A Study On Principals' School-based Curriculum Leadership

In the new round of curriculum reform of baisic education,in addition to studying the systematic cultural knowledge,some other principles,values of curriculum,e.g.to adapt to social needs,to promote the needs of the students's main development has been paid more and more attention.Three rank curriculum management system was launched,and the "the outline of curriculum reform of compulsory Education",enacted in 2001,emphasized that the schools should develop or choose appropriate school -based curriculum,based on the specific circumstances of the social and economic development,the tradition and strength of the school,and the interests and the needs of students. In the background of principle responsibility today,principles are sopposed to lead and carry out the school-based curriculum,which carry more(or prefferred) direct experience ,practice and the main development of student.The "principles' leadership" in this study is mostly of the legal significance and to some extent is a symbol of collective leadership,but not to say that the principles out to decide and do it alone.At present,the study of school-based curriculum leadership has just started and still in the stage of theory study.In the traditional centralization curriculum management of our country,the main body of curriculum management of school,especially the primary and secondary schools,is the central and provincial authority,in which case,the power of curriculum management ofthe principals(or the system of principal responsibilidy) is limited,its main duty is to implement the national curriculum programs.In this case,the so called principles' school-based curriculum leadership is to carry out the superior oders.For many years,the primary and secondary schools do not need to select and develop curriculum,even not need to arrange academic hour and design the teaching under the provisions of the outline of national curriculum,which is also deeply exhibited in the management of school-based curriculum.However,the new curriculum reform precisely requires that the school should select,develop and organize the school-based curriculum on their own,which is a "blank curriculum" comared to national and local curriculum,that's because the central and local government did not give speicific requriements on the goal,the contents,the plan of implementation and evaluation. Obviously,it highlights the issue of principals' curriculum leadership,and is a topic of great practical significance.The basic research methods of this study is positivism survey.To ensure the reliability and validity,the auther tried his best go do a large sample survey,select 60 primary and second schools from the Changning district,Jing'an district,Putuo district,Yangpu district,etc of Shanghai center city,including primary schools,junior high and senior high schools,assigning 60 principal questionnaires and 230 teacher questionaires,altogether 290 questionnaires,and crcycling effective 243,including 54 principle questionnaires and 189 teacher questionaires.At the same time,this study also used interviews and case observation,including primary,secondery and high school principles,experts of education institue and officials of educational administration department,for a total of 16 people.In addition, in order to find a solid theory support and to confirm the analysis and conclusions of this study and make is more universal,the auther also did a extensive literature study.Specifically, there are five chapters in this thesis: chapter one,the auther discusses the origin of school-based curriculum,the relationship between principals and the school-based curriculum,research ideas and program design,etc.chapter two,based on the related literature discussion,the auther analysis the origin of the school-based curriculum leadership,its definition and development,the influencing factors,as well as the concept of curriculum leadership and the curriculum leadership models,etc.chapter three is mainly about the positivism survey of the principals' school-based curriculum leadership.The study demonstrated that the principals are lack of legal sense of self-management and is limited to the traditional way of thinking "ordering -implemention".The organizing, implementing and evaluationg abilities of principles is wead too.chapter four is about the cause analysis according the investigation of the status quo.The auther believe that,under the influence of formalism administration view,"the execution of curriculum" replace the "curriculum leadership".And influencing factors also include the examiniation of national curriculum and the inadequate collaboration between schools.chapter five is about the possible correponding countermeasures according to the cause analysis.