Leading, management and administration as a comprehensive process

• Author: Albana Tahiri - Kledi Shegani
• Pages: 122-139

Vol. 4 No. 1

January, 2020

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

122

Leading, management and administration as a comprehensive process

Dr. Albana Tahiri

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kledi Shegani

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to provide a complete picture of how important is the

performance of school directors in Albania, with reference to the "Performance standards and

evaluation criteria for school directors Guidelines".1

The purpose of this document is to be used as a reference for school directors. The performance

evaluation for all school directors should be in compliance with these standards. Also, this

document links closely school director’s performance evaluation with student’s achievements

and the quality of the educational process.

This study is based on a methodology that includes both qualitative and quantitative aspects.

The quantitative aspect is covering a large number of teachers and school directors in several

city/village schools in Tirana, through surveys and questionnaires, in around 100 Tirana

district schools with a sample of about one thousand teachers and seventy directors.

The comparison method used for the collection and interpretation of results serves to

understand that the Albanian school system, despite the changes and reforms undertaken in

recent years, again faces a poor quality of school management at di erent levels of education.

Referring to previous research in this area, our subject ma er has been both compulsory and

upper secondary management, starting with performance appraisal, curriculum programs,

management skills, leadership and professional skills of teaching and to the interpretation of

data.

Keywords: leading, management, school, teachers, directors, legislation.

Introduction

In Albania, a er the years 1990-2018 there has been a signif‌i cant change in high

school education leadership that has impacted a substantial part of the teaching and

learning process and methodology. These changes have been powerful innovations

that have provided a new prospective to the learning-teaching process in both the

curricular content plan and in the process of managing and administering the school.

Recognizing the school's problems related to increasing the quality of its learning,

as well as improving school’s management and leadership, understanding, thinking,

judging on this area of study, we think that school leadership and management is one

of the key areas through which we can change the quality of teaching and learning

process for students at school. We understand that this will require new parameters

and standards.

For this purpose, di erent e orts have been made in the Albanian school practice and

numerous reforms have been undertaken to improve the quality of learning process

at di erent levels of education.

1 Normative Provisions Chapter XI from Articles 54 to 65. Chapter IX of the Law on Pre-University

Education Article 54.n 55.

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

Vol. 4 No. 1

January, 2020

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

123

Leadership has an important and irreplaceable role in the school to increase the

e ectiveness of teaching-learning process, regardless of the continuous change that is

necessary to occur in this process. Accurate identif‌i cation of leading and management

issues of the educational institution leads us to the perfection the system, both in the

external and internal evaluation of the school.

O en we face of the expression, "Leadership def‌i nes the school level”. Indeed, the

leader, and not only, should handle the school as a family, which has def‌i ned functions

and tasks and their realization becomes complete when the climate in the school is

inclusive.

The leader should compromise of what he should be in the context of today’s world.

Everyone can become a leader2. In order to create and perceive a more accurate

def‌i nition on the leader (leadership) we need to consider leaders' (leadership)

theories and styles highlighting the di erences between leaders and managers.

The di erence between leadership and managers was clearly def‌i ned by Abraham

Zaleznik Leaders3. He notes that leaders are visionaries inspiring people and dealing

with content, while managers are planners and deal with the process. The di erences

between leader and manager are further explained by Warren Bennis (1989).

Leadership def‌i nes school performance success, and depends also from the director ’s

assessment and standards. The director promotes students to be successful, facilitating,

developing, communicating, implementing and evaluating a common vision for the educational

process that provides systematic improvement of student achievements and for the school

itself. He guides the development and fulf‌i llment of the vision for improving school education,

monitors and evaluates programs that enhance the quality of the educational process and

works with sta to increase school outcomes. 4

Naturally we ask the following questions: What is Leadership? Is it a process or

an a ribute? How many parties are involved? Who implements it? Whom it is

implemented upon? What is the main purpose?

Leadership is a process through which a person inf‌l uences others to achieve an

objective and leads the organization in such a way that it becomes more coherent

adapting to the human dynamics5.

Leadership is art. The following example makes it clear that leadership is the art that

leads all members of the group to consider themselves members of the team. "My

leader told me that teamwork depends on the performance of each team member. For

me it was di cult to understand, until my manager told me how the o ce writing

machine worked when one of the keystrokes came out of function. All other keys

worked very well, but only one damaged caused the whole machine to go out of

operation. Now I understand that even though I'm a single person, I am needed to

the team in order for it to work properly."6

2 With the leader we will understand not only the righteous leader, but also the leader of a group,

organization or institution.

3 A. Zaleznik, "Managers and Leaders: Are They Different?", 1977.

4 Gardner, Leading Minds, An Anatomy of Leadership, (2000). fq13 Leadership Handbook, LGP

/ UNPD, 2004

5 Fullani. M "The New Meaning of Change in Education" 3rd Edition; Edualba 2001 pg. 261.

6 Albanian Customs Service Training Management Training (I-Introduction to Management).