Page 114 - Educational Leadership in a Changing World

Martina Kovačič and Anita Trnavčević

a cultural and legal context, as well as the expectations and needs of
followers and stakeholders.
Social media has transformed established communication channels
and opened schools to various stakeholders and the public. According
to the President of the Principals’ Association, this shift makes schools
and educators vulnerable. This perspective warrants further research in
areas such as teacher education, the selection and preparation of prin-
cipals, and the exploration of theories from other fields, such as mar-
keting and public relations, which offer substantial research on commu-
nicating when the audience is unknown. This is particularly relevant in
contexts such as participation in television shows, printed publications
(e.g. newspapers), and social media.
The role of principals is evolving; they now face issues for which
they may not have received adequate training, such as addressing disci-
pline, engaging with different generations of parents, and adapting to
the mobile phone generation in schools. Meanwhile, policymakers and
decision-makers have been slow to introduce necessary changes.
To effectively address the challenges posed by ‘new technologies and
media,’ which have transformed modern communication, including in
schools, it may be beneficial to revitalize research on principalship. The
legal context significantly, although not exclusively, shapes a principal’s
role, duties, andauthoritywhilealsodefiningorganizational structures.
Since any employee can exercise leadership within a school, the legis-
lation stipulates a principal’s formal positions and roles. While formal
positions and roles do not explicitly emphasize leadership competen-
cies, they implicitly expect them. We propose a conceptual model that
reflects the legal frameworks of Slovenia, which could serve as a frame-
work for future studies.
If a principal is put in the centre of a school due to power and author-
ity, and assigned responsibilities, duties, and tasks to be performed,
then principalship colours the management processes and leadership
as influencing others.

Concluding Discussion
The growing complexity of educational leadership in the twenty-first
century demands that school principals possess more than regula-
tory knowledge and administrative competence. As emphasised by the
oecd, effective school leaders must demonstrate strong interpersonal
competencies, including communication skills, relationship-building

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