A Study of P. Hallinger’s Theory of School Leader Education from the Viewpoint of Strategic Management

Abstract

Japan has been implemented of school leader education initiatives aimed at enhancing management capacity of students. When examining these school leader education initiatives, it is important to consider them from the viewpoint of strategic management because enhancing management capacity related to formulating strategies is the aim of these initiatives. In the first place, the management capacity required for school leaders and the educational methods to enhance capacity change by strategic management assuming school leader education initiatives. From the viewpoint of strategic management, many school leader education initiatives were based on analytical strategic management, wherein leaders formulate strategies and organization members implement them. To explore alternatives to such school leader education, this article examined Philip Hallinger's (1995, 1997, 2003, 2007) theory of school leader education. First, I examine the problems in school leader education based on analytical strategic management using Hallinger's theory. Second, I explain how Hallinger's theory assumes evolutionary strategic management, and how his theoretical goal is to enhance the capacity to "manage for action". Third, I examine the characteristics of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to enhance its capacity. Finally, I provide two suggestions, based on Hallinger's work, for improving school leader education in Japan.