purposes of schooling and the appropriateness of selected outcome measures as a basis for judging what makes a good school.

Citation

Silins, H.C. and Murray‐Harvey, R. (1999), "What makes a good senior secondary school?", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 329-345. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578239910285570