Answer

Change in International School Setting

The success or failure of any organization is dependent on the effectiveness of the form of leadership (Evans, 2016). The same case applies to leadership in school setting. International schools attract students from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The principals of these schools determine how successful these students will be by influencing the environment around them through their methods of leadership. This paper discusses four articles which attempt to explain the ability of international schools to effect change on students through various leadership models employed by school principals.

Article 1: School Principals as Effective Change Agents: A Study of Essential Skills and Attributes

According to the article, by Athar Hussain, Zubair Haider, Ahmed, and Ali (2016), the idea of the principal being a visionary leader and sharing the vision with the subordinates proves to be more effective.  A vision ensures that the individuals in the group have a clear understanding of where they are and where they want to in the future.

Another important idea discussed in the article is that the essential skill of developing people enhances the role of school principals as effective change agents. The ability to develop people leads to an overall change of the people (Hallinger, 2016). School principals who are able to develop people by encouraging them to become better are often more effective change agents.

Article 2: A Bilingual Child Learns Social Communication Skills through Video Modeling-A Single Case Study in a Norwegian School Setting

One of the main ideas discussed in this article by Özerk and Özerk (2015) is the use of Video Modelling as an effective method of teaching Norwegian bilingual children suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) such as those from Sami language background, national minorities, and linguistic minorities from families with an immigrant background. The Video Modelling method is based on Albert Bandura’s Social learning theory which asserts that children have the ability to learn numerous skills through observation (Özerk & Özerk, 2015).

The idea of using Video Modelling in teaching bilingual children is centered on a Norwegian child called going by the name Allan. Allan’s difficulty in learning in the mono-linguistic Norwegian school was compounded by the fact that he was suffering from ASD. After numerous weeks of intervention, Allan exuded considerable improvement not only in his studies, but also in his social skills when playing basketball with his peers. Studies have shown that Video Modelling increased normal skills such as conversational speech, adaptive skills such as brushing teeth, of bilingual children living with ASD (Varma, 2017).  

Article 3: Instructional leadership structure in Singapore: a co-existence of hierarchy and heterarchy

One of the main ideas discussed in this article is the essence of instructional leadership of principals in the context of a school Nguyen, Ng & San Yap, 2017). Principals of primary schools are more involved in managing the daily activities such as teaching, whereas principals in secondary schools are more focused on assigning resources to various activities and forming meaningful partnerships with other organizations. Instructional leadership is more frequently exercised in primary schools than secondary schools in at least three aspects, namely, aligning teaching practices to vision, managing teaching and learning activities, and promoting professional development (Nguyen et. al., 2017).

Additionally, the idea of co-existence of hierarchy and hierarchy in the organizational structure of schools has been discussed. Heterarchy form of organization enhances individuals to communicate horizontally and develop independent methods to achieve their goals (Yemini, Oplatka, & Sagie, 2018).

Article 4: Beyond the status quo – setting the agenda for effective change: The role of leader within an international school environment

One of the main ideas discussed in this article is the ability of the leader to enhance change by creating a supportive work environment. Creating a supportive work environment entails provision of required resources to the staff whenever needed (Morrison, 2017). This enhances the ability of staff to achieve their goals and meet targets with ease.

Another idea discussed in this article is the commitment of the leader (school principal) to the school staff. Commitment to the staff means that the leader is devoted to the employees of the school and their well-being. This cultivates a sense of unity and devotion from junior members as well as from the students at large.