ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the changing nature of leadership in schools. The professionalisation of school teaching in the second half of the twentieth century impacted on the work of school leaders and the developing field of educational leadership. The headmaster in the 1960s was literally the head master or head teacher. The arrival of the “principal” in the 1970s was a sign of changing expectations. In Australia it was an indication that the influence of the British education system was declining, and educators were paying more attention to trends in education in the United States and other nations. Different ways of thinking about classroom organisation and the role of the student in learning emerged. In the 1970s and 1980s the direction of a school depended largely on the preferences of the principal, and school performance depended on the capability of the principal and individual teachers.
