Author Identifier

Peter Pagett's ORCID record ORCID Logo

Date of Award

2026

Keywords

international schools, Type C, China, educational leadership, personal culture, organisational culture, personal identity

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Master of Education

School

School of Education

First Supervisor

Glenda Campbell-Evans ORCID iD 0000-0002-1775-5720

Second Supervisor

Michelle Striepe ORCID iD 0000-0003-0216-5805

Abstract

This study examined how educational leaders at a Type C international school in China understand educational leadership. The extensive knowledge on educational leaders identifies many important facets of this phenomenon, such as the importance of leaders focussing on mission and vision and building relationships. Current understanding also highlights the role of personal identity in influencing a leaders’ work and understandings. However, literature on educational leadership in the context of international schools is scant. Given the challenges specific to international education such as culture shock, transience and isolation there is a need to conduct more research into these types of schools. This is particularly important as the bulk of the research on educational leadership in international schools is more focused on traditional Type A/B schools rather than Type C schools, which have been rapidly growing, particularly in China.

This qualitative study was situated within an interpretivist paradigm that employed a single case study design. Data were collected through document analysis, non-participant observations and semi structured interviews with five participants. The data were analysed using Tisdell et al.’s (2025) method of data analysis. The data were assigned codes that led to categories and, finally, revealed themes that were pertinent to the research. The findings indicated that educational leaders at this Type C international school in China understood educational leadership through their personal and professional experiences, how they established rigour and legitimacy, and their management of community expectations. At times, the participants had to adapt to the case study school but usually did so based on their previous experiences. The participants understood the importance of establishing and maintaining rigour and legitimacy to ensure the success of the case study school. Establishing and maintaining rigour and legitimacy was important to their leadership as it also ensured that students could pursue further education outside China. The participants also understood leadership as the need to manage community expectations with consideration for the local culture while addressing expectations from different stakeholders such as parents and the teaching faculty.

This study contributes to the limited research on leadership in Type C international school. It informs how school leaders can navigate leadership at a Type C international school in China but also at international schools in general. It also provides new insights into ways that leaders understand considerations of culture in educational leadership The findings from this study also offers actionable recommendations for school leaders and researchers, filling a gap in the literature on educational leadership in Type C international schools.

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