School leadership for effective communication in the 21st century / by Ying She. --

Abstract

School leaders are facing increased challenges as they enter the 21st century. In seeking to share the vision of the school, and achieve the agreed upon goals and objectives, school leaders are constantly advocating, nurturing, delegating and developing the potential of followers. Leaders also seek the cooperation of teachers to sustain a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning, and staff professional growth. This case study was conducted primarily through document analysis and semi-structured interviews in one large school within one Board of Education in North-western Ontario. In the study, the researcher explored the process of communication for school operations, pursuing for communication strategies as a means to develop leadership strategies that will enable a leader to achieve effective communication in school settings in the 21st century. Seven respondents were interviewed, and official documents of the school were collected. Four themes emerged from the analysis of the data: vision, commitments, interpersonal relationships, and communication competence. Findings from the study included the observation that school leaders must hold a clear vision, and fulfill commitments to achieve the goals and vision of the school. In this process, school leaders must develop close interpersonal relationships to enhance communication, and overcome factors or barriers that interfere with communication by means of communication competence. Regardless of the leadership style being exercised, school leaders must try to achieve effective communication. In school settings, effective leadership demands effective communication.