While there has been considerable research activity in the area of middle management / middle leadership since the late 1990s, the concept remains under-theorised and ambiguities persist in relation to who middle managers or middle leaders are and what they do. The recent shift in terminology in the literature from ‘middle management’ to ‘middle leadership’ alludes to evolution in the roles these leaders play in schools. However, without a theoretical model to use as a point of reference it is difficult to describe the nature of such evolution and even more difficult to identify implications for teacher productivity, student outcomes and school effectiveness. This article proposes a model of middle leadership in schools based on an extensive review of the literature. The Middle Leadership in Schools (MLiS) model describes factors that influence middle leadership, possible influences of middle leadership on schools, a typology of roles middle leaders perform and how they might perform them. The article concludes with implications for research and theory building in a still-emergent area within the broader field of educational leadership.

Job satisfaction has been associated with a variety of behaviours relating to communication. However, very little research has been conducted in primary schools encompassing job satisfaction and a range of communication variables. This study investigated the relationships between aspects of organizational communication and facets of job satisfaction. The participants were 356 staff members from 52 primary schools of six Catholic education systems in New South Wales, Australia. The participants completed a survey consisting of the Organizational Communication in Primary Schools Questionnaire and the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (TJSQ). Ten organizational communication factors and nine job satisfaction factors were identified. Multiple regression analyses identified several organizational communication factors that were predictors of job satisfaction. The results suggest implications for policy and practice with regard to communication in these schools.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between aspects of organisational communication and dimensions of job satisfaction and general organisational commitment. Participants were 358 staff members from 35 government primary schools in the state of Western Australia, who completed a survey comprising the Organisational Communication in Primary Schools Questionnaire, the Teacher Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and a five item general organisational commitment scale. Factor analyses established 13 aspects of job satisfaction and 9 dimensions of job satisfaction. Multiple regression analyses were used to investigate interrelationships. The findings suggest several aspects of organisational communication were related to job satisfaction and organisational commitment. This article concludes with implications for future research with regard to communication and for the maintenance of optimal levels of job satisfaction and commitment in schools.

In Australia, there is a national education agenda for school improvement with an increasing focus on how school leaders can fulfil this agenda. As school principals are arguably faced with increasing demands, the importance of school middle leaders is increasing. This article presents the initial findings from a larger project on middle leadership in Australian schools, the first phase of which is a documentary analysis of significant texts including policy documents, websites and reports. The purpose of the document analysis was to examine expectations placed on, and support provided for, school middle leaders in Australian schools to make explicit the potential implications for policymakers, leaders and researchers investigating this field. We argue there is a lack of clarity about the role of middle leadership across Australia, with unclear policies, and variations in expectations, titles and levels of support. What is evident is that middle leaders play a pivotal role as they lead teaching, learning, and pastoral care. They carry out these roles in subject areas, key stages and classrooms, and among teachers. While there are a range of professional development provisions for middle leaders across different states, middle leadership needs to be an area of increased focus across Australia.

Purpose: – This paper reports two related studies of relationships between organizational communication and occupational stress of staff members in Catholic primary schools.Design/methodology/approach: – Data from both studies were obtained using survey questionnaires. Participants were staff members of Catholic diocesan primary schools in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland, Australia. Research hypotheses were tested using correlation and multiple regression analyses.Findings: – Ten organizational communication factors and four occupational stress domains were identified. Several organizational communication variables were found to be predictors of occupational stress in four identified domains.Practical implications: – The findings provide implications for school administrators in relation to staff member access to formal communication channels, openness and approachability of principals, and support giving between school administration and staff, as well as among staff.Originality/value: – The studies used a conceptual framework of organizational communication that is unique and comprehensive. The paper contributes new knowledge in an area that has received little attention, namely, communication in schools.

Purpose: This study's purpose is to examine the relationships between the biographical characteristics gender, age, years of experience and employment position, and job satisfaction of staff members in Catholic primary schools.Design/methodology/approach: Survey data were collected from 356 staff members from Catholic primary schools. Research hypotheses were tested using multivariate analysis and comparison of means.Findings: Age, gender and position were related to a number of facets of job satisfaction as well as overall job satisfaction. No significant relationships were identified for years of experience.Practical implications: The findings hold implications for Catholic diocesan school systems and school administrators in relation to teacher retention and for further research regarding teacher's aides.Originality/value: This study includes non‐teaching staff and investigates the role of employment position as a biographical variable.