Educational Leadership Select five empirical articles from peer-reviewed journals that you consider critical to your understanding of your specialization

In the last several years, educational leadership has become an integral part of helping schools to outperform their peers. This is because the techniques which are utilized will have a dramatic impact on the teacher's ability to connect with stakeholders. To achieve these objectives, they will often turn to those who can inspire others and offer guidance for reaching key benchmarks.

There are a number of theories which are used to influence the practices educators are using. For instance, Darling (2009) found that leadership is essential in helping to inspire others around them. In this study, she is seeking to understand which leadership techniques are most effective in comprehending what motivates stakeholders. The research was conducted through utilizing the qualitative method. This is when different studies are examined to understand various trends and support issues for further clarification. (Darling, 2009)

Once this occurred, is when comparative analysis was conducted. This is where the various responses were contrasted with each other to understand the basic patterns. Any kind of anomalies were disregarded as statistically insignificant. The threats to the validity of the study; were to have different researchers present their findings. This ensured that everyone remains objective throughout the entire project. (Darling, 2009)

Evidence of this can be seen with Darling saying, "The content of professional development can make the difference between enhancing teachers' competence and simply providing a forum for teachers to talk. The most useful professional development emphasizes active teaching, assessment, observation, and reflection rather than abstract discussions. Professional development that focuses on student learning and helps teachers develop the pedagogical skills to teach specific kinds of content has strong positive effects on practice. In a recent national survey teachers reported that their knowledge and skills grew and their practice changed when they received professional development that was coherent, focused on content knowledge, and involved active learning. Hands-on work that enhanced teachers' knowledge of the content and how to teach it produced a sense of efficacy -- especially when that content was aligned with local curriculum and policies." (Darling, 2009)

These findings are showing how educational leadership is vital in transforming how everyone is interacting with each other. This is taking place through opening channels of communication and working with staff members to reach key objectives using the transformational approach. The result is that those institutions, which are embracing these practices, will be more successful over the long-term. As various stakeholders are working together to reach key objectives. In this case, the article presents compelling evidence showing the importance of leadership inside any educational environment. (Darling, 2009)

Moreover, Rosen (2011) found that technology can be used to improve educational leadership. This is taking place in areas where individuals could be weak by providing them with added tips and insights sent to various mobile devices (such as: smart phones and tablets). These areas will enable the person to remember these ideas and have them readily available. (Rosen, 2011)

At the same time, students could use these solutions to enhance their ability to remember and retain key ideas. This is different from many traditional classrooms with students expected to shut off their mobile applications. If there is a concentrated effort on these areas, it will offer them with effective tools for remembering and improving their ability to recall important concepts. (Rosen, 2011)

The research problem is focusing on how electronic solutions can be utilized without creating added disruptions. The design is concentrating on using qualitative method. This is when there is an emphasis on other studies and their findings. These conclusions are a detailed understanding of the problem and it is introducing ways of addressing them. The threats to the validity of the study are the information is from different time periods. This is challenging, as select ideas could be out of date and may not fully address the problem. To deal with these issues, there is a focus on corroborating the various results with each other. This will determine the underlying trends and any long-term effects on different stakeholders. (Rosen, 2011)

These findings are showing that an all encompassing approach must be used. This means that technology needs to be implemented inside an educational environment to improve everyone's ability to remember key ideas. These changes are occurring through communicating with educators about the best techniques and how they can more effectively...

(Rosen, 2011)
While at the same time, students can use these solutions to retain key concepts and more effectively prepare them for the various assignments. This will be achieved by having them use applications which are only focusing on select solutions and it ignores others (such as the use of cell phones or sending texts). Once the class is over, is when the individual will be able to access these applications again. (Rosen, 2011)

Moreover, Gandara (2010) determined that there must be continuing support for different stakeholders. This is because there are key ideas that have to be repeated consistently in order to make a difference. If this does not occur, there is the possibility of everyone going back to their old routines. (Gandara, 2010)

The study that was conducted by Gandara (2010) is focused on understanding how various groups of stakeholders respond to continuing leadership. The purpose is to see the way this shapes the reactions of stakeholders and their ability to respond to a host of issues in the process. The design of the study is to look at various pieces of data. The information is offering insights about these shifting techniques and its influence on a variety of stakeholders in the process. (Gandara, 2010)

The threats to validity is that there is an over reliance on a single source for the data. To address these issues, other figures were collected from a second study. This was used an independent variable to understand what is occurring and confirm these shifts. The findings are showing, that all groups of stakeholders respond positively to these changes. This is because they are providing specific insights about which tactics are most effective and their long-term impact on others. (Gandara, 2010)

As a result, when there is consistent leadership and follow up, more people are connected to the process. Evidence of this can be seen with Gandara saying, "The evidence suggests that a continuing net of support for disadvantaged students -- rather than isolated interventions -- is likely to significantly improve students' academic outcomes and reduce achievement gaps. This helps them to have a sense of vision and clear understanding about themselves. Supports need to begin in early childhood, with access to high-quality preschools, and continue throughout high school through programs that focus on dropout prevention and promote college attendance. At the same time, educators need to learn the best techniques and how to effectively reach out to various stakeholders. Creating magnet schools that appeal to middle-class parents, working with health and social service agencies, and reaching out to parents in culturally appropriate ways can make a significant difference for many students." (Gandara, 2010)

This is showing how effective leadership must be applied consistently inside any educational environment. Otherwise, there is the possibility that something will be overlooked. When this happens, everyone will begin to revert back to their old ways prior to these changes. (Gandara, 2010)

Furthermore, Merrill (2010) concluded that a lack of leadership in education is contributing to higher rates of turnover. This is because most people feel frustrated with the current system and the challenges they are expected to deal with. The result is that an increasing number are retiring early or going into other career fields with more promise. (Merrill, 2010)

The research problem is concentrating on how these trends can be reversed over the long-term. Its purpose is to identify how leadership is influencing an educational environment and the practices that are utilized. The design of the study was to collect a sample from different teachers, parents and administrators. The basic idea is to comprehend what variables are impacting individual thoughts and beliefs. (Merrill, 2010)

The biggest threat to the validity of the study is some results could overly rely on a single respondent. To deal with these challenges, an anonymous survey was conducted. It only asked for, select pieces of ethnographic information from respondents. The findings are showing how teachers, students, parents and administrators must be motivated to do more. Otherwise, the educational environment will succumb to attitudes of complacency. This is the point, when these changes could have negative implications on a variety of stakeholders in the process. As a result, the article is underscoring the importance of creating enthusiasm and excitement. When this happens, everyone will be motivated to do more and go the extra mile to enhance quality. (Merrill, 2010)

Evidence of this can be seen with Merrill saying, "After analyzing long-term demographic data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, we found a number of intriguing trends in the teaching force that they say 'appear to have been little noticed by researchers, policymakers, and the public.' The number of…