title: Spirituality in principal leadership and its influence on teachers and teaching

authors: Gibson, Alaster Raymond

subjects: spirituality

abstract: Spirituality in educational leadership has received renewed interest in the past decade. A growing body of literature claims that spirituality can make a difference in leadership practice. Spirituality is a complex and controversial human phenomenon, the meaning of which may be shaped and re-shaped by diverse perspectives and experiences. It includes personal, social-cultural and transcendent connectedness, meaning making about life and living, and a desire to move towards greater authenticity between beliefs, moral-values, attitudes and actions. My interest in spirituality in educational leadership relates to my professional background as a primary school teacher, lecturer in teacher education, and because of who I am as a Christian. The focus of my research inquiry was, ‘What might the phenomenon of spirituality in principal leadership and its influence on teachers and teaching be perceived to mean, in three public primary school contexts? Based on my literature review I decided to take an open position on the definition of spirituality. I chose an interpretive constructivist paradigm and a singular case study to explore my research question. My field work involved twelve participants, comprising three principals and nine teachers from three public primary schools in the North Island of New Zealand. This qualitative and triangulated research design enabled me to explore spirituality in principal leadership from the lived experiences of the participants. Data was gathered through three procedures across a one year period, namely semi-structured interviews, supported by overt non-participant observations, and principal reflective journals. A cyclical, inductive and reflexive method of analysis was applied to the data resulting in four key themes being identified. The findings showed that the principals believed their personal meanings of spirituality were integrated, filtered and fitted into a range of professional tasks, the modelling of leadership styles and contributed to their resilience. They also believed their spirituality was reciprocally influenced by their school contexts. Teacher participants affirmed that spirituality in principal leadership could be positively influential when expressed appropriately and accompanied with integrity, quality care for others and professional competence. Teacher participants attributed predominantly positive emotional and practical effects to spirituality in their principal’s leadership with some teachers expressing ambivalence and a few describing incidences which resulted in some negative feelings. These findings affirm claims in the literature regarding the integrated nature of spirituality and its positive contribution to leader resilience. The findings also reveal nuanced insights into the effects of school contexts and the ways that spirituality in principal leadership was perceived by teachers to be influential. Identified through the research process was the difficulty teacher participants had in apportioning influence to spirituality in principal leadership as an integrated dimension of the person who leads. One implication from the findings is that educational leaders might find spirituality useful as another lens or learning tool through which they can critically examine their professional practice. The thesis concludes with a recommendation that further research be conducted into exploring the meaning of teachers’ spirituality and the influence this might have on their teaching.

text: Spirituality in principal leadership and its influence on teachers and teaching Spirituality in educational leadership has received renewed interest in the past decade. A growing body of literature claims that spirituality can make a difference in leadership practice. Spirituality is a complex and controversial human phenomenon, the meaning of which may be shaped and re-shaped by diverse perspectives and experiences. It includes personal, social-cultural and transcendent connectedness, meaning making about life and living, and a desire to move towards greater authenticity between beliefs, moral-values, attitudes and actions. My interest in spirituality in educational leadership relates to my professional background as a primary school teacher, lecturer in teacher education, and because of who I am as a Christian. The focus of my research inquiry was, ‘What might the phenomenon of spirituality in principal leadership and its influence on teachers and teaching be perceived to mean, in three public primary school contexts? Based on my literature review I decided to take an open position on the definition of spirituality. I chose an interpretive constructivist paradigm and a singular case study to explore my research question. My field work involved twelve participants, comprising three principals and nine teachers from three public primary schools in the North Island of New Zealand. This qualitative and triangulated research design enabled me to explore spirituality in principal leadership from the lived experiences of the participants. Data was gathered through three procedures across a one year period, namely semi-structured interviews, supported by overt non-participant observations, and principal reflective journals. A cyclical, inductive and reflexive method of analysis was applied to the data resulting in four key themes being identified. The findings showed that the principals believed their personal meanings of spirituality were integrated, filtered and fitted into a range of professional tasks, the modelling of leadership styles and contributed to their resilience. They also believed their spirituality was reciprocally influenced by their school contexts. Teacher participants affirmed that spirituality in principal leadership could be positively influential when expressed appropriately and accompanied with integrity, quality care for others and professional competence. Teacher participants attributed predominantly positive emotional and practical effects to spirituality in their principal’s leadership with some teachers expressing ambivalence and a few describing incidences which resulted in some negative feelings. These findings affirm claims in the literature regarding the integrated nature of spirituality and its positive contribution to leader resilience. The findings also reveal nuanced insights into the effects of school contexts and the ways that spirituality in principal leadership was perceived by teachers to be influential. Identified through the research process was the difficulty teacher participants had in apportioning influence to spirituality in principal leadership as an integrated dimension of the person who leads. One implication from the findings is that educational leaders might find spirituality useful as another lens or learning tool through which they can critically examine their professional practice. The thesis concludes with a recommendation that further research be conducted into exploring the meaning of teachers’ spirituality and the influence this might have on their teaching.

year: 2011

title: Processing time and binder effect on the quality of restructured rolls from hot-boned beef

authors: Farouk, M. M.

subjects: Beef

abstract: The effects of time postmortem and binders on the quality of raw and cooked restructured beef rolls were determined. The use of prerigor meat (1–5 h postmortem) or Activa resulted in higher bind strength for both raw and cooked rolls than the use of postrigor meat (25 h postmortem) or alginate, respectively. Use of prerigor meat or alginate gave a higher cook yield compared to postrigor meat or Activa binder, respectively. Raw slices of product made with Activa were lighter in color, redder and more yellow (higher Hunter L*, a* and b* values) than products made with alginate. Binder had no effect on aerobic plate counts. Raw slices of Activa bound product had better color and overall appearance than product made with alginate; however, cooked rolls made with alginate were more tender and friable and had better overall eating quality, than Activa bound rolls.

text: Processing time and binder effect on the quality of restructured rolls from hot-boned beef The effects of time postmortem and binders on the quality of raw and cooked restructured beef rolls were determined. The use of prerigor meat (1–5 h postmortem) or Activa resulted in higher bind strength for both raw and cooked rolls than the use of postrigor meat (25 h postmortem) or alginate, respectively. Use of prerigor meat or alginate gave a higher cook yield compared to postrigor meat or Activa binder, respectively. Raw slices of product made with Activa were lighter in color, redder and more yellow (higher Hunter L*, a* and b* values) than products made with alginate. Binder had no effect on aerobic plate counts. Raw slices of Activa bound product had better color and overall appearance than product made with alginate; however, cooked rolls made with alginate were more tender and friable and had better overall eating quality, than Activa bound rolls.

year: 2005

title: Teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Whānau Rūmaki teacher education programme, 1990-1992

authors: Kana, Fred

subjects: Maori Language

abstract: In 1990 the School of Education, the University of Waikato, initiated a special option within its regular pre-service teacher training programmes, an option designed to prepare teachers to deliver the New Zealand curriculum in bilingual and total immersion schools through the medium of te reo Māori. This alternative programmed, designated Whānau Rūmaki, was experimental and evolutionary. Inevitably particular elements of it had to be varied with each year's operation as its architects attempted 'to get the mix right'. It is difficult, however, when engaged in the day to day running of a programme, to stand back and review with any degree of objectivity its strengths and weaknesses. This study, therefore, in retrospect attempts to do three things: one, to follow the initial Whānau Rūmaki student cohort through its three or four year training cycle noting especially the difficulties confronting individual students some of whom dropped out of the programme; two, to gather information from as many as possible of the graduates who graduated about how well they felt they had been prepared for the rigours of classroom teaching; three, to be able, after analysing the data gathered, to recommend ways of improving the on-going Whānau Rūmaki programme.

text: Teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Whānau Rūmaki teacher education programme, 1990-1992 In 1990 the School of Education, the University of Waikato, initiated a special option within its regular pre-service teacher training programmes, an option designed to prepare teachers to deliver the New Zealand curriculum in bilingual and total immersion schools through the medium of te reo Māori. This alternative programmed, designated Whānau Rūmaki, was experimental and evolutionary. Inevitably particular elements of it had to be varied with each year's operation as its architects attempted 'to get the mix right'. It is difficult, however, when engaged in the day to day running of a programme, to stand back and review with any degree of objectivity its strengths and weaknesses. This study, therefore, in retrospect attempts to do three things: one, to follow the initial Whānau Rūmaki student cohort through its three or four year training cycle noting especially the difficulties confronting individual students some of whom dropped out of the programme; two, to gather information from as many as possible of the graduates who graduated about how well they felt they had been prepared for the rigours of classroom teaching; three, to be able, after analysing the data gathered, to recommend ways of improving the on-going Whānau Rūmaki programme.

year: 1997