Page 59 - Educational Leadership in a Changing World

School Leadership and Educational Quality

school leadership teams. In this regard, educational leadership has been
widely studied as a key factor in improving learning, equity, and the ef-
ficiency of school systems (Leithwood & Day, 2008). Since school lead-
ership influences multiple dimensions of the educational system, it is
necessary to approach its study from a comprehensive perspective. This
theoretical framework analyses the fundamental concepts that under-
pin educational management and leadershipinschools, inorder to un-
derstand the impact of regulatory frameworks in the selected countries:
Chile, Canada, Singapore, and Australia. To this end, five key thematic
areasarepresented: Educational Management, Educational Leadership,
Dimensions of School Leadership, Public Administration in Education,
and Regulatory Frameworks for Educational Leadership, which we will
explain below.

Educational Management
Educational management refers to the processes, strategies, and poli-
cies implemented to effectively administer school systems and ensure
learning quality. It encompasses the planning, organization, leader-
ship, and evaluation of resources and stakeholders involved in educa-
tion (Bush, 2020). The quality of education is directly linked to efficient
management, which must guarantee access, equity, and excellence in
learning outcomes (Fullan, 2020). Strong leadership within educational
management translates into better school administration and a posi-
tive impact on student achievement (Schleicher, 2021). In this regard,
management models vary across countries, depending on factors such
as the degree of decentralization and the regulatory framework govern-
ing public education.

Educational Leadership
Leadership is understood as the process of motivating and influencing
others to define and achieve common goals (Leithwood et al., 2006).
This concept recognizes that leadership is not limited to the princi-
pal’s role but is distributed among different members of the educational
community. Furthermore, leadership is closely related to management.
Although these two concepts have different meanings and scopes, they
complement each other to enhance institutional development.
Different leadership approaches have been identified, including:
• Transformational Leadership. This approach motivates and empow-
ers the educational community to achieve institutional goals. It is

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