There is a vast body of research confirming the important influence of the classroom teacher on student achievement. A key issue, then, is how the quality of teaching and learning within individual classrooms can be influenced and improved. This paper argues that educational leadership is a key influence on the quality of teaching and learning and thus student achievement. Educational leadership is heavily dependent upon relationships, and this paper explores two fundamental dimensions to relationships—responsiveness and demandingness—and their effects on teaching and educational leadership.
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