Aims andObjectivesTheResearch QuestionThis paper’s research question iswhether a headteacher in Greece can learn anything from a study ofmiddle-leadership in a UK school?HypothesisThe null hypothesis states that aheadteacher from Greece cannot learn anything from a study of middle-leadershipin a UK school while the alternate hypothesis proposes that a Greeceheadteacher can learn a lot from a survey of middle-leadership in a UK schooland thus academic exchange should be encouraged. MethodologyIn this chapter, I will analyze theresearch question, the hypothesis, and the research design. I will also look atthe area of study, the population, the sample of the population, the samplingtechnique, the instruments used for data collection, and how the tool will beadministered.
TheResearch Design The chosen research design isqualitative in type. This approach will be used since the research study isexploratory and they will be examined the effect of instructional, educationalleadership towards the professional development of teachers and improvement inschool performance due to advancement in student learning. Interviewing will be used as the best strategyfor data collection since it would provide first-hand data about the impact ofmiddle managers in history to establish their importance or lack thereof. As partof my master’s program, I’m undertaking a school placement. So, I will arrange interviewswith some middle leaders in history within the school with random selection. Unfortunately,it is difficult for me to interview Greek headteachers, because of the distanceand the lack of time.
Therefore, the comparisons will be made from my own experienceas a student at the Greek school. It isalso necessary to note that the qualitative design would also incorporateliterature reviews as part of the research strategy’s methods of datacollection to provide information on lessons that a Greek headteacher may learnfrom a UK middle-leadership within a school. TheStudy Population and the SampleThis research study aims at the Greekeducational fraternity in its quest to identify whether they can acquirepositive lessons from the UK middle-leadership within the context of theHistory subject. This investigation thus seeks to establish whether a Greekheadteacher would be provoked into the adoption of policies akin those in theUnited Kingdom for educational management. It would be impossible to researchwith the whole of the UK middle-leadership for this study since that would meana thorough investigation within every UK school, a situation that would beunachievable for various reasons.
First, it would be highly time-consuming fora researcher to interview all middle leaders in History within both the UK andGreece. Additionally,a whole population study would be highly expensive to the tune that it would beillogical to research at such extreme costs. Therefore, interviews will save on costsand time while secondary resources such as peer-reviewed sources wouldarticulate the direction of this research study in regards to whethereventually the null hypothesis should be rejected or accepted. The researchstudy is not broad but concentrated on a particular group of individuals withina similar context in regards to the research topic. Instrumentsfor Data CollectionThe choice of data collectioninstruments is highly dependent upon numerous factors such as the validity andreliability of the methods chosen.
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For example, for this study I think interviewingis the best strategy for data collection because it will offer credible first-handinformation pertinent to the research question. In fact, comparing interviewingto direct observation or the questionnaire methodology, one would realize thatthe former is considerably faster and cheaper. Moreover, the authenticity ofinformation from interviews is more verifiable since the interviewee is awell-known individual rather than anonymous questionnaire respondents who arehard to identify.
It is also important to note that questionnaires and directobservations would provide unverifiable information marred with errors. Infact, a questionnaire can be misleading since a majority of the respondents maycoincidentally write misleading information. Literature reviews would also ensurethat the researcher is also privy to the research question and he/she is notdumbstruck by information received from their interviewees. In fact, secondarysources guarantee that the researcher asks the most relevant question inregards to the research study. These secondary sources would entail informationacquired from already-published literary sources such as journals, onlinearticles, letters, historical excerpts from previously conducted research andbooks.
Thus, the researcher would at least know the middle managerialstructures within the UK (decentralized) and Greece (centralized) and theconsequent impacts within their territories. EthicalConsiderationsAs a researcher, I would ensure that I willavoid unethical behavior at all costs. For instance, it is crucial for one toacquire consent from the interviewee for their interview rather than ambushingthem with questions informally.
A proper display of positive behavior andrespect for formality would highly contribute to the acquisition of aninterview. As a researcher, also one is charged with the role of ensuring thatinterviewee bias is not experienced within the process of acquiring first-handinformation which could profoundly compromise the quality of research done andthe research findings’ validity. Further approaches to avoid respondent biaswould be the provision of a comfortable environment for the interview and alsoensuring that the engagement is relaxed since a tense atmosphere would lead todefensiveness and eventually provision of inaccurate information. Itis also essential to understand the terms of the interviewee; sometimes theymay seek to be anonymous depending on the sensitivity of the information provided.As a researcher, one should pay attention to such details failure to which,they may have devastating effects on both the researcher and the respondent. AnticipatedOutcomesIt is expected that there are somelessons and practical applications that can be adapted from themiddle-leadership environment in the UK to Greece. The differences in theeducational management strategies for these two countries put the UK at abetter vantage point since its leadership is not limited to the principal’sleadership position but instead creates a sense of shared responsibilitythrough middle leadership positions.
On the other hand, in Greece, principalsare supreme authoritarians rather than instructional leaders, an element thatneeds to be shunned through educational realignment through a decentralizedleadership plan. This new strategy would create a stage for the establishmentof shared leadership similar to the English context whose empiricalcontribution would systematically lead to a positive disruption of Greekeducation. Therefore, the expected results would be to reject the nullhypothesis and accept the alternative.
