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Leading Schools towards Sustainability. Fields of Action and Management Strategies for Principals

Author

Listed:
  • Ulrich Müller

    (Educational Leadership and Management, Ludwigsburg University of Education, Reuteallee 46, D 71634 Ludwigsburg, Germany)

  • Armin Lude

    (Biology and Biology Education, Ludwigsburg University of Education, Reuteallee 46, D 71634 Ludwigsburg, Germany)

  • Dawson R. Hancock

    (UNC Charlotte, Educational Leadership, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA)

Abstract

Education is expected to support the development of a more sustainable way of thinking, working, and living. Although there is a broad range of literature on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the role of principals in the implementation of sustainability and ESD in schools has rarely been taken into consideration. However, based on the results of school effectiveness research, one can assume that school principals exert a significant influence on ESD. Sustainability is a leadership issue. When a school aims at integrating sustainability and ESD, the principal plays a pivotal role. She or he has to support the endeavor wholeheartedly and credibly, organize a participative process of school development, emphasize sustainability and ESD in the daily life of the school, support teaching staff in the application of ESD, and offer students opportunities to launch their own initiatives. This article for the special issue on “Sustainability in leadership and education” is a theoretical concept paper based on a literature review and the authors’ conceptual work. It offers a model and seeks to support principals in leading their schools towards sustainability. Therefore, a framework of four stages of the integration of sustainability and ESD in a school is defined. For each of these stages, a number of practical actions and management strategies are suggested and explained in detail.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Müller & Armin Lude & Dawson R. Hancock, 2020. "Leading Schools towards Sustainability. Fields of Action and Management Strategies for Principals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-20, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:3031-:d:343584
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Christof Miska & Mark E. Mendenhall, 2018. "Responsible Leadership: A Mapping of Extant Research and Future Directions," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 117-134, March.
    2. Urmetzer, Sophie & Lask, Jan & Vargas-Carpintero, Ricardo & Pyka, Andreas, 2020. "Learning to change: Transformative knowledge for building a sustainable bioeconomy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    3. Nicola Pless & Thomas Maak, 2011. "Responsible Leadership: Pathways to the Future," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(1), pages 3-13, January.
    4. Thomas Maak & Nicola M. Pless, 2006. "Responsible Leadership in a Stakeholder Society – A Relational Perspective," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 99-115, June.
    5. Anna Mogren & Niklas Gericke, 2019. "School Leaders’ Experiences of Implementing Education for Sustainable Development—Anchoring the Transformative Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-21, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ulrich Müller & Dawson R. Hancock & Tobias Stricker & Chuang Wang, 2021. "Implementing ESD in Schools: Perspectives of Principals in Germany, Macau, and the USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Martín Bascopé & Kristina Reiss, 2021. "Place-Based STEM Education for Sustainability: A Path towards Socioecological Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-16, July.
    3. Cristina Checa & Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero & Yenny Guiselli Torres & José Luis Montes-Botella & Cecilio Barba & Antón García, 2020. "Focused Coordination Models towards Sustainability in Higher Education. Case of Quevedo State Technical University (Ecuador)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
    4. Emir Ozeren & Aykut Arslan & Serdar Yener & Andrea Appolloni, 2020. "The Predictive Effect of Teachers’ Perception of School Principals’ Motivating Language on Teachers’ Self-Efficacy via a Cultural Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-17, October.

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