The president/principal model of school leadership in Catholic schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
Research has repeatedly shown leadership as a crucial factor in the overall effectiveness and success of schools. Consequently, this study focused on a model of school leadership that also embodies the change in contemporary educational leadership toward greater teamwork, collaboration, interdependence, and distribution of leadership. As such, the purpose of the study was to examine the president/principal model of school leadership in Catholic School Centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to explore, from the perspectives of a sample of current presidents and principals, how the model functions in these government-subsidized Catholic schools despite current state laws that recognize principals but not presidents as official and legitimate school leaders. The main goal of the study was to identify the dominant issues and relationships that affect the adaptation and application of the model in this context. The researcher framed the findings within a theoretical concept of distributed leadership, which offers a particular way of thinking about interactions of leaders as the key for understanding leadership practice. The data demonstrated that dual jurisdiction of the Catholic Church and the state, combined with the lack of legal recognition for the role of a president, were the most dominant issues that affected the model. Correspondingly, the researcher concluded that the most important factor in the effective functioning of the model in the context of this study was the appropriate choice of individuals appointed to positions of presidents and principals.
Subject Area
Educational leadership|School administration
Recommended Citation
Lovric, Ivan, "The president/principal model of school leadership in Catholic schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina" (2015). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3712629.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3712629
