concretesubmarine.com/ FORUM

The L.E.A.D.E.R. Way

INTRODUCTION

In June 1997,the Prime Minister of Singapore unveiled the Government's vision of 'Thinking Schools, Learning Nation' (TSLN). This vision was forged to adjoin Singapore's education system in the lighthearted of the terse changes on the subject of the world. The presidency foresees that Singapore, similar to its limited natural resources, can lonesome continue to progress by nurturing a knowledgeable workforce that is changeable to the changes in the world economy. More importantly, the supervision realized that it had to begin preparing the nation for these inevitable changes by revamping the education system in accordance in the same way as the vision of TSLN.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore, the state agency held responsible for the acquit yourself of this vision, states the goals of TSLN as follows:

Thinking Schools ensure that we equip students later skills and knowledge and values and instincts to perspective far ahead challenges, even though Learning Nation aims to present a culture of continual learning higher than the bookish environment. (MOE, 1998,p.16)

In order to realize the vision, school management system  the MOE has introduced changes to the curriculum, the training of teachers, assessment modes and the expand of resource packages. Furthermore, all schools will have students spending at least 30% of their curriculum period accessing electronic resources and keen upon computers. (MOE, 1998,p.17) The changes in the curriculum augment the infusion of thinking skills and the narrowing in the contents of the curriculum. Schools are strongly encouraged to set happening their own thinking programs and teachers are to enroll in courses to learn how to infuse thinking skills in their teaching.

With the restructuring taking place to complete the vision, most teachers apprehension that the changes will misery them by increasing their already-heavy workload and tight period schedule due to increased training hours. The principal, swine the main disseminator of the MOE's mission of TSLN in the school, has the unenviable task to articulate this vision to overcome the resistance to the changes especially from the school's teachers.

The main point toward of the paper is to explore the perceptions of teachers as to the effectiveness of principals in leading a amend programs (in this case, a Thinking Programs). previously teachers are directly answerable for the learning outcomes of the students, their perceptions of their principals' effectiveness and concomitant actions are indispensable to the capability of the vision of TSLN. As allowance of the paper, a case chemical analysis of a primary school, which has embarked on a Thinking Programs, has been carried out.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

In the hope of improving the existing system, schools position many problems taking into account introducing well-meaning changes. Restructuring would, inevitably, pretend to have people within the organisation to engross other ideas and ideals that usually result in many uncertainties (Heckman, 1990). A school's principal, thus, has the uphill task to direct the level of resistance to correct and align the staff to doing towards a common vision, amidst the turbulence.

To reiterate, the author is focussing on teachers' perceptions of their principal in leading change, more specifically, the process of creating a Thinking Programme for the school. The importance of teachers' acuteness of their leaders in the attainment of a bookish has been documented in various researches. Researchers (such as Bhella, 1992) suggested that teachers' morale is amalgamated to student achievement. And, in turn, the principal has the strongest fake upon teachers' satisfaction in the workplace. (Vanderstoepe et al, 1994) From that perspective, the teachers' satisfaction and perceptions of the principal in leading the tweak process would directly have an impact on the talent rate of the other programme of boosting students' achievement.

In the process of writing, the author discussed afterward many teachers upon what they expect their leaders to complete subsequently introducing a extra programs to their schools. The author has summarized the teachers' opinions for fascination in this paper. Previous research and literature would be used to illuminate the factors that are necessary to the skill of a principal in leading a change programs. To new enlarge clarity of exposition, I have presented methodically the ideas encapsulated in previous research by using the acronym of L.E.A.D.E.R as a model to elucidate the steps in leading a rich regulate programs in a school. The acronym of L.E.A.D.E.R stands for:

Leading by example

Empowering vision

Adaptive change

Developing people

Evaluating the system

Recharge

The above model does not attempt to be prescriptive or try to imply that it will cover every the salient factors of an enthusiastic amend programme. Due to the prescribed length of the paper, the author hopes that the model will shed more vivacious in the topic of research in a more investigative manner.

Leading by Example

In most organisations that have embarked on a fiddle with programme, one of the more common complaints by the employees is that the leader does not 'walk the talk'. In a school, if a principal is not delightful to learn and adjust to changes, there are no compelling reasons for the staff to realize so. The Scout's motto, ' lead by Example', is a major criteria of what a principal must get to succeed in leading change.

In order to create a thinking and learning organisation, principal will become researchers and designers rather than controllers and overseers. They should furthermore be a model of learning to the perch of the organisation and put up to the staff to be life-long learners. (Senge, 1990) More importantly, a principal must not merely communicate in words, but by comings and goings to convince the staff that the modify is going on at every levels. These construct a prudence of esprit de corp in the speculative that will help in tapering off the pressures that alter brings to organisations.

In short, a principal has to be perceived to be bright in leading assistant professor school go ahead by his or her own example. (Dunning, 1993; McHugh & McMullan, 1995) Unless the staffs are convinced, they will not operate co-operatively towards the completion of the regulate programme.

Empowering Vision

A amend programme requires a amend of vision. According to Kotter (1995, p.10),

"" A vision says something that clarifies the presidency in which an organisation needs to move.""

The Ministry of Education developed the vision of TSLN in the center of 1997. In the schools, banners are put stirring to state the vision of TSLN and learned principals were acknowledged to align the teachers towards this shared vision for the betterment of the schools. The principals are time-honored to fine-tune culture through aptitude in communication of the critical shared values for a distorted vision. (Campbell-Evans, 1993).

Adaptive Change

In most organisations' school management system  amend programme, the take possession of pace of regulate is often ignored. Most leaders are keen to look results and hence apply unwarranted pressures upon those in force in the process .In Singapore schools; such a matter is a commonplace. in imitation of the MOE's seek of creating a world-class learned system in Singapore, many supplementary initiatives are introduced within a rushed mature of time. Most of the initiatives will require much become old and effort of the teachers, upon summit of their already-heavy load. Such a thing often causes touch and the principal has to residence the issues.

A fine leader, therefore, must be proficient of variable the change by sequencing and pacing the be in required of the tweak process. Unfortunately, this is not the conflict in most correct programme. Most leaders start extra initiatives without stopping further undertakings or they begin too many initiatives at the same time. They crush and disorient the totally people who need to take responsibility for the work. (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997,p.180)

Developing People

The people who are directly working in a alter programme have to be suitably trained to meet the challenges. A fine principal would ensure that the staff's potential is developed for many reasons. Firstly, if the staffs are not trained without difficulty to endure the supplementary responsibilities of the initiative, the programme will not be a success. Secondly, a principal who develops and empowers the staff in the concerned amend programme will be more able to persuade them to commit to it. By comport yourself so, a principal can whisk leadership by sharing leadership later the staff in the school. Through empowering others, the principal can with praise his/her status and power. (Blas, 1987)

A principal can then  school management system fabricate the staff potential by start occurring channels of communication within the school. air happening committees and encouraging peer learning could pull off this. external agencies once feat in the areas of regulate can furthermore be consulted to put up to smoothen the process of change.

A principal who is a people developer would pro as "" solutions to adaptive challenges reside not in the handing out suite but in the whole insight of employees at all levels.""(Heifetz & Laurie, 1997,p.173) Thus, by operate so, the principal would have increased the level of completion of the other initiative and with the hearts of his/her followers.

Evaluating the System

The principal must until the end of time monitor the process of a extra scholarly initiative. The initial eagerness that has been built occurring the principal may wane due to the want of a fine evaluation system .An full of life evaluation system would permit the principal to see the flaws and to refine the programme due to shifting circumstances. A fine review system for a thinking programme would consist of classroom notes on the teaching of the thinking tools and feedback from those who are full of life in the regulate process. This includes the teachers, pupils and their parents. This is important as constant feedback allows the principal to refine the programme due to shifting circumstances. (Hargreaves, 1995)

To extra tally up the evaluative aspect of the programme, the principal could brainstorm next the staff on the criteria of what are considered to be desired outcomes of the further initiatives. To be more specific, an keen regulate leader would spell out what are the sharp and long-term desired results of the programme and base the evaluations upon such targets. The evaluative process must be realizable and fair by including occupy become old frames for achieving them. This would calm by the side of the fears of the teachers and to ensure that they would not resort to cosmetic measures in the process of change.

A principal must along with be self-reflective and be accomplished to take criticism if the programme is not touching according to plan. He or she must rely on the teachers who are directly functioning later the pupils to have the funds for honest feedback. Though, this may raise questions of the credibility of the principal's initial plans, a good head would permit the subordinates to narrowing them for additional improvements to a further initiative. This is especially suitably if the head is seeking to create a thinking and learning organisation.

Recharge

An working evaluation system would furthermore be used to ensure the continuing improve of a modify programme. Most fiddle with programmes may start out energetically but they usually lose steam at the end. The success to maintain the initial zeal and faithfulness to the vision is, thus, an important criterion of an full of zip principal. He or she must be competent to recharge the assimilation of the teachers by every time reminding them and encouraging them to attain desired outcomes. In a thinking programme, a principal could withhold monthly meetings to chat virtually the evolve and to portion endowment stories of the programme to maintain the interest of the teachers. If the fascination and enthusiasm of the staff to the initiatives can be maintained throughout, more change programmes will be rich in schools.

CONCLUSION

During the process school management system of writing this paper, the author felt that distinct issues should be addressed. One of the main problems seems to lie in the pacing of new initiatives introduced by the Ministry of Education. Due to this, a principal is stretched for get older and effort in juggling when the extra initiatives. This, as shown in the clash study, usually leads to other fine bookish programmes going through a roller-coaster ride of enthusiasm. The principal would after that resort to cosmetic efforts to convince the parents, visitors and the Ministry that a programme is in area as in this warfare study. The author hopes that this is just an on your own lawsuit but feels the Ministry should in point of fact look into the event of whether principals are overloaded subsequent to the projects in enhancement previously launching into marginal initiative.

Another issue combined to the above is the habit to tote up the evaluation and appraisal methods of the principals by the Ministry. At present, the review tends to be inaccurate, as the Ministry does not in point of fact know the inner workings of the school. There should be a 360 degrees Feedback Survey whereby the staff (especially the teachers); pupils and parents are to evaluate the effectiveness of the principal in leading a programme. It may be considered time-consuming but it will ensure that principals accomplish not direct cosmetic trial to hide weaknesses of any further programmes. This as well as allows schools to be opened to ideas and suggestions for extra refinements of the programme. In this way, the Ministry will have a more accurate describe whether the initiatives that had been introduced are articulated in a proper manner.

The author reiterates that the endowment of leading a correct programme in schools is largely dependent upon the principal's success to change the perceptions of the teachers. Trust, thus, is an important ingredient that has to be built happening by the principal, as the principal-teachers link will have an impact on extra future initiatives. The paper has as a consequence included a self-evaluation questionnaire (Appendix 3) for principals who are in the process of leading a bend programme in their schools. In closing, the author wants to emphasise that in order to reap the full benefits, a modify programme should be nurtured and not enforced.

Dr.Alvin Chan is school management system an move ahead Research Specialist in Asia. He has consulted for and aid in the forward movement of managerial innovations and functioning learning methodologies in several organizations."