Supporting instructional leadership and school improvement? Reflections on school supervision from a German perspective

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this contribution is to draw on several recent contributions from the Journal of Educational Administration to reflect on the relationship between school supervision and educational leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

The German context of school supervision was first laid out. A comparative analysis of all contributions was then performed against the backdrop of the German context.

Findings

One finding from the analysis of the relationship between school supervision and educational leadership from a German perspective is the need to have structures of (mandatory) further training and development in place at the level of school principalship and school supervision. These structures represent building blocks for capacity building and for shifting cultures over time. Without reliable vehicles of professional development for all concerned parties, both school supervisory authorities and principals risk staying stuck in old professional identities that no longer match their current missions or emergent national aspirations.

Originality/value

This paper sheds a light on the complex relationship between school supervision, school leadership and school performance. The findings from the papers analyzed for this paper point to issues which scholars have been pondering about for decades now: Can supervision and support be successfully implemented within one agency? How can a supervisory authority change its professional identity? What combination of supervision, support and space creates conditions favorable to successful educational leadership and school improvement?

Citation

Tulowitzki, P. (2019), "Supporting instructional leadership and school improvement? Reflections on school supervision from a German perspective", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 57 No. 5, pp. 571-581. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-03-2019-0040