Search Results (474)

Background: Building on socioanalytic theory and signaling theory, this study examined whether self-reported motives—representing individuals’ identities—translate into reputational outcomes. Furthermore, drawing on role congruity theory, the study examined whether gender would moderate the strength of the relationship between the self-reported motives and reputational consequences. Methods: We used a large sample of management students (N = 349) on which we collected self-reported achievement and power motives, and peer ratings (N = 508) of overall reputation and leadership potential. Results: We found that (a) achievement motive was positively associated with leadership potential and overall reputation (including trustworthiness and competence); (b) power motive was positively associated with leadership potential; and (c) both motives were equally strong predictors of leadership potential, but only achievement motive was a significant predictor of overall reputation. Finally, in line with role congruity theory, we observed that the positive associations between both motives and leadership potential were stronger for male than for female students. However, for overall reputation, this applied only to the power motive, suggesting that gender affects how motivational signals are socially interpreted. Conclusions: These findings offer implications for future research and provide practical insights into talent identification, leadership development, and performance evaluation processes. Full article

Teachers’ and leaders’ gendered beliefs and practices shape students’ learning experiences, yet Estonian schools lack systematic approaches to address these dynamics. This study explored teachers’ and school leadership team members’ gender beliefs and gender-related practices. The framework was developed based on gender belief system theory, which was adapted to suit the educational context and specific aims of this research. Focus group interviews with four teachers and four leadership team members from one school were conducted using a qualitative abductive research strategy and thematic analysis. The findings revealed themes on gender stereotypes, roles, transgender and gender-diverse students, sexual orientation, students’ interests, and gender-related practices in schools. Teachers and leaders held varying and sometimes contradictory gender beliefs, exhibiting both stereotypical views and awareness of biases. Moreover, they were open to dialogue, with some willing to adjust their views. While perceiving their schools as gender-supportive, they acknowledged broader gender inequality issues and practices. Full article

This paper investigates how Scottish rural schools engage with their broader educational landscape, particularly through collaborative practices and capacity-building efforts. It examines how these schools cultivate a culture of partnership, both among institutions and within their communities, to strengthen leadership and enhance teaching and learning. Guided by Place-Based Education (PBE) as its conceptual framework, the study emphasises equity challenges rooted in local contexts and situates rural education within Scotland’s historical, societal, and policy landscape. Drawing on qualitative case studies of five schools, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with principals and supported by documentary evidence and student attainment data from national assessments. The findings showcase school leaders’ efforts to enhance social and educational outcomes and build sustainable, equity-driven systems. The paper concludes with implications for policy and practice, addressing equitable access, workforce recruitment and retention, and the potential for schools to collaborate with local and regional stakeholders to strengthen rural education. Full article

A global decline in students’ motivation and academic performance poses a serious threat to future competence supply, particularly in knowledge-driven economies such as Sweden. Despite higher education’s growing importance for economic and social mobility, the number of students pursuing such education continues to fall. This study employs a mixed-methods design using an explanatory sequential approach to explore how teachers’ leadership identity influences their aspirational engagement in shaping students’ beliefs and intentions to pursue higher education and future career opportunities. The results show that teachers who identify strongly with their leadership role exhibit a type of leadership that influences aspirational engagement with students. This, in turn, may promote students’ beliefs in their potential and intentions to pursue higher education through (1) aspirational engagement in individual dialogues with students, (2) aspirational engagement when introducing new subject areas in whole-class communication, and (3) aspirational engagement related to practical work experience (PRAO). This study demonstrates an understanding of the important potential of teachers’ contributions to elevate society’s future competence supply. Full article

The growing reliance on AI-powered EdTech solutions has prompted educators at all levels to rethink teaching and learning methodologies. This shift has fostered a renewed partnership among teachers, students, and society, repositioning AI from a passive support tool into a proactive agent in the classroom. This transformation calls for teachers to exercise leadership and judgement in guiding students’ use of AI, emphasising both responsible practices and ethical considerations within their broader socio-cultural contexts. To harness this potential, we leveraged AI-based solutions within the AECT academic association to reinterpret UNESCO’s four foundational pillars of learning, thereby impacting the broader educational community. This initiative underscores literacy in educational communities emerging from intra-national and international inequity. Hence, it is imperative to examine the exigency of fundamental rights in relation to ethics and norms to uphold the innovative opportunities of AI in education globally. In this regard, this study connects the Pedagogical AI-Tact concept to bridge the gap between theory and practice, fostering both interest and ethical engagement across diverse educational communities. This study valuably upholds Margaret Mead’s proposal that every child deserves universal educational rights, a principle in harmony with justice and freedom. Full article

This study examines the effectiveness of the University–Government–Kindergarten Collaboration (UGK) model in training early childhood teacher candidates (TCs), using the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework to assess its role in enhancing TCs’ competencies. Data were collected through a survey of 210 TCs and in-depth interviews with 12 participants. The findings indicate a structural imbalance in UGK: while university–kindergarten collaboration shows some effectiveness, the lack of governmental leadership weakens tripartite synergy. From an ESD perspective, although UGK fosters basic collaborative skills, it does not systematically develop higher-order ESD competencies such as systems thinking, normative awareness, critical thinking, and strategic action. By shifting the focus from institutional to student experience, this study offers a new analytical framework for teacher education models. It concludes that optimizing UGK requires stronger governmental coordination, deeper university–kindergarten cooperation, and explicit integration of ESD core competencies throughout the training system. Full article

Background: The healthcare industry demands nurses with both clinical proficiency and leadership skills. However, formal leadership training remains limited among undergraduate nursing students, underscoring the need for clinical mentorship to support leadership development. Purpose: This study investigated the association between clinical mentorship quality and leadership competencies among undergraduate nursing students enrolled at a public university in northern Saudi Arabia. Methods: Data were collected using a cross-sectional design from 224 nursing students through a self-administered online survey, which comprised three sections: demographic information, students’ perceptions of clinical mentorship quality, and a standardized assessment of leadership competencies. Results: Students reported positive perceptions of their leadership competencies, with an average score of 2.82. A strong positive correlation was observed between mentorship quality and leadership competencies, particularly in strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, influence, and teamwork. Differences were observed based on sex and academic performance, with female students and those with higher GPAs exhibiting stronger leadership competencies. Regression analysis revealed mentorship quality (β = 0.642, p < 0.001) and academic performance (β = 0.131, p = 0.013) as significant predictors of leadership competencies, while gender and academic year were not statistically significant. Conclusions: High-quality clinical mentorship substantially contributes to the development of leadership competencies among nursing students, with academic performance providing additional support. Integrating structured mentorship programs into nursing curricula may enhance preparedness for leadership roles within healthcare settings. Full article

School leaders are central to addressing educational inequality by fostering inclusion and belonging within their school communities. In fast-growth educational environments where enrollment surges and demographic shifts outpace resource capacity, school leaders face complex challenges in developing inclusive structures and cultures for students with disabilities. In this qualitative case study, the authors examined how 18 principals across PreK-12 grade levels in three rapidly expanding Texas districts conceptualized and enacted inclusive leadership. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups revealed that while principals believed all students are capable of learning, they defined inclusion philosophically but implemented pragmatically limited notions of inclusion shaped by their districts’ organizational structures and continuum of services approaches to special education. Findings illustrate that fast-growth contexts amplify tensions between compliance and care, as school leaders balance external accountability and resource constraints with efforts to cultivate school cultures grounded in empathy, relationships, safety, and belonging. The study presents a complicated picture of how principals navigate pragmatic constraints while pursuing inclusive practices for students receiving special education services. Inclusive educational leadership in fast-growth school environments is more likely to occur when leaders reframe inclusion not as placement, but as a shared commitment to recognizing every student’s capability within a responsive community. Full article

Communication and writing skills are critical for employability and leadership in sustainability and STEM fields, but few studies examine how interdisciplinary, problem-based learning (PBL) environments foster these competencies amongst undergraduates. This three-year study examined how human resource management (HRM) and Chemistry students collaborated on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-themed projects within a Global Classroom model. We used LIWC-22, a validated text analysis tool to assess students’ written reflections about their discipline-specific PBL exercises (e.g., debates about UBI) and their SDG-focused inter-disciplinary group projects (e.g., vaccine access). We found that the HRM students (n = 84) demonstrated increased use of curiosity and cognition language during in-person and synchronous collaboration contexts. Chemistry students collaborating synchronously with their HRM teammates exhibited enhanced curiosity in their writing, though findings for this group are tentative due to the small sample size. Our findings suggest that both discipline-specific and SDG-focused interdisciplinary PBL activities can improve undergraduates’ metacognitive skills and their curiosity, which are critical for addressing sustainability challenges. Our Global Classroom offers a scalable model of how SDG-focused PBL activities can be used to create collaborations between STEM and management undergraduates and enable them to develop context-specific solutions for global sustainability challenges while improving their communication and writing. Full article

This article draws on research in a Norwegian municipality to examine the affective aspects of teaching gifted students and to explore how systemic and cultural norms surrounding gifted education in Norway may shape teachers’ perceptions and practices. Teacher well-being is a concern for educational quality and sustainability, yet in gifted education, it is often overlooked. Giftedness refers to a high ability to learn faster, more complex or in greater depth than same-age peers when adequately supported. In Norway, teachers face contradictory signals concerning teaching the gifted: definitional ambiguity, limited training, strong egalitarian norms that make giftedness a contested category, and, at the same time, a strong principle of inclusive adapted education for all. Those combined may lead to ethical tensions that challenge teachers’ professional integrity and well-being. Such conditions can reduce teachers’ handlingsrom, meaning their space (room) for professional agency, within institutional, cultural, and policy frameworks. To investigate how such pressures shape teacher’s well-being, this study synthesises findings from four interrelated sub-studies conducted within a single research project on gifted education. Using a meta-ethnographic approach, we translated and integrated insights from the sub-studies to develop higher-order constructs not visible in the individual analyses. The synthesis identified three key dynamics: conceptual ambiguity, ethical strain under cross-pressure, and buffers as recalibrators of demands and resources. Together, these insights informed the Cross-Pressure Model for Teacher Well-being (CP-Well Model) developed in this study, which positions teacher integrity at the centre of professional well-being. We argue that teacher well-being in gifted education may depend less on individual resilience and more on systemic, cultural, and policy conditions. Addressing these cross-pressures requires structural change, supportive leadership, and sustained professional development to enable teachers to work with integrity. Full article

Purposes: Teacher turnover has especially negative effects on schools and students when experienced and capable teachers leave. This loss is significant when those teachers also serve as mentors to their less experienced colleagues. This study aimed to advance understanding about how school leaders can positively influence the retention of their school’s teacher mentors. Methodology: The framework for the study reflects a longstanding line of research on successful leadership. Using a cross-sectional research design, evidence was provided by responses to the mentor survey component of a larger four-year study examining the effects on retention decisions of a national induction programme for early-career teachers and their mentors in England. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the direct and indirect effects of school leadership and selected school conditions on mentors’ self-efficacy, well-being and job satisfaction, and ultimately retention decisions. Findings: Developing and retaining teacher mentors was associated with a suite of leadership practices which encourage collaborative cultures, provide coherent high-quality learning opportunities, and ensure what they perceive to be manageable workloads. These organizational conditions nurture the job satisfaction and self-efficacy of experienced teachers enhancing their sense of well-being at work. Implications: Results suggest four sets of guidelines for senior school leaders. Full article

This study examines how the education sector in one Canadian province has navigated post-pandemic recovery between 2023 and 2025, drawing on cross-sectional survey data from a convenience sample of sector employees in the 2023–2024 (n = 1411) and 2024–2025 (n = 742) school years. The findings revealed selective improvement over time, including increased organizational commitment among teachers and other education workforce members, alongside reduced perceptions of students’ academic, social, and behavioural needs. Teachers indicated no corresponding increases in their perceived frequency of meeting students’ needs, whereas other educator sector employees indicated improvement in this area. In contrast, no year-over-year differences were found in the education workforce members’ and teachers’ stress, coping, well-being or connectedness, and job search behaviours remained high, ranging from 14 to 43%. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, these findings suggest that post-pandemic recovery reflects the establishment of a new and complex baseline. The coexistence of improved commitment with persistent job strain signals a paradox of stability amid depletion. Qualitative responses reinforced this interpretation, revealing how educators adapt to ongoing organizational resource constraints and shifting student needs. Together, the findings extend JD-R-informed understandings of post-crisis workforce adaptation and identify implications for leadership and policy aimed at supporting organizational health and workforce sustainability. Full article

Promoting empowerment regarding the SDGs among students requires teaching practices based on a student-centered approach. Storytelling has gained prominence as a tool to increase student engagement, critical thinking, and more equitable school environments. While its benefits for students are well documented, less is known about the factors influencing teachers’ willingness to adopt storytelling. The Erasmus+ project PLACES aims to support the implementation of the SDGs in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, and Italy. This study, conducted during the need analysis phase, investigates the psychological and contextual dimensions associated with teachers’ use of storytelling as a practice to promote the SDGs. Self-efficacy, attitudes, time-related, didactic barriers, and the perceived organizational climate for innovation within schools were investigated by 5-point Likert scales. A quantitative analysis was conducted using hierarchical regression and moderation models based on data collected through a questionnaire administered to 138 primary and low-secondary schools’ teachers from Italy, Belgium, and Greece. Results showed that teachers’ self-efficacy is significantly associated with storytelling use, and this relationship is moderated by perceived school climate for innovation. Moreover, the lack of didactic support is relevant. These findings underline the importance of strengthening individual and contextual enablers in teacher training and school leadership to promote the SDGs. Full article

Background: Nurses have unique insights into health systems yet remain underrepresented in policy processes. Strengthening political competence is widely regarded as important for evidence-informed nursing leadership. Objectives: To assess self-perceived political competence and policy participation among nurses and nursing students in Croatia. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey using open, non-probability recruitment. Of 447 individuals who opened the survey link, 440 provided responses and 390 completed all 19 competence items measuring political competence across three domains (attitudes, knowledge/evidence, and skills). Open recruitment precluded calculation of a conventional response rate. A 19-item self-report questionnaire measured political competence across three domains (attitudes, knowledge/evidence and skills); internal consistency was α = 0.91, although the Croatian version has not been fully validated. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, binomial tests and ordinal logistic regression on the complete-case sample. Results: Most respondents endorsed nurses’ policy involvement, the importance of scientific evidence and nursing’s holistic perspective. Conclusions: Nurses and nursing students reported strong conceptual support for a policy role but only moderate confidence in influencing policy. These cross-sectional findings highlight a gap between conceptual support and personal confidence that may be addressable through structured educational and institutional support; the impact of such initiatives on policy influence should be examined in future longitudinal or interventional studies. Full article

Transgender and gender-diverse teachers occupy a precarious position within educational spaces, often facing increased scrutiny and regulation aimed at disciplining their gender expression. This article brings to light original and significant insights by exploring how transgender and gender-diverse teachers resist and subvert cisnormative dress codes, as acts of self-affirmation and resistance within their professional educational contexts. Through an unconventional lens of Barad’s feminist new materialism combined with Wieringa’s continuum of symbolic subversion, our analysis offers an important theoretical contribution by interpreting how these individuals negotiate and challenge institutional cisnormativity, unsettling the tacit expectations of gendered professionalism in their trans embodiment. Drawing on the experiences of three transgender and gender-diverse teacher participants, a group often overlooked, this paper integrates findings from two distinct qualitative studies which used a participatory-focused ‘object-interview’ methodology. Findings from these in-depth studies reveal that transgender and gender-diverse teachers trouble dress code regulations by simultaneously embodying resistance and compliance, effectively reshaping and disrupting gendered expectations and institutional norms. While some forms of self-affirmation expressed by participants remained unseen, others materialised as embodied subversions of normative organisational expectations. Additionally, the degree of agency these teachers have in resisting binary dress code constraints is contingent on the entanglements of the teachers themselves, students, school policies, leadership and institutional climates. Unexpectedly, this research suggests that schools can act as sites of visibility and safety for transgender and gender-diverse teachers, where gender expression is validated and extends beyond the classroom. This article concludes by recognising that, when transgender and gender-diverse teachers resist uniformity and dress code norms, they embody their affirmed identities and, in doing so, offer vital representation for transgender and gender-diverse students, providing a sense of belonging, possibility, and authenticity within educational spaces. Full article