Singapore School Principals

This book is undertaken by the author who has personally walked the journey of a classroom teacher, middle leader and school principal in the Singapore education system. It is a culmination of two research projects undertaken in two phases — the first is derived from the PhD Thesis entitled The Making of School Principals in Singapore and the second is based on interviews with school principals who have retired from the Singapore education system. Both research projects provide invaluable input to describe the four career phases of school leadership, that is, formation, accession, incumbency, and divestiture. This research describes how the formative years of a school principal have tremendous impact on who the principal is, and how the values and beliefs of an aspiring/potential school leader serve to guide him/her in taking on the principalship post.

This well-structured book is both exploratory and descriptive. It provides the necessary background for anyone interested in understanding school leadership as a career. More specifically, it will be of value to educators and stakeholders interested in understanding the nature of school leadership in the Singapore education system.
Contents: IntroductionThe Singapore Education SystemLiterature ReviewResearch Methodology and DesignThe Formative YearsAccession: On Becoming a School PrincipalIncumbencyDivestitureDiscussionConclusion
Readership: Researchers, students and the general public who are interested to understand the nature of school leadership in the Singapore education system.
Keywords:Principalship;School Leadership;Case Studies;Singapore Education System;Teaching CareerReview:Key Features:This book is written from the perspectives of a practitioner researcher. The author has served as a classroom teacher, middle leader and principal in the Singapore education system in addition to being a trainer and people developer in school leadership programmes in the National Institute of Education, NTUThe life stories of school leaders and retired principals will be informative to serving principalsThe life stories of first time principals and experienced school leaders can be useful for teaching aspiring middle leaders and school principals