Page 124 - Educational Leadership in a Changing World

Antonios Kafa and Anita Trnavčević

thentic, supportive, and empowering are positively associated with
teacher professional well-being. Especially in an era where everything
is changing, teachers’ well-being is important. They are leaders within
the classroom who support our students. Their direct contact with stu-
dents and parents and the role of school leaders calls for sustaining and
promoting teachers’ well-being. Therefore, from Chapter 4 we draw a
conclusion that teachers’ well-being is crucial for effective leadership.
When teachers experience burnout, stress, or a lack of support, it neg-
atively impacts students’ learning. Therefore, school leaders must de-
velop competencies to support their teaching staff in centralized and
decentralized education systems. Supporting teachers does not mean
removing roles, duties, or requirements from their responsibilities. In-
stead, teachers should be highly motivated, knowledgeable, and skilled
professionals who can thrive in demanding environments, supported
by positive relationships with colleagues that enhance their well-being.
Finally, in Chapter 5, Kovačič and Trnavčević explored the often-
blurred lines between principalship, management, and leadership, par-
ticularly in the context of Slovenia. We have learned that in many ed-
ucational systems, including Slovenia, the legal and policy frameworks
often constrain leadership by framing it through managerial and ad-
ministrative logics rather than promoting leadership. To discuss school
leaders’ and principals’ transformative potential, it could be useful to
research the principalship and principals’ roles in the broader context of
leadership. Principals are central figures in schools if we look at them
from the position of power, authority, and organizational structure.
They are accountable and responsible for the school in general. As such,
they have to identify their transformative potential and managerial
‘smoothness.’
We can summarize the content of the book in seven postulates:
1. Context matters deeply
2. Leadership is a human practice
3. Teacher well-being is a prerequisite for school effectiveness and
improvement
4. Understanding and addressing challenges (including crises and
emergencies) requires new knowledge, skills and attitudes for new
times
5. Quality matters in every aspect of the educational leadership field
6. Management and leadership are intertwined, while principalship

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