Developing the Strategic Thinking of Instructional Leaders

The inadequacy of principals' preparation presents a major problem for policy and practice in light of the critical role principals play in school improvement. In this article we examine emerging research on instructional leadership and present a rationale for viewing principal leadership from the perspective of strategic thinking. We argue that research on instructional leadership must address the thinking that underlies the exercise of leadership, not simply describe discrete behaviors of effective leaders. This research is then linked to development efforts in the field. Factors that influence the transfer of knowledge, as well as their applicability to principals' training and development, are discussed. We next describe a computer simulation that addresses both the research on instructional leadership and the instructional challenge of designing leadership training that will transfer from the classroom to the school. Finally, we discuss future research on strategic thinking and school leadership and implications of research for the design and delivery of administrative training and development.