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Principals’ reactions to feedback received by school inspection: A longitudinal study

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Abstract

This article presents the results of a follow-up study on the attitudes of German principals towards receiving feedback from school inspections. In a first study, we explored the attitudes of 50 principals towards feedback from school inspections [Quality Analysis (QA) in North Rhine-Westphalia] before school inspections took place at these schools (Bitan et al., Int J leadersh Educ 18(4):418–439, 2015). In the present study, the change in attitude of 20 of these principals towards the feedback instrument was investigated in a longitudinal study that took place 6 months after the schools had been inspected. Mixed methods were used. The main aim of the study was to assess the principals’ reactions and attitudes toward the feedback given by school inspectors as well as the change in principals’ attitudes after the school inspection and to explore the underlying reasons for their attitudes and reactions. 20 % of the principals changed to a more negative attitude towards the QA after the inspection, whereas 0 % voiced a neutral attitude. 60 % changed to a more positive attitude and 20 % remained positive after the QA. The discussion presents implications for school inspections as a feedback instrument as well as school development.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstraße 2, 45141, Essen, Germany

    Kristin Behnke & Gisela Steins

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  1. Kristin Behnke
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  2. Gisela Steins
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Correspondence to Kristin Behnke.

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Behnke, K., Steins, G. Principals’ reactions to feedback received by school inspection: A longitudinal study. J Educ Change 18, 77–106 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-016-9275-7

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