Sergio Galdames

This paper explores school leaders’ perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) schoolification and how they tackle this trend, drawing upon literature on leadership in both the ECEC context and the school system. Through a qualitative framework, 10 Chilean leaders from five publicly funded K-12 (kindergarten to Grade 12) schools – principals and instructional coordinators – were interviewed. Findings show that school leaders know little about ECEC, significantly moderating their possibilities to work with this educational level. When addressing the schoolification phenomenon, our data indicate that while school leaders care about it, particularly about the negative consequences for children, they have few skills and tools to support the work of ECEC teachers. Even though leaders have promoted some measures to tackle ECEC schoolification in the schools they lead, we argue that these strategies tend to be aspirational or sporadic rather than systematic and long-term. These findings contribute to understanding how school leaders shape ECEC practices, highlighting the need for the development of leadership to effectively address schoolification.

En un contexto global caracterizado por transformaciones profundas en los sistemas educativos, este artículo propone explorar nuevas formas de comprender y ejercer el liderazgo educativo desde una perspectiva centrada en el bienestar de las personas miembros de la comunidad y que modere la retención del talento humano en la escuela. Entendiendo liderazgo como la fuerza social de cambio pedagógico, se busca identificar algunos de los elementos claves, pero ausentes de la conversación tradicional sobre mejoramiento educativo. Bajo el título Soñar, crear y cuidar, se invita a repensar el liderazgo no solo como una práctica burocrática centrada en la figura central de “un líder”, sino como una acción profundamente humana, situada y ética. Soñar implica abrir espacio para la imaginación pedagógica y la esperanza colectiva, visibilizando futuros posibles más justos, inclusivos y sostenibles. Crear alude a la capacidad de diseñar y sostener comunidades escolares innovadoras, resilientes y colaborativas, donde el cambio no se impone, sino que se coconstruye desde el diálogo y la participación activa. Cuidar, finalmente, enfatiza la necesidad de una mirada afectiva y relacional sobre la vida institucional, reconociendo que el bienestar de los actores especialmente docentes es un componente esencial de cualquier proceso de mejora.

Investigaciones previas han destacado la contribución fundamental del liderazgo en el mejoramiento educativo. Directoras y directores juegan un rol clave en movilizar los procesos de transformación escolar, fortaleciendo las capacidades y motivaciones docentes, y estableciendo las condiciones organizacionales óptimas para apoyar los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje. El propósito de este artículo es contribuir al área de la gestión del talento directivo proponiendo un modelo que podría ayudar a explicar y reducir la deserción directiva. Usando la estrategia de revisión de la literatura integrativa hemos explorado las últimas dos décadas (2001-2021) de publicaciones sobre retención directiva. Un total de 28 artículos fueron analizados en profundidad, identificando 23 variables centrales que podrían explicar la decisión directiva de permanecer o retirarse de la escuela. Organizamos estas variables en un modelo bioecológico incluyendo dimensiones individuales, interpersonales, organizacionales, comunitarias y políticas. Los resultados son una invitación a creadores de políticas públicas, administradores educacionales y lideres educativos a generar estrategias para fortalecer la retención de directoras y directores. Concluimos presentando limitaciones y dirección para futuras investigaciones.

In this article, we report on the findings of a systematic review of the literature on leadership and the Millennial generation (alternatively known as Generation Y). The purpose of this systematic review was to further our understanding of this cohort by exploring how Millennials are defined and understood within the leadership literature. We reviewed a ‘bounded set’ of journal articles (n = 162) published between 2000 and 2018. Data analysis focused on analysing identified modal trends as well as examining patterns of knowledge production. This article begins by situating our review in previous generational and leadership research. It then moves on to outline the method of review adopted, and our key findings. We reflect on the implications of these key findings for the recruitment, retention and professional development of Millennial leaders (both current and future). The paper concludes by identifying a series of issues requiring further research, discussion and debate.

The importance of leadership for student learning is undeniable, but studies warn of a global crisis in the recruitment and retention of principals due to the complexities associated with this position. In Chile, principal selection favors the recruitment of external candidates over internal promotion, which entails difficulties derived from the insertion into a new school culture. This article introduces an alternative perspective and, through a qualitative case study, analyzes the trajectory of 10 municipal school principals selected through Senior Public Management (ADP) after a process of internal promotion. Findings are organized using the framework proposed by Moorosi (2010): Anticipation, future principals are identified early, exercise leadership informally and access professional learning opportunities; Acquisition, future principals access formal leadership positions, developing professional knowledge and increasing their visibility with the school community; and Performance, principals face the transition to office and must manage relationships with other relevant actors. Based on these findings, five lessons are discussed for a strategy of internal promotion of future school leaders that can complement external recruitment for a future principal career in Chile.

Estudios tradicionales en carrera directiva se han desarrollado bajo supuestos de linealidad donde un docente avanza lentamente en la jerarquía escolar, desde responsabilidades de aula hasta la dirección escolar. En los últimos años, un crecientemente número de líderes jóvenes ha asumido la dirección escolar, sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre las características de su trayectoria laboral. Este estudio busca resolver este vacío en la literatura, explorando la carrera de directores de escuela públicas pertenecientes a la generación milenio. Por medio de un enfoque cualitativo la carrera de 9 directores y directoras fue analizada considerando sus historias de vida. Si bien cada historia es particular, se observó gran convergencia temática en la trayectoria profesional de los directores, identificándose 3 elementos centrales: trabajo duro, orientación al aprendizaje y un contexto favorable. Las implicancias para la carrera directiva a nivel global y nacional son discutidas.

Este artículo reporta una investigación cuyo objetivo fue explorar 1) la concepción de pensamiento crítico que un grupo de profesores chilenos de lenguaje y comunicación tiene y 2) las prácticas que estos implementan para promoverlo. Con una metodología cualitativa y un enfoque interpretativo, se realizaron seis entrevistas semiestructuradas a profesores de distintos contextos educativos. Todos los participantes consideraron que el pensamiento crítico es un elemento fundamental en el desarrollo de los aprendizajes de los estudiantes. En cuanto a las prácticas pedagógicas para promover el pensamiento crítico en el aula, los participantes manifestaron ciertas limitaciones en un contexto pedagógico desfavorable que está centrado en resultados académicos asociados a las pruebas estandarizadas locales.

In a context characterised by triple sources of accountability demands, principals in Chile are required to mobilise change to raise performance indicators. School improvement is a complex endeavour—a complexity that is intensified for newly appointed principals, particularly when placed in a high-poverty, ineffective school. This article explores changes introduced by newly appointed principals placed in elementary public schools that were struggling (n = 4) and in schools that were sinking (n = 5). Findings show that all participants converged on actions to promote changes in: staffing, redesigning the organisation, and managing instruction. The quality of the actions, however, differed by type of school, highlighting the importance of defining policies for strengthening school leadership that take into account differences among schools. Induction will provide needed support at the individual level, but it might be insufficient support if other measures at the district level fail to create conditions, such as staffing, so the arrival of a new principal is indeed an opportunity to reverse a downward trajectory of an ineffective, high-poverty school.

Using the qualitative case study approach, the following research focuses on the connection between coaching and resilience. Using an interpretative approach, based on the principles of grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore this relationship in depth. The findings of the study suggest that when headteachers felt supported by coaching, they perceive an improvement in their performance and higher levels of resilience. The support in the form of coaching or having any senior mentor were identified as the critical sources of support, as headteachers were able to build self-evaluation practices, share ideas and reconsider goals and visions.