International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration (Springer International Handbooks of Education, 1)

ISBN 10: 0792335309 / ISBN 13: 9780792335306

Published by Springer, 1996

About this Item

This book is in Very good condition. There may be a few flaws like shelf wear and some light wear.

Seller Inventory # BCV.0792335309.VG

Bibliographic Details

• Title: International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration (Springer International Handbooks of Education, 1)
• Publisher: Springer
• Publication Date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792335309
• ISBN 13: 9780792335306
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: very_good

About this title

Synopsis

EDITORS This introduction to the International Handbook of Educational Lead­ ership and Administration describes some of the motivation for devel­ oping the book and several assumptions on which is based much of the work represented in its 31 chapters. A synopsis of the contents of those chapters is also provided. SOME KEY ASSUMPTIONS It is sometimes suggested that the search for an adequate understanding of leadership is doomed to fail. After all, there is little evidence of agreement about the concept in spite of prodigious efforts dating back hundreds if not thousands of years. Such a view is captured, for exam­ ple, in Bennis' observation that: Of all the hazy and confounding areas in social psychology, leadership theory undoubtedly contends for top nomination. Probably more has been written and less is known about lead­ ership than any other topic in the behavioural sciences. (1959, page 259) We do not find this state of affairs discouraging (nor entirely accurate) and, of course, it did not prevent Bennis from proceeding either. One reason for our desire to continue in the face of such discouraging words is that a great deal of leadership research aspires to develop a general theory, a theory which applies to all or most domains of organized human activity. This aspiration inevitably produces decontextualized and, therefore, abstract categories of practice. Howard Gardner's (1995) depiction of leadership as story telling is a case in point.

Review

"The Literature reviews are extensive and penetrating. The volume effectively illuminates the problems, paradoxes, and possibilities of school leadership and will serve as a valuable reference for scholars, students and practioners in the fields of education admnistration, leadership and policy."

Diane R. Dean, The Review of Higher Eucation Summer 2004