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Leadership Journal Critique Two
Teachers Who Lead: Practical Strategies for Building
Responsive Teams
Monica Gibson
School of Education, Liberty University
Leadership Journal Critique Two
The main argument of the article is that effective school leadership requires ongoing
professional development that’s tailored to individual contexts. Rather than a generic, one-
sizefits-all approach, leadership development should address the specific needs of each school
and its community. In "Bringing context and educational leadership together: fostering the
professional development of school principals," Brauckman et al. (2023) advocate for context-
sensitive leadership training. They argue that factors such as school culture, student
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demographics, teacher experience, and external political pressures significantly impact a
principal’s effectiveness. The article provides a strong case for designing professional
development programs that reflect these unique circumstances.
One of the strengths of this article is its constructive-conceptual framework, supported
by examples from a principal preparation program in Sweden. By using this program, the
authors deepen their understanding of context-sensitive leadership beyond theoretical
perspectives. This practical focus makes the research relevant and valuable for anyone involved
in school leadership or professional development. Furthermore, some additional highlights from
this research were the diverse structures of the preparation program, which included training in
peerto-peer learning, problem-based learning, and reflective practice. Through peer-to-peer
learning, principals gain insight from one another’s ideas and utilize this information to improve
in leadership. In problem-based learning development, principals learned applicable ways to
utilize the knowledge learned in their day-to-day practice for advancement in leadership. Lastly,
principals were trained to effectively analyze their own leadership styles to gain a deeper
understanding of their strengths and weaknesses through reflective practice.
Although this article emphasizes the benefits of including context in leadership
development for principals, it also highlights areas of weakness. Notably, one of the limitations
is that it mainly focuses on principals, and it doesn't discuss in detail the implications for teacher
leadership. While it provides strategies that support principals to be ready to understand and
navigate their unique contexts, it falls short on how this framework can encourage leadership
across all levels within a school. In addition, the article touches on the new public management
approach, but it could’ve explored in greater depth how leaders juggle the conflicting demands
from policymakers, parents, and teachers (Brauckmann et al., 2023). Effectively managing these
diverse contributors is a crucial part of leadership and is deeply influenced by context, a topic
the article mentions but doesn’t fully expound on.
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As an educator, I can assess the dynamics of my classroom and the school environment
around me. My key takeaway from this study is to embrace adaptive leadership by being a
leader who adjusts rather than one who simply dictates. When faced with a new challenge, I
won’t be so quick to find a solution right away but will assess the contextual factors at hand.
This could involve having one-on-one conversations with colleagues to hear their viewpoints or
gathering data to get to the root of the problem. According to Kouzes & Posner (2023),
intentional communication gives labor meaning and provides people with a sense of purpose.
By doing this, I’ll show that my leadership is grounded in understanding and responsiveness,
which will help build trust and effectiveness within my team. My leadership shouldn’t just be
about applying a rigid set of strategies; it should be about acknowledging the unique
environment I’m in and adjusting my actions accordingly.
References
Brauckmann, S., Pashiardis, P., & Ärlestig, H. (2023). Bringing context and educational
leadership together: Fostering the professional development of school principals.
Professional Development in Education, 49(1), 4–15.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1747105
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2023). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary
things happen in organizations. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.
