The view from the top : a study on educational leadership in Roman Catholic schools in Malta

Abstract

This Research studies leadership in Roman Catholic primary and secondary schools in Malta. The study takes a grounded approach in order to investigate what it is like to be a headteacher in a church-run school, through an exploration of attitudes, behaviours, leadership styles and managerial skills and approaches. The initial phase of the project involved interviews with ten Roman Catholic school headteachers (five primary and five secondary). On the basis of these interviews a questionnaire was constructed, focusing on what had been identified as the key issues. The questionnaire was then distributed to the Heads of all Roman Catholic schools in Malta (forty schools). The findings of the study give some privileged insights into the perceptions and experiences of church school Heads, providing information about positive and negative aspects of the job, indicating areas where organisational and I or administrative changes would be helpful and also highlighting areas tor further headteacher education and training.