Analysis of the Ontological, Epistemological and Methodological Assumptions in Two Leadership Development Articles
- December 2, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue XI, November 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705
Frederick Ebot Ashu
Senior Lecturer, Education Foundations and Administration, Faculty of Education, University of Buea, Cameroon
Abstract: Leadership development is a multifaceted and complex subject of research and demands a sound ontological, epistemological and methodological stance that guides studies for the development of more integrative leadership theories to support the development of school leaders. The review to follow is a comparative analysis of two studies conducted in the field of education leadership development published in Education Management and Administration and the other from a UK perspective in Educational Review. The aspects to be compared will be as follow. First, brief description of each study will be presented. Second, the ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions underlying each study will be compared. Third, the article by Bush and Jackson: A Preparation for School Leadership. The Qualitative Paradigm offers a comparative overview from an international perspective. Fourthly, Rhodes, Brundrett, Nevill study is a mixed-method Approach Just the ticket? The National Professional Qualification and Transition to Headship reviewed and analysed. Finally, a critique of each study will be presented.
Keywords: Analysis of the Ontological, Epistemological, Methodological, Educational Leadership, Leadership Development
I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
This paper will discuss the ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions made by the authors of two key works that were particularly influential in relation to my own published doctoral thesis topic of” Effectiveness of School Leadership and Management Development in Cameroon: An Evaluative Case Study”, in which the researcher explored leadership development strategies for aspiring school leaders such as primary head teachers and secondary principals (Ebot Ashu, 2014).
The two articles which I selected to analyse here each discuss approaches to the development of school leadership skills, one from a comparative international perspective, and the other from a UK perspective. They each, therefore, offer insights that, whilst they may or may not turn out to be valid for my own topic, with its focus on Cameroon, are certainly potentially relevant and therefore worthy of detailed consideration, both in this paper and in the full exposition of my research topic.
