Using Womanism Counseling to Support Black Girls

This study aims to analyze the role of school principal leadership in shaping students’ character of discipline, responsibility, and independence at SMP Negeri 4 Pekanbaru. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach involving 16 participants consisting of one school principal, five teachers, and ten students, selected through purposive sampling based on their involvement and understanding of the research phenomenon. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that school principals play a crucial role in character formation through exemplary leadership, integration of character values into the school vision and mission, habituation programs, routine activities, supervision, and continuous evaluation. The strategies implemented include effective communication, motivation and appreciation, enforcement of school regulations accompanied by guidance, and collaboration with teachers, parents, and the community. Character development is supported by the principal’s commitment, involvement of school members, extracurricular activities, and family and community support. However, several challenges remain, including limited student awareness, insufficient parental supervision, peer influence, and uncontrolled use of technology and social media. This study highlights the importance of transformational and collaborative leadership in creating a school environment that supports sustainable student character development.

Madrasah leadership is increasingly expected to translate educational regulations and institutional visions into accountable practices that strengthen teaching, organizational culture, and Islamic character formation. This study is designed to examine how ethical, servant, spiritual, and authentic leadership are interpreted and enacted in educational policy at MTs Darussalam Lubuklinggau. A qualitative single-case study will be conducted. Purposively selected participants are expected to include the madrasah principal, vice-principals, teachers, educational staff, committee representatives, and selected students, subject to access and ethical approval. Data will be generated through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and analysis of institutional documents. The analysis will combine iterative data condensation, display, and conclusion verification with theory-informed and inductive thematic coding. Source and method triangulation, participant checking, and an audit trail will be used to strengthen trustworthiness. Since fieldwork has not yet been conducted, this manuscript does not report empirical findings. Its intended contribution is an analytical framework connecting four complementary leadership perspectives with the stages of madrasah policy formulation, communication, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

This study investigated the challenges facing head teachers in providing leadership support for the implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) in public primary schools in Muleba District, Tanzania. The study was guided by one specific objective: to identify the challenges faced by head teachers in providing leadership support for CBC implementation. Grounded in Hallinger and Murphy's (1985) Instructional Leadership Theory, the study adopted a pragmatic paradigm with a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The target population comprised 2,166 individuals from 237 public primary schools. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 112 respondents (100 classroom teachers and 12 heads of schools), semi-structured interviews with head teachers and one School Quality Assurance Officer, and document review. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics through SPSS Version 22, while qualitative data were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework. The findings revealed seven interconnected challenges: inadequate CBC training for head teachers themselves (84.8%), inadequate funding preventing leadership support (81.3%), heavy administrative workloads (76.8%), unclear government support (76.8%), financial constraints generally (67.9%), overcrowded classrooms (64.3%), and teacher resistance to CBC changes (52.7%). The study concluded that head teachers' effectiveness in leading CBC implementation is systematically undermined by systemic factors beyond their control. The study recommends mandatory CBC training for head teachers, reduction of administrative workloads, increased capitation grants with CBC-specific allocations, clear national implementation guidelines, and investment in school infrastructure.

ABSTRACT. The relationship between instructional leadership behaviours and lecturers’ job performance is important in higher education. Understanding this relationship can help academic leaders support lecturers and improve teaching, research, and academic development. Therefore, this study determines how instructional leadership behaviour of heads of departments (HoDs) influences lecturers’ job performance at the major public universities in Kumasi, Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was employed to collect data from lecturers in public universities at a single point in time. The sample includes public university lecturers. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 155 lecturers to provide quantitative data. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed with both descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, along with the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. The findings indicate that HoDs demonstrate active involvement in setting institutional direction, monitoring instruction, and supporting staff development. However, the findings reveal insufficient mentorship to support lecturers’ professional learning and performance. This lack of mentorship could limit opportunities for developing leadership potential among teachers and supporting their career growth. Lecturers displayed effectiveness in their teaching practices. The statistical results confirmed a significant effect of instructional leadership behaviours on lecture delivery (F(4,98) = 20.382, p < 0.01). It was recommended that HoDs should communicate departmental goals clearly and ensure that lecturers understand their teaching, assessment, research, and administrative responsibilities. Additionally, the strong positive correlation between the communication of institutional objectives and lecturer effectiveness highlights the need for university goals, teaching expectations, and performance standards to be communicated clearly across departments.

Transitioning out of professional sport can present challenges for athletes and their wider environments, frequently necessitating coordinated physical, psychological, and economic support. Although these concerns have been documented in elite cycling, the extent to which structured transition programmes exist within the sport remains insufficiently understood, particularly in Europe, the historical centre of professional cycling. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative documentary analysis, distributing a standardised inquiry to all European Cycling Federations (ECFs; N = 51) between December 2024-March 2025. Federations were asked whether they had formal strategies, policies, or resources related to athlete retirement. Responses were categorised as “ECF-level literature or initiative”, “No ECF-level provision”, or “No response” and relevant materials were descriptively synthesised. Amongst the 21 federations that responded, the majority (n = 17; ≈81%) reported no ECF-level retirement initiatives. Common reasons included limited resources, low perceived demand, or reliance on national or international bodies (i.e., Olympic Committees or sport-specific unions). Four ECFs (~19%) described transition-related structures, though these varied considerably in scope, definition, and delivery. Despite well-documented needs, structured retirement support for professional cyclists remains uncommon across European national federations, and existing programmes appear heterogeneously applied. As cycling expands globally, effective transition planning becomes increasingly important for athlete wellbeing and the long-term sustainability of the sport. Holistic, international collaborations led by cycling’s major governance bodies could strengthen career-long support systems, reinforce the public image of cycling as a health-promoting discipline, and create responsible, athlete-centered ecosystems.