The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the largest international
survey of teachers and school leaders. Using the TALIS database, this report looks
at different approaches to school leadership and the impact of school leadership on
professional learning communities and on the learning climate in individual schools.
It looks at principals’ instructional and distributed leadership across different
education systems and levels. Instructional leadership comprises leadership practices
that involve the planning, evaluation, co-ordination and improvement of teaching and
learning. Distributed leadership in schools explores the degree of involvement of
staff, parents or guardians, and students in school decisions.
How are principals’ and schools’ characteristics related to instructional and distributed
leadership? What types of leadership are favoured across countries? What impact do
they have on the establishment of professional learning communities and positive learning
environments? The report notes that teacher collaboration is more common in schools
with strong instructional leadership. However, about one in three principals does
not actively encourage collaboration among the teaching staff in his or her school.
There is room for improvement; and both policy and practice can help achieve it. The
report offers a series of policy recommendations to help strengthen school leadership.