A Study On Principals' Curriculum Leadership

Curriculum reform of basic education in China has implemented three-rankcurriculum management system, which plays different rights on the country, localityand school. The principals, as the most direct managers in the school, possess somerights and much resource, so he/she should shoulder the work of leading the schoolcurriculum development. Curriculum leadership is a new topic for principals, so it isalso a tremendous challenge for them. How to promote the ability of principals'curriculum leadership is becoming an urgent problem to resolve in the field oftheories and practices of education.The study on curriculum leadership is a new research field at home and abroad. Itis very weak in our country, especially the principals' curriculum leadership is justbeginning in China, and it can't satisfy practical demand of the new curriculum reform.Principals haven't known clearly about views of curriculum leadership. Principals arein need of tactics to implement principals' curriculum leadership. Principals'curriculum leadership is neglected both in theory reference and in practical wisdom.This research is to clarify some concepts about principals' curriculum leadership onthe basis of previous research, to probe into the reasons for imperfection of principals'function by analyzing the present condition of the principals' curriculum leadership,to put forward guarantee measurements and the tactics for principals to implementcurriculum leadership, hoping to provide reference for principals' curriculumleadership.Firstly, this thesis analyzes the research background and present condition ofprincipals' curriculum leadership, on the basis of this, clarifies the purpose ofchoosing this research. Analysis the relations between curriculum leadership andcurriculum management, to further clarify the concept of principal's curriculumleadership and realize the significance of it.Secondly, this thesis draws conclusions about the reasons for imperfection ofprincipal's function, the reasons for it are various, including the reasons of principals'own, such as shortage of consciousness of curriculum leadership, shortage ofprofessional knowledge in the curriculum development, shortage of time, and so on;including the reason of education administration, such as interfering educating andteaching in school too much;the parents don't understand or support curriculumreform, and interfering the curriculum in school can hamper principals' curriculumleadership.Thirdly, this thesis puts forward the tactics for principals to implementcurriculum leadership according to the reasons for imperfection of principals' functionin curriculum leadership. First of all, principals must change views, including viewsof curriculum, views of teacher, and views of school. Principals must have new viewof curriculum, which transforms a static view of knowledge into dynamic view ofknowledge;a new view of teacher, in which the teacher is no longer outside ofcurriculum, but "the participant of curriculum";schools are no longer an"organization as tool "but a "learning organization". School should be a professionalgroup, in which the members can understand mutually, learn mutually,think mutuallyand cooperate mutually. Next, the specific roles of principals' curriculum leadership.A principal should act as an initiator of concept, a navigator of specialty, a promoterof curriculum, a coordinator of communication and a provider of resources duringschool curriculum's development. Otherwise, he/she can choose the most suitableleadership in accordance with specific conditions. In the end, the main task ofprincipal's curriculum leadership is presented. The work of principal's curriculumleadership is miscellaneous. The thesis probes into the main task of principals fromthree aspects: the scheme of school curriculum, school members and the reformationof school's organization. It shows particularly that principals should do some thingsfor the development of school-based curriculum. It also analyses what principalsshould do during the development of school-based curriculum according to generalprocedure.Then, the effect implement of principal's curriculum leadership depends on thesupport of external circumstances. Educational administrative units should takeguarantee measures, such as endow with the rights of principals' curriculumleadership, reform evaluation system of exams, and create circumstances forprincipals' curriculum leadership. The understanding and collaboration of parents andsociety is important motive and necessary circumstances to smooth implement ofprincipals' curriculum leadership.Lastly, this thesis points out that it's a long exploring course to develop theprincipal's curriculum leadership. The author hopes that more and more research willcome out to talk about and solve the difficulty and problem of this field.