Teaching Principals in Small Rural Schools: “My Cup Overfloweth”

Authors

  • Dawn C. Wallin University of Saskatchewan
  • Paul Newton University of Saskatchewan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v60i4.55982

Keywords:

Rural Education, Small Schools, Educational Administration, Relationality, Mots clés, éducation rurale, petites écoles, administration scolaire, relationnalité

Abstract

This paper presents the results of interviews with 12 Manitoba and Alberta rural teaching principals regarding their leadership practices in small schools. The overwhelming theme mentioned by these teaching principals was the joy and sense of purpose they found in the relationships they cultivated with children, staff, and community members because of the ‘advantages’ they had working in small schools. The paper details the small schools context within which teaching principals are working in these two provinces and outlines the role of reciprocal relationality that is central to their leadership efforts in small rural schools.

Cet article présente les résultats d’entrevues auprès de douze directeurs-enseignants d’écoles rurales au Manitoba et en Alberta portant sur les pratiques de leadership dans les petites écoles. Le thème dominant qui en est ressorti est celui de la joie et le sentiment d’un but à atteindre qu’ils retiraient des rapports entretenus avec les enfants, le personnel et les membres de la communauté et qu’ils associaient aux « bienfaits » de travailler dans une petite école. L’article décrit en détail le contexte scolaire dans lequel travaillent les directeurs-enseignants dans ces deux provinces, et dresse un portrait du rôle de la relationnalité réciproque qui est au centre de leurs efforts comme dirigeants de petites écoles en milieu rural.

 

Author Biographies

Dawn C. Wallin, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Dawn C. Wallin is the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs and Research in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan. Her research interests focus on educational administration and leadership, with a particular focus on rural education and equity issues in education.

Paul Newton, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Paul Newton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan.

Downloads

Published

2015-11-20

How to Cite

Wallin, D. C., & Newton, P. (2015). Teaching Principals in Small Rural Schools: “My Cup Overfloweth”. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 60(4), 708–725. https://doi.org/10.11575/ajer.v60i4.55982

Issue

Vol. 60 No. 4 (2014): Winter: (Theme Issue)

Section

ARTICLES

License

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA COPYRIGHT LICENSE AND PUBLICATION AGREEMENT

If accepted, authors will be asked to sign a copyright agreement with the following points:

A. Where there is any inconsistency between this Copyright License and Publication Agreement and any other document or agreement in relation to the same subject matter, the terms of this Agreement shall govern.

B. This document sets out the rights you are granting in relation to publication of your article, book review, or research note entitled (the “Article”) through inclusion in the academic journal titled Alberta Journal of Educational Research (the “Journal”) published through the Faculty of Education, representing the Governors of the University of Alberta (the “Journal Editor”).

C. There will be no payment to you for this publication and grant of rights. In consideration of the agreement to publish the Article in the Journal:

1. You are warranting that:

  1. the content of the Article is your original work, and its content does not contain any material infringing the copyright of others; or, where the Article is not entirely your original work, you have obtained all necessary permissions in writing to grant the rights you are giving in this agreement;
  2. the content of the Article does not contain any material that is defamatory of, or violates the privacy rights of, or discloses the confidential information of, any other person;
  3. the Article has not been published elsewhere in whole or in part, and you will not allow publication of the Article elsewhere without the consent of the Journal Editor;
  4. the names of all co-authors and contributors to the Article are:

2. You agree to license the copyright in the Article to the Journal Editor, on a worldwide, perpetual, royalty free basis; and to the extent required by the terms of this agreement. You shall retain the right at all times to be acknowledged as the/an author of the Article.

3. You further agree that the Journal Editor has the entitlement to deal with the Article as the Journal Editor sees fit, and including in the following manner;

  1. The right to print, publish, market, communicate and distribute the Article and the Journal, in this and any subsequent editions, in all media (including electronic media), in all languages, and in all territories, ing the full term of copyright, and including any form of the Article separated from the Journal, such as in a database, abstract, offprint, translation or otherwise, and to authorize third parties to do so;
  2. The right to register copyright of the Journal;
  3. The right to edit the Article, to conform to editorial policy as the Journal Editor sees fit.

4. If any co-author or contributor to the Article does not sign this agreement, the Journal Editor reserves the right to refuse to publish the Article.