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Middle leaders in an educational setting perform a complex and multifaceted role and are often referred to as change agents (Cardno, 2012; Fitzgerald, 2009; Fleming, 2014). The importance of middle leaders in leading curriculum change is undisputable (Blandford, 2006; Bush & Middlewood, 2005; Kedian, 2006). Most significantly, middle leaders have the potential to identify, support and develop the capability of teachers in their teams to promote effective teaching, which leads to improved student outcomes. As middle leadership roles are developed in response to the needs of different schools, they are often unique from school to school (Ministry of Education, 2012). Despite the undisputed importance of their role, there is limited research available to explain and consider how middle leaders within New Zealand primary schools are developed and supported when first taking on this important role. A qualitative research approach was utilised to gain a more in-depth insight into the mentoring support that middle leaders received in the researcher's current primary school and two other primary schools within Auckland, New Zealand. The researcher's positioning in this study was partially an insider approach where a paired mentoring approach was explored, which could promote professional and organisational transformation. Data were collected through, online questionnaires, audio-recorded professional conversations between paired middle leaders, individual interviews, as well as focus group interviews. The researcher used the document Leading from the Middle (Ministry of Education, 2012) as the theoretical framework. The findings show that middle leader participants valued the importance of building and maintaining open and trusting relationships with staff, middle leaders and senior leaders in their multifaceted roles. Furthermore, middle leaders were often expected to carry out a wide range of responsibilities, such as engaging in open-to-learning conversations; however, they were not always prepared or confident of what their middle leadership roles entailed. The paired mentoring approach that was trialled in the researcher's school was proven to be highly successful with the four middle leader participants, as they appreciated engaging in the professional learning conversations with someone that was like-minded and non-judgemental of their roles. Middle leaders play as essential role and are typically defined as leaders with pedagogical or pastoral care responsibility within a school environment (Fleming, 2014). Therefore, it is essential that they are successfully mentored in this role both prior to commencing it and ongoing throughout their practice. It would be highly recommended that stakeholders in New Zealand education, such as the Ministry of Education, principals, and the boards of trustees investigate and implement effective mentoring strategies to further prepare middle leaders with the skills and understanding of leadership required for an integral role in the school system. |
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