The Impact of School-Based Management on Primary School Principals: An Australian Perspective 1

Abstract

This article reports research on the impact of the implementation of school-based management on primary schools and their principals in Queensland, Australia. A qualitative case study approach was employed, with individual and focus group interviews being the major data collection method. The findings illustrate that, as in systems elsewhere where school-based management has been introduced, the impact on schools and principals has been significant. Increasing demands are being made on principals to lead their communities through the change process and facilitate cultural change while at the same time responding to greater accountability demands from the system. Educational leadership has largely given way to managerial activities. Implications for policy, practice, leadership theory, and further research are discussed.