The importance of relationships in effectively leading schools: Using corpus linguistic analysis to identify the essential work of educational leadership from the perspective of recently retired school administrators

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of recently retired public school administrators regarding the essential elements of effective educational leadership, utilizing corpus linguistic analysis. Interview transcripts from 14 retired administrators and corpus linguistic techniques, including frequency, concordance, collocation, and keyword analysis, were employed to examine participants’ discourse. The analysis revealed that retired leaders consistently highlighted the relational aspects of leadership, underscoring collaboration, trust, and shared vision as critical elements. Relationships emerged as central to effective leadership, influencing both interpersonal dynamics and the broader school culture. This study's findings suggest a need to reconsider leadership frameworks, emphasizing the relational nature of leadership for future principal preparation and professional development programmes.