Can Leadership Help Teachers Deal with Change-Associated Challenges?

Abstract

Life in the modern world is fast, complex, uncertain and compressed. This presents new problems and challenges for school systems and the teachers who work in them (Fullan, 2005). The compression of time and space create accelerated change; evidenced by growing innovation, overload and intensification in teachers’ work. It is undeniable that teachers and principals in Australian schools, increasingly, are expected to address an array of social issues and societal problems previously external to their professional domain (Mitchell et al., 2002, p. 19). Furthermore, government safety and welfare concerns have resulted in new legislation and regulations, culminating in additional levels of accountability for educators.