MURAL - Maynooth University Research Archive Library



    Two ‘Heads’ Are Better Than One An Examination and Analysis of the Role of the Deputy Principal in Irish Primary Schools.


    Allen, Terence (2004) Two ‘Heads’ Are Better Than One An Examination and Analysis of the Role of the Deputy Principal in Irish Primary Schools. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.

    [img]
    Preview
    Download (2MB) | Preview


    Share your research

    Twitter Facebook LinkedIn GooglePlus Email more...



    Add this article to your Mendeley library


    Abstract

    This study examines and analyses the role o f the deputy principal in Irish Primary Schools in the building o f professional learning communities in the school. It focuses on what functions or tasks have been “assigned” to or negotiated with the deputy principal to improve teacher efficacy and student learning. It examines the extent to which the deputy principal and the principal are mutually supportive o f each other and other colleagues in the sustainability o f the school as a learning organisation. Twelve deputy principals from different types and size o f primary school took part in a series o f individual semi structured interviews with the researcher. The evidence from this was further corroborated by two focus groups o f principals. As the subtitle suggests a key finding is that in coping with the management o f complex change in schools today, too much responsibility cannot be left in the one ‘head’, the principal. By sharing leadership responsibility with the other ‘head’, the deputy principal this will facilitate sustainability and continuity thereby contributing to overall school effectiveness. Thus the leadership role for the deputy with the principal is similar and shared rather than separate. The overall rationale simply being that “two ‘heads’ are better than one”.

    Item Type: Thesis (Masters)
    Keywords: Deputy Principal; Irish Primary Schools;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > Education
    Item ID: 5268
    Depositing User: IR eTheses
    Date Deposited: 01 Aug 2014 13:50
    URI:
      Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

      Repository Staff Only(login required)

      View Item Item control page

      Downloads

      Downloads per month over past year

      Origin of downloads