This paper explores the perceptions of primary and secondary school teachers who are currently in their induction phase (i.e. their first three years after graduation). It reports the views of approximately 300 teachers about their professional development. The methodological approach adopted was a questionnaire survey followed by in‐depth interviews of around 18 teachers. The results clearly indicate the type of support that beginning teachers in particular need at the start of their teaching career. It provides feedback as to what the education authorities and schools need to focus on in order to support beginning teachers. The essential link between pre‐service and continuing professional development is explored and identified as key to quality improvements at the school level.

It is widely acknowledged that high-quality leadership is one of the main ingredients of successful schools and that leaders have a significant and positive impact on student outcomes. At the same time, little is known about how principals use their time, what they do on a day-to-day basis and how this may vary across schools. A review of the relevant literature shows that few studies have used qualitative methods as their sole form of data collection. The paper draws on data derived from a comprehensive study involving principals, other school leaders and teachers in the Italian northern region of Trento. It focuses on observation studies of eight principals over five consecutive days each. Whilst respecting the best-known ethnographic and observational studies conducted internationally, we have built a new observational classification tool which explored the work of the principals under different categories/activities. This study shows that in spite of working in a highly-centralised and prescribed context, the Italian principals carried out various acts of leadership in the way they engaged with the different categories of their work. The findings provide evidence that expresses similarities across the eight principals and unique ways of how they were leading their schools.

The Maltese Government, being concerned about the quality of school education, is attempting to increase teacher effectiveness and student learning. To achieve these goals, it is argued that current in-service programmes need to be improved and focused for all school leaders and teachers. Whilst emphasising the need to focus on school-based development initiatives, it is also emphasised that the school head needs to start promoting teacher development from within. Heads can do much to improve teaching and learning by using professional formative evaluation of their staff. For this to be achieved heads require specific training. Organisations such as the Faculty of Education need to be more involved in providing up-to-date staff development for all educational leaders and other educators

This article aims to explore the evolution of school leadership in Italy toward a model of leadership for learning. Italy is undergoing radical changes in the governance structures (school autonomy and accountability) affecting schools in general, and school principals in particular, based on the way they promote, manage, and monitor the improvement of student learning. This has created an interesting, fertile ground for researchers to review how the policy-mandated initiatives are impacting on leadership for learning in schools. This article addresses two main questions. The first question explores how the new governance structures facilitate or impede an effective approach to leadership for learning. The second question explores whether the accountability reforms acknowledge and respect the history and traditions in which leadership is culturally embedded. This article concludes by presenting the implications for future policy initiatives based on the need to link school accountability and school improvement.

Over the last decade, Malta has been moving away from a highly centralized and bureaucratic system to one that encourages broader involvement in policy‐making and more collaboration among stakeholders. As a result, educators and schools have greater responsibilities to determine the way forward and to develop schools as learning communities. Whilst the road towards increased collaboration amongst teachers and between the schools in which they work can be a long, arduous and tortuous journey, it can also be a vehicle for positive change and development. This paper explores a theoretical rationale for a teacher‐led approach to school improvement. It then explores the initial collaboration between the author and one local school. It presents the main findings of a strategic analysis undertaken to understand the current situation facing the school. This case study helps to highlight the importance and positive effects behind capacity building and shared leadership. Durant les 10 dernières années, Malte s'est éloignée d'un système fortement centralisé et très bureaucratique pour tendre vers un système qui encourage un plus grand engagement dans les prises de décisions et plus de collaboration chez les participants. En conséquence, les éducateurs et les écoles ont des responsabilités plus importantes pour déterminer l'avenir à long terme et pour développer les écoles afin qu'elles deviennent des communautés d'apprentissage. Bien que le chemin menant à une collaboration croissante entre les enseignants et les écoles avec lesquelles ils travaillent puisse être long, ardu et tortueux, il est également un véhicule de changement et de développement positif. Cet article explore en premier lieu les raisons théoriques d'une approche où l'amélioration des écoles serait confiée aux enseignants; il étudie ensuite la collaboration initiale entre l'auteur et une école locale. Cet article présente enfin les principaux résultats d'une analyse stratégique entreprise pour comprendre la situation actuelle de l'école. Cette étude de cas aide à mettre en évidence l'importance et les effets positifs de la formation des aptitudes et du partage des responsabilités. Durante la pasada década, Malta ha pasado de un sistema altamente centralizado y burocrático a otro que fomenta una mayor implicación y una mayor colaboración en materia de política educativa. Como resultado, educadores y escuelas tienen ahora una mayor responsabilidad a la hora de decidir las líneas a seguir por las escuelas y de contribuir al desarrollo de éstas como comunidades de aprendizaje. Si bien es verdad que las nuevas directrices fomentan la colaboración entre profesores y centros y esto supondrá un proceso largo y laborioso, también es cierto que conllevará cambios en positivo y un mayor desarrollo. Este estudio investiga las posibles líneas en que los profesores puedan llevar a cabo una mejora en los centros. Por ello parte de la colaboración inicial entre el autor del estudio y una escuela local. Presenta los resultados más relevantes de un análisis estratégico llevado a cabo para entender la actual situación con que se enfrenta la escuela. Este estudio de casos nos ayuda a valorar la importancia y los efectos positivos que se hallan tras el fomento de capacidades y el liderazgo compartido. Da in den letzten Jahren die Anforderungen an Schulreformen in Malta gewachsen sind, wird, wie wir feststellen konnten, Qualitätsfragen mehr und mehr Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt. Dementsprechend fördern die Schulämter – dank hauptsächlich zweier politischen Initiativen [der Einführung eines Nationalen Kernlehrplans (NMC, National Minimal Curriculum) und der Schulentwicklungsplanung] – eine Dezentralisierung der Verantwortungsstrukturen, die vor allem die Eigenverantwortung der Lehrer in pädagogischen Entscheidungen stärkt. Der Weg hin zu einer intensiveren Zusammenarbeit unter den Lehrern und zwischen den Schulen, in denen sie arbeiten, war lang, mühsam und umständlich. Gleichwohl kann die Zusammenarbeit ein Vehikel für positive Veränderungen und Entwicklung darstellen. Dieser Artikel untersucht theoretische Grundlagen für einen lehrerzentrierten Ansatz der Schulreform. Anschließend wird die anfängliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Autoren dargestellt. Schließlich werden die Hauptergebnisse einer strategischen Analyse vorgestellt, die auf ein besseres Verständnis der aktuellen Situation abzielt, in der sich das Schulwesen befindet. Die vorliegende Fallstudie trägt dazu bei, die Wichtigkeit und die positiven Wirkungen herauszustellen, die von der Stärkung der Eigenverantwortung und von kooperativen Führungsstrukturen ausgehen, und welcher Maßnahmen es hierzu bedarf.