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This article reports on the third phase of a larger study that explored the perceptions of teachers about distributed leadership practices for inclusive education (IE) in primary schools involved in IE reform in Bangladesh. The Distributed Leadership Practice for Inclusive Education scale was developed specifically for this study to collect data. P...
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... other words, IE was considered as the third component (i.e. situation) of the practice aspect of distributed leadership (see Figure 1). Depending on the activity or situation, school staff can move in and out of leadership and management roles ( Spillane and Healey 2010), and this supports leadership practices to take a shape ( Pitts and Spillane 2009). ...
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In this study an attempt was made to investigate perceptions of parents and teachers on partnerships in the learning of children with and without disabilities in inclusive primary schools. The sample comprised 152 parents and teachers drawn from urban, peri-urban and rural schools. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was used in t...
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... On the one hand, while there have been few explorations on the effects of distributed leadership on such inclusive teaching practices as DI, relatively sufficient empirical evidence suggested positive connections between distributed leadership and different school organizational variables that may motivate educators' pedagogical improvement, including teacher leadership for inclusion, school supportive climate, faculty collaboration, teacher work engagement, and teacher efficacy [11,[33][34][35]. On the other hand, in the field of inclusive schooling, Mullick et al. found that distributed leadership for inclusive education elevates the level at which educators become satisfied with their school working settings [36]. Those with higher satisfaction are more inclined to teach inclusively with more frequent use of DI. ...
Despite the clear worldwide school inclusion initiative, translating the widely embraced notions of inclusive education into differentiated teaching practice has been recognized as a common difficulty. Based on replies from 780 educators in inclusive schools in Beijing, China, this study explored how distributed leadership contributes to teachers’ use of differentiated teaching, the mediation role of teacher leadership for inclusion, and teachers’ professional competencies of inclusive education. The results suggest that principals’ distributed leadership directly influences teachers’ employment of differentiated instruction. Teacher leadership for inclusion and professional competencies of inclusive education play a serial mediating role in the relationship between distributed principalship and teachers’ use of differentiated instruction. Implications for implementing inclusive practices were further discussed.
... This perspective expands the sources of leadership beyond the principal to include multiple individuals, such as classroom teachers and administrators, without formal authority. The leadership practice is shaped by the actions and interactions of all those involved in problem-solving and developmental work (Mullick, Sharma, and Deppeler 2013). According to Harris (2005), distributed leadership has three key features: it focuses on the practice itself rather than leadership functions or outcomes, emphasises relationships and interactions among people, and concentrates on the contextual conditions in which schools operate, as these factors shape and influence how distributed leadership manifests in schools. ...
... Distributed leadership framework (adapted fromMullick, Sharma, and Deppeler 2013). ...
This study employs social network analysis (SNA) to identify influential individuals and their communication patterns within Chinese schools in Wenzhou. The research also aims to reveal communication and advice-seeking patterns that significantly impact the overall distributed leadership structure and practices within the schools. The study employed a multistage random sampling method to select eight Chinese schools from Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. A total of 276 teachers completed a Social Network Survey (SNS) questionnaire, and UCINET Software was utilised to analyse the network data. The study found that each school exhibited a unique centrality, density, and reciprocity, leading to different key actors. Network properties demonstrated some associations with leadership distributions, with centrality being particularly prominent. Limited communication between principals and teachers was observed, which could potentially impact the distribution of leadership. This study provides valuable insights into the social dynamics of key players and groups within the network of the selected schools in China. The research introduces social network analysis as an alternative method for identifying the leadership practice structure in the school domain. By measuring the overall cohesion and fragmentation of the network, the study reveals the flow of information and influence between individuals.
... Meanwhile, only a few studies have taken the influences of DL on the development of inclusive education into account, and the findings are mixed. For instance, Mullick et al. claimed that DL practices for inclusive education positively affect teachers' satisfaction with the implementation of inclusive education policy [42]. Nevertheless, Miškolci et al. pointed out that the achievement of inclusive education goals is hampered by DL within certain conditions, especially when leadership was distributed to teachers who hold disapproving attitudes towards inclusion [43]. ...
... First, this present study suggested that principal DL practices have exerted significant direct influences on teacher efficacy for inclusive practices. This finding offers quantitative evidence to back the significance of principals' leading role in inclusive schools, resonating with previous studies in inclusive education contexts, which underline the importance of principals in leading inclusive practices implementation and stimulating teacher agency for inclusion [42,43]. Meanwhile, in Chinese school contexts, where stressing collectivism and adoring authority seem to be ubiquitous in schools [63], principals' roles are usually described as "the key is at the top". ...
In response to the need for facilitating the sustainable development of inclusive education, this study conducts a pioneering attempt to analyze the relationship between two types of school leadership, organizational (i.e., distributed leadership, DL) and individual (i.e., teacher leadership, TL), and teacher self-efficacy among inclusive education teachers in Mainland China. A total of 893 teachers from primary inclusive education schools in Beijing and Shenzhen, China, participated in this study. Structural equation modeling examining the direct and mediating effects was conducted on collected data. The findings imply that principal-distributed leadership and inclusive education teacher leadership both positively predicted teacher self-efficacy. Additionally, inclusive education teacher leadership and its two dimensions, namely advocating inclusive values and liaising with an external support system, significantly mediated the influences of distributed leadership on inclusive education teacher self-efficacy. The implications of facilitating inclusive education in Chinese schools and other similar contexts are discussed.
... The conclusion drawn is that the benchmarking tool is useful in assessing the alignment (or otherwise) of teaching and learning. Mullick, Sharma, and Deppeler (2013) report on a study of teachers' perceptions about distributed leadership for inclusive education in Bangladesh. 'A Distributed Leadership Practice for Inclusive Education Scale' was developed specifically for this study. ...
Distributed leadership represents one of the most influential ideas to emerge in the field of educational leadership, prompted by the foundational and seminal work of Spillane et al. (2001). The idea of distributed leadership has found favor with researchers, policy-makers practitioners and educational reformers around the globe and has captured the attention of many international researchers (e.g., Spillane, 2006; Harris, 2008; Leithwood et al., 2009; Gronn, 2002). Few ideas, it seems, have provoked so much attention, debate, and controversy, in the field of educational leadership, as distributed leadership.
... The conclusion drawn is that the benchmarking tool is useful in assessing the alignment (or otherwise) of teaching and learning. Mullick, Sharma, and Deppeler (2013) report on a study of teachers' perceptions about distributed leadership for inclusive education in Bangladesh. 'A Distributed Leadership Practice for Inclusive Education Scale' was developed specifically for this study. ...
Distributed leadership is one of the most influential and well-discussed ideas to emerge in the field of educational leadership. Prompted by the foundational and seminal work of Spillane et al. (2001) the idea of shared or ‘stretched’ leadership that incorporates both formal and informal leaders, has been of interest to researchers, policy-makers practitioners and educational reformers around the globe. Distributed leadership has captured the attention of many international researchers and as this article will show, has been the focus of a great deal of empirical enquiry. This article looks at the two decades of research that followed the pivotal Spillane et al. (2001) article on distributed leadership. Firstly, it takes a retrospective view by drawing upon selected literature from 2001 to 2011 mapping out the main findings based on this empirical terrain. Secondly, it offers a contemporary view by exploring recently selected literature on distributed leadership from 2011 to 2021. The article does not claim to be a systematic review of the literature but rather, offers some insights into selected evidence over two decades. The article considers how far distributed leadership remains a relevant concept for those working within the field of educational leadership.
... Positive Behaviour Management requires the sharing of leadership with individuals with expertise to manage student behaviour effectively and provide an opportunity for a conducive learning atmosphere for students (Strahan et al., 2005;Kyriacou 2014). This is aligned with the theoretical understanding of Distributed Leadership which promotes sharing and collaborative leadership approach (see Heck & Hallinger, 2009;Hulpia et al. 2012;Mullick, Sharma and Deppeler, 2013). ...
There is an increasing interest in school leadership's ability to maintain school discipline whilst protecting students' rights and dignity as well as self-esteem. The accelerating interest in school leadership's ability to maintain a disciplined school is anchored on the belief that school discipline determines student learning outcomes. Whilst there is the need for effective leadership behaviour to propel Positive Behaviour Management in Secondary is widely acknowledged, there is no accessible literature on the leadership behaviour which can produce the desired behaviour. This research aimed to explore the theoretical underpinning of Distributed Leadership and Positive Behaviour Management and the empirical evidence of using these concepts in developing successful schools. The findings of the research demonstrated that the link between Distributed Leadership and Positive Behaviour Management is positive and significant. This understanding has implications for how Positive Behaviour Management is conceptualized and implemented in schools by school leaders and teachers.
... The conclusion drawn is that the benchmarking tool is useful in assessing the alignment (or otherwise) of teaching and learning. Mullick, Sharma, and Deppeler (2013) report on a study of teachers' perceptions about distributed leadership for inclusive education in Bangladesh. 'A Distributed Leadership Practice for Inclusive Education Scale' was developed specifically for this study. ...
This book chapter is a retrospective view of the evidence produced in the twenty years of research activity into distributed leadership, offering a contemporary assessment of the empirical base.
... Inclusion tends to be rendered in moral and ethical terms, requiring sympathy and kindness; overall, teachers are found to hold stereotyped views of occupational options for these children. Many also report that they lack capacity and resources to be inclusive (Sharma et al. 2009;Mullick et al. 2012). ...
... However, principals struggle with accountability for students with disabilities (DeMatthews & Edwards, 2014). Research in developing countries such as India and Bangladesh indicate principals do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to lead inclusive schools (Mullick, Sharma & Deppeler, 2013;Sharma, Forlin, Deppeler & Yang, 2013). This could be attributed to principal preparation programs that does not adequately address special education. ...
... Another challenge is that clear authority structures for implementing inclusion are often absent in schools, and the local Ministry of Education provides insufficient information about inclusion (Blackman, 2017;Conrad & Brown, 2011;Mullick, Sharma, & Deppeler, 2013). According to Glasgow-Charles, Ibrahim-Joseph, and Bristol (2017), a lack of coherent policy to guide inclusive education is a significant system-level barrier in addition to inadequate supports and insufficient PD opportunities. ...
Despite empirical research pointing toward the positive impact of an inclusive instructional approach and practices on all students’ learning and social participation, educators and schools lag in adopting these approaches and strategies. For the purpose of knowledge mobilization, it is important to examine the factors that influence this research-to-practice gap. With this aim, we first outline the significant role of teachers and teacher education in implementing inclusive practices. We then synthesize findings from previous literature identifying both individual and contextual, system-level influences that impede the implementation of evidence-based inclusive practices by teachers. We emphasize the prominent role of school leaders in removing some of these barriers by supporting teachers and collaborating with key stakeholders. Further research is needed to explore the complex, interrelated factors that foster collaboration among school leaders, teachers, and teacher education programs in order to advance the development of truly inclusive education systems.
